“It’s not really like that,” I say. “You guys are all on the same team, literally, and we’re competing against each other. With the plays, you do get close with the cast, and that feels very familial. But then, whatever show you’re working on ends its run, and you don’t see the cast anymore. Not unless you make a point to meet up, and we’re all just so busy…” I trail off.
Hunter’s quiet for a few seconds. “I get it,” he says at last. “It’s like if I kept getting traded. Makes it hard to maintain relationships.”
“Right. Exactly. And then there’s the whole looks thing, which is so stressful.”
“You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever known—inside and out,” he says with feeling. “And I’m biased, but come on, Win—you won ‘Most Beautiful’ our senior year of high school. You’re not exactly hurting in that department.”
“I know. I’m very blessed, and I don’t say this in a shallow way, but there are a lot of beautiful people in the world of entertainment. I’ve seen women—and men—who have perfect bodies starve themselves for a role or because their manager told them to lose fifteen pounds. It’s a very real aspect of the business. And God forbid one media outlet say something negative about your size or figure—it’s hard to ignore when it’s in print for the world to see. We don’t even deal with paparazzi like television actors do. They have it much worse.”
Hunter shakes his head. “Everybody is so judgmental. Why can’t people just accept that everyone is born different and that we’re all okay as we are?”
* * *
The sun is shining brightlywhen we begin our nature hike. The light breeze is a welcome relief as we get deeper into the woods. The pines and oaks are all around us as we walk quietly down the path. When we reach the creek, we immediately take off our sneakers and dip our toes in the water.
“So beautiful,” I say. “Goodness, it’s warm.” I take off my sweatshirt and tie it around my waist.
“Let’s stop and eat,” Hunter suggests.
He leads me down the trail toward an open area. As we walk, I pull out my phone to take a picture.
That’s when I see who texted me this morning, a text I forgot to check before we left the house.
“Crap.” I stare at the message from Pat like I can decipher the meaning.
“What is it?” Hunter says as we take seats on a flat rock and open up our little backpack containing two peanut butter sandwiches. It’s a sunny day, but that’s not why I suddenly feel heated.
“My manager tried to reach me this morning. He wants me to call him ASAP.”
The relaxed expression on Hunter’s face diminishes. “You should call him then.”
I nod and walk about ten feet away for some privacy before pressing Pat’s number.
He answers on the first ring. “Where the heck have you been?”
“I’m on a nature walk,” I say. “What’s going on?”
“Well, we got a quicker answer than I expected,” he says cryptically.
“And…” I say.
“And you got the part, sweetheart! Congratulations.”
Time slows down. The creek in front of me keeps flowing, and the pines sway gently in the breeze, but time almost seems to stop. I stare across the water at the utter lack of people. It’s a strange dichotomy that I’m here in the middle of nowhere when I get the news I’m about to be on stage in front of countless audiences. I wait for the burst of excitement I always get when I’m cast in something. Whether it’s a small part or me filling in for the lead, I always gave myself a mental fist bump whenever I got the good news. But right now, I feel more numb than anything else. And I’m not sure why.
But I can’t tell my manager that. He worked hard for me to have this opportunity, and I don’t want to sound ungrateful. “Thank you,” I say to Pat. “That’s unbelievable to hear.”
“And there’s also been a change in plans—it’s going to be a limited run show. I didn’t get the details on exactly how long the run will be, but I did learn that you’ll need to return to NYC right away. Day after tomorrow at the latest.”
My heart plummets.
“What? Why? I thought it would be a few months.”
“The director changed his mind. He wants to rotate the new cast in next month, so all of you will need to be in town, learning your lines and your marks.”
“Pat…” I bang the back of my hand into my forehead. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Of course you can,” he says, misunderstanding me. “You’re strong enough now. I can hear it in your voice. You sound better than you have in years, frankly.”
