Chapter 2 #2
“Nice to meet you, Lila. I’m Skye Redding, and if I’m honest, I’m not really an actress.
I just thought that a couple of weeks in Miami sounded fun, so when I saw the audition call notice in the paper, I decided to give it a shot.
” She grins. “I need to find a real job, though. I have bills to pay and trips to fund.”
“Ooh, where are you going?” I ask because I’m hopeful that Skye and I will become friends. Now that Zara is all loved up and spends most of her time with Jackson, I need to find some new friends or I’m going to wind up bored out of my mind.
“I’d love to backpack around the world.” Her eyes light up. “Australia, New Zealand, England, France, Kenya, Peru.” She sounds wistful. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I just need to make a billion dollars first.”
“I feel that.” I nod as I take a deep breath and try to ignore the knot in my stomach, the one that always shows up when my mind turns to personal finances. “I just moved into my own place and need to start bringing in a paycheck ASAP.”
“You just break up with a boyfriend?” Skye asks me, and I shake my head.
“I was living with my best friend and her sister, but they’ve moved on,” I say. “I had a big part in a play, but it got canceled.”
“That sucks.” She shoots me an apologetic smile. “Hopefully, you get the role today.”
“Aw, you’re too sweet, but I doubt I will. There’s a small hiring event at a law firm next door that I’m going to swing by, too. Always good to have a backup plan, right?” I play with my hair for a few moments. “I think the building houses several law firms, so maybe more than one is hiring.”
“Ooh, maybe I’ll go with you. I need to make more money. The weekend work isn’t paying as great as I hoped.”
“What do you do on the weekend?” I ask. It’s probably a nosy question, but Skye seems open, so what the heck.
“I work bachelor parties and other events.” She looks me up and down. “I can get you in if you want.”
“Oh, no thanks,” I say quickly. “I’m not—”
“We’re not strippers or anything.” She giggles.
“We don’t get naked. We just dance around and blindfold the groom or birthday boy.
One of the girls also jumps out of a cake.
The men love it. Some of them try to touch, but they know we’re not for sale.
I mean, some of the girls will give lap dances.
But you don’t have to, and no one does anything more than that.
” She pauses and leans in close to me. “Well, aside from Louisa. I heard she gives blow jobs for five bucks.”
My jaw drops.
“She’s a hoe, though. Buy her a drink, and she’ll be giving you a blow job before the bartender has filled the glass. That’s what they say, at least.” Skye shrugs as if to say, you didn’t hear it from me.
“Oh, wow,” I say, surprised at the turn in the conversation.
“She doesn’t work with us anymore, though,” Skye continues. “If you’re interested, you can come to the bachelor party I’m working this weekend. We always need more girls.”
“I don’t think so.” I shake my head. “I don’t have the confidence for that kind of work.”
“Can you dance?”
“I’m an okay dancer.” I nod. “I took some classes for stage work. Ballet and tap, though, not pole dancing.” I make a face, then quickly backtrack. “Not that I’m judging you or anything,” I say quickly. “I wish I had those skills.”
“Oh, honey, I can’t climb a pole to save my life.” She grins. “The job isn’t seedy like that. I think you might even enjoy the attention. Why don’t you see how the audition goes and then let me know?”
“Sounds good.” I nod and sigh gratefully when I see we are only two blocks away from our destination.
My heart races as we get closer. I always get nervous about auditions.
I know the odds of being cast are awful, but there’s always a small hope in my heart that the next audition will be my breakout role.
I’ve been acting since elementary school and have known since age ten that this is what I want to do with my life.
And it has nothing to do with becoming rich and famous.
I just truly enjoy embodying the personality and emotions of fictional characters.
I love interacting with my fellow actors and creating stories that audiences love.
And while I’m still a long way from my first Oscar, I’ve already memorized my acceptance speech.
“We’re here.” Skye stops and makes a face, an expression halfway between disbelief and shock.
I look to see what’s gotten to her, and a feeling of panic sets in as I see the line of women outside the tall gray building.
There have to be at least a hundred different girls here, all lambasting Rodrigo Alejandro Suarez.
Shit! I look at Skye, who is twirling a long, curly red lock of hair around her finger and looking as nervous as I feel.
“I don’t know about you,” she says, frowning, “but I don’t really want to wait hours to audition and not even get the part.”
“Me either.” My heart thuds as I survey the long line again.
I’m no statistician, but I know my odds of beating out hundreds of other actresses are slim to none.
Plus, the role called for waterworks, and I couldn’t cry on cue if my life depended on it.
“Job fair?” I ask Skye and glance over at the tall skyscraper next door.
The facade is made up of mirrors, and I have to admit, the way it reflects the buildings across the street looks cool, like it’s calling to us.
There’s a large brass sign that reads Chase, Parker, & Spector as we enter the lobby and look at the listing of tenants in the building.
“That’s them,” I say, pointing to the sign.
“Count me in,” Skye says with a shrug.
“Hopefully, they’re the type of law firm that hires people that don’t know the law,” I offer.
“In the mail room, perhaps.” Skye gives me a look. “They don’t pay much in the mail room, but I heard attorneys make bank.”
“I don’t think I can get a job as an attorney,” I say. “I didn’t go to law school, and I’m not Mike Ross. I don’t have a photographic memory. I can’t recite every case known to man.”
“I loved Suits,” Skye says excitedly. “But yeah, it would be hard to fake being an attorney long enough to start collecting the paychecks.”
“I heard they are looking for paralegals and legal secretaries.” I shrug. “I can type.”
“But can you do legal research?”
“I can research. That’s what Google is for.” I wink at her. “Who’s going to know if I go onto Reddit for some advice?”
“Hmm.” Skye looks at her watch. “Wanna grab a coffee, or should we go to the job fair first?”
“Let’s go put in some applications, then grab something after.” I beam at her. “I’m so glad I met you this morning.”
“Me, too. You have such good energy.” She rubs her hands together. “I hope we both get amazing jobs. And hey, we’re actresses-ish. If anyone can fake it ’til they make it, it’s us.”
“You got that right. If Maria Conchita Violeta Estella Diaz could get a prize for being the best paralegal at Ramos, Ramos, and Ramos, even after her boyfriend was cheating, I can land a job with no boyfriend and no heartache.” I laugh. “I am probably the best paralegal the city has ever known.”
“Yes, girl!” Skye lifts her hand for a high-five and giggles when my hand comically misses the mark, glancing off her palm with a dull thud. “To being the best paralegals in the city,” she says, still giggling.
We continue toward the law firm and away from the audition, and I plaster on the best smile I can muster to mask the disappointment that I feel at knowing that I’ve failed once again as an actress.