Backstage of the show.
"Alice, you ready?" Neil asked gently.
"Mm-hmm, just… my heart's racing and I don't know why."
"Nervous?"
The woman, makeup flawlessly done, shook her head, her eyes drifting a bit. "More like fluttery."
"It's okay. This is a huge show—it's normal to feel a little rattled."
She nodded slightly.
"You worked your butt off to get here, went through rounds of interviews. Don't let your mind wander now, just focus."
Alice looked a bit awkward, caught off guard. "Yeah, I know. I'm gonna hit the restroom real quick."
Since coming back from seeing Alexander that morning, she hadn't been herself. Clearly, she didn't buy what he'd told her.
Neil suddenly felt a pang of guilt, almost ridiculous, for getting in between them. But watching her turn
