by Dori Lavelle
My gaze travels to the clock above the elevator, watching the hands tick by.
Every time the phone rings, I hope it’s Dax Pierce’s suite calling. It never is. I pull out the pamphlet several more times, rereading it. At one point, Heidi almost caught me, but I shoved the paper back into my pocket before she saw it. She doesn’t need to know yet that I’m interested. I guess I still need to convince myself that it’s the right move.
Heidi had walked away with a perplexed expression on her face that gave me the impression that she knew I was up to something. But at least she complimented me on a job well done.
Finally, the phone rings again and even before I answer it, I sense with my entire body that it’s the call I’ve been waiting all morning for. It’s almost as though the ring tone tells me the secret before I hear the voice on the other end of the line.
Mr. Sparks is the caller and he happens to be Dax Pierce’s manager.
“Emma Stanton speaking, how may I help you?” It won’t hurt for them to know who I am.
“Is this reception? I’m calling from Mr. Pierce’s suite.” Mr. Sparks sounds confused.
“Yes, yes, it is.” I place a hand on my glowing cheek. “Can I help you with anything?”
“Mr. Pierce needs more towels brought to his bathroom as soon as possible.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll send someone over as soon as possible.”
Mr. Sparks ends the call before I can say anything more. After hanging up, I stare at the elevator for a moment. A nagging thought crawls into my mind. What if I took up the towels myself instead of sending someone else? This could be my chance to come into close contact with Dax Pierce. Meeting him in person could help my chances at the audition. If he happens to be present, he might remember me.
I push my chair back and rise to my feet. It’s a good thing I’m not the kind of person to waste too much time thinking things through.
Before I can change my mind, I run to the laundry room. Luckily there’s no one in there and the only sound is that of humming washing machines.
Breathing in the warm smell of detergent, fabric softener, and cleaning products, I grab an armful of clean towels and run back out to the elevators. I have to be quick before Heidi shows up at reception to find me gone. Although, just in case, I have already rehearsed what I’d say to her. If I get caught. I’d simply say that no one was available to take up the towels, and Mr. Pierce needed them urgently.
By the time I reach my destination on the second floor, sweat is trickling down my spine. I stop for a moment before ringing the bell, forcing my heart to pull itself together. I’m finding it hard to believe that Dax Pierce is on the other side of the door.
Before I get the chance to ring the bell, the door is pulled open. Mr. Sparks, a man with thick white hair and a matching beard, is suddenly standing in front of me. His eyebrows are drawn, as though he’s deep in thought. Was he watching me through the keyhole? Did he notice how nervous I was?
I straighten my spine and clear my throat. “I brought you the towels, sir.”
“Great.” To my surprise, he gestures for me to enter. I thought he would take the towels and ask me to leave. My knees like pudding, I step into the room.
For a moment I’m disappointed that I don’t see Dax Pierce anywhere. But that doesn’t mean he’s not inside the suite. It’s very spacious and he could be in the bedroom. But what if he doesn’t come out in time for us to meet? The chances of me coming into contact with him downstairs are slim given that he will probably be surrounded by his team.
“Where should I put them?” I make a move to hand the towels to Mr. Sparks, but he steps back, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pushes one between his parted lips.
“Bathroom.” His words are muffled by the cigarette in his mouth.
I nod and move away, headed for the bathroom. When I reach the door, I hear the sound of rushing water. Someone is obviously taking a shower and I can’t enter. But what if it’s Dax Pierce? The thought of him on the other side of the door, naked, stokes a gentle fire within me. But I can’t enter, can I?
“What are you waiting for? Go inside.” I turn to find Mr. Sparks now seated at a desk covered in papers. Could he be reading the movie scripts?
I turn back to the bathroom door. Maybe Dax Pierce is not taking a shower at all. He could be brushing his teeth for all I know and I just happen to have a dirty mind. I reach for the doorknob and twist. If Mr. Sparks wants me to go in, I will. The customer is king, after all.
I glance at Mr. Sparks again, in case he hadn’t meant what he just said. “Are you sure?”
“Take the towels inside,” he repeats, looking bored.
That’s all the permission I needed. I push the door open and a cloud of steam hits me in the face, mingled with expensive pine and leather cologne. The scent is intoxicating.
Holding my breath, I poke my head around the door, into the steam, my entire body vibrating with an energy it has never experienced before. Because of the sheer size of the bathroom, I don’t see the person occupying the room immediately.
My pulse racing out of control, I sweep the closest surfaces with my gaze, looking for a space to put the towels. As much as I would like to catch sight of Dax Pierce’s naked body, I’m not sure I’d be able to handle it. My panties are already melting before I even get a chance to talk to him.
Before I can make a decision about what to do, the door is opened wider and Dax Pierce himself appears before me in all his glory. Well, not all his glory. He has a towel wrapped around his waist. My gaze sweeps across his body, taking in the slabs of muscle, the drops of water glistening on his smooth skin. I read that he’s in his early forties, but he looks much younger.
My hands are begging me to reach out and touch him.
It’s a struggle not to stare at the faint line of hair traveling from the edge of the towel to his belly button. He is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. And I can totally understand why most women in Hollywood are going crazy about him, even with his infamous reputation with the ladies.
