The Ex Best Friend

Chapter 12

read the little bit after the chapter ends please! :)

Chapter Twelve

You know what I hate about elevators? The stupid music they put to entertain you while you’re on it. I usually don’t spend my time on the elevator dwelling on things that upset me, but today is a special occasion. Yep, it’s the second rehearsal of the show. I don’t want to sound like a pessimist, because I’m not. Well not most of the time anyways. The gears in my head turned and I frantically tried to come up with a legitimate excuse to wiggle myself out of this, for lack of a better word, pathetic situation. My head was starting to hurt too. That’s another thing I hate about elevators. When it moves it feels like your head is expanding.

“Earth to Jessica.” A slightly mocking voice broke my train of thought.

Shaking my head, I saw Jake standing at the entrance of the elevator with his hand over the door.

I gave him a confused look. “What?”

“You were standing there not moving for like 5 minutes,” he explained.

My eyes widened and I quickly walked out of it. “Sorry,” I mumbled as I passed him.

Jake laughed. “You better be. My arm was getting sore.”

Instead of responding to him, I just went ahead to my desk. After I put down my stuff, I turned to face Jake who was leaning against his door, waiting for me.

“So,” I said cheerily. “What’s on the itinerary today?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know that today’s the second rehearsal,” Jake said sternly.

I ignored him. “I bet you have some files that you need filing, hm? Or maybe a meeting that needs to be scheduled. Or do you still need to iron your suits? Cause you know I can –”

“Jessica,” Jake scolded, cutting me off. Rudely. “Don’t you worry about those things today. You need to focus practising your walk.” While he was talking, he was guiding me towards the elevator.

No way was I going back in there.

“But it’s so embarrassing in there!” I whined.

“What’s more embarrassing? Screwing up now, or later in front of millions of people?”

“Well when you put it that way…” I sighed in defeat.

Jake flashed me a big smile then pushed me into the elevator.

“But what if –” I began.

“No what ifs.” He clapped a hand over my mouth.

I squirmed free and stood in the corner of the elevator. “But what if I chicken out?”

“Let me put it this way,” he said slowly. “Either you come to the rehearsal or you can stay with me tonight until you get it right. And I mean it. It doesn’t matter if you fall and trip ‘til 7 inthe morning, we’re, well, you’re going to be walking until you can do with like second nature.”

I was about to take him up on the offer when I remember what happened last time I was in his office. Jake and butterflies and tingly feelings and hugs don’t mix well together. Well, they do but they sure make a hot steamy bowl of I’m screwed soup.

“Fine. Let’s just get this stupid rehearsal over with,” I mumbled.

I stole a glance at Jake and rolled my eyes. He thinks that he’s so slick, persuading me to go the rehearsal. Actually, I can’t even use the word “persuade”. “Blackmail” sounds like a more accurate term.