Free A Midsummer Night's Fling (Much Ado about Love #1) by Eliza Walker Page B

other woman’s flats. No talking . Talking was bad. Talking was to be avoided at all costs.
    “Nicola,” Tierney called.
    Crap . A perfect escape foiled by the pink-haired girl.
    With what dignity she could scrape together, Nicola did an about-face. “Yes, Tierney?”
    “I still need to do all the measuring for your costume.”
    “Right. Of course. See you at rehearsal…everyone.” Nicola stepped toward the door, bumping into Lachlan as he tried to get through at the same time. He shuffled back, motioning the way for her.
    Max tried to linger, waiting Nicola out, but Rita hollered for him from the hallway. He made his exit, but the glance he sent Nicola on his way out promised he would make her talk later.
    Oh joy .

Chapter 7
    F or some reason , Rita was determined to have Max walk her to the stage for rehearsal. She’d linked her arm with his and kept chattering away with all sorts of random thoughts about his character, about the play. Rita was clearly trying to distract him, to keep him from talking to Nicola.
    Fantastic . Because he could always use someone meddling in his life. It was his fucking favorite thing ever. Now Rita had a death grip on his arm, and no way would she let him go if he said he wanted to try to catch Nicola alone.
    So: subterfuge. He tugged his arm free and stepped back. “’Scuse me, Rita, I need to take a leak.” With that, he jogged off toward the admin building.
    “Maxim!” Rita called after him, her voice vibrating with frustration.
    Free at last, he bounded back up the hill, then bolted up the stairs and whipped the door open to the office. He nearly collided with Judith O’Fallon as she stepped out.
    “Oh, hi, Judith,” he said, panting from his mini-jog. He craned to peer into the office suite, hoping to catch sight of Nicola, but she wasn’t there. Which meant she’d gone out the other way, or she was still wandering lost in the labyrinth of the admin building.
    Here’s hoping she’s totally lost , he thought as he waited for Judith to pass him so he could start combing the hallways for Nicola.
    But Judith lingered in the doorway, one of her brows arched as she studied him. “Good morning, Max.”
    He felt an entirely masculine stir at the rich invitation in her voice. Judith was still a knockout with a great figure: ripe breasts, round hips. He’d never been opposed to older women, but he was opposed to sleeping with directors. That could get messy quick—messy with a capital “M” for Max, you’re fired . Better not to take the chance.
    “No rehearsal?” Judith asked.
    “I needed to get something from the admin building.”
    “Ah.”
    Max waited, but Judith continued staring at him, a flirty smirk curling her mouth. Was he pumping pheromones this week or something? With Nicola jumping him yesterday and Judith undressing him with her eyes, he felt a bit overwhelmed. He didn’t want to flirt, not before coffee, but he couldn’t shove past Judith either.
    “I wanted to get some time alone with you, Max,” she said, forehead furrowed with thought.
    “Excuse me?”
    She shot him a startled glance, then gave a throaty laugh, patting his arm. “Oh no. Max, honestly. I wanted to talk to you for a bit about some stuff coming up the pike for the fall.”
    “Oh. Sure. Whenever.” Maybe that hadn’t been an invitation earlier? Maybe Judith just had a flirty personality?
    “Tonight. After your rehearsal? The two of us could—”
    Footsteps shuffled in the hallway, and Judith eased back. Max seized his chance and started through the doorframe. He nearly bounced off Nicola as she rounded a corner fast.
    Nicola stumbled, then let out a relieved laugh. “Oh, thank goodness. I was scared I’d be late for rehearsal. Or, actually, I was scared I was going to be lost in the hallways forever and die of starvation.”
    “Rita sent me to find you,” he lied.
    Nicola raised an eyebrow but didn’t contradict him. “Come on, then, help me find my way to the main