First Date by Krista McGee Read Free Book Online Page B

missed running right into him. She gazed up just in time to throw an irritated glance his way.
    “Hey,” Jonathon called after her. Addy was surprised to see he appeared even more irritated than she did.
    “You know, most girls are excited to be here.” Jonathon shook his head and sighed. “I mean, I don’t expect you to fall all over me. But do you really think acting like that will get you attention?”
    “What?” Addy sucked in her breath. “I don’t want attention.”
    “That’s not what Hank says.”
    “And what does Hank say?” Addy put up her hand to stop him. “Never mind. I don’t want to know. I just want to go home.”
    “There’s something we have in common.”
    “Thanks.” Addy’s voice was laced with sarcasm, and she bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else she’d regret.
    “No, that’s not what I meant . . .” Jonathon appeared conflicted. He rubbed his temples and looked at Addy, his eyes softening. Melted chocolate.
    Addy was confused, almost ready to apologize. But she was interrupted by Lila, the Hawaiian bombshell with a grass skirt for a brain.
    “There you are, Jonathon.” Lila tossed her long black locks like she was in a shampoo commercial. “Hank told me you wanted to see me. That’s so cute. Come on, I’ll take you into The Mansion. I was just about to practice for Thursday night.” Lila grabbed Jonathon’s arm and led him toward the door.
    Jonathon looked puzzled, but he went along. As they walked away, Lila glanced over her shoulder and gave Addy a “he’s all mine” smile. Addy fought the urge to stick out her tongue in response.
    Addy walked away, her heart and mind racing. She was angry. She was embarrassed. She felt like an idiot. Her uncle would be disappointed with her behavior. She was disappointed with her behavior. Jonathon was upset with her. Even Kara was put out. Addy was supposed to be the light here, but instead she was causing more problems than anyone else. She broke into a jog and arrived back at the trailer sweaty and out of breath.
    Sitting on her bed, Addy thought about what Kara had said. Did she really use anger as a cover? She thought back to her response to going on the show, her treatment of Jonathon—every time she saw him—especially her most recent outbursts.
    Kara was right.
    With reluctance Addy made her way back to The Mansion.
    Okay, God. I hear you .

Chapter 9
    S till nothing?” Kara inquired.
    Addy, surrounded by books that might as well have been written in Latin, was trying to find some sort of talent to display at the performance.
    “Nothing. Unless sitting onstage and reading silently counts.”
    “Sorry, chick. Not gonna happen.”
    Addy had met with an acting coach for her required hour the day before. Less than fifteen minutes into their session, the coach recommended that Addy “consider another arena in which to display her talent.”
    As Addy opened up yet another book of monologues, Lila poked her head into the room.
    “Oh, hi, girls. Can’t find anything?” She smiled. “It must be hard. Especially for you, Addy. I saw you with the acting coach yesterday. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not pretty. But I guess you’re used to that—not being pretty.”
    Lila picked up a book, flipped through it, then tossed it in the pile. “Don’t worry. I’m having trouble finding something too. Voice lessons for six years, dance lessons for seven. And I’m in the theater track at my performing arts school. Five minutes just isn’t enough.” She laughed. “Oh well. I’m sure I’ll come up with something.”
    Trash talk. Beautiful Hawaiian trash talk. Addy’s initial impression that there was nothing under that long black hair was wrong. Lila was brutal. But brutal with a smile. A deadly volcano disguised as a grass-covered mountain. She was trying to intimidate Addy.
    And it was working.
    Thankfully Kara was there to rescue her.
    “I don’t know, Lila. You only have a couple more days. If you wait too long, you might