“Hello.” He gives me a crooked grin, running a hand through his dark, damp hair. His amber eyes with specks of gold floating in them are captivating. “How are you?”
“I—fine. I’m fine, thank you.” I lift my gaze to his eyes, taken aback by the fact he would talk to a hotel employee, let alone ask how she’s doing.
My gaze travels down his face, past the chiseled features and lands on the towels in my hands. “Towels,” I say, my mouth dry. “You asked for some.” I’m trying really hard to keep my voice from shaking, but it’s kind of deceiving me right now.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.” As he takes the towels from my hands, my senses spin out of control. I feel almost dizzy from his touch. The brush of our hands is brief, but the effect left behind is intense.
As I take a step back and turn to walk away, he says something to me, but it’s hard to catch the words through the rush in my ears.
“Sorry.” I wet my lips and look back. “Did you say something?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact I did.” He’s looking at me in a way that makes it feel as though we are equals. “I was wondering if you’re auditioning to be an extra in Ragged Waves.”
It takes a moment for me to realize what he’s saying to me. When his words sink into my mind, warmth heats up my chest. This has to be a sign. He wants me to audition.
“I’m just asking because you have the pamphlet in your back pocket.”
“Oh.” My cheeks burn with embarrassment. I reach behind me and push the pamphlet deeper into my pocket. It wasn’t a sign after all, and I don’t know whether to be disappointed or excited. The fact that he noticed the ad in my back pocket means he was looking at my ass. Instead of feeling offended, I choose to feel flattered. But I’m also nervous that this big star is checking me out.
I shrug. “I don’t know if I will. I have to work.”
“But it’s only two days. If you’re really inte
rested, surely you can take two days off work.” He leans against the doorframe and gives me a look that reaches right through me. “Just a couple of hours of shooting and you can return to your job. You might be what the producers are looking for.”
“I don’t know.” I shift from one foot to the other. “I have to think about it.”
“You better be quick,” Mr. Sparks says from the desk. “There are quite a few interested people already.”
“Okay.” I force a smile, looking back at Dax Pierce. “I will. I’ll give it some thought... ummm fast.” What’s happening to me? I hate that I sound like some desperate fan.
Dax nods with a silent smile. “Thank you for bringing up the towels.”
I nod back and hurry across the suite. I’m trying hard to feel unaffected by him, but my legs knock against each other as I walk.
Outside the suite, the air is cooler, unaffected by Dax Pierce’s presence. I can feel my skin cooling, the breeze erasing the sweat. I lean against the wall next to the door, bent forward, catching my breath as though I had been submerged underwater. Adrenaline rejuvenates my body as I head to the elevators. I have never taken drugs in my life, but I have a feeling this is how it feels to be high.
I make it back to reception without being caught and I’m relieved not to find Heidi waiting for me.
I crash into my chair, still unable to believe that both Dax Pierce and his manager encouraged me to audition without even asking if I have experience. If I don’t do this, I know I’ll regret it.
As soon as lunch break comes around, someone else comes to replace me at reception, and I rush to Heidi’s office, where she’s eating canned peaches from a white bowl. Despite the fact that there are no plants in the room, Heidi’s office always smells like a field of daisies.
Heidi peers at me through her thick lashes. Pieces of her hair dance in the air, teased by the gust of air coming from her fan. “Everything all right with you?”
I sink into one of the chairs on top of a red seat cushion, my heart still racing as it had two hours ago, inside Dax Pierce’s suite.
“Yes.” I chew a corner of my lip. “But I need to talk to you about something. Do you have a moment?”
“Sure, what’s going on? Something wrong?”
I shake my head. “The Neon Production Company is looking for extras...from Mistport.” I pull the pamphlet from my pocket and place it on her organized desk.
“So I heard. I’m the one who put the pamphlets at reception.” Heidi places her bowl on the desk next to a glass of water and a metal cup filled with pens and a green highlighter.
“I’m thinking of auditioning. They need three people.”
“Are you serious? You don’t have time. You’re working. You do remember that you’re still on probation, right?” She leans back and folds her arms. “And I’m sure you’re aware that I gave you this job as a favor to your sister. You wouldn’t want to mess up your chance of working here permanently.”
“I know.” I bring my hands together. “And I’m very grateful. But I could really use the money they will be paying.”
“Would you rather make more money short-term or have a stable job to provide for you long-term?”
I lean back, pressure building inside my chest, disappointment clouding my mind. “I want a stable job, but—” I don’t finish my sentence. I was about to tell her that Dax Pierce and his manager encouraged me, but then I would have to reveal that I went to their suite, leaving the reception area unattended. “Heidi, I know this is last notice. But I only need two days. Two days and then I’ll be back. I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Emma Stanton, since I’ve known you as a child, you’ve never done anything that someone else wants. You know it. I know it. The whole town knows it. And that’s why your life is a mess. Your mother would have been devastated to see you like this.” She throws her hands into the air and lets them fall again. “I guess I knew this was coming. It’s impossible for you to keep a job. Let me just tell you one thing. If you choose to go to that audition, putting your job on the line, don’t bother coming back.”
