“Sorry, girl,” I mutter before giving her some head pats as an apology. Her little furry gray arms reach forward in a stretch, and I trace a finger down the softness there. For being a bit of a crotchety old thing, she’s surprisingly game for affection. Her pumpkin colored eyes scan my face, and she takes in my downcast expression. She meows softly before doing her best to reassure me through a series of purrs and gentle headbutts.
“It’s okay, Smokes,” I say even though I don’t fully believe it. Gently lowering my forehead to hers, I try to soak in some of her calm. She somehow knows when I need comfort the most. Maybe that’s the magic of having a pet in your life. Right now I’m feeling very grateful that my parents insisted I take her when I moved out here a couple of years ago.
Breaking our little snuggle with a sigh, I pull out my phone to distract myself with some doomscrolling when I see I’ve missed three calls from Anita. My stomach drops into my ass–it has really been going through it today and it’s not even two p.m. This many calls is either great, or terrible, and nothing in between. Maybe she heard about the slap… shit. I waste no time calling her back.
“Clover, are you free? I’d like to meet up with you at Poppy’s Coffee on Hewitt Street.”
“Uh, yeah, absolutely, when?”
“Now would be great,” Anita replies.
“Okay, sure, I’ll hop in my car,” I say quickly, trying to sound like I possess a molecule of chill. “Is everything okay?” I add as Smokey purrs loudly enough to compete with a race car.
“Yes, see you soon.”
Chapter Nine
CLOVER
When I arrive at Poppy’s Coffee, it’s relatively quiet. Seeing as it’s the afternoon, most people have gotten their caffeine fix by now, leaving it as the perfect place to come and relax, eat some of the artisanal baked goods, or even a great spot to hunker down and do some emailing.
Anita is standing inside the entrance when I arrive, already holding two steaming mugs.
“Clover!” she greets before gesturing to a table in the far back corner that seems relatively private. Her sandy blonde curls bounce with the movement, and her oversized black glasses slide slightly down the bridge of her nose as she inclines her head.
When we’re seated, Anita slides one of the mugs in front of me.
“So...?” I ask.
“You booked it,” she confirms.
All the air escapes my lungs in a quiet whoosh. If I were standing right now, I’m sure I would’ve melted onto the floor.
“Really?” I squeak out, convinced that somehow I’ve gaslit myself into thinking this news is true.
“Studio heads just reviewed the footage and gave the green light. You’re in,” she continues, matter of factly. It feels as though all my limbs have filled with helium and are floating away.
“Really?” I croak again as adrenaline flows through me. It’s giving “broken record,” but I can’t help myself.
“Yes, they said it was great, and they’d fire over a contract for me to review by tonight.”
“Holy shit…”
Anita studies my face closely. “This is a huge, Clover. This kind of thing doesn’t happen. Starlight never casts relative unknowns. I need to make sure you understand, and you’re ready to take on everything this entails.”
“Of course. I am.” I breathe, desperate to show her how I’ll do whatever it takes for this role.
“Good. Remember, it’s not just your reputation, it’s mine. We don’t want you to get relegated to commercials if this goes south. Understood?”
I nod vigorously.
“Excellent. Now, the studio is going to set you up with a nutritionist and trainer. You’re already in great shape but we need to make sure you can meet the physical demands of the stunts, since you’ll be doing those yourself.”
“Of course.”
“This is going to be rigorous. Before we sign on, I need to make sure you’re up for the challenge,” she cautions.
“I am, I can do this. When does filming begin?”
