Camden sat with the other actors in a conference room, a long table stretched out in front of them, each with an opened script and a bottle of water. Producer Claire Appleby, director Tyler Tate, and executive producer Randall Ott were seated at the far end of the table.

“I don’t give a damn,” the actor playing Paul Lynde shouted, “I want twice what they’re paying me or they can blow me, Ira!”

Another actor added, “You walk off Squares, what’re you gonna do? You don’t think Carlos the pool boy here is gonna take care of you?”

That was Camden’s cue. But though he’d been reading along with the rest of the cast, he’d lost his place at just the wrong time. An extra nanosecond passed while he nervously scanned the page, keenly aware that he was attracting the negative attention of everybody in the room, and of what was at stake.

“I love Paul,” Camden said, just a fraction of a moment too late, his delivery rushed and unnatural. But he was quick to calibrate and find a believable pace and rhythm and tone. “I’ll take care of him if I have to. Or I could take care of you.”

“Okay, Gargantua,” the actor playing Paul said with the actor’s distinctive vocal inflections, “you’re making me hot!”

The actors all turned the page of the script, ready to read the next scene. “Okay, let’s cut for a minute,” actor Tyler said, producer Claire looking on in tense quiet. “Camden, I like what you’re doing, but … is there a problem?”

“Hhmmmm? No, Tyler, none at all.”

The actor playing Paul leaned over and put his hand on Camden’s. “The script’s right in front of you, dear.”

Camden smiled, though it didn’t last long and probably was even less impressive. Camden nodded, running his fingers through his long, black hair. “I apologize, everyone, I was just … a little distracted. It's a personal thing, nothing I should have brought into work.”

“That’s okay,” Claire said, “don’t let it bother you. We all have things in our lives, don’t worry about it. We’ll just read on to the end, move forward, then break for lunch.”

But Camden could sense the disapproval, the disappointment, the judgment behind the fakery and the delusion of support. These people don’t understand me, they don't know me and they don't want to know me. They don't care and they don’t want to care. We’re all liars here, it’s what brought us together. Truth in fiction? There’s only one thing I know that's true, and it’s not this.

* * *

Camden sat on his living room couch, Kate’s big round face so soft and sympathetic. “C’mon, Cam, snap out of it. I don’t even see why you’re so touched by this girl to begin with. This is Los Angeles, Cam, the most beautiful women in the world are here, and they’re everywhere! You could have your pick! You always could, but now that you’re working, you’d be unstoppable!”

“Kate, it’s not that. I’ve always done okay — ”

“And if you’re really into the girl, I mean deep down, then maybe you’re not really about the prettiness at all. And you know there’s a girl who, deep down … and I guess I mean way deep down — ”

“Kate, stop, not any more of that, please.” Kate slouched, sinking into the couch a bit. “There’s just something about her, I’m not sure what it is.”

“Not her money?”

“Oh hell no, of course not. If anything, the money’s kind of a turn-off. And it’s made her family nuts, I think. It sure hasn’t done Amy that much good. And then there’s the damage — ”

“If that girl’s got damage, it’s the parents, not the money. I hate the way rich people blame their money for all their problems.”

“But she doesn’t, Kate. She doesn’t blame anybody, and she lost her father in a terrible incident. But she’s not bitter, she’s … she’s anxious to live, to get out there and embrace life. She’s blameless as far as I can see, and deserving too. Why shouldn’t she be able to enjoy her life, her money, her beauty? It’s terrible, the way they treat her.”

“And you want to rescue her,” Kate said with a knowing look, fat cheek folding around the corner of her mouth. “Kind of ironic, when you think about it.”

Camden couldn’t disagree. “I think maybe I’m thinking too much … and feeling too little.”

Kate couldn’t disagree, as much as Camden knew she wanted to. “All right then, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but … if you really want her, you have to go get her.”

“You think?”

“Well, you can’t go on like this! Why didn’t you just go for it in the first place?” Kate grilled him.

Camden had to struggle to fashion his answer, and his own confusion both astounded and delighted him. “It was so sudden, and then she got embarrassed and ran out.”

Kate raised an eyebrow, “And you didn’t go after her?”

“I didn’t think she wanted me to. I didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was. I don’t even know for sure if she still wants me. She was pretty mad.” Camden sighed, disheartened.

“She does,” Kate said, rolling her eyes.

“How do you know?”

“I know,” Kate said, “believe me. But even if she doesn’t, that’s something you have to know, you both have to know for sure what you’re giving up. Otherwise, it’s going to haunt you your whole life, Camden. Believe me, I know, regret is something you don’t want to live with even for a second, never mind the rest of your life.”