Chase Me (Broke and Beautiful #1)(38)

“Sure.” All right, that was unusual. Then again, getting hired was unusual for her, so this unorthodox procedure could be positive. She hoped. Propelling herself into motion, she stooped down and grabbed her purse before exiting the room. She closed the door behind her and sat in one of the hard plastic waiting room chairs, wishing she could hear the discussion taking place on the other side of the door. The remaining girl who’d obviously come to audition eyed her suspiciously. Another good sign? Or were they already on the phone to the Screen Actors Guild to bar her entry for life?

Five minutes passed before the door opened. All three executives filed out, Bearded Dude even sending her a smile as they left the hallway through the front entrance. Where were they going?

Johan appeared in the doorway, minus his gigantic headphones. He jerked his head toward the now-empty room behind him. “Follow me, Roxy.”

She wanted to ask what was going on, but her throat felt so tight that she worried it might come out sounding like Swahili. Johan led her into the performance area again, although she noted the camera had been switched off. He wheeled out a chair from behind the table and sat, but he didn’t offer her a seat, leaving her standing a few feet away. For long, torturous moments, he didn’t say anything, simply tilting his head to scrutinize her with a halfsmile. A sliver of discomfort worked its way into her stomach at the feeling of being on display, but she refused to break eye contact first. She’d been poked and prodded before. This was no different. If it felt like more than the usual sizing up, maybe she was imagining it.

“You’re not what I expected,” Johan said finally. “Not at all.”

She commanded herself to stop shifting in her high heels. “Likewise.”

A laugh burst out of him. “Yes. Definitely unexpected.”

A frown marred her forehead. Her performance hadn’t been out of the ordinary for her. Why did he seem so surprised? “Do you mind me asking which casting director recommended me? Your assistant never mentioned a name when she called.”

He shrugged a vintage-T-shirt-clad shoulder. “Who gives a shit? You’ve got the part.”

White lights blinked behind her eyes. “I—what?”

“You blew us away. Or did you think those three uptight *s go silent for just anyone?”

Roxy’s answering laugh sounded a little hysterical. This was really happening. She hadn’t misunderstood him. The part of Missy Devlin was hers. She’d be starring in a major production. If she had been having this conversation with anyone else, she would have asked for further proof, someone in a loftier position to speak with. But Johan had written the film and would also be directing. He was the highest on the proverbial food chain. It didn’t get any higher.

“Thank you,” she managed. “You made the right choice.”

Johan looked amused. “I’m going to love working with you.” He came to his feet and walked toward her. “And we’ll be doing a lot of it. Working together,” he said meaningfully.

The unease crept back in. Roxy didn’t want to feel it, didn’t want some annoying sixth sense to mar this perfect realization of her dream. It stayed anyway, telling her to keep her eyes wide open. “I would hope so,” she joked. “You’re directing the movie.”

“True.” He watched her closely. “Our male lead, Marcus Vaughn, will be in Los Angeles for another week. We’ve been through the script with him several times. When he gets back to town, I’d like you up to speed so we can hit the ground running.”

Roxy nodded eagerly “Absolutely. I can take the script home with me today, and—”

“No, no.” His smile held just a hint of condescension. She couldn’t help but think this might be Johan. Not the friendly, irreverent guy he tried to portray. “You and I are going to need to rehearse a few times. I need you completely ready.”

That niggle of unease turned into loud, beeping alarm. She wasn’t na?ve. Not by a long shot. After two years of waiting in line for auditions and listening to girls swap casting couch stories, she knew the score. While he hadn’t come right out and said he wanted something else in exchange for the part, it was there in the fine print. The dream she thought he’d handed her upon walking into the room crumbled just a little, but not all the way. Not yet. If Johan thought she would sleep with him for the part, he had another thing coming. And it wouldn’t be him. She just had to stay on her toes and play this right.

“Great. I’m all about rehearsing. The last thing I want is to be behind.” She pulled her purse higher on her shoulder, wincing inwardly when she realized she was using it as a type of shield. “Is there paperwork we need to sign?”

Johan’s eyebrows dipped. “It’s a little early for that. We need to make sure you and Marcus have the right chemistry on screen together. I’m confident you will,” he rushed to say. “But we need to make sure you know Missy inside and out before we shoot the screen tests.” His hand found its way to her shoulder and lingered. “Why don’t we start tomorrow night? Let’s meet here around six.”

“Six.” Roxy moved away subtly until he was forced to remove his hand. “I’ll be here.”

“Great.” His genuine-looking smile was back in place. “Looking forward to it.”

She left the office, noticing on the way out that the other girl had apparently given up and left. When she reached the sidewalk, she stopped, feeling at a loss. Conflicted. In a matter of five minutes, she’d gone from a crazy high to a pitiful low. Now she hovered somewhere in the middle. She would find a way to keep this part. She had to. But she wouldn’t, under any circumstance, compromise herself for the chance at realizing her dreams. It would only taint them.