Page 21 of Breaking Free

Chapter 7

WRIST-DEEP IN RAW CHICKEN, Piper wrinkled her nose and rubbed it with her forearm. It provided little relief, however, leading her to wonder why she always seemed to have an itch when she couldn’t scratch.

With no work or plans for the weekend, she resorted to her usual method of combating boredom—cooking. She had already baked three dozen chocolate chip cookies. Never mind how many she’d eaten. Now, she was working on her chicken enchiladas, one of her favorite dishes. But her go-to distraction couldn’t take her mind off of Tristan and the passionate kiss they’d shared.

He consumed her thoughts. Even her dreams were all about him. And she kept coming back to his warning. Several times in the past few days, she’d come close to storming next door and demanding an explanation. She risked getting the door shut in her face again, but she needed answers to why one minute he was scowling at her or telling her she dressed like a slut—well, not in so many words but close—and the next, he had her up against a wall with his tongue down her throat. Talk about mixed messages.

Since the blackout, their paths hadn’t crossed. Despite their undeniable physical attraction to each other, he was clearly avoiding her. So, instead of subjecting herself to more rejectionand insults by throwing herself at her neighbor, she channeled her energy in a different direction.

Piper looked down at the heaping bowl of raw cheesy chicken. In less than an hour, the casserole, bubbly and golden brown, would emerge from the oven. Then, she could indulge in her true talent: eating her feelings.

It served eight. At home, she’d invite friends to help her devour the spicy, calorie-laden dish. Here, she only had acquaintances. She needed to build a social circle quickly or would likely spend all her weekends alone and gain thirty pounds by the end of the summer.

And wouldn’t you know it, her phone rang while she still had raw chicken between her fingers and under her nails. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw it was Cindy Fogelman, her agent. She never called simply to chat. Excited about a job prospect, she used the tip of one finger to answer the call and put it on speaker. She would deal with disinfecting the salmonella and E. coli from her phone later.

“Hey, Cindy! You’re working late on a weekend.” Piper aimed for casual, but her heart was pounding.

“That’s because I have the most fabulous news, darling!”

Cindy’s New York accent and the exaggerated way she swapped her Rs for Hs and said “dahling” was over the top. It made her sound like a caricature of an Old Hollywood agent. When they first met, she’d found it somewhat off-putting, but it had grown on her and now made her smile.

“A casting director friend is looking for a fresh face for the lead role in a new TV drama. I sent her your headshots and resume on a whim, and she thinks you’d be perfect for it. We scheduled an audition for next week. This could be the break you’ve been waiting for!”

Piper froze, unable to believe what she was hearing. She’d always imagined herself on the big screen, but she’d take a TV role in a heartbeat.

Doubt suddenly tempered her excitement. Was she ready to be a leading lady? She’d dreamed of being a star since she was five, but now that opportunity was knocking on her door, she felt entirely inadequate.

“Have I lost you, Piper?” Cindy asked. “Do I need to come over and scrape you off the floor?”

She wasn’t far off.

“I can’t believe this is happening. They know my only lead role was in a high school play, right?”

“Don’t question the process, dahling. Just go with it!”

As Cindy gushed about how this would launch her into stardom, Piper realized this could be a break for her, too. If a client succeeded and made it big, it was a selling point to other clients.

She hung up after Cindy promised to courier her the details of where and when with the audition script. Piper didn’t know how long she stood in her kitchen, staring into space, trying to comprehend this sudden change in fate. This was happening. Of course, she still had to audition and get the job, but wow!

Grinning so wide her cheeks hurt, Piper reached up to scratch the persistent itch on her nose. “Oh, for crying out loud!” she exclaimed, realizing too late that she still had chicken and cheese schmutz and who knew what kind of bacteria all over her. Grimacing, she rushed to the sink to wash.

Feeling as if she might explode if she kept it to herself any longer after she thoroughly disinfected, she reached for her phone and dialed Josie’s number, her heart wildly pounding. After several rings, just as she was about to leave a voicemail, she heard Josie’s breathless response on the other end.

“Hey, Piper.”

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Nah, I had to stop to answer the phone anyway.”

The unexpected response caught her off guard, since she was the one who had called.

“I’m kidding,” Josie clarified. “What’s up?”

“I called to see if you were free tonight for dinner—chicken enchilada casserole. Not to brag, but it’s pretty amazing.”

“I’m sure it is. Any other time, I’d be knocking on your door with a bottle of tequila for margaritas, but I’ve still got a ton of work to do to get ready for Saturday.”

“I understand. Another time,” she said, unable to disguise her disappointment.

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