On My Way To Mr. Right

Chapter 29

James was laughing his ass off the stage, knowing my extreme stage fright.

I walked so rigidly, they might have mistaken me for a robot.

After what felt like forever and a half, I finally reached James’ spot on the stage and I stood beside him, both with freezing nerves and burning stage fright.

“What the fork, James?” I whispered angrily in his ears, but he laughed it off, which made the scene even more enticing to the judges and the rest of the crowd.

His pearly white teeth were always a dreamcatcher. He could always charm his way through the audience.

“Don’t worry, Lottie. It’s just for a picture.” He whispers back.

A photographer places himself in front of us and motions for us to step closer and smile wider.

I walked awkwardly beside James, who was feeling very overconfident about the scenario. He knew this all along. He was such a sneaky bastard.

“Smile more naturally, Lottie,” he comments while laughing at me, observing me grit my teeth roughly, trying to put on a decent smile.

“Closer,” the photographer shouts again.

There was barely any space left between us. What did he want?

I didn’t budge in my position as I already felt awkward as it was. I could feel all eyes on us.

Seeing this, James took the matter into his own hands, placing his arm over my shoulders, and pulling me closer to him.

My smile doesn’t change but he pinches me on the cheeks lightly as the photographer adjusts his lens, just giving them a hint of color as I was growing paler by the minute. The crowd ‘awws’ for the second time and I feel like stomping on his feet for manipulating this situation, but I know all eyes were on us and I would be so much more embarrassed to be known as the girl who violently hurt the solo dancer champion.

I tried smiling again, this time trying to make it appear less forced.

It felt forever for him to take the picture. Behind him, I could see Emma, pulling her friend along, and walking out.

“And done!” The photographer announces and I move away from James.

“Such a sweet couple,” The host observes, seeing our interaction more of a teasing moment between couples.

Ugh.

“Mr. James Tucker and Ms. Charlotte Smith, everyone,” He introduces introduced once again before guiding me down the stairs.

I walked back to my seat, furious and enraged. James was playing me. I didn’t even know why. My cheeks flushed red, and I sat back angrily.

The event ended and the crowd dissipated, leaving us and a few other family or friends of the contestants in the gym.

“James is so dark,” I muttered after the sound system had gradually muted and we could talk without having to shout to hear each other.

“Why?” B asks with a hearty laugh. “I thought that was genuinely sweet.”

“He knows about my stage fright!” I shrieked.

“Maybe that was just his way of paying you back for all the tutorials you’ve given him these past few weeks,” Charles remarked.

“No,” I scolded, indignant at James’ actions. “This was either a prank on me, or a play for him to win. He surely knows how to play the game.”

With crossed arms and nonstop shoe-tapping, we waited for James to come out of the backstage area so we could all go home. B’s dad was already bombarding her phone with messages. It was half past twelve and we had classes at eight.

Although, I’m sure most teachers won’t show up anyway, since everyone is busy with the upcoming formal this Friday.

But Mr. Baxter won’t understand that. She was starting to freak out while waiting for our driver.

Finally, he emerges with a grin on his face and a triumphant arm raised.

“Now, who told you I had this in the bag?” He brags.

I rolled my eyes at him. B nervously hugs him along with Charles. I was stubbornly soaking in all the pride and exasperated sighs in the room.

“Congratulations, James. We always knew you could do it.”

“No doubt in my mind, man,” Charles affirms.

“Well, someone looks doubtful,” He takes notice of my irate nature and walks towards me.

Furious, I held my hand up, stopping him from coming any closer. I know I have violent tendencies. I don’t want to harm him, that is all.

“Don’t you even dare to come close, Tucker,” I spit out angrily. “Come on, Mr. Baxter’s been looking for Beatrice. We should head home.”

I walked ahead of the group, determined to ignore him the rest of the drive home, while they chatted behind me. Charles and B showed great interest in the event. I was, too. But I was also humiliated and that was an even bigger feeling.

We reach the entryway of the gym to find Emma and her friend, lingering around. Seeing James, Emma perks up.