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“Don’t push it, Jake. You almost lost a lot with that bar incident. But truthfully, hear me out on this. Bernardo being pictured all lovey-dovey with Jessica Ortiz cost you nothing…he saved you. If she was willing to publicly hook up with him while you were still dating and then serve that up on social media, he saved you. It would have ended anyway.”
“I don’t care about that, not really, but knowing he’s going to be…” Even as I said it, my brain pictured her auditioning in front of him, his mouth fucking watering while taking in her sumptuous body as she delivered the lines to Bernardo.
“Jake, he’s going to be what? Rakell is as fierce as they come. I can’t see her being lured into a casting couch situation. Besides everything I’ve seen in the news, that world has been shut down. Actually, I take that back. That’s like me saying there’s no sexism or racism in medicine anymore. Just the other day at the hospital, a visiting surgeon referred to me as a nurse a few times, even after I corrected him.”
“Did you inform him that your hubby is the nurse and you’re the doc?” I asked, knowing she’d eat that up.
She chuckled. “Back to this situation. Let’s put the onus on Rakell. If I were you, I’d feel good about putting my money on that girl.”
“Damn, I just…”
“Aren’t you the one who says she’s bristly or not easy to get close to, so you feel like it’s a gift she’s let you in? Can you imagine how hard she’ll punch him back in place if she thinks he’s moving in on her? I’ll tell you what!"
I chuckled, the twisting in my gut loosening. “Yeah…”
“Does she know about Bernardo? Did you say something? I can’t imagine Jake Anthony Skyler keeping quiet.”
Jumping in, I said, “No, I didn’t say a word. I just sat up all night with my head spinning, well between a few nod-offs on the couch. She was so excited, and I’d feel like a tool sayin’…so, there was this other actress I dated, and she jumped in bed with Bernardo, and could you not do that because I would curl up in a fetal ball and die if that happened? Sounded lame when I played it out in my head.”
“I’m impressed, Skyler. I’ll have to tell Jordan our boy is growing up. At some point, you may need to say something. Social media guarantees few people can hide from anything in the past.”
“Yeah, she’s being pressured to get on and start posting to gather a following, but so far, she’s not. Hell, she’s forbidden me from posting, so…”
“I suppose she’s learned to be very private about her life, but you may want to tell her about Bernardo. Approach it from the angle of being her friend, just information she should know. I suggest after her audition and next weekend’s birthday celebration. But Jake, it’s not good for your relationship for you to fixate on this…you remember how crazy Jord got in the head when I was dating that cardiologist while he was off playing for Miami, as if I were supposed to remain chaste and wait on his ass. Um, no thank you.”
“Delilah, believe me, you were living it up more than he was. He was paralyzed after he met that guy at your white coat ceremony—which you didn’t even invite us to—but Jordan insisted we attend. That was fun, if you enjoy cringe-laden nights and having to hold back the man you think of as your big brother from hurting a skinny white guy with really thick glasses.” I let out a guffaw with the image of Jordon balling his hand into fists after they met the guy Delilah was dating.
“For the record, Skyler, he was a skinny, charming, white guy, a Hugh Grant type, not the way Jordan describes him. That very intelligent cardiologist was charming, but if you listen to Jordan, he was the nerdiest, geekiest human alive. And I’m so lucky that Jordan helped me realize…”
“Okay, wait. I saw the dude dance at your celebration. Sorry, Delilah. He danced like he only moved between his bean bag playing video games and his rolling desk chair to study. I mean, it was comical…and actually I was relieved when I witnessed that.”
“Why?”
“Jordan finally calmed down and said, ‘We can go. Delilah won’t keep him around. A dude who moves like that can’t be doing it for her in bed.’ And that was that. His head was back on, and he was determined to make sure he got you back.”
“Well, whatever Jord needed to tell himself to step up and finally work for me, I’m fine with. But for the record, the guy knew his way around the human body…and not just the heart.”
“Fuck, don’t ever say that to Jordan. Hey, thanks. Somehow, your straight talk makes me feel better…still anxious as hell, but better.”
“Okay, just a second. Can Jasmine say hi? She figured out it’s you and is going nuts.”
“I thought I heard my girl. Yes, definitely put her on the phone.”
Chapter Four
The ocean air filtered around her as Rakell strolled the short sidewalk past the back of a large home to a small bungalow she shared with another actress/model. This was her first time back to L.A. since moving into the place. She hadn’t been here other than when she’d moved out of that apartment she’d shared with several other girls. Her new roommate, Vee, had been living here for two years with a friend who’d ended up abruptly ditching on rent to live with her boyfriend in Santa Barbara. Vee, like Rakell—and the rest of young L.A.—was an aspiring actress making her way into the business with modeling and commercial gigs. There was something in the air that came in from the Pacific Ocean that inspired confidence, Rakell thought as she sniffed it in. Her sensory systems immediately responded to the variation of air in this city, a close-to-the-ocean scent that differed from Austin, New York, or even northern California, as if each place had its individual-inspired custom-crafted fragrance.
A couple of hours later, Ana, Rakell’s agent who worked for a firm based here with offices in New York, London, and Austin, called. Ana had dubbed Austin the “L.A. of the South.” Now she was calling with more information about the audition: “I sent you the revised script and highlighted the pages that you’ll need to read tomorrow.”
“Okay, is this a different scene from the one I filmed for the initial round?”
“Yes. I have more information about the next two days. Tomorrow, they’ll audition you and two other actresses. I know one of them is Maji Malone. She has an impressive resume, but the casting directors assured me you have an excellent shot. Their words: ‘She projects well in pictures and on film.’ So, this will come down to the energy they register from you. The other actress is an up-and-coming model, Shaina Jacobs. I think they said, she…”
Rakell jumped in. “I’ve met her. She’s in a toothpaste commercial, the one you sent me to audition for. I told you about her. She has perfectly straight white teeth. We are completely different look-types. She’s petite and has big brown eyes. Actually, she and my new roommate are friends.”
“I’m sure you already know this, but hair doesn’t matter as that can be changed. I don’t believe they’re searching for a type, more of a feeling. You’ll meet with the casting director and two others working on the film. Bernardo won’t be there. He’s delayed in New York. He’ll be flying back in the early evening. All three of you will accompany him to dinner, along with the director and a couple of other executives from the studio. I think this honestly will come down to who Bernardo feels more comfortable with being able to nail the part.”
Rakell sat on the edge of the bed, the magnitude of the next few days stilling her, making her take note of her life, how different she was from the girl living on a ranch in rural Australia. She had a shot here, an opportunity that could escalate her dreams. She sucked in a long breath, the desire to get this right washing over her. “I will look everything over tonight and practice those lines. Didn’t you say they would decide fairly quickly after this week?”
