Lie, Lie Again(31)

“Oh, that’s tough. I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do before coming to LA, but I ended up getting an internship with one of the writers on an HBO series. Now I’m the assistant to one of the other writers, who’s kind of a big deal. It’s been great.” She laughed. “Aside from the fact that I work a million hours a week and make nothing. But one day.” She reached for her glass. “Right now,” she continued, “we’re working on a pilot. It’s a legal drama with an ensemble cast. My boss wrote it and is directing. We’re getting a lot of early hype. Sandra Bullock is already attached to the project. She’s playing a hard-core district attorney.”

“Really? That’s awesome! I love Sandra Bullock.”

“Me too. So what’s your neighbor like? We’re still casting five series-regular parts, three of which are guys.”

“He’s awesome. Totally handsome, for one, but not in an aggressive way, if that makes sense.” It was fine to talk about Brandon this way. If she could help him get a lead to an audition, she would. She would do it for any friend. So yeah, this was fine.

Evelyn nodded. “Yeah. More Chris Hemsworth, less angular model guy?”

“Exactly.” She smiled. “He’s in his midtwenties, has dark-brown hair and exquisite blue eyes. Seriously. Like if Bradley Cooper and Alexis Bledel had a baby.” She pictured his face, and her heart began racing. “If his eyes don’t kill you, his body will.” She lowered her voice. “Clinically speaking, that is. Anyone would say that about him,” she rushed on, more for her own benefit than Evelyn’s. No need to deduct any points. She could do this.

Evelyn laughed. “I get it. Does he have any acting experience, though?”

Her face reddened. Duh. She meant acting-wise. “He’s done some small things here and there, but he hasn’t booked anything big yet. I know he will, though. He has an irresistible vibe about him.” Riki blamed the warmth she felt on the beer. Her mug was surprisingly half-empty. “He’s southern, so he has a charm that comes naturally.”

“Really? The show is set in Louisiana, so he could be right. I’m happy to get his headshot and résumé to the casting office. The casting assistant and I have bonded.” She rolled her eyes. “That sounds so cheesy, but it’s true. We save each other from sinking into the fiery pit of industry bullshit on an hourly basis.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Worse. But good too. It’s hard to explain. What do you do for work?”

“I teach second grade.”

“That must be so fun.”

“It is.” She searched for something else to say about her job, but having this safe conversation about Brandon felt too good. “Do you want me to have my neighbor email his stuff directly to you?”

“Sure. I’m assuming he has an agent, right? Because if not, we should forget it. There’s no way someone without representation will get anything.”

She pictured the headshot she’d taken. Stolen. It was still in her purse. She really needed to do something with it. But at least some good had come from it—she knew he had an agent, because his résumé was attached to the back of the photo, and centered at the top in bold was the name of his agency. “Yeah. He does.”

“Awesome.” She pulled her phone from her purse. “Give me your number, and I’ll text you so you have mine.”

As she recited her number, Chris turned, a smile on his face. “Making new girlfriends?” He pecked her cheek.

“Yes.”

Evelyn smiled. “You know it.” She finished typing and glanced at her phone. “Got it. I’m sending you my number now. You can have him text me directly or whatever is easiest. The pilot is called Baggage, by the way.”

Chris’s smile faltered, but he covered it with a laugh. “What’s this you guys are up to?”

“Oh, nothing major. Her boss is doing a pilot, and I told her about my neighbor.”

He swigged his beer. “The hot guy with the even hotter wife?”

“Yeah.”

Chris looked past Riki to Evelyn. “I think this one has a crush on him. I might, too, but don’t say anything.” His laugh came from his throat, not his stomach. Riki bristled but joined in the fake laughter.

Evelyn smiled and tucked her phone into her purse, using it as an excuse to turn back to Liam. She was clearly adept at easing out of a conversation.

“You’re going to connect her with your neighbor?”

She shrugged. “Yeah. It’s worth a shot. They’ve both been so nice to me that I’m happy to help them if I can.”

He fingered her ponytail. “You’re even twinning with Embry now. Every time I’ve seen her, she’s worn her hair like this.”

For a split second, it felt like the room grew silent before roaring back to life with chatter. Riki’s face burned. She hadn’t meant to copy Embry. Jeez, she hadn’t even realized she’d done it! She was only trying something new. Something to make herself feel pretty. Her cheeks grew hotter as she pictured Embry’s smiling face. Attached to her earlobes were tiny gold hoop earrings. I copied that too. Sliding a hand down her ponytail, she glared at Chris. “Don’t be ridiculous. So does most of the longhaired female population.”