CHAPTER FIVE
Tamera looked around the crowded room of thin women with perky chests and California suntans, suddenly feeling very unsure of herself. She tightened her grip on her purse strap as her heartbeat quickened. There had to be twenty women in here, all as eager to be cast in the role as she was.
A woman with perfect blonde beach waves glared at Tamera, like her presence in the room was a personal insult. Tamera dropped her hand from the purse strap and raised her chin. She might never have been cast in a movie, but she had been cast on a reality television show and made it to the top four. That had to count for something. She belonged here as much as any of these women.
She checked in at the metal desk manned by a cranky grandma with a silver beehive hairdo, then took an empty seat near the door that she assumed led to the audition room. Time to harness the negative energy and turn it into something positive, just like she had on Eye in the Sky. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, imagining how good it would feel to win when everyone was rooting for her to fail.
Her phone vibrated in her purse, and she pulled it out to find a text from Drew.
Good luck.
Thanks. I’m so nervous!
Did you even see yourself on EITS? You’ll do great.
Tamera had seen herself on Eye in the Sky—had watched the entire season as soon as she got home after the finale. It was hard to view herself objectively. The diary room interviews where she cried about Caleb and Katie were particularly excruciating to watch. Drew’s scheming—and the realization he’d throw her under the bus to save his own game—hadn’t been easy to see, either. But whatever. That was the game, and Drew was proving to be a pretty good friend outside of the Eye in the Sky house.
“Tamera Hadley.”
It was go time. An image flashed unexpectedly into her mind of Wyatt crouched beside her on the gym floor, asking if she was okay. His quiet, comforting presence would be nice right about now.
Ridiculous. She shoved her phone back in her purse and followed the thin boy who had to be an intern—was he even out of high school yet?—through the magical door that turned unknown actors and actresses into household names.
“Good luck,” he said in a flat monotone before closing the door behind her.
She bit back the words on the tip of her tongue—a very sarcastic thanks for the encouragement. Why had she thought she could be an actress? Right now, she was most definitely vomit-level nervous. And wouldn’t that make a great internet meme?
She stepped further into the room and fought the urge to blink against the florescent lights that shone down on her. The room was smaller than the one she’d just left and a rectangular table was the only furnishing. It held a round tray, piled high with empty plastic bowls.
A man with stringy hair and glasses that had slid to the end of his nose stared at her with disinterest from where he sat on a padded chair against one wall. A plump middle-aged woman with eyebrows that seemed raised in permanent surprise sat beside him, and a tall man with a scar through one eyebrow leaned against the wall.
Yup. She definitely felt like puking.
“Name?” Glasses asked. He didn’t bother introducing himself, but she figured he was the casting director.
“Tamera Hadley. I’m auditioning for the part of waitress.” She was proud of how steady her voice sounded.
Glasses grunted and motioned vaguely to the table, like he’d already lost interest. “Ames will read the part of Daniel opposite you. Whenever you’re ready.”
Ames pushed off the wall, everything from his relaxed posture to his unfocused eyes screaming boredom. He’d probably been reading these same five lines for the past five hours. Tamera didn’t recognize him, which meant he was probably not the actor cast in the lead role. Her agent had explained that leads didn’t waste their time reading lines with unknown hopefuls auditioning for inconsequential parts.
Ames didn’t even bother making eye contact as he slunk to his mark. But that was time. She would blow them all away with her performance—force them to wake up and take notice of her.
A familiar steely determination washed over Tamera. Her muscles relaxed and head cleared, just like before a Head Honcho competition. She took one deep, steadying breath, allowing time to slow down. Then she picked up the tray and got to work.
The ache of Caleb and Katie’s betrayal and the stress of the last month disappeared as Tamera stepped into the role of waitress and became someone else. By her second line, Ames’ body language had gone from bored to alert. His movements were purposeful now, his eyes intense and each line delivered with precision. She felt the chemistry change in the room as Glasses and Eyebrows perked up, their hands still on their clipboards as they paid attention to her performance.
A heady sense of freedom eclipsed all her fears, and Tamera gave herself over to the role. This overpowering liberation was why she loved acting so much. It was what had made playing Eye in the Sky so intoxicating.
When Tamera finished, she set her tray on the table with a flourish and turned for her critique.
“Well then.” Glasses shuffled through a stack of papers, obviously searching for her file. “What did you say your name was?”
She struggled to keep a smile from overtaking her face. Now he was interested. “Tamera Hadley.”
“Here you are.” He flipped open the folder and peered at it. “You were a contestant on Eye in the Sky?”
Don’t be ashamed of your work experience. That was the first thing her agent had coached her on. Yes, she’d never had a part in more than a high school play. But four months of being on camera twenty-four hours a day was more experience than most actresses had in years.
“That’s correct,” Tamera said. “I spent ninety-one days in the house and made it to the final four.”
