“You’re kidding,” David muttered to himself, hunched over his phone in the dark, eyes wide as he stared at his email. His hand scrabbled over the night side table and he cursed when he didn’t find his phone only to remember he was already holding it. He dialed Jennifer right way, uncaring that it was past three in the morning and she’d be pissed off at him.
“Jennifer!” David began when she grumbled a death threat, then stalled out. He wished he could go check his email again, except his phone was still pressed against his ear. “Jennifer, Katherine just emailed me.”
“What? Why do I care? Why do I care at—three fucking thirty in the morning?”
“No, you don’t understand,” he said, then paused. “Or maybe you do. Did you blackmail them? If you did, thank you, that's so sweet. Holy shit. They’ve called me back in for a screen test!”
“What are you going on about?”
“On Night Mist! They’ve called me in for a screen test!” David said, only realizing he was yelling when someone next door thumped loudly on the wall. David winced, then continued more quietly. “They want me to come in tomorrow morning to do another audition.”
“Were their choices really that bad?” Jennifer asked though she didn’t sound quite as homicidal anymore. David took that as a good sign.
“She only just got the email and forwarded it to me immediately,” David said. “Should I go? Even though I can never show my face there again?”
“You will go or I will end you and then fire you for calling me at three thirty in the morning,” Jennifer said. “Now go to bed. Jesus. Why are you still up anyway? Don’t you sleep?”
“Not really,” David said absently. “Good night. Talk to you tomorrow.” He hung up before he could hear her reply and pulled up the email again.
It was all shocking given his abysmal performance, but the last line is what really caught him off guard. I recognize you parted upon saying that you weren’t interested in the role, but you’ve been asked to return by special request of Louis Greene.
The email had been signed by Nabila Salim and David wasn’t sure which was more astonishing. That he had received an email from the director herself, or that he had been asked to return by Louis Greene. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made, but he supposed now was not the time to look a gift horse in the mouth. He would go in there tomorrow and blow this audition out of the water.
Or go down in a blaze of glory.
Then he would come home and cry because, realistically, there was no way this was going to end well.
*****
David walked to work the next day, needing time to calm his nerves before the audition. It was ridiculous to be so anxious about an audition. He had been doing this for years and was more than used to rejection. But somehow this felt like the most nerve-racking thing he had ever done.
Jennifer was waiting for him outside the studio, looking unimpressed by his appearance. David figured it couldn’t be any worse than the impression he had made the last time. His nose was chilled and he probably looked very pink underneath his hat, but he was feeling marginally better after having had some time to cool down.
“They’ll be filming it this time,” Jennifer said. “So just remember that whatever you do will be immortalized on film.”
“Thanks, that’s not helpful,” he said, glaring at her.
“Your in-person acting skills are lackluster, Davie,” she said, “but you have always been good behind a camera.”
“If you say so,” David said. It was almost time for the audition and he was starting to get nervous again. She was right, though. It was always easier for him to act when he could imagine the end product. The camera always helped with that.
Taking a deep breath, David entered the waiting room. Two other men were already inside, lounging on couches. David perched gingerly on a chair and waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
They were clearly going in reverse alphabetical order, or from most promising to least, because David was the last one to be called. His foot bounced rhythmically as he waited for his name. It couldn’t have taken all that long with only two other people, but it felt like forever.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
Finally, Nabila Salim popped her head out of the door. “David Benton,” she called. David ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach. He smiled at her and shook her hand.
“I’d like to thank you for asking me back,” he said, meeting her eyes and then the dark figure standing behind her. “I realize that my last audition ended catastrophically.”
“Well,” Nabila hesitated, then just gestured him into the room. The fact that she couldn’t even politely refute his statement without outright lying made David want to laugh.
Suddenly, the tension from before eased just a little. This was familiar. He could do this.
As he entered the room, he spotted Louis Greene standing there watching. The man gave him a polite nod and David returned it with a smile. Louis Greene was still every bit as tall, sleek, and professional as before, but knowing that he had asked for David to come back made him seem, if not less intimidating, then at least a little more intriguing. For now, David would let his curiosity overwhelm his nerves.
“Did you receive your copy of the script?” Louis asked.
David shivered at the timbre of his voice. It wasn’t that it was particularly deep, but there was a resonance that made everything he said sound important.
This is just another professional, no need to be nervous, David reminded himself. He nodded, pulling out the folded paper from his back pocket.
