“So, who do we have?” Jinx asked, digging a pen and paper out of her messenger bag.
Cora handed over the stack of headshots and tried to hide the depressed look on her face. Tapping Jinx’s wrist to get her attention, she said, “We have four guys who have never acted before but are willing tocontribute money, and six guys who are trained actors that believe their ‘superior skills’ will make up for their inability to contribute funds.” Then, knowing Jinx would be able to pick up the majority of it, she mouthed, “There is also one guy with no money and no acting experience who seems to think this is a porn shoot.”
Jinx giggled and scanned the waiting men before turning back to Cora, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Ooh, which one is he?”
“Second from the end,” Cora replied silently, then suppressed a laugh at Jinx’s shudder once her friend located the guy in question. “Yeah, that was my thought too.”
Taking a second to sift through the headshots again, she compared them with the men seated in front of her. Most didn’t look even remotely close to their picture. Not that she was surprised since it was fairly common in Hollywood, but she was pretty sure at least one guy’s photo was over ten years old based on the thinning hair and deep crows feet he was now sporting.
Pasting on her professional director persona, she decided to get the pain and suffering over with. “Max Castor?” she called out, and the first guy, a stocky ginger with a face full of freckles, stood up.
“That’s me,” he announced eagerly as he hurried forward.
Cora gestured to the blue X on the ground and flipped the switch on her camera. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Two hours later, Cora was contemplating throwing herself in the L.A. River. Granted there was no water in the L.A. River, and all she wouldlikely do is end up with two broken legs and a head injury, but at least a few days in a coma might scrub the memory of eleven guys butchering her screenplay. She cringed when she remembered the porn star wannabe. He’d made it three seconds in before he started taking off his pants. There wasn’t enough bleach in the world to scrub away the image that had been seared into her brain.
Cora packed up her camera and turned to Jinx. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m in desperate need of a drink. Tiny’s Hi-Dive?”
“You know I’m down,” Jinx replied, her eyes twinkling.
Jinx was nowhere near becoming an alcoholic, but at the same time, she was also nevernotdown for a drink. Cora handed over the stack of headshots and waited for her friend to make eye contact. “I need to clean up first," she said. "I’ll meet you there. Do me a favor and burn these, will you?”
Jinx nodded but took another second to shuffle through the pile. “I don’t know. The one with the British accent was kind of cute. His acting career might be limited to Grey Poupon commercials, but you gotta admit something about the way he said ‘dahling’ was enticing.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
“He’s all yours,” Cora dismissed. She agreed the British guy was attractive, and the accent was a plus, but every part of him screamed romantic vampire. The kind that begged to be saved from their own darkness if only they could find their one true love.
Cora tried not to vomit in her mouth. Maybe she was asking for the impossible—a guy that radiated menace and danger. The kind that looked like he would brutally murder you and then go home and watch TV like it was just another day at work. Her vampire wasn’t a bad boy. He was a badman. A villain in the truest sense.
Where the hell was she supposed to find someone like that?
Chapter five
Saiden
Saiden whipped his car into the parking lot of the warehouse. An icy chill ran down his spine, his senses alerting him to danger. It was enough notice that he was able to narrowly avoid the old, blue Ford Focus trying to exit through the entrance lane. He thought he vaguely heard a ‘sorry’ come from the other driver, but they were halfway down the street in seconds.
Pulling in next to the dinged-up red Mazda Miata that his file told him belonged to his target, he sent a quick thanks to Lilith that he wasn’t too late. He’d done nearly 100 mph the entire trip to L.A. and had to compel three different police officers along the way. Tedious and annoying, but these so-called auditions were a perfect excuse to get this girl talking.
Sliding out of the McLaren, he snapped his head over to the door of the factory when it opened. A woman carrying a large camera bag stepped out, and he halted halfway out of his car, his hand lingering on the door handle. He had memorized the photo of Cora Lee in the file Marquin gave him, so he was certain the slender, awkward creature mumbling profanities as she fought with a set of keys was the person he needed to speak with. Her long auburn hair was twisted into a braid that fellmost of the way down her back, almost hitting the shapely ass that was partially hidden beneath a baggy, long-sleeve purple sweater.
He stood there for a second, watching her struggle to lock up the factory, and found himself mildly entertained by the creativity of her cursing. He’d never before heard a person threaten a doorknob with being melted into ball bearings that would be shoved up the ass of a constipated rhino. He absently wondered what the rhino did in her little scenario to deserve such a fate.
It wasn’t until her head popped up and she took notice of him that he realized he had completely forgotten his cover story.
Lilith take me, he thought. Her eyes were incredible. The way the bright amber color practically glowed in the fading sunlight. His vampire sight allowed him to see each and every speck of brown that drifted in her honey-colored irises, and he wanted to get closer, wanted to look even deeper.
“Hello?” Cora called out to him, and the sound of her lilting voice tore him from his blatant staring.
She approached him cautiously.
Smart girl.On her own in a secluded location with a stranger and no witnesses? She had every right to be wary. Saiden knew what he looked like, and even a grown man would be nervous if they were alone together in a parking lot.
Remembering his mission, he cleared his throat and finally shut his car door. He didn’t miss the way her eyes widened slightly as she took in the $200,000 vehicle.Investor, he recalled from her ad. She had been looking for an actor as well as someone to help with financing. Glancing down at his Linkin Park t-shirt and faded jeans, he wished he’d dressed a bit more appropriately, but time had not been on his side.
“Hi there,” he said, smoothly striding toward her. “I’m looking for Cora Lee. Am I too late for the auditions?”
He could barely hide his grin as he realized he wouldn’t have to deal with any deceit from this adorable creature. Every thought that went through her head played out across her face, and he watched as her expression morphed from worried, to curious, back to worried and then, after another long glance at his car, ended on curious with a hint of hopefulness.
