Page 12 of Directing You
Chapter 5
Reid
I left class,tugging my cell phone from my pocket, and dialed Noah. He answered on the third ring, and even though it was eleven thirty in the morning, he sounded groggy as shit. That’s the beauty of network television, I guess. Long breaks between shooting seasons, unlike the constant eight to nine shows a week of Broadway.
“Mm, ’ello?” he mumbled.
“Did you know she was going to be one of my students?”
“Huh? Who’s this?”
“It’s Reid. Who the fuck else do you know right now who has students?”
“Jesus,” Noah groaned and I heard some rustling around on the other end. “You’re in a mood.”
“Yeah. I am in a mood. Do you know why? Hazel Moon… or should I say Hazel Stone, your little friend from high school, was just astudentin my newclass.” Noah snickered on the other end. And then that snicker grew into a full-on belly laugh. “You think this is fucking funny?” I growled.
“Well, yeah…sort of,” he answered.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t respond. I was too furious. Not only was Noah’s little practical joke putting my reputation on the line, but he was also setting Hazel up to get kicked out of the program.
“You still going to think it’s funny when Hazel loses her spot in the program? And her job here at the university for that matter?”
His laughter abruptly halted. “What? What do you mean?”
“If anyone finds out about her night job, she runs the risk of getting fired and losing her scholarship. Forget my stupid job here…think of what could happen to her because of your immature—”
“Whoa,” Noah said. “Hold on. I didn’t know she was going to be one of your students. Yeah, I knew she was a student there, but I figured it was a big program, and the likelihood of her being in your class was small.”
“This is a private university, Noah. The departments are small…smaller than state schools.” I scrubbed my hand down my face, and even though I had shaved a few hours ago, the tiniest bit of stubble scraped against my hand.
“Like you said last night, I never went to college. I have no idea how it works. I thought you two would never run into each other. But honestly? I’m not that sorry.”
I froze, halting the heavy steps I was pacing back and forth in my classroom. “What?” I hissed. How could he not be sorry? Noah had been one of my best friends in the city, despite our age difference, for a few years, ever since he moved here. I’d always thought he was mature for his age…but holy hell, maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe I’d misjudged him just like I’d misjudged Faith and Brandon. I was beginning to really second-guess my ability to read people.
Noah sighed. “Look, if Hazel gets fired or loses her place in the program, I’ll feel terrible…of course. But I’m not sorry I took you to see her dance. You saw it too, right? She’s incredibly talented. Too talented for that stage.”
I swallowed, my throat burning. I was clenching my jaw so tightly that it actually ached. “She is very talented,” I conceded.
Noah breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief. “Exactly. I’ve been trying to help her for years. I try to get her to come for auditions at the show. I’ve offered to introduce her to my friends and directors and she refuses to take the help. Last night? It was the only organic way I could think of to get her in front of you.”
She refused to take Noah’s help in getting her auditions? I wasn’t sure if she was noble, stubborn, or just plain stupid. Probably all of the above. Yes, it was nepotism, but like it or not, so much of this industry was about who you knew and grabbing every opportunity that came your way. “Why did you wait so long? You could have brought me to see her dance any time in the last couple years. Why now, when both our jobs are on the line?”
“Are you kidding?” Noah snorted. “Do you remember yourself after Faith left you? We could barely get you up and out of your apartment in time to go to work, let alone out for a fun night. I thought we were making strides a year ago, but then Faith and Brandon got married and we were back to square one. You only just joined the land of the living again a few months ago.”
Damn, he was right. I barely went out with friends for a slice of pizza, let alone a drink and to be social. “Fine,” I grumbled.
There was a long pause on the other line before Noah said, “She’s really in yourclass? Not just the program?”
I groaned. “Yep.”
“Damn. I thought you two would hit it off on a personal level, too. Guess we’ll never find that out, huh?”
I gulped and stared out the narrow window on my door into the hallway as Hazel walked by, books in hand and clutching the strap of her bag tightly at her shoulder. Her dark hair was still somewhat curly from last night’s show and fell in spirals past her shoulders. But unlike last night, she wore no makeup…except for those red lips. Red lips on a bare face.
I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my dick to calm down. I wanted to smear that lipstick. I wanted it as a ring around my cock.
“Reid? You still there?”
I cleared my throat. “Yeah, still here.”
Water ran in the background on Noah’s end and I heard some splashing, like he was washing his face. “Well, I should go,” Noah said. “It’s almost noon and I’m not even out of bed. Remember, hands off. At least until the semester’s over.”
I hung up and watched Hazel walk down the hall, feeling like a total creepy pervert. With each step she took, her heart-shaped ass twitched against those tight, ripped jeans she wore. Finally, she turned the corner, and I couldn’t see her anymore.
My head was spinning, and I turned around, falling back against the door. My head hit the molding, and though it didn’t hurt, I groaned. Hands off…not just until the semester was over, as Noah said. For good. I did not need to be getting involved with another actress. Especially one who was only just trying to break into the New York theater scene.
Hazel Stone was off-limits. For good.
