Wild Love (The Wilde Brothers #1)

Chapter 10

10

SCARLETT

I was so nervous about the theater class I had to teach at the library that I could barely sleep. I woke up feeling groggy. I showered but didn't feel like eating.

At seven a.m., there was a knock on my door.

I opened it, expecting it to be Eli since he was the only one on this floor.

It was a hotel worker with a cart. "Good morning, Ms. St. Claire."

"Oh, I didn't order anything," I said as I let him in.

"Mr. Wilde requested breakfast for you," he said as he wheeled the cart inside my room. His name tag read Carl.

"And flowers?"

Carl moved the vase of flowers, then the tray of food onto the table in front of the window. "He said you had a big day today, and we should prepare a little of everything for you. There's a note from him on the flowers." He backed away, taking the cart to leave. "Have a great day."

"Oh, I need to grab a tip for you." I moved toward my purse.

"It's taken care of." Carl ducked out, and I stood there a little surprised by the entire interaction. I opened the lid on some of the items he'd placed on the table. There were waffles, eggs, fruit, and toast.

I sat in front of the spread, feeling overwhelmed but grateful for Eli's thoughtfulness. I snapped a picture with a caption thanking him. His response was immediate.

Eli: You're welcome. Good luck today!

How did he know that I was so nervous? I couldn't even think about preparing food. I had to remember that Eli took care of people. I wasn't special.

I remembered there was a card on the flowers. I pulled it from the holder. It looked like it was handwritten. Had he done this himself? I had a feeling he did. He might have people that did things for him, but he understood the importance of a personal touch.

I pulled out the card. Break a leg, gorgeous.

I laughed. It was something we said in the theater. It was part superstition and part routine at this point. We couldn't not say it. I held the card to my chest. Eli was the nicest man. I couldn't believe a woman hadn't already caught his eye.

I was just his friend's sister. Someone he'd promised to look out for. He wasn't attracted to me. He was just being nice. It was who he was. I repeated that mantra to myself as I finished eating, then went over my notes again.

These kids were going to eat me alive.

I drove to the library, wondering if I should just keep on driving and find a new place to live. But I couldn't do that to Marigold or my family. I never left without saying goodbye. And I didn't feel ready to go.

I wasn’t sure that teaching was in my wheelhouse. I hoped I could pull this off.

In the library, Marigold took me by the elbow. "You're here."

"You were worried I wouldn't show up? "

Marigold winced. "I'm sorry." Then she patted my arm. "You're here now. That's all that matters."

"There's still time to call this off," I said, feeling panicked when I saw the kids waiting for me.

She stopped in front of the crowd of kids and parents. "I think it's too late for that."

I bit my lip so I wouldn't swear in front of the kids. The room was too full, the lights too bright. I turned to talk to Marigold. "There're a lot of people."

"They're all very excited about you being here. A real live actress to teach them." Marigold's enthusiasm was infectious.

Then Marigold clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. She was like a teacher. People listened to her. "Everyone, we're so very excited to welcome our very own Scarlett St. Claire."

There was clapping and cheering. The excitement was palpable. The pressure almost unbearable. When had anyone ever looked to me for advice?

I helped the kids in my productions, but that was one-on-one. This was too much. Too many onlookers. Too many people who could judge me and find me lacking.

I waved awkwardly. "Hi."

Marigold gave me an encouraging smile, and I wished that I would have kept driving this morning.

I tucked my notebook against my chest. "I wasn't sure what everyone wanted to learn this morning. I took notes, made lesson plans, but I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to take this to the stage. We could start with acting out a play, and I could give a few pointers as we go."

The kids cheered with excitement.

"Can we move the kids to the stage area?" I asked Marigold.

Marigold nodded. "Absolutely."

She ushered the kids to the stage area while I handed out the scripts to each child. It was a short play, something to get the kids started. I wasn't sure what they expected from the event. But I decided that acting would be fun, and the kids would enjoy it. That's all that mattered.

If the parents expected some kind of PowerPoint presentation, they wouldn't get one from me.

"We're going to go through the lines, and I'll give you pointers as we go. Remember to speak with feeling. Your passion for the character will come through."

I directed the two children who'd volunteered to be the main characters to the stage. Becky barreled through her lines, not giving her costar any room to say his.

"That's great, Becky. Now let your costar say his lines this time. Give him a minute to respond. Then you can do your next line. As we go, you can look away from your page and act."

A child tugged on my sleeve. "How do we act?"

"What's your name?"

"Nathaniel."

I addressed the group rather than just him, since everyone probably had the same question. "Nathaniel wants to know how to act. You put yourself in the position of your character and think about what you'd be doing if you were going through the same thing they are. What would you be saying? What would your expression be? The most important question you can ask yourself is, how you would feel if you were in that same situation."

The kids nodded, their expressions intent.

We started from the beginning again, and this time the kids really got into it. Everyone laughed when they went over the top with their acting. It was the most fun I'd had in forever. The parents faded into the background as I engaged with the kids.

It reminded me how much I loved acting and interacting with other people who enjoyed it too.

When we did a complete run-through, I clapped for them. "That was great. When I start a new production, we always get to know the other cast members. Then we run through our lines. As we get more comfortable, we add in stage positions and physical actions."

Marigold approached from the side. "We're out of time."

I said, "If you don't have any questions, I'll let you get on with your day."

The parents stood at the back of the stage area. I even saw Chance in his uniform and Eli stood next to him. I started to sweat. What did they think? I hadn't realized everyone was coming to watch.

The parents crowded around me, throwing out questions like, "Will there be another class? Will you be working with a nearby theater program?"

