“You want her to audition?” Bryce asked.
“It’s probably nothing, but like I said, she’s already here. She’d also be cheaper than Vanessa, if that’s worth anything. You can still bring in other people, of course, but that’ll take days; get them here, if they’re flying in, go through all of them the first time, have them read with me after that, narrow them down, and decide.”
“Trust us, we know,” Reed said with a sigh. “I just worry that no matter who we read, they won’t compare to Vanessa. She had that swagger thing that Bray has.”
“Thanks,” Bryce replied, smirking.
“Oh, shut up,” Reed said with a laugh. “When are you going to use that swagger to put a ring on it, by the way? That will really help sell our true love story when we’re released.”
“Hey, I’m working on it,” Bryce replied.
“Working on it? You’ve been together for almost two years. You live together. You bought the damn house in LA together.”
“After,” Bryce said. “I’ve been so focused on the movie and our new life in LA. I don’t want to ask Soph to marry me and be distracted still. I want that to be the start of us planning that next chapter of our lives together.”
“So, Dana?” Samara asked, bringing them back around to the topic that mattered.
“I can ask her,” Bryce replied. “I doubt she even has an agent, though. If I remember right, Lainey, her sister, told Sophie that she’s trained professionally but does theater here.”
“Theater actors are hit or miss,” Reed offered.
“Well, Samara is right: Dana’s here, and she’s an actress who’s in our age range and type. It’s not a bad idea. We could spend five minutes having her read, and if it’s not there, we tell her, and she goes back to catering. If it is, we’ll have her read with Samara and see what happens there.”
“If you want to, fine. We’d have to figure out the union stuff, though. If she’s not union, that could be a problem, but go for it. We’re still wrapping up with Grace tonight, so make it for tomorrow,” Reed said.
“I’ll call Cynthia’s team and let them know we’re moving on without her,” the casting director said.
Cynthia.Thatwas the name of the first woman Samara had auditioned with.
CHAPTER 6
Last night, Dana had been eating dinner with an actress who had been auditioning for Bray, and this morning, Dana would be auditioning for the same part. Bryce had caught her just as she had been about to get into her car to head home for the night, and while doubled over from running to catch up to her, she had asked Dana if she belonged to the union. Dana hadn’t been sure what she’d been talking about at first, so Bryce had explained. Dana hadn’t known what to think then, feeling bad because she’d spent the past thirty minutes helping someone else try to get the part, and Grace seemed nice enough; not exactly the most talented actress in the world, but nice enough, at least. Dana had also felt stunned and excited and scared and nervous and a lot of other things all at once.
“You’re doing this,” her sister had stated the moment Dana had told her over the phone as she’d driven home.
“I said I would, Lainey. I don’t need you to tell me to do it. I need you to tell me Icando it.”
“Of course, you can. You’re an actress. You’ve auditioned before,” Lainey had argued.
“Yeah, for local stuff. Community theater. Never a movie like this.”
“Theyasked you.”
“Because they lost their actual Bray at the last minute, and it sounds like the other two candidates were duds, so it’s not like they have much choice.”
“So?” Lainey had said. “It doesn’t matter why they asked. Theyasked, and you’re going to kick-ass, break a leg, or whatever else they say. Just talk to Bryce. Have her help you. You’re playing her, after all.”
“I can’t use–”
“Yes, you can. Everyone does. Use your friendship withthe writer and the woman you’ll be playing to help you get the part.”
“I just meant that I can’t because she’s slammed busy, Laine,” she’d replied. “She’s still on the set right now and will be there before me tomorrow, I’m sure.”
“Okay. Well, call Sophie. She can help.”
“I need to go home and rehearse. Bryce gave me a few scenes they want me to read tomorrow. I’m reading alone, so thank God for that because I don’t know if I can audition with Samara Barber first,” she’d said.
“Still being a bitch to you?”
