Almost every single author has the problem of making stories while writing another. I have those problems, sadly. I will still mainly focus on Stealing Kisses though, so don't worry!

For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure that I really wanted to audition for the second principal violin chair. The concert hall was colossal, and the stage was enough to make me cower away from it. I held my Regency violin case nervously; my palms were sweating, and it was getting all over the handle. Grimacing, I fidgeted in the seat, glancing to my left. Next to me was a young, dark-skinned woman with beautiful dark eyes, probably the same age as me, looking as calm as hell tamed with her hair brushed back professionally from her eyes.

When she caught me staring at her, she smiled. "Hullo!" Her accent was a crisp British one. I decidedly smiled back. "Is this your first time auditioning? I've never recalled seeing you before."

I shook my head. "It was my first time… I already auditioned in the finals for the second violin section."

Her smile grew wider. "Finally! Someone who wants to be in Violin II. Everyone in this orchestra says the first is the way to go, but we violas and seconds have to stay together, eh?" She sat up straight in her seat and shifted her position to turn to me, holding her hand out. "I'm Taria, past head of the viola section for God knows how long… Auditioned again for principal viola. But Berner is constantly stuffing me in the front, so what the hell, I'm auditioning anyway to spite him and waste his time."

I wiped my hands on my jeans, noting that she was dressed more femininely, in a skirt. Then I shook her hand and said, nervousness ebbing away slowly, "I'm Andrea; Andy for short. That's what I prefer, anyways. My mother always insisted that Andrea was incorruptible and couldn't be turned into a girl's name… Yeah, she was wrong."

Taria laughed. "Well, you must be pretty good if you've stayed in this long. Now that the finals are looming before us like death on a precipice… Well, good luck. I hope you get the part you wanted. As for me…" She wrinkled her nose. "Maybe Berner would be willing to put me in the back for once. I'm so tired of having to maintain good posture. A pain in the arse."

I cracked a grin. "Aye, that means Mr. Berner's going to put me in the back, eh? I'm pretty sure I was slouching half the time and my violin kept slipping off of my shoulder…"

"It's okay; we can sit in the back together."

Five hours later, when the select few twenty people finished their auditions for the chamber orchestra and I was as beat as egg yolk in a bowl, Mr. Berner came up to the stage from the backstage entrance and took the microphone in hand, holding in his other a crinkled list. From here, I could make out from the ink bleeding through that there were several columns, presumably for all of the sections of the orchestra. Anxious, I gripped the hand rest. Taria took my hand in hers and patted it cautiously. And then, Mr. Berner's deep voice rang through the concert hall, and he started to announce the principals first.

"Our concertmaster is, as I am proud to present, the long-standing Lukas Oxenstierna!"

From the front of the seats, a young man stood and walked to the stairs, climbing them and coming to stand next to Mr. Berner. I examined his appearance. He appeared to have been bored, his light blue eyes dull. He watched every movement in the concert hall. I quickly turned away, before he could see me. Out of the corner of my eye, he brushed light-colored hair from his face.

Mr. Berner then, suddenly, sought me out in the crowd and smiled. "Our second principal is quite new to this orchestra. We'll have to give her a proper Sarantino Chamber Orchestra initiation ceremony! Please, welcome Miss Andrea Canterbury!"

I paled. Taria, next to me, gasped aloud. "Andy, that's you! Go, go, go!"

Stumbling from the aisle, I tried to walk in a straight line down to the stairs. I nearly tripped up one of them, and with a bit of difficulty, I took my place next to Lukas Oxenstierna with a lock of black hair falling from my ponytail. Mr. Berner smiled kindly at me, but when I tried to muster a smile, it probably looked like more of a grimace. I was the only one in jeans. Damn.

"Taria Johnson, principal viola!" Mr. Berner looked at her mock-sternly as she calmly strode up the steps and stood next to me. "Trying to annoy me with your constant re-auditions, eh? It doesn't work. You're always wonderful. By the way, this time, we will be playing Telemann."

Taria cheered and jumped up and down, clapping her hands as I smiled next to her. To my right, Lukas smiled too.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, you two!" she exclaimed, grinning good-naturedly at the two of us.

"Years of practice only serve to build you higher up on your pedestal, David Anon! Congratulations for becoming principal cello!" continued Mr. Berner.

"We'll have so much fun together," whispered Taria conversationally, intertwining her long fingers together as she held them before her. "Maybe Mr. Berner will even consider doing that string quartet like last year, and then we can tour in Jamaica or Hawaii—anywhere out of London! Maybe we could go to Norway or Iceland or Romania, or Egypt! Man, there are so many places to go!"

"If he lets us," whispered Lukas back.

David Anon leaned over Taria's shoulder and shook my hand. "Welcome to Sarantino, Miss Andrea."

"Thanks." I stepped back slightly and took in the sight of the three of them. "Please, all of you just call me Andy. Taria already knows."

"Andy," Lukas said, testing the name out. He smiled. "I like it."

I blushed. "Thank you."

His bluish gaze rested on me. "It's nothing."