I checked myself in the mirror one last time before coming out of the suite’s bathroom. I was as ready as I would ever be. This was it. Today was my first audition. I could feel fate pulling at me, urging me forward.
I couldn’t let destiny sit and wait, so I quickly grabbed my purse; heading down to the lobby of my hotel. My driver was waiting for me as usual. I read him the address, checking the text from Mom again. Her hairdresser had mentioned that the daughter of one of her clients had a big audition today out here in LaLa Land. My mother had insisted I check it out.
I did as I was told, and it was a good thing, too. I would have regretted missing this one. It was an open cattle call for “the girl next door” in the new Zand Taylor Romantic Comedy. I was created for that part. Maxie Duncan, Girl Next Door. That described me perfectly. I sat back and relaxed. This was going to be the greatest (and easiest) day of my life.
My limo pulled up into the parking lot of the hotel hosting the auditions. The Hotel DenMark. I had never heard of it before, but as I eyed the place, I realized I should have. It was even bigger than the place I was staying. And trust me, that was saying a lot. Eat your heart out, Paris.
I got out of the car, staring up at the darkly romantic structure in front of me and made a mental note. If it was as beautiful on the inside as it was outside, I was switching hotels.
I walked in with my head held high, my six-inch heels announcing my arrival.
The desk clerk looked up at me and smiled. “Let me guess, you’re here for the cattle call, right?”
I nodded. She had recognized me for what I was. A future star.
“It’s in the ballroom. Just turn left and go to the end of the hall,” she said, pointing to a corridor off to the side.
“Thank you,” I said, flashing my patented smile and headed where her finger indicated. As I walked along the plush carpet, taking in the gilded walls, I couldn’t help wondering how old this place was. You couldn’t get this kind of glamor these days. Not even with all the money in the world. Trust me, I know.
Hurrying along the hall, I came to a stop in front of huge golden doors. Cherubs stared down at me from each one, their wings unfurled in a state of flight. They seemed to look at me with such intensity, I ducked my head to avoid their gaze. It was almost as if they were judging me. I hoped I passed their test because my future lay behind those ever-staring sentinels.
Taking a deep breath, I let it out slowly. This was what I came here to do. And nothing was going to stop me. With my head held high and a huge smile plastered across my face, I pushed the doors open, making an entrance no one would ever forget.
Unfortunately, no one noticed. The thousands of girls seated around the large ballroom were too busy dealing with their own impending stardom. I couldn’t believe how many there were, and worse yet, they all looked like me. Tall, blonde, and beautiful. How was I ever going to stand out in this crowd?
Moving farther into the room, I sized up my competition. This was going to be tough. I would just have to dazzle them with who I was. I would have to be Maxie to the nth power. That’s all there was to it.
“Excuse me, miss?” a voice called from behind me. “You need to sign in before you can take a seat.”
I turned around. Two women sat behind a table, staring at me. “You need to check in, dear,” the older one told me, tapping a clipboard.
“And we’ll assign you a number,” the other chimed in.
“Oh, of course,” I said quickly, coming over to the table. I hoped they couldn’t tell I’d never done this before.
The motherly one looked me up and down as I signed the paper, then leaned forward, as if to share a secret. “You’re new to this, aren’t you?” So much for pretending.
I nodded, embarrassment creeping into my cheeks. Was it that obvious? “Yes. I only got to California four days ago.”
She smiled brightly, looking like she had just won the lottery. “I knew it. I can always spot fresh meat a mile away.”
“Fresh meat?” I repeated, swallowing the lump invading my throat. She sure wasn’t making this sound like a pleasant experience.
“Yes. Fresh meat,” she said, standing up and pinning a number to me. “Good luck.” Handing me a script, she sent me out into the sea of chairs.
I looked around, trying to find an empty chair. I found one in a back corner, next to a younger version of me. “Hi,” I said, sitting down. “It sure is crowded in here.”
She looked at me for a moment, then back down at her script.
“I’m Maxie,” I offered, trying once again to start a conversation.
She looked up at me with a scowl on her lips. “Look, Maxie, I’m not here to make friends. I have no desire to be nice to you. All you are is competition. And I eat fresh meat like you for breakfast. Now…if you'll excuse me,” she said, standing up. “I have lines to learn.”
I watched her walk away, sick to my stomach. What had I done to be treated like that? And what was so wrong with being fresh meat anyway? I preferred my steaks to be as fresh as they possibly could be. Most people did.
I stared down at the script in my lap through blurry eyes. I had to get this part. I just had to. I had to show everyone I was someone. That I mattered in this world. Picking up the pages, I leafed through them, scanning the highlighted words. Wow. There sure were a lot of them. I read them repeatedly until my eyes couldn’t focus from the strain.
I looked up, glancing around me. The room was almost empty. I glanced at the clock on my cell phone. I had been reading my lines for over four hours. Where had all that time gone?
“Maxie Duncan?” someone called from a doorway.
I stood up quickly. “That’s me,” I called.
“You’re up. Follow me,” the guy said, heading back where he came from.
I hurried after him. I hoped the last four hours proved well spent because it was now or never. I was racing for my destiny.
The guy led me down a hallway into some kind of conference room. Two men and a woman sat behind a table. I stood there, smiling as brightly as I could, hoping they couldn’t hear how loudly my heart was pounding.
“So, Maxine,” one of the men spoke.
“Please,” I said, interrupting him, “call me Maxie.”
He rolled his eyes and started again. “So, Maxie, where is your headshot?”
I stared at him, a blank look on my face. What the heck was that? “Headshot?”
“Yes, Ms. Duncan. Where is your photo and resume?” the woman asked harshly.
“Oh,” I said, feeling very, very awkward standing there. “I don’t have one. This is my first time doing anything like this.”
“Great,” the man said, shutting the notebook in front of him. He turned and looked at the guy who brought me in. “Please, show the next one in, Gary. We’re done here.”
I froze. That was it? It was over just like that? “Please,” I begged, “I can do this.”
The other guy looked at him and shrugged. “She’s here. We might as well see how she does.” He looked me up and down. “She certainly has the look.”
I felt hope beginning to grow in me. Maybe my destiny hadn’t been squashed yet.
“Fine,” the rude man said. “You’ve got two minutes, kid. You better dazzle us.”
I smiled. “Thank you.” I glanced down at the script in my hand. “Where do you want me to start?”
The woman looked down at the notebook in front of her. “Why don’t you read the scene where Mitch and Audrey break up. Jonathan here will start it for you,” she said, motioning to the nice guy next to her.
“I’m sorry, Audrey. But we’re just not the same as we use to be,” Jonathan read to me. “Our lives have taken two different paths. It’s over.”
The lines he read brought images of Stephen to my mind. The words he spoken to me were still there, raw as the day he said them. Tears fille
d my eyes. I took a deep breath. It was time to do this. “No, Mitch. Don’t say that,” I spoke, letting emotion fill my words. “You still love me. I see it in your eyes. And as long as we have love…” I stopped, my mind going blank. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. What was the next line?
I started again, repeating the words I just said, trying desperately to recall what I had studied for hours. I hit a wall as I came to the same spot. It was no use. I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to say next.
“Okay, time’s up,” the unknown man spoke, smugness in his voice. “Unfortunately, you failed to dazzle me.”
No. This couldn’t happen to me. This was my destiny. “I’m sorry. I’m just a little nervous. I could try again,” I said, flipping through my script. “I can do this.”
The man shook his head and turned towards the door. “Next.”
My heart sank at that word. I had just erased my future.
Five
Bell, Book, and Sandals Page 4