“Thank you.” Jules tapped her fingers against her thighs as the door closed, leaving her alone in the waiting room. It wasn’t ideal, going in right after another actress had just wowed the casting team. Her stomach tightened uncomfortably, and her throat was dry again. She reached for another lozenge.
“Julia?” the receptionist called. “They’re ready for you.”
Jules grabbed her bag and lurched to her feet as that cold, tingly sensation spread from her stomach through her whole body. She went through the door beside the receptionist desk and found herself in a large, white-walled room. A row of people sat facing her. Jules recognized the director, a petite woman named Kari Wong. She’d worked briefly with her before. Kari’s black hair was pulled back in a neat ponytail, glasses perched on her nose as she gave Jules a nod in greeting.
“Hello,” Jules said, clasping her hands loosely in front of herself. “I’m Julia Vega. It’s an honor to be here today.”
After brief introductions, the casting director, a man named Frederick Beck, spoke. “You can start with the scene where Bianca speaks to her friend, Melissa. Liz will read for Melissa.” He gestured to the assistant seated beside him.
Jules nodded, sucking in another breath as she got into character. “I’m ready.”
“You look sad today, Bianca. Is something wrong?” Liz read.
“No, it’s…well, I’ve had something on my mind,” Jules said.
“It’s Trevor, isn’t it?”
Jules gave a weak laugh, raking a hand through her hair as she let Bianca’s discomfort become her own. “Yeah…Trevor.”
“I knew it!” Liz said triumphantly. “You like him.”
Jules let her eyes linger on Liz, giving her a veiled look of longing as Bianca wrestled with her secret feelings for her friend. “I like him, but I’m not sure I want to date him.”
They finished the scene, and then Jules performed an upbeat song that would be part of a group musical number. She’d rehearsed it dozens of times, and yet, with the casting team watching, she flubbed the lyrics, beginning to repeat the first verse instead of moving into the second. Hopefully, it wasn’t a fatal mistake, but it definitely wasn’t the impression she’d wanted to make.
When she’d finished singing, the playwright, a short-haired woman named Maggie Tate, lifted a hand to get Jules’s attention. “One last thing,” she said. “As you know,It’s in Her Kissis a coming out story. I’d like to know how you feel about that responsibility, and are you comfortable kissing a woman onstage?”
Jules blinked like a deer in headlights. “Yes, of course,” she blurted, hoping the team hadn’t seen her momentary panic. She’d never kissed anyone onstage before, and she’d never kissed a woman, period. She’d thought about it, though. Lately, she’d thought about it kind of alot, andoh God, she wasn’t sure how she felt about her first time being onstage. But none of that mattered if she didn’t do something to salvage this audition. “I really relate to what Bianca’s going through, and I would consider it an honor to portray her journey onstage.”
“Thank you,” the casting director said. “We’ll be in touch.”
Jules thanked everyone for their time, gathered her things, and left. She didn’t feel nearly as confident as Sophie had looked as she made her way back through the waiting room, and she wasn’t at all sure she’d handled the question about Bianca’s sexuality well. Jules jogged down the stairs, bursting with restless energy. Maybe she should change and go to the gym, anything to keep from sitting around her apartment waiting for the phone to ring.
The first thing she noticed as she stepped outside was that the rain had stopped, and thank goodness for that. The second thing was Sophie Rindell walking out of the coffee shop next door.
“Post-audition caffeination?” Jules called with a wave.
Sophie glanced over her shoulder, pausing so Jules could catch up to her. “Something like that. How did your audition go?”
Jules put on her jacket, sweeping her hair out from beneath the collar. “Good, I think.”
“I’m glad,” Sophie said.
They stared at each other for a few seconds of awkward silence. Making idle conversation in the waiting room was one thing, but Jules didn’t make a habit of hanging out with her competition after the audition. Something told her Sophie didn’t either.
“Which way are you headed?” Jules asked, halfway hoping they were going in different directions, an easy way to say goodbye.
Sophie gestured to the left. “I don’t live too far from here, near Prospect Park.”
“Oh yeah? We’re practically neighbors.” Jules fell into step beside her.
“You audition a lot?” Sophie asked.
“Every chance I get,” Jules told her with a laugh.
“Same.” Sophie gave her a thoughtful look. “You look vaguely familiar to me. Maybe we’ve crossed paths before.”
“It’s possible,” Jules agreed. They fell into an easy conversation as they walked, discovering that they’d auditioned for several of the same productions, although maybe not at the same time, and Jules found herself glad for Sophie’s company after all. It was always fun to chat with someone else who understood the crazy whirlwind of the theater life.