“Very impressive. What other experience do you have with acting?”
She cleared her throat, fighting to keep her tone unapologetic. “I played Abigail in The Crucible my senior year.”
His eyes flicked back to the file, flipping through the pages. “Yes, I see that here. What about film?”
His disinterest was showing again. Tamera tried not to panic. “I’ve been on five national talk shows in the past month, discussing my time on Eye in the Sky.”
“But no movies.” She knew it wasn’t a question, and he let out a hmmm.
“She’s represented by Hershel Clark,” the woman said, speaking for the first time. Tamera felt her heart leap, and sent the woman a grateful look.
“Yeah, it’s in her file,” Glasses said, not seeming impressed.
“I’ve got a very dedicated following on social media that would be an asset when the film releases.” Tamera’s palms grew damp, but she press forward. She hadn’t come this far to give up at the first sign of resistance. “I’m also a hard worker and a fast learner. I take direction very well, and am committed to improving my craft. It would be an honor to work on a project as prestigious as this one.”
“You and every other up-and-comer in L.A.” Glasses set her file aside. Did that mean she’d already been taken out of the running? Or was that pile reserved for actresses who might get a call back? Would they even do call backs for such a small part? “We’ll be in touch with your agent no later than Friday with our decision.”
She recognized a dismissal when she saw one. Tamera knew better than to press her luck again—she was gutsy, not stupid. So she stood tall, refusing to let her shoulders slump and show her disappointment. “Thank you for your time.”
He waved a hand in a weak acknowledgment but didn’t bother to reply. Tamera picked up her purse and exited the way she’d entered, avoiding the eyes of the catty girls still waiting for their chance to prove themselves.
I think it’s a no, she texted Drew.
I’m sure you did great.
She yanked open her car door and slid inside, frustration burning through her. How was she supposed to gain experience if no one would hire her without it? That wasn’t at all how she’d imagined her first audition going.
“Did you think they’d fall at your feet in awe?” she muttered angrily as she started the car.
The pathetic part was that part of her had believed the casting director would be impressed by her time on Eye in the Sky. Stupid. Clearly jump starting her acting career was going to take a lot more than one audition.
A call lit up her phone—her real estate partner. She let her car idle in park and answered, trying to sound upbeat. “Hey, Landon.”
“Hey.” His voice was tight with worry, which had pretty much been the status quo ever since his wife became pregnant.
“What’s up?”
“It’s Julie. She’s struggling to keep anything down again, and the doctors want me to bring her in for fluids.”
Poor Julie. Her morning sickness had been awful, and it kept causing one complication after another. “Oh no. I thought she was doing better with the new medication.”
“Me too, but I guess it was a fluke. Anyway, I need to ask you a favor.”
She ran a hand over her steering wheel, already mentally rearranging her week to fit in whatever clients he needed help with. “Of course. Whatever you need.”
“I’m supposed to meet a new client at the office in like an hour. We’ve got three showings lined up for this afternoon. Can you take him?”
That actually wouldn’t require any rearranging at all. Tamera had kept her afternoon open, not sure how long the audition would go. “No problem. Text me the info and I’ll take care of everything.”
“You’re a life saver. I’m sending it now.”
Her phone beeped with the addresses. Tamera raised an eyebrow. “This is a higher-end area.”
“This guy’s got more cash to throw around than our usual clients.”
“What’s his name?”
The line went silent. Had the call been disconnected? Tamera glanced at the screen. Nope, still ongoing. “Landon?”
“I can’t tell you who he is or I’m on the hook for half a million dollars. When you get to the office, let Samantha know you need to sign a nondisclosure.”
Whoa. Only public figures cared about nondisclosures. She’d certainly never had to sign one before working with a client, although sometime the senior agents did. Tamera looked at the addresses again, trying to picture the area. The homes in that neighborhood were certainly high-end, but nothing like the mega-mansions hidden in the Los Angeles hills.
“I’ll let him know you’re coming,” Landon said, interrupting Tamera’s speculations. “He wanted to ride with me to the showings since he’s still not familiar with California traffic.”
“Not a problem.” Tamera glanced at the fast food bag on her passenger floor. She’d have to remember to throw that in the trash. At least the rest of her sporty red convertible was clean.
“Thanks again. You have no idea how much you’re helping me.”
“You helped me out for months and I’m happy to return the favor. Tell Julie to take care of herself.”
“I will,” Landon promised.
They said their goodbyes and hung up. The A/C was finally starting to do its job, cooling the car to a more comfortable temperature. Tamera glanced at her watch, then dropped her phone into the cup holder and put the car in gear. If traffic cooperated, she’d get to the office in enough time to sign the NDA and go over the specs on at least one of the properties before Mr. Nondisclosure arrived.
She really hoped he was the kind of guy who showed up on time for appointments. Curiosity was eating her alive.