He was an immature asshole.Hudson didn’t think he should hold that against him, though.He’d been the same after his first taste of success, too.
“Time for me to become invisible,” Luke said.“Catch you later.”
He gave Hudson a light pat on the shoulder.That mere touch sent a thrill right through his body, which ended in a tingling sensation in his nuts.God damn.That was electric.
Luke retreated to a chair against the far wall from where he would observe.If he thought he was going to go unnoticed, he was very wrong.Hudson couldn’t take his eyes off him.
Snap out of it.He had to get his shit together.Put the play first.For the next six or seven hours, that’s the only thing that should matter.He could pick things up with this major hottie when they had dinner together later.
Hudson went over to the group of actors.He could see straight away that they were still short.Julian was missing.It was unlike him to be late.
“Has anyone heard from Julian today?”he asked.
“I’ve tried calling,” Manuella said, looking up from her phone screen.“No reply.”
Hudson checked his own phone to see if there were any messages.Nothing.
“He could be just stuck on transport,” Andie said, glancing at her watch.“Though he should have set off in good time.A ten o’clock call is hardly the crack of dawn.”
“That can’t be it.He walks in every day.He’s staying just five minutes away.”
Andie sucked her teeth before summoning a production assistant.The young girl, Ruth, seemed terrified of her.“Go round to his place and knock his lazy arse out of bed.You’ll find the address in the database.”She turned her attention back to the cast.“No point in waiting.He doesn’t appear until twenty-five minutes in.Let’s go with a run-through of Act One, from the top.”
Apart from Steve fluffing several of his lines and Manuella freezing at one point, the rehearsal went well.Ruth had not returned with Julian by the time his character made his entrance, so Andie stepped in to read his dialogue.They made it all the way to the end of the act without stopping.
“Pretty good,” Andie declared when they were done.“Not great, but better than decent.”She called a ten-minute break before they would start work on Act Two.
Ruth returned during the break, without Julian.She spoke meekly to Andie, whose face darkened in fury.
“What’s up?”Hudson asked.
“I can’t find him,” Ruth said, shrinking under Andie’s glare.“There was no answer at the door.”
“Couldn’t reception put a call through?”Andie asked.
“He’s in an Airbnb,” Hudson said.“There isn’t a reception.”This was totally out of character for the seasoned actor.They had only known each other a short time, but Julian came across as a total professional, and his lengthy list of credits spoke for themselves.“I think we should start checking local hospitals.And someone needs to reach the Airbnb owners and get in there to make sure he’s okay.”
“He’s probably shacked up with some slapper and sleeping off a hangover,” Steve said with a dirty chuckle.
Hudson shot him a look.Little prick.“No fucking way.He’s not like that and you know it.Something must be wrong for him to go AWOL.”
Reluctantly, Andie set Ruth to work trying to contact someone with a key to Julian’s apartment and calling the local hospitals to check admissions.“If he turns up hungover, he can forget all about playing your understudy,” Andie snapped at Hudson.“He’ll have his bit part and nothing more.”
Her lack of compassion was a total pisser, but Hudson was in no mood for an argument with her.He was more concerned about his friend.
Hudson checked his own phone again and, finding no texts from Julian, called his number.There was still no answer.He left a voice mail letting him know he was concerned and to get in touch immediately.Hudson already had an uneasy feeling.He’d always had a good sense of when something was off, and Julian’s absence triggered that familiar sensation.
He glanced towards Luke, who raised a reassuring smile.He seemed intent to sit the moment out.Whatever was happening was between the cast and had nothing to do with his article.Hudson was grateful that he didn’t try to interfere for a piece of juicy gossip.
Andie insisted that everyone get back to work on the beginning of Act Two.“We don’t have the luxury of time.Let’s get this nailed down.”
They had been at it for less than five minutes when Hudson became aware of a commotion at the back of the room.Two uniformed police officers had appeared and were talking to Rav.Andie tried to keep the read-through going but lost the will of the cast.Hudson’s insides were already turning in knots.He shot her a stern look before abandoning the read-through and heading straight towards Rav and the cops.
“What’s going on?”he asked.A small part of him clung to the prospect that Julian had got shitfaced last night and was currently sleeping it off in a police cell.It was a slim hope, and it evaporated in an instant when he saw the look on Rav’s face.
“It’s Julian,” the producer faltered.“They…they found a body in a back alley this morning and think it might be him.They think Julian is dead.”
Chapter Six
