Page 17 of The Fake Script
“My mom,” I blurt out. “She’s bossy too. Though she is my manager, so it kind of makes sense.”
“I hold a similar position, if you think about it,” she says, leaning back again. “Also, working with your mom? How’s that going?”
“Challenging sometimes,” I say with a smile, glad to shift the topic away from my work with Emma. Although family was the last thing on my mind. “But she’s my mom, and I love her. I owe a lot of my career to her guidance.”
She swallows, peering into her coffee mug. “That’s great. So, you know as well as anyone that the bossy thing works,” she adds, glancing at me with a side smirk. “It’s a very efficient management style.”
I choke out a laugh. “I guess you’re right. So, should I go again?”
“Yes, and this time, like you mean it.”
At that, I can’t help but smile. This girl is going to put me through hell. And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.
8
A Real Challenge
Emma
This consulting thing is going better than I expected. Sure, my entire body still burns in Auston’s presence, but the fact that he doesn’t remember me makes things easier, like I’m the one in control. Plus, they really need help with this movie. Even with all the pointers I gave Auston this morning, we’re still far from my vision of Diego. Okay, I might be a little harsh, but you have to shoot for greatness.
“Let’s run through it again,” I say, taking a sip of the coffee I just grabbed from Rise & Grind after lunch. “It’s better, though. I would justpause more between the words. Diego is a contemplative man. He takes his time when speaking.”
He nods. “Let me try again.” His eyes glaze over, and his expression shifts, as if he just donned a mask.
“You’re torture,” he croons, his dark eyes sinking into mine. “Everywhere. When I wake up in the morning, or go to bed at night. When I’m in a room full of people, or alone with my thoughts. You’ve broken me, Sarah.”
I sit on my foot, then extend my leg again. Sweat forms on the back of my neck, and I clear my throat so hard it burns.
“Well?” He frowns, back to being Auston. “Was that better? I feel like it was an improvement.”
“Um, yeah. It was.” And that’s all I have right now. It’s not every day you see one of your favorite book boyfriends embodied right in front of you.
“Should I try again, or . . .?”
I swallow to wet my scratchy throat. “Sure. We can switch scenes, though. I think this one works.”
“Okay,” he says, flipping through the script’s pages.
As he does, someone knocks on the trailer door, and I would bet all my books it’s Madison again. She really likes spending time with her boyfriend. Well, I guess I can’t really blame her.
“Sorry.” He winces, hustlingover to the trailer door and talking to her outside.
“Are you being called on set?” I ask when he comes back.
He rubs the back of his neck. “Not yet. We have about an hour.”
“I didn’t know shooting a movie meant spending so much time in a trailer, not acting.”
“Right,” he says, his eyes lighting up. “Not exactly the exciting movie star life everyone envisions. There’s a lot of waiting around. But I love this job, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Don’t I know it.
I avert my gaze, trying to think of something else. “So, what do you usually do when you’re in here?”
He shrugs. “I watch movies, browse the web, work with my mom on other stuff.”
“No reading, then?” I ask, unable to hide the hint of disappointment in my voice.