I shoot to my feet and turn to leave before I say something I might regret. But before I reach the door, I turn around so fast I knock over a metal wastebasket.
Everybody considers me to be a failure, but what if this is the right thing for me? What if for the first time in my life I actually do something right? Yes, I want the job, but this is also a great opportunity. If anything else, I need the money to help Christa pay off some of the mounting debts the cancer left behind.
I gather up all the courage within me and meet Heidi’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Heidi, but I need to do this.”
Her laughter mixes with the sound of cars whizzing by outside her window. “Let me get this straight. You’re choosing to go against my wishes? You want to audition for a part you might not even get? Fine. Go ahead.” She pushes aside a stapler and her fingertips start to drum the surface of the table. “But I meant what I said. The job will not be here waiting for you. You don’t deserve it anyway.”
“Fine,” I retort. “In that case, I guess I have to quit.” I pause to let the words sink in. “It’s not as if I’m appreciated here.” With that, I turn my back on her and walk out.
Chapter Three
“What were you thinking?” Christa asks me, beside herself with anger. “After all I did to convince Heidi to give you a job, you went and threw it back into her face?” She drops onto our plain IKEA living room couch. Her gaze shoots daggers at me. “You have to stop being so impulsive, Emma. You’re twenty-six, for God’s sake. When will you start holding onto a job for longer than a month?”
“When I find one that I love.” I move to the window, gazing out at the dead backyard of the small house we inherited from mom and dad.
“That’s exactly the problem with you. You refuse to understand that sometimes we have to do things we don’t love in order to pay the bills.”
“And sometimes you have to take advantage of amazing opportunities.” I move to the couch, sit next to her, and take her hand in mine. “They’re paying well. You know we could use the money.”
She glances at me for a moment and her shoulders sink. “I really appreciate what you’re trying to do for me. But, honey, the medical bills are mine. I will pay them off eventually.” She shakes her head slowly from side to side, eyes resigned. “And that acting thing is a one-time thing. You need a steady job, not because you want to pay off my bills, but for you to finally start your own life.”
“I don’t lose much by walking away from the Baroque. Heidi wasn’t paying me enough anyway.” I lift my chin. “And don’t you dare tell me not to be there for you.
You can’t stop me from helping you in any way I can. My dream is to find a job that pays me enough to clear all your debts so you can finally relax. You went through so much already. I hate to see you breaking your back in that kitchen.”
Christa presses her lips together. “You’ve already done enough to help me. You were there every single day while I was sick. And you shaved off your hair for me. What more could I possibly ask for in a sister?”
A slow smile warms up my face. “Yeah, that was kind of fun.” I drop my hand next to me. “But seriously, I want to do this acting thing. I kind of feel like it’s the right thing for me.”
“I’ve heard that one before, a few times actually.”
“Maybe this time this decision will be the one that changes everything for me...for us.” I gaze into space. “The thought of acting with—”
Christa puts up a hand to stop me. “Please don’t tell me you want to do this thing because you have a crush on Dax Pierce.”
“Nope. Well, partly. Maybe.” I shake my head. “No, I was actually playing with the idea before I saw his name on the pamphlet.” I shrug. “I don’t know, Christa. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s just that my heart tells me it’s what I have to do.” I turn my whole body to face her, our knees touching. “Let me make you a prom
ise. If it doesn’t work out, I promise to find a steady job and stay put.”
“I’ve heard those promises before as well.”
“I mean it this time around.”
“Fine. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll beg Heidi to take you back. I’ll try to convince her to let you work at reception. The guests actually liked you.”
I draw my sister into a hug and hold on to her, inhaling her comforting scent of vanilla. “Thank you.”
We don’t talk much about the audition anymore as we eat a pizza margherita for dinner. At the end of the night, I go to bed praying I won’t let her down.
SOMETIMES YOU JUST have to follow your heart. As it turns out, I was among the candidates chosen to be in the film, without even having to audition.
Yesterday morning, I’d walked into the audition room, and all they asked me was whether I had any experience with waitressing, to which I responded with a resounding yes. I’d waitressed often enough in my life.
After that, they asked me simple questions about myself and my background, then they asked me to wait outside for fifteen minutes. When they called me back inside, it was to congratulate me. I don’t know if Dax Pierce told them to take me. Who cares anyway? What matters is that I got the part.
Soon after I received the good news, I was introduced to Tori Barnwell, the woman responsible for dressing up the cast. She handed me a black and white waitressing uniform to try on. After the fitting, I was paid for my time. It blew my mind that I was being paid just to try on clothes. Along with the money, I was handed the address of where the movie would be filmed, and instructed to be there at 5:00 a.m.
Even though I’m not a morning person, I appear on set half an hour before the time, sleepy but excited.
The set is crawling with cameramen, actors, extras, and directors with their assistants. Luxurious trailers belonging to the important actors are parked a small distance away from the building in which the filming was to take place. A huge marquee is positioned a few steps away from the trailers, two benches standing in front of it. A sign at the entrance alerts people that it’s the lunch tent. It doesn’t say whether only the main cast will eat inside or if it was for everyone.
