AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay?”
“Well, when he got home, I was all excited to tell him that I had changed my mind. I would gladly go with him to the benefit. Do you know what he said?”
Meka picked up both their coffees and led the way to an empty table. “What did he say?”
“He said it wasn’t possible because he’s taking someone else. Since I had something else to do and Lissandra wanted to go, he’s bringing her. I feel so stupid. Why do I keep doing this?”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. Fuck him. Now you know to just put yourself first. You’re going to kill it at the audition. What are you wearing? Let’s go shopping and pamper ourselves. Make sure you’re in the right frame of mind,” Meka suggested.
Samantha sipped her coffee and thought about what her friend said. She was right. She needed to stop giving a damn and put herself first. There was no way to control his actions, but she could control how she reacted to him. She was done letting him dictate her moods and emotions.
“You are absolutely right. Fuck him. That day spa around the corner has a steam room. Let’s stop in and see if they can fit us in. I’m talking massage, facial, manicure… the works. The steam will be good for my vocal cords. Brandon’s treat. What do you say?” Samantha offered.
“I say that sounds like a fantastic idea. I’m off today. Let’s do it. I am sorry you have to put up with all that. And my offer still stands. Mi casa es su casa.”
“Thanks, Meka. I haven’t figured everything out yet, but I know we need to come to an understanding. The way things are is not going to work for me. What was I even thinking? Skipping the audition to spend the evening with someone who doesn’t really want to spend time with me? No.”
Chapter 3
Samantha took a deep breath before entering the building. It looked like a warehouse on the outside, but once she opened the heavy steel door, she was pleasantly surprised. The brightly lit lobby opened to an elevator and a stairwell. In front of the elevator stood a sign stating auditions were being held on the third floor.
She took the stairs to give herself a few extra minutes to reign her nerves. Her flats barely made a sound in the empty stairwell. The stairs exited into a short hallway with one door on each end. She walked to the one labeled for auditions and slowly opened the door. Directly in front of her, she saw a long table covered by a black tablecloth. The woman seated at the table waved her over with a smile.
“Hi!” she greeted. “Please sign in on the sheet and take a form to fill out. When you’re finished with the form, bring it back to me and I’ll get it to the director. We’ll call you one at a time. The actual auditions will take place down the hall so feel free to find a space to stretch, warm up, meditate, or whatever else you do to prepare. Good luck.”
Samantha wrote her name on the sign-in sheet and picked up a form. She found an empty space along the wall and took a seat on the floor to begin filling everything out. The form was basically a job application. They wanted to know what role she was interested in, what range she sang in, theatrical experience, possible schedule conflicts, and availability.
After turning in the paperwork, she made her way back to her space and began stretching while quietly practicing her song. The room was filled with other hopefuls, many doing something similar to what she was doing.
“First audition?” a young brunette asked.
“No. But it has been a while,” Samantha admitted with a smile. “How about you?”
“Yes. I’m so nervous I could throw up. I’m Brittney.”
“Hi, Brittney. Samantha,” she said reaching out a hand. “You’ll be hooked. There’s nothing like it. Even if you don’t get called back, every audition gives you experience.”
“Everyone seems super nice. That makes me feel better.”
Samantha changed from her street shoes into her jazz shoes. “That’s the best part. You’ll meet so many amazing people.”
“Samantha Tate?” a voice interrupted their conversation.
Samantha picked up her bag and shoved her shoes inside. “Right here!”
“Right this way. We’re ready for you,” a young man said from just in front of the table.
“Break a leg!” Brittney called after her as she made her way over to the young man.
She followed him down the hallway and to the door on the other end of the floor. As soon as the door opened, she took a look inside. A long table, also covered by a black tablecloth, sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Four people sat at the table and watched her expectantly. They were difficult to see clearly due to the bright sunlight shining through the windows and the bright light aimed in her direction. Next to the area that she assumed would serve as the stage, a young man sat at a keyboard. She walked over and handed him her sheet music.
“Mrs. Tate?” A faceless man at the table called to her.
“Yes sir.”
He flipped through some papers. “What are you going to sing for us?”
“Stars and the Moon,” she answered confidently.
