Cora tried to pull away before the fake blood got all over her pseudo sister slash assistant director, but it was impossible to fight off a Jinx hug. She made up for being a walking disaster by also being the most empathetic person you’d ever met.
Allowing herself to simply be held for a moment, Cora considered her lack of options. “I don’t know what to do,” she confessed once Jinx released her from the tight grip. “Can you help?”
Jinx put her hands on either side of Cora’s face, squishing her cheeks just a little. “Do you even have to ask?”
No, she didn’t. Ever since making decisions had become more and more difficult for Cora, Jinx was always there to walk her through the possibilities until they reached a logical conclusion.
“Okay,” Cora said, straightening in her chair, her foul mood easing a bit in the glow of Jinx’s eternal optimism. “So, what do we do?”
“Well,” Jinx mused, tapping her chin with her finger. “The way I see it, you have three options. Option one: Bag the film.”
Cora winced. “Obviously that’s not goingto happen.”
“Obviously,” Jinx agreed. “Option two: Start over from scratch. Cast a new lead vampire, preferably one who knows how to read a script.”
Groaning, Cora slid out of the chair and walked over to the remains of the fake body. Scanning it from top to bottom, she highly doubted it could be saved in any way. She kicked the useless prop, then turned back to Jinx. “It was hard enough to find Jake. Half the actors who auditioned used awful fake Transylvanian accents and said shit like ‘bleh bleh bleh, I vant to suck your blood.’ Frankly, I was embarrassed for most of them.”
“Okay, okay,” Jinx replied, throwing up her hands. “Then you have option three: Keep Jake, but go talk to your dad and ask for financial help to hire an acting coach for him. And maybe buy some extra prop dummies while you’re at it.”
Cora picked up a chunk of the destroyed prop heart and looked over at Jinx. “I would rather eat this entire thing than speak to my father.”
Hopping out of her chair, Jinx snatched the hunk of corn-syrup coated silicone and tossed it on the floor. Per Jinx’s usual luck, it promptly bounced back up and nailed her in the crotch, leaving a blood stain in a rather unfortunate area.
Completely oblivious, or possibly past the point of caring, Jinx ignored it and said, “I’m sorry, Cor. I wish I had better options for you, but that’s it. I know this film means everything to you, so if you won’t talk to your dad, then you need to find a new Drake and start over.”
“With what money?” Cora wailed, her dreams slipping through her fingers.
“Hmm…” Jinx grabbed a Red Vine from the bucket on their snack table and chewed on it for a second. “I got it! What if you try casting for an actor who is also an investor? See if you can find someone who is willing to basically become a partner in the film?”
Cora gave her self-proclaimed sister a rather dubious look. “I had the slimmest of pickings when I was casting for a free role. You think I’ll do better if I askthemto payme?”
Jinx shoved the rest of the sticky red treat in her mouth and shrugged. “Worth a shot. Maybe someone will see it as a decent investment opportunity.”
Cora chewed on her lower lip for a long moment, running the idea through her head. Her gut told her it was implausible that anyone would volunteer, let alone anyone with money, but… stranger thingshadhappened in Hollywood. And Jinx was right. She was out of options.
“Okay,” she huffed out, resigned. “Place the ad for Tuesday afternoon at that old factory we used before. I think I still have the keys. It’s likely nobody will show up, but I guess it’s worth a shot. Who knows, maybe the perfect vampire will come walking through my door.”
Chapter three
Saiden
“You’ve got to be joking,” Saiden argued, glaring at Marquin. Like himself, Marquin looked no older than late twenties, but his youthful appearance made it difficult to take him seriously at times. Perhaps it was the long blond hair and pale blue eyes that made him such a successful vampire. No one thought you might be a demon when you looked like an angel.
Marquin leaned back in his leather chair and laced his fingers behind his head. The casual gesture was at odds with the old-world feel of his office. Mahogany bookcases lined the walls, and a wet bar took up most of the right side, complete with some of the most expensive bottles of scotch that ever existed. Even Marquin’s three-piece, navy Hugo Boss suit screamed sophistication. Yet the look on his face was pure childlike amusement.
“Now, Saiden, you know I never joke. Unless it’s about your hair, but never about work.”
Saiden ran a hand through his chin-length black hair that was currently shaved on the right side. He tried to maintain a modern hairstyle but often found himself somehow missing the mark. SomethingMarquin and the rest of the cadre never let him forget.
Saiden glowered at his sire and crossed his arms indignantly. “We have a dangerous and potentially crazed vampire actively pumping rogues into our territory. I can’t leave now. Send Tressa if you think it’s that important.”
“Tressa has not yet returned from Seattle where she is busy handling the fallout from yesterday’s incident,” Marquin replied, unfazed by Saiden’s attitude.
Right.Hisincident. Not that he’d had any choice but to burn down the building. He couldn’t exactly take body parts to the city landfill, and he didn’t have time to wait for Tressa to arrive and ‘handle it.’
“Send Derrick then,” Saiden offered. “You mentioned the target is a female. He’ll be perfect.”
“Not an option,” Marquin dismissed with a wave of his hand. “Derrick left this morning to spend a few days in the mountains. And before you continue to go through the roster, I should tell you…” He leaned forward, all semblance of relaxation fading as his features settled into a level of resolve that left no room for argument. “...Eliana said you would be the best choice.”
