Once More with Feeling

Chapter 1

I'd made a terrible mistake.

Well, two terrible mistakes.

The first was agreeing to the lunch. The second was not insisting that Harriet and I arrive together. We would have been late, because Harriet was always late, but it would have been better than being early, which I was because I was always early.

Cal too, apparently.

He was already seated when the waitress escorted me back. He glanced up as I approached.

Three mistakes.

The grainy headshot that the trades used whenever he was mentioned was at least five years old, and now that he was here, eyes locked with mine, it was clear that photo hardly did him justice.

He stood and seemed to go up and up and up. Had he always been this tall?

His clothes fit well. He had a five o clock shadow that had arrived just in time. His hair was artfully tousled. I imagined him driving through Brooklyn in a convertible with mirrored sunglasses, causing everyone to stop and stare.

Kathleen Rosenberg, he said.

And then there was his voice. I d forgotten worked hard to forget just how f***ing good it was. How deep and resonant.

God. I felt it in my toes and my fingertips.

Well, well, well, I said. If it isn t Calvin Tyler Kirby.

His cheek twitched, but his polite fake smile didn t falter.

He hated being referred to by all three names. Which was exactly the point.

Cal should consider himself lucky that I wasn t using his even more loathed nickname.

In fact, he should consider himself lucky that I showed up here in the first place. The last time we d seen each other, he d called me a mistake and I d told him to get the f*** out of my life.

He d obliged.

My feelings about him hadn t changed, but circumstances had. And I d promised Harriet I d hear him out.

It s good to see you, he lied, holding out a hand.

Come now, I said.

Placing my hands on his shoulders, I leaned up and gave him two loud, obnoxious air kisses. His muscles

Elissa Sussman

Once More With Feeling is as fun and frothy as a Britney [Spears] concert mashed up with a musical comedy. . . . There s no need to do it once more, as the book is already brimming with plenty of feeling warm, engrossing, and satisfying in every way. Entertainment Weekly

I m a huge admirer of Elissa Sussman. Once More with Feeling delivers a pitch-perfect second chance romance with off-the-charts tension and chemistry. Elissa s deep love of pop culture and the arts makes every page sparkle. Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After

This book is catnip for those of us who love boybands, musical theater, and second chances at first love. Written with humor and a fan's eye for adoration, Elissa Sussman has given us another hit. Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow
 
Once More with Feeling is the angsty, sexy backstage romance of my dreams. Elissa Sussman elegantly weaves the threads of past and present into a love story that s impossible to put down. Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake it in Hollywood
 
Once More with Feeling puts romantic tension and juicy celebrity drama centerstage. Elissa Sussman expertly crafts the love story of two artists set across three timelines, building to a powerful finish worthy of a standing ovation. This stellar romance has all the passion, energy, and showstopping moments of a real Broadway musical. Susie Dumond, author of Queerly Beloved
 
Elissa Sussman has given a gift to all of us theater nerds and boy band obsessives. Smart and sexy, infused with crackling chemistry, Once More with Feeling deserves an enthusiastic round of applause. I devoured it in a day. Laura Hankin, author of Happy & You Know It
 
Sussman . . . dazzles in this smart second-chance romance. . . . Her leads are complex, appealing, and multilayered,