Marigold held up her hands. "I'll let you know if the library will be sponsoring another class. Let's allow Scarlett to get some water and sit down."

Marigold maneuvered me to a small room in the back. "Sit." Then she grabbed a water from a small fridge. "Drink."

"Is this your office?" I asked, feeling a little lightheaded.

"It is." She plopped into the chair across from me.

Then I glanced at the time. "Did I go over the time?"

"You went for about two hours."

I winced. "I'm sorry. It was only supposed to be forty-five minutes. I completely lost track of time."

Chance appeared at the door with Eli next to him.

Marigold hopped up and moved to the doorway. "What are you two doing here?"

"Came to support our favorite actress," Chance said.

I rolled my eyes. "You shouldn't have. If I'd known, I would have been more nervous." I moved around the desk to hug Chance.

"I couldn't tell you were nervous. You looked great up there," Chance said .

I scoffed. "But I didn't teach anything. I let them act out a play."

Marigold's brow furrowed. "The kids loved you, and the parents wanted to know when you can do it again."

I wasn't sure I believed that. "I'm sure they expected something more formal. I thought I'd show them what I do."

"I thought you were great. The kids were engaged, and the parents were talking about how much fun everyone was having," Eli interjected.

I mulled that over. Was it a success?

Chance moved toward the door. "I have to get back to work. I just wanted to stop in and see how it went."

"I'll walk you out," I said to him, and we walked through the library and out the front doors. The kids and parents had dispersed.

"I'm proud of you." Chance hugged me before heading toward his cruiser.

Eli stood nearby.

"You didn't have to come."

"And miss that? I wanted to see you in your element, and it was amazing. Those kids were enraptured with you."

"I had fun but?—"

"You were a natural."

"I didn't think I could do it."

Eli shoved his hands in his pockets. "Are you going to offer the class again? Maybe even direct a small play for them?"

"I'm not sure how long I'll be here."

Eli nodded. "I know you don't know where you want to be in a few months, but why don't you give this a chance? See if it's something you'd like to do."

The idea of directing a children's play was interesting. I wouldn't have someone telling me what to do. I'd be the one in charge. And it would be kids. "It's an interesting idea. One I haven't considered before. "

"Think about it." Eli checked his phone. "I have to get back to the lodge."

"Thanks for coming to support me, and for breakfast and the flowers." Eli was going above and beyond any promise to my brother, and I wasn't sure why that was.

"It's my pleasure." He winked, and then turned to leave. I watched him head toward his SUV. Then I went inside where Marigold was helping someone at the front desk.

While she helped the patron find the book on the shelf, I fell into a chair behind the desk. A woman appeared. "Oh, my daughter really enjoyed your class. Will you be doing more?"

I frowned. "Honestly? I'm not sure."

"We could use a theater program. The high school has one. But there's nothing for the younger kids. The theater's been closed for years.”

I pursed my lips, not sure how to respond. Finally, I said, "I'll think about another class.”

She smiled. "Have a great day."

"You too," I said as she walked away.

"What was that about?" Marigold asked.

"That woman asked me to do more classes."

"You should. The kids were so engaged in everything you said and did. You have no idea how good a theater program would be for the kids. They can act, sing, and just be themselves. No judgment. They might not fit in anywhere else."

No one had encouraged me to join the drama club or go out for the school musical. At least no one outside my immediate family.

Would it have made a difference if a teacher had encouraged me? Could I be that person for someone else? The idea was interesting, but I hadn't planned to stay. If I taught a class, I'd be tied to this town. I wouldn't be able to leave.

The familiar panic returned. I needed to get away from the library and the patrons who wanted something from me .

"I'm going to head home."

Marigold gave me a sympathetic look. "Teaching can take a lot out of you."

"Yeah, I'm drained," I said, even though the opposite was true. I felt like I could run a marathon.

When I stood, Marigold hugged me. "I'm so happy you did the class, and I hope you're not going to run in the other direction now."

I attempted to smile but couldn't quite pull it off. "I can't make any promises."

Marigold's sympathetic face would be my undoing. "I know it wasn't your first choice."

"It was good." I edged away from the circulation desk, needing space from the expectations. The weight was heavy on my shoulders. Everyone wanted me to teach more classes. But what if I didn't make a difference in anyone's life? What if they didn't learn anything? What if everyone grew to hate me?

I turned and walked quickly through the library, not daring to look up. I didn't want to meet anyone's eyes and chance someone else asking me for something. I was used to being a loner. I didn't owe anyone anything, except for my boss and my fellow castmates.

Here, people wanted something from me, and I wasn't sure I could deliver. My track record wasn't the best for staying in one place. What would happen if I got the itch to leave? I'd ruin everything. It was easier not to give anyone the expectation that I was sticking around.

Instead of heading home, I drove around, not really seeing the grandeur of the mountain range. Eventually, I parked at an overlook, trying not to think about what everyone wanted from me. I couldn't give it. It would be too much.

The sun set before I realized I'd been sitting in the dark, and I was chilled. I turned on the car and drove slowly to the lodge.

The what-ifs were flirting with the edge of my conscience. What if I did a certain number of classes, and I stuck around for a few months? I loved my new place. I enjoyed spending time with Eli and seeing Marigold again.

It was nice to stop by my parents' just to see how they were. Although I felt the weight of expectation with every one of those people, except for Eli.

He didn't expect anything from me, and maybe that's why I felt so comfortable around him.

At home, I curled up on the rooftop deck with a blanket. I turned on the heater kept the lights off. I didn’t want Eli to know I was out here. I wanted to be alone.

I wasn't sure what I should do with my life. And I didn't think I could make any decisions until I did. The pressure was immense, and it seemed like I might be crushed under the weight.