A Captivating Conundrum Read Online Free PDF

whole world now loved so much. In fact, he reminded me of a true and honorable hero.
    I nodded. "Don't worry. I won't have any trouble with Matt McKenna."
    Boy…was I wrong.

Four
     
     
    ~ His ~
    The sweat was pouring off Christopher and me as we walked backstage. The applause was certainly solid from the small gathering sitting out there in the darkness. So, I suppose, it was a job well done.
    "What do you think of that guy?" Christopher pointed to 'America's Sweetheart.'
    I shrugged. "He can act." 
    Chris wrinkled up his small nose, as he stared at the throng of females quickly circling the supposed dreamboat. "I think he looks better on screen. He's really stiff, you know? I don't think the stage is his thing."
    "You think?" I grinned.
    "Well, sure. I mean with your work on screen you must already know that if you mess up there are several people around to 'fix it' so it looks better. In here, live and in person, there's no one to erase your screw-up and make you look better. And he screwed up out there."
    I considered his words. As an actor, I wanted that shot at the dramatic screen one day, but it did make me feel better for Mr. Perfection to not be as perfect as everyone thought he was. "The stage is a really big place." I looked around at the elegant, slightly small surroundings. "Well, maybe not this one. I wonder why they chose the smallest theatre on Broadway to try and raise the most amount of money?"
    Chris's head immediately snapped up and the smile on my face grew wide. You see, Chris knew everything. And watching the hand reach up to grasp the lapel on his blazer like Lincoln preparing to give the Gettysburg Address, I waited for that slightly high-pitched voice to educate me on all the things I didn't know.
    Clearing his throat as if he was about to repeat Lady Macbeth's famous 'loonfest' one more time, Chris began, "The writers are actually the ones who chose the Lyceum because it's one of the two oldest running Broadway venues. Apparently, they really got into the fact that it's so beautiful and people as cool as Barrymore and Brice once worked on this stage."
    His voice increased with his passion. "I mean, think about it, this is a place that actually saw the best of the best. And the architecture? Don't get me started. The Beaux-Arts design, those elaborate marble staircases, the undulating marquee…" His hips swayed as if making his point. "It's perfect."
    "But there are only, like…900 seats in here," I reminded him.
    His gaze moved back to me quickly. "950, actually."
     "Okay," I laughed. "But at Lincoln they could draw in more money for the kids."
    Chris looked shocked. "Are you kidding? Do you know how much these tickets cost? They're like precious gemstones; I heard one already went for over a hundred thousand dollars on eBay."
    I took a step back. "That's impossible."
    "Nope."
    "Just because of him ?" I stared at the man collecting marriage proposals.
    Chris shook his head. "I heard it was because of the writers. Some of them are truly 'superstars' of the literary world. And the woman who wrote the piece that guy is starring in is Lily Stone."
    "Who?"
    "That woman…Lily Stone. She wrote the book that's going crazy right now. You know…the two partners who everyone is so into? It's a cross between Indiana Jones and The DaVinci Code , but super unique."
    The cover appeared in my mind. "Oh, yeah, I loved that."
    "Exactly. But she's anonymous. There is no Lily Stone, and people all over the place are trying to find out who she is. They love the mystery of it all."
    "Why is she anonymous?" I asked.
    He shrugged. "Beats me. But when people heard that she has a script in this, they kind of went bazaka and started buying tickets just in case she was revealed at the event."
    Chris jumped, and I looked down to see that little Amber had returned. "Hey there."
    She looked up at me with a huge smile. "You two were really cool."
    "Why thank you," Chris said with a smile.
    "We were doing it just for you,"