Chapter 32: Audition.
Calista already had an audition to prepare for.
This agency had done in hours what her previous one couldn’t accomplish in months, a clear testament to the difference in quality. She drove to the venue in her new car, and heads turned as people assumed she was someone important, a high-profile figure who could land the role effortlessly.
In reality, Calista knew her talent might not be enough, so she leaned into the illusion of power and confidence.
She had nothing to lose by trying. Her appearance and the car she drove had already given her an edge—she was attended to almost immediately. Few others had taken the time to present themselves well, and naturally, she stood out.
The project itself wasn’t glamorous. It was a low-budget movie unlikely to make it to cinemas, but Calista knew it would look good on her résumé.
She needed to build a portfolio that made people take her seriously.
This was the first step toward something greater, but the weight of it pressed on her as she sat waiting.
She hadn’t told Kyle about the audition or any of her plans. Calista wanted to keep her personal and professional lives separate, but her heart pounded.
Anxiety gnawed at her, knowing this was the first real shot she had at building her career.
"Miss Wave?" A man with a clipboard appeared, snapping her back to the moment. Calista hadn’t even been waiting five minutes, a stark contrast to the others who lingered for hours. Thanks to Isabella’s influence, her clients were always treated as top priority.
Calista walked into the audition room. There was a camera, and behind a table sat three people: two women and one man. She immediately recognized the man—Lucas Rossini, a prominent producer, albeit one surrounded by controversy.
She was handed a script and sat before the camera.
The three watched her performance through a monitor.
Calista found it strange they didn’t observe her directly, but she understood—they needed to see how she appeared on camera.
"...And action," Rossini instructed.
Calista delivered the lines, doing her best to convey the emotions required. She had the looks, that much was clear, but her acting lacked the depth the role demanded.
The two women beside Rossini exchanged unimpressed glances, their judgment evident.
Rossini, however, looked at her differently—his gaze lingering in a way that made her uneasy.
"That will be all, Miss Wave. We’ll get back to you," The brunette woman said curtly, but Rossini wasn’t finished.
"I’ve found my Rachel," He said suddenly, catching the women by surprise.
They still had a week to finalize the cast, but Rossini’s word carried weight. Arguing would achieve nothing. While they knew he could easily change his mind if someone else caught his eye, there was something about Calista that made her stand out.
-
Calista stepped out of the room, a wave of relief washing over her. The adrenaline still buzzed in her veins, but for the first time in hours, she felt calm. She wanted to share the moment with someone, anyone.
Her mind immediately went to Kyle. He was the only person on her phone she could tell, but she hesitated. She didn’t want to blur the line she was trying to create between her professional aspirations and her messy personal life.
"Fuck it," She muttered, grabbing her phone. Just then, it rang—Kyle’s name lit up on the screen. Startled, she quickly composed herself before answering.
"Hi Kyle, are you alright?" She said casually, trying to hide the excitement in her voice. After some small talk, the words spilled out before she could stop herself.
"I have good news! I don’t know if you know this, but I went for an audition today, and I think I might have gotten the part!" Calista broke down the good news to Kyle.
"Oh shit! Congratulations!" Kyle exclaimed, feigning enthusiasm.
"This calls for a celebration!" His excitement was a front. Kyle didn’t care about Calista’s audition or acting career.
He knew she wasn’t particularly talented, and in fact, he was the reason her application had even been accepted. Still, her news gave him the perfect excuse to see her again.
Calista found herself replaying memories of that night with Kyle—an evening she both regretted and longed to relive. Impulsively, she made a suggestion.
"You know what? How about I come to your place?" She asked, testing the waters. She didn’t want to admit it, but knowing where Kyle lived would give her some sense of control. It would make it harder for him to disappear on her.
To her surprise, Kyle agreed.
"You know what? Come over," he said easily, throwing her off guard. She had expected resistance, but instead, he sent her his address moments after the call ended.
The conversation was over quickly. Calista didn’t waste a second. She hopped into her car, Kyle’s address pinned on her GPS, her thoughts consumed by one thing.
-
Kyle ended the call, leaning back with a sigh of relief. All that mattered was that she was coming over. He had no real interest in her career or her news.
"She’s not that great an actress," he muttered, a mocking smile playing on his lips. Kyle had seen the movies she’d acted in, soft porn types where the focus was on her body, not her talent.
"There’s no way she’s getting that role."
He didn’t care about Calista’s ambitions. To him, she was nothing more than a fleeting distraction. Jane, however, was different. Kyle liked Jane’s innocence. She was his to corrupt.
–
As Calista drove, she tried not to overthink. The weight of the audition was finally behind her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty. Lucas Rossini’s words replayed in her mind, though she knew they weren’t tied to her talent. It didn’t matter—this was still progress. One small step toward something bigger.
Her thoughts shifted to Kyle. She wanted to convince herself that seeing him was just to celebrate, just to share good news. But deep down, she knew it was more than that. She couldn’t stop herself from feeling drawn to him, even if she knew how dangerous it was.
The city lights blurred as she sped through the streets, her car cutting through the darkness. Calista clung to the flicker of hope the audition had given her, even as she barreled toward something far more uncertain.
For now, it didn’t matter. She had nothing to lose.
