Read Online The Stage (Phoenix Rising #1) by Shelby Rebecca - Free Book Online
Authors: Shelby Rebecca
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out thinking about my mom. “Sorry.”
“Okay, so you both are going to walk in, shake hands with the coach and guest coach. There’s no freaking out. Remember.”
Both of us nod our heads in agreement. Damn it! I’ve already chipped my freaking nail polish. Stupid nerves. I freaking hate this habit!
“Go, go,” Amy says. Two other contestants come out as she feeds us through the door for the rolling cameras. I smile and shake hands with Rania, holding back my inner fan girl. When Kolton reaches for my hand, I have to pretend not to notice the little shiver that runs up my arm. This time he doesn’t make me look him in the eye.
Kenny and I stand on our marks on the other side of the white piano with Rania and Kolton sitting in directors’ chairs. I have to remind myself to breathe. She’s beautiful but from this close her hair looks fake, and she’s got on a lot of make-up. Too much. But then again, so do I. We need it for the cameras.
“Alright, let’s get started,” Kolton says, clapping his hands together. “We’re taking on a Justin Bieber song and turning it into a duet.”
“Let’s hear what you’ve got so far,” Rania says, leaning back into her chair.
After giving each of us a chance to sing our parts, Kolton models a change he wants Kenny to make. “If you want to win, you’re going to have to be consistent with the key you start in. Move down to the lower key so you can move up into the falsetto a lot easier for the chorus.”
It’s really the same problem he’s had all along.
“Mia,” Rania says. “There’s a give and take when we have to share a stage with another artist. When he does that part, you come in and do yours a little too fast. Take a breath in between or you’re going to start too soon,” she says, glancing at Kolton who’s nodding his head. “Like this,” she sings, “you love, you love, you loooove,” she emphasizes the last word.
“That’s not what I was going to say, but you’re right,” he says, smiling and looking at her like she’s the smartest woman in the world. She leans toward him, looking him in the eye, her tongue touching her top teeth.
It’s then I know they’ve slept together and it’s like we’re sitting in on some private moment between the two of them. It makes me feel like a volcano is bubbling under my skin, so I take the beanie and the scarf off and throw them on the table behind us.
Kolton looks at me a little puzzled. She’s beautiful, rich, perfect. He’s been with so many women; I bet he doesn’t even remember all of them. All of this—everything he’s done is because he feels sorry for me, and I feel foolish, like a child with a crush on a real man.
“You try it,” Rania says, but Kolton’s eyes hone in on me. Something like anger boils behind them. I can’t read him at all.
“You love, you love, you looooove,” I belt out, feeling everything at once. Kolton’s mouth drops open and Kenny claps.
“Wow! I don’t stand a chance,” Kenny says.
“Can somebody—Where’s Melody? Somebody needs to fix her hair,” Kolton says, about me. I run my fingers through it, and the ends start to separate out of ringlets.
“There’s no time for that,” Amy says, walking over and fixing my part. “Your hair got a little messy when you took the beanie off,” she says to me.
“Sorry,” I say, trying to fix it the best I can with my fingers.
“Well, she needs to put the scarf back on. Who let her put on that low cut shirt? It shows everything,” he barks out.
“There’s nothing wrong with her top. She looks sexy,” Rania Steele says. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” he says, switching on the smirk and the dimple for her. She smiles at him and he says, “It’s going to be a long day. But I’m cool.”
“Yes, you are,” she says, leaning over and touching his knee. I squint my eyes at him and bite the inside of my bottom lip.
“Let’s get started. Thank God for editing,” he says,
“Okay, so you both are going to walk in, shake hands with the coach and guest coach. There’s no freaking out. Remember.”
Both of us nod our heads in agreement. Damn it! I’ve already chipped my freaking nail polish. Stupid nerves. I freaking hate this habit!
“Go, go,” Amy says. Two other contestants come out as she feeds us through the door for the rolling cameras. I smile and shake hands with Rania, holding back my inner fan girl. When Kolton reaches for my hand, I have to pretend not to notice the little shiver that runs up my arm. This time he doesn’t make me look him in the eye.
Kenny and I stand on our marks on the other side of the white piano with Rania and Kolton sitting in directors’ chairs. I have to remind myself to breathe. She’s beautiful but from this close her hair looks fake, and she’s got on a lot of make-up. Too much. But then again, so do I. We need it for the cameras.
“Alright, let’s get started,” Kolton says, clapping his hands together. “We’re taking on a Justin Bieber song and turning it into a duet.”
“Let’s hear what you’ve got so far,” Rania says, leaning back into her chair.
After giving each of us a chance to sing our parts, Kolton models a change he wants Kenny to make. “If you want to win, you’re going to have to be consistent with the key you start in. Move down to the lower key so you can move up into the falsetto a lot easier for the chorus.”
It’s really the same problem he’s had all along.
“Mia,” Rania says. “There’s a give and take when we have to share a stage with another artist. When he does that part, you come in and do yours a little too fast. Take a breath in between or you’re going to start too soon,” she says, glancing at Kolton who’s nodding his head. “Like this,” she sings, “you love, you love, you loooove,” she emphasizes the last word.
“That’s not what I was going to say, but you’re right,” he says, smiling and looking at her like she’s the smartest woman in the world. She leans toward him, looking him in the eye, her tongue touching her top teeth.
It’s then I know they’ve slept together and it’s like we’re sitting in on some private moment between the two of them. It makes me feel like a volcano is bubbling under my skin, so I take the beanie and the scarf off and throw them on the table behind us.
Kolton looks at me a little puzzled. She’s beautiful, rich, perfect. He’s been with so many women; I bet he doesn’t even remember all of them. All of this—everything he’s done is because he feels sorry for me, and I feel foolish, like a child with a crush on a real man.
“You try it,” Rania says, but Kolton’s eyes hone in on me. Something like anger boils behind them. I can’t read him at all.
“You love, you love, you looooove,” I belt out, feeling everything at once. Kolton’s mouth drops open and Kenny claps.
“Wow! I don’t stand a chance,” Kenny says.
“Can somebody—Where’s Melody? Somebody needs to fix her hair,” Kolton says, about me. I run my fingers through it, and the ends start to separate out of ringlets.
“There’s no time for that,” Amy says, walking over and fixing my part. “Your hair got a little messy when you took the beanie off,” she says to me.
“Sorry,” I say, trying to fix it the best I can with my fingers.
“Well, she needs to put the scarf back on. Who let her put on that low cut shirt? It shows everything,” he barks out.
“There’s nothing wrong with her top. She looks sexy,” Rania Steele says. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Nothing,” he says, switching on the smirk and the dimple for her. She smiles at him and he says, “It’s going to be a long day. But I’m cool.”
“Yes, you are,” she says, leaning over and touching his knee. I squint my eyes at him and bite the inside of my bottom lip.
“Let’s get started. Thank God for editing,” he says,
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