Falling for the Starlet

or the role, swee

inclair Studios, her audition number crumpled in her shaking fist. The security guard

tears fall. Three years of preparation, every penny saved fr

ne buzze

it go, s

peak past the lu

? Talk

she whispered. "Said I wasn't the

ow talent if it slapped th

the bus home an

ely not.

about her best dress. Around her, other rejected hopefuls walked away like this w

oblivious to the traffic crawling around them. His phone lit up with a

man in his position should want. Beautiful, successful, the perfect trophy girlfrien

standstill," his

rance where a small crowd lingered on the sidewalk. Audition day. He'd watched enough

when he

Something about her quiet devastation made him lean forward. While others performed their disappoin

ut couldn't stop watching her through

but his mind wasn't on the city lights below. He found himself thinking about tear-stain

cond-guess himself,

age from this afternoon. Main

Si

it to my per

as, the girl who'd been crying. The timestamp showed her arriving fifteen min

s phone and dialed

need you to co

p Honda pulled up. Her best friend since high schoo

na declared, wrapping Lucy in a fierce hug. "

aybe I should go back to Ohio

't come to LA to give up

ne rang. Un

er," she muttered, but

tinez?" A professi

Ye

r Studios casting. Are you available

stopped. "I'

your headshot caught our attention.

lutely. I'l

is for a supporting role in 'Midnight in

ucy stared at her phon

ana asked, studying

. They want me to

ious? Lucy, t

real and official with the studio letterhead. Her

hispered. "They turned me away to

oulders. "Who cares w

thing bigger than luck was at play. In her two years of auditions, callbacks came through a

hirty floors above the city, Caleb Sinclair was lying awake thin

s for someone who reminded him why he'd once believed in dreams.

d to see

second-best dress, script pages memorized and hands steady for

he text that buzzed on her phone

rap. Someone's setting you up

turning to ice. She read the message three t

send this

ow they looked less like opportunity