***
Jace left the minute we were done taking turns making one another scream, which was good. No need to give me hope that maybe he had the possibility of changing from the whore he was to a guy I could see myself with. It wasn't going to happen, which was fine. I wasn't sure I could handle that massive of a shift anyway.
I showered and got dressed in a navy cotton dress before strapping sandals on my feet and fixing my hair and make-up. As much as I hated to get all dolled up, it wouldn't do me any favors to not look my best at the audition.
The front door opened as I grabbed my keys and walked toward it.
Charlotte smiled and lifted her eyebrows at me. "You look great! Where in the world are you going?"
"To my next audition." I had a wild thought. "You want to come?"
"Are you shitting me right now?" She dropped her purse and stood in shock.
"Nope. It's a love scene though, so no getting jealous. He doesn't have feelings for anyone but himself. I told you... he's a dick." I moved up beside her and picked up her purse for her. "You got ten minutes to freshen up if you're going."
"Am I going? Are you nuts? Of course I'm going." She darted past me, screaming like a school girl and talking so quickly that I couldn't keep up. I was too relaxed to even try.
"Time's up," I called down the hall a few minutes later. "Let's go."
"Really?" She walked out looking like a million bucks in her tight jeans and pretty pink shirt. "Does this scream whore?"
"No, but letting Jace fuck me for hours today and going through five condoms does. I'm playing whore today. You look hot, but not slutty. Let's go. I don't want to be late. Ethan is the kind of guy that will use just about anything to get pissy over. He likes being pissy from what I can tell." I smirked and opened the door. "This train is leaving the station."
"All right. Jeez. I get the biggest opportunity of my whole life, and you're going to rush me." She gave me a playful glare as she walked out of the apartment. "I'll drive if you need to go over your lines."
"Sounds good, but there aren't many lines. It's a sex scene, so it should be fun seeing how this goes off." I rolled my shoulders and tried to stifle the need to run to the bathroom and crap my guts out.
"Are you wearing your bra or are they expecting you to show your boobs to him?" She glanced over at me with a look of wonder mixed with horror.
I couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know. I assume the bra is good, but if not... it's part of the deal, right? I think in the actual film I'm topless, but I don't think they're going to show it in the movie."
"He'll still see you though, right?"
"Yeah. He'll be naked too. He’ll probably have the cock cup on that we're always talking about." I laughed and got into my side of the car. My nervousness was all but gone after having Jace worship me for the afternoon. I felt centered, steady, like Ethan nor his approval mattered. Getting the part mattered, but taking the pressure off of me that he mattered helped. A lot.
"Please tell me that he'll be mostly naked today." She reached out and pawed at me.
I swatted her away. "I doubt it. It will probably be undies for both of us."
"How are you not freaking out right now? I know you play it cool when I talk about him, but he affects you, Riley. How can he not?" She started to pant softly.
"Hey, no panting or acting like he's a god or any of that. Okay? No crazy school girl crap. We're going to play it cool and act like grown women for the first time in our lives."
"You are. I can't help the fact that my dreams are coming true." She bounced in her seat as my stomach turned farther. She was going to lose her fucking mind when she saw Ethan. Any woman would.
"Right. Maybe you shouldn't come then. It's going to affect the audition if you act like a fool and I was the one that brought you there." I gave her a look, even though my words were a little harsh. "Unless you can act like you're cool even though you're not?"
"All right." She sighed and pulled into the studio parking lot, turning off the car and glancing over at me. "How long do we have?"
"Fifteen minutes, and we're not going in early. I'm sure he's going through the motions with some other actress now." I shrugged and pulled the small mirror above me down so that I could reapply my lipstick.
"I still can't believe this is happening." She pulled her mirror down too. "Do you think I could change my name?"
"What?" I glanced over at her as I pursed my lips.
"My name. It's too old fashion. Maybe you should introduce me as Jade or Sicily?" She shrugged and gave me a nervous grin. "It's not like he's going to ask me out. He doesn't need to know my real name."
"I like your real name. It's you." I lifted my eyebrow at her and unlocked the door. "Come on. Let's stand at the back and wait for him to get done. Then I'll introduce you to him."
"Call me Jade though, okay? Seriously." She got out of the car and gave me a stern look over the top of it.
"I'm not introducing you as Jade. If he does ask you out, or I get the part and we all hang out for the next year, then what? That's dumb." I reached into the backseat and grabbed my duffle bag. "You're Charlotte. Always have been, always will be."
"You are a complete dud. Total and complete dud. You hear me?" She pushed her shoulder against mine as we moved toward the large gray building ahead of us.
"Yeah, you're right next to me." I laughed. "Stop being a turd. This is going to be fun, but no getting jealous."
"Of you? How can I not be? Anyone with half a brain and a crush on Ethan would be." She slid her arm against mine and let out a soft squeal as we walked into the studio and moved to the back. "Oh my God. There he is!"
"Shhh..." I glanced over at her. "Seriously. Don't mess this up."
"Never. I promise." She bounced on the balls of her feet as I groaned internally. She was going to lose her shit when Ethan walked over.
Hell, I might too.