Frisky Friday - 6/26/15 - Acting Lessons - Trying to make the best of a bad situation #KissMeKate #DD

Peter loved Kate with all his being, but that didn't mean he'd tolerate an ultimatum from her.

Welcome to another offering for Frisky Friday, where we hope you're getting as excited about the weekend as we are.

My submission for this week is from my 5th book, Acting Lessons.

 He was a strict and demanding college professor turned professional director who excelled at giving acting lessons.  She was his shy and uncertain former student who became a professional actress under his tutelage.  They fell in love, married, and won two Tony Awards before tragedy struck and a simple kiss ripped them apart.

After a six month separation, Peter Thorton decides to take matters into his own hands by making his famous wife, Kate, an offer she wouldn't refuse.  Plainly put, he wants her back and he intends to do whatever is necessary to achieve his goal, even if it means giving his stubborn, willful leading lady a daily reminder over his knee that she promised to obey him.

In this scene, which occurs at the beginning of Chapter Four, Peter Thorton is attempting to get his wife ready for a trip to a college camp ground in upper New York, where they will appear together in a summer stock production of "Kiss Me Kate." Kate has agreed to help Peter teach the drama students who have auditioned and been selected personally by him for the course he is teaching. Though Kate isn't sure she can trust Peter with her heart again, since she believes he's been unfaithful to her, she's never stopped loving him. And despite having Domestic Discipline originally play a part in their marriage, their last two years together had them living like polite strangers sharing the same house.

Now, however, they are temporarily reconciled and Kate has agreed to appear with Peter in a college summer stock production of Kiss Me Kate. She only hopes she isn't making a huge mistake.

              A trip that should have taken no more than seven hours--tops--ended up taking twelve with Kate navigating.  Directions were definitely not her strong suit, and it certainly didn't help when she held the map turned the wrong way.

            After she had them reversing direction for the third time, Peter regarded her with a wry expression.  "Sorry, darling, but you had your final strike with that detour.  I'm downloading a GPS app to my phone now."

            Kate sighed and folded the map stretched across her lap.  "I warned you I wasn't very good at this."  When he didn't respond, she gazed out the window.  "Well at least the countryside is pretty and it's a beautiful day."

            "True," Peter conceded, attempting to get a signal on his phone.  "Reception up here isn't looking so good though."

            Kate leaned over to peer at his coverage.  "Two bars.  Is that enough?"

            "Should be.  Although I don't think I'll attempt playing "Words with Friends" up here."  A disembodied female voice said, "Enter your destination."

            Peter entered the address, and the program directed them to take a "U-Turn."

            He cast another accusing mock-glower at Kate, but followed the directions and they reached the gravel road leading to the camp close to six o'clock.

            When Peter parked before a building that looked to Kate like a log cabin, she wrinkled her nose.  Camping wasn't high on her list of favorite activities.

Though Kate is putting on a good face, the sight of the camp where they'll be performing fills her with dread. Her idea of roughing it is staying at a three star hotel, and she begins to doubt their accommodations would rate any stars at all.

M/F, DD and a staged production of Kiss Me, Kate.

If you're 18 or older, you can read the first three chapters at Acting Lessons

Buy the book directly from Blushing Books

Thanks for visiting.  I hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt and wish you and yours a very Frisky Friday.