Page 49 of Forbidden Romeo
He looked up, momentary surprise catching in his expression before his mouth turned up into a smile. “Holden. What a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Me neither,” Katherine said, eyeing me carefully. “What are you doing here?”
“What the fuck is going on here?” I demanded, glaring at Abrams.
His smile fell for the briefest moment as he glanced between us, then draped the towel casually over his shoulders. “We were running through Katherine’s song for her audition.”
“In her hotel room?” I snapped.
“Yeah,” Abrams said with an eye roll and hitching his thumb over his shoulder. “New World Stages has a broken pipe and they canceled all their bookings for the day.
I scowled, not believing his story for a second. Stepping towards him threateningly, I said through gritted teeth, "And your shirt just happened to fall off?”
“Holden,” Katherine said. Distantly, I felt her fingers brush against my forearm but I couldn’t see anything beyond the tunnel vision of hatred I had for this man. “Holden, relax. He was opening a bottle of wine and it spilled all over him.”
A bitter laugh cracked at the back of my throat. “Wine? At an audition with an eighteen year old girl.”
Abrams squared his shoulders, meeting my gaze challengingly. “The wine was for me. Not her. Check the shirt for a stain yourself. And for the record, I don’t love what you’re trying to imply.”
“I don’t love your reputation for seducing young girls looking to break into the industry.”
A snort sputtered from Abram’s throat. “Are you fucking kidding me? Trust me kid, I get enough pussy every night. I can snap my fingers and have just about any woman I want. There’s no fucking way this two-by-four of a girl would get into my fucking pants.”
A wave of rage washed over me. I hauled back and punched him square in the face. Abrams stumbled back, shocked. Then with a roar of rage he launched himself at me. We crashed to the floor, landing punishing blows on each other.
We slammed into the wall behind me, each grappling for control. I managed to get him in a headlock, squeezing with all my might. His towel dropped to the floor as he struggled to break free.
"Stop! Please stop!" Katherine cried. She came over and tried to pull me off of him.
I released Abrams and he gasped for air.
"Get out," I growled at him. He quickly gathered his shirt from where it was slung on the back of the couch, his eyes burning with anger.
"Good luck getting work in this city ever again," he sputtered, looking at Katherine with one hand massaging his throat. “McCay was right about you. You’re not worth the hassle.” He slowly sauntered past me toward the door, staring me down as if he could intimidate me. “And you have your boyfriend here to thank for it.”
I turned to Katherine who had tears streaming down her face and rushed to comfort her, to gather her in my arms."I'm so sorry. Are you okay?” I kissed her forehead, her brow, cupping her jaw tenderly in my palms. “I'm here now, you're safe," I said gently.
She wrenched out of my hold, shoving me back. “Safe? Holden I was safe. Abrams didn’t do anything! You just ruined my best shot at making it as an actress!”
Katherine stared at me, tears glistening in her eyes.
I reached for her arm but she jerked away. "Katherine, please, just listen—" I began, but she cut me off.
"No, you listen! I don't need you charging in here like some knight in shining armor. I can take care of myself!" She folded her arms across her chest.
“Oh? You can take care of yourself? You’re more naive than even I realized if you think for one second that man wasn’t trying to fuck you. He never had any intention of casting you. I bet there isn’t even a broken pipe at New World Stages. And what professional director has an audition in the actress’s hotel room that he paid for and brings a bottle of wine that he conveniently spills on himself? Use your fucking brain for once, Katherine.” I scoffed and clamped my hands to my hips. “I should’ve known something was up. No Broadway casting director calls in a fucking freshman for a professional audition.”
Katherine grew still, her face falling impassive. Shrouded.
With a long, slow inhale, she opened her phone and after a moment, held up the screen to show me the article on Backstage Magazine that New World Stages had a water main break.
I swallowed hard, shame heating my face. Did McCay set this all up? Did she know I would rage in here like a bull seeing red? “Katherine?—”
“Get out,” she whispered.
“You don’t mean that?—”
“Yes. I do. Get. The. Fuck. Out.”