I trailed my fork back and forth through the salad, looking for the good stuff, namely the pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and chunks of parmesan. "Ugh, sometimes I wish they'd just leave the leafy green stuff out of the salad. It just gets in the way."

Russell squeezed more lemon into his tea. "Then it would no longer be a salad. It would be trail mix."

I stabbed my fork into a tomato. "Exactly."

Russell reached down into the shoulder bag hanging on his chair. He was sporting a new pair of thick black framed eyeglasses that gave him a seriously intellectual look. He was one of those fashion conscious guys who always looked impeccably right for whatever the occasion called for. Today he had been meeting with a few producers, so he was wearing his finely tailored suit and tie. It went well with the new glasses. He pulled a script out of his bag.

"This is top secret. So you can't share it with anyone, or I'll be out of a job and your acting career will be over before it starts."

I put down my fork and picked up a roll. "I think that might already be the case."

"Come on, Janey, don't give up now. You were really close with that last audition. That Oscar is just around the corner. I can feel it in my bones."

"I'm glad you can feel it. All I'm feeling is disappointment and utter defeat. In everything. My whole darn life."

Russell placed the script on the table. "So what's happening with the Brock saga? Are you two still talking?"

"God no. At least I'm not talking to him. He still tries to text and call. He'll get the idea soon enough."

The server came to the table and poured more tea. I picked up my glass and drank away the dry roll crumbs.

Russell swirled his tea with his straw. "I know this sounds ridiculously cliché, but you are better off without him. Have you met anyone new? Lars has a cute younger brother I could introduce you to."

"No thanks. I think I'll go solo for a bit. Especially after—" I stopped and shook my head. "Never mind."

Russell sat forward, his eyes wide between his lenses. "No way with the never mind. Especially after what? I need something juicy to get me through the boring meetings I have lined up today."

"It's not all that juicy. In fact, I'm not really sure how to describe it."

Russell leaned back, leaving one hand still on the table as he drummed a beat with his fingers. "Dish or I'm letting you pick up the tab."

"Well, since I have exactly zero dollars to my name, I guess I'll dish. Otherwise, we'll both be washing dishes." I smiled. "See how I did that?'

"Janey, you're stalling. What happened?"

"It's stupid really. There's this guy, this really big, and, if I must admit, handsome guy who lives in the apartment across the hall."

A wide grin crossed Russell's face. "Yes, go on."

"He invited me to his place to eat something. I don't know why, but I said yes."

"Uh, you said yes because he's big and handsome. You are human, after all."

"But I don't even know the guy. Although now I probably know too much."

Russell tried to scoot closer to the table in his enthusiastic attempt to hear more of the story. "What's too much?"

I sighed in surrender. I'd started the tale, and I was going to have to finish it or endure Russell's pleading texts for the next week. I glanced around as if anyone else in the restaurant cared to listen in on my silly conversation. Still, I lowered my voice. "There were these things on his coffee table."

Russell's well groomed eyebrow arched. "Things? A bong? Cocaine mirror?"

"No. Not drug things." I leaned forward and dropped my voice to a whisper. "Sex things. Dildos and some other things that looked quite innovative."

Russell's short, dry laugh barked loud enough through the room to stop a few conversations and draw curious stares our direction. I could feel my cheeks warm with a blush as if they could figure out exactly what we were talking about.

"So, he's into kinky fun." Russell shrugged and pushed his glasses up higher on his nose. This time I laughed.

"Somehow those super intellect glasses don't work with the words kinky fun."

"Look, Janey, I'm just saying maybe you need to stretch your repertoire a bit. It might even help with your acting."

I tilted my head and stared at him. "Thanks but I highly doubt that a dildo will help me fine tune my acting skills."

"No but they sure can fine tune other things." He waved off the comment. "I don't mean the sex toys as your repertoire. I mean stretch yourself when it comes to relationships. You were experiencing complete emotional stagnation with Brock. I didn't want to say anything, but he was erasing all of that spunk you had. Now maybe you can get back to your old self and experience all the joys of a racy, erotic sex life. With a big, handsome guy who comes with his own supply of feel good toys."

"Thanks but no thanks. Besides, I think he's some kind of big shot. He left me a note to explain the stuff on his table. I guess he was worried that the girl who freaked out and ran from his apartment might turn him in as a pervert or something. He says the reason he had all those things was because he is part owner of some big company called Plaything."

The chair scraped the floor as Russell sat upright. "What? He owns Plaything? No fucking way. Then he's not just big and handsome, he's rich. That company is climbing up to the top of the pleasure business chain. I read about them in Bloomford Business news. Four guys from humble beginnings who started a multimillion dollar subscription service for pleasure. Why the heck would he be living in that ramshackle apartment building?" He noticed my annoyed look. "No offense, Jane, but that place sucks."

"Trust me I know. The sad thing about that is I can barely afford to keep my place. And I have no idea why someone who is owner in a successful company would be living there. Maybe he lied. Maybe he just made that up so I wouldn't think he was creepy. Although, he's not the least bit creepy. Even with sex toys on his coffee table."

"Well, you should probably avoid him just in case." He picked up the script and handed it over to me. "Guard with your life. Now, I've got you an audition with the casting director and producers next Friday so you have until then to rehearse. It's some dramatic, angsty romance, and they're having a hard time finding the right people for the main parts."

"They are never going to want a nobody for the leading lady."

Russell cast me his pep talk expression, and I knew what would follow. "If you start off with one foot in a hole, you're just going to stay stuck there." I mouthed the words along with him and he tossed his napkin at me. "Stinker. But it's true. You need to keep a more positive attitude, Jane. The casting people can sense it if you walk in already convinced that you won't get the part."

I patted the script. "As always, you are right, my wise, designer suit wearing Yoda. I will stay positive."