“I did, thank you,” he said, meeting Louis's eyes like a normal human being. Acting. Yes, he could do this. “I had a quick question, though,” he said, gesturing to a section half way down the scene. “I’m assuming that the characters know each other, is this a reunion of old nemeses, or newer acquaintances who are still assessing one another?”
Nabila gave him an assessing look before saying, “Both. They’ve met a handful of times, but they aren’t well acquainted.”
David nodded, “Thank you.”
“If you’re ready, then,” Nabila said.
Louis's character began, saying something about the last time they met. David pictured the scene presented in the script. He saw the vine-covered police station, Don Christoph, leaning over Detective Marcus Lazarus’ desk, his lips back in a perfect snarl. David glanced up at Louis and, all at once, it wasn’t Louis at all. Across from him was a centuries old vampire, glowering at him with dark eyes.
“I know why you’re here,” Marcus snapped. This seemed to take Christoph by surprise, there was a brief hesitation in those dark eyes before Marcus continued. “And you aren’t going to get away with it. Not in my town. They might overlook your offenses,” Marcus jabbed a finger at the station at large, “but that ends here.”
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with here, kid,” Christoph snarled, though the man couldn’t be more than a couple years older than him. Marcus could feel the tension in the room ratcheting up a notch. His fist clenched as he met the madman’s eyes.
“Neither do you,” Marcus said. “I’ve got the law behind me.”
Christoph straightened, his lips twisting in a sneer. “There are people dying here. Do you really think that this is the time for pissing contests?”
“What did you say?” Marcus demanded, stepping closer Christoph so that they were mere inches apart.
“I said that you are getting people killed.”
The words were ice down Marcus’ spine.
“Get out,” Marcus said, voice going cold. “We’re done with this farce of a partnership. Get out.”
There was a moment of pause as the two men stood mere breaths apart, neither willing to be the first to break eye contact.
“Cut,” Nabila called.
David snapped out of the scene with a sharp breath. He tore his eyes from where they were still connected as if by magnetic force to Louis's. He turned his attention to Nabila, hoping for some sort of feedback. He had gotten so wrapped up in the scene, that he had stopped paying attention to how his acting was.
“Thank you,” Nabila said and David’s heart sank a little.
David nodded his thanks, but before he could leave, Louis's hand shot out to catch his elbow. David looked up at him with a frown. Louis was staring at him with intense eyes and David’s heart thundered.
“What changed?” Louis asked before David could speak.
David let out a breath as he considered. “I got caught up in the audition last time, instead of the role.” David gave them a sheepish smile. This answer seemed to satisfy Louis who nodded and finally released David's elbow, taking a step back.
“If you’ll wait in the lobby for a few moments, someone will be out to speak with you,” Nabila said. David nodded, shaking her hand and then Louis's—and trying not to freak out over the fact that he had just acted out a scene with his childhood idol.
David’s leg started bouncing compulsively as he sat with the other two actors who were casually chatting. This was going to be another long wait.
*****
David Benton had just delivered one of the best screen tests Louis had ever taken part in. He was still wondering if it was a fluke when Nabila closed the door behind him and took a seat at the table. Louis frowned at the door for a moment longer before joining her.
“You may have been right about him,” she said.
Louis resisted the urge to tell her that he no matter what he'd said, he had been caught off guard by the shift, too.
“How did it look on film?” he asked, relieved that he wasn’t the only one who was impressed with the chemistry between them—and the acting, too. It was like he'd walked in as one person and shifted into someone else entirely before the camera. If Louis was completely honest, it wasn’t only Don Christoph that was electrified by the other man’s presence.
Louis shut down that train of thought before it could go anywhere.
“Amazing,” she said. “I don’t know what was wrong with him last time, but whatever it was, he was good today. I was impressed. If he can keep it up...”
“I felt the same,” Louis admitted. David Benton just kept getting more interesting. “I think he’s the right choice.”
“Excellent, I just wanted to get your thoughts before I go announce it. Unless you’d like to do the honors? He was your find.”
Louis raised an eyebrow and shook his head, gesturing for her to go announce the selection to the assorted actors.
There was a quiet murmur of speech as Nabila broke the news, then a loud, “What, really?” that made Louis's lips quirk.
It seemed that, even if nothing else changed, even if he was still stuck in this town working on this show, at least there might be something worth looking forward to.