“Reese, we already talked about this. Felix Langford is directing. And you know how I feel about him.” Heather plays with the tab on her aluminum can.
Sure, he has a reputation for treating women like set pieces to be gawked at, yet he remains one of the most esteemed action directors of our time.
“I do, but people change. He did agree to do his first female-led movie, so maybe he’s growing.”
“Growing? More like the studio’s chasing trends, throwing around terms likefemale empowerment. We both know Langford’s idea of empowerment is showing half-naked women doing roundhouse kicks. Your talent deserves better.”
“No, my talent deserves to be stretched and challenged. Doing a Langford movie will open so many more doors for me.”
“There will be other roles like this one.”
With Heather in her sixties, I don’t want to explain that I’m afraid of aging out of my niche. I have to start taking charge of my life. She may be my agent, but I still get the final say here.
“I can handle him,” I promise. “Maybe we can learn something from each other.”
“There’s a charming rom-com about an environmentalist with a cat—”
“I wantRobyn Hood,” I state firmly, finally unscrewing my tea and taking a swig.
Nonnegotiable.
Heather’s forehead creases. She wants to argue. “Filming begins mid-August, with a scheduled three-day table read a few weeks prior. The production team is specifically looking for an actress capable of performing her own stunts. The physical training required for this role—”
“Will be handled.”
All great actresses go through metamorphosis for their characters. I am destined to be a great actress.
“It films in Redwood National Park. Two-hour flight from LA, you’ll be back and forth for months.”
“I can do that.”
“Are you sure, Reese? We’ve built a reliable reputation here. This role may change the trajectory of your career.”
Anxiety coils around me. Part of me wants to acquiesce and say forget about it. But the other part of me, the one that’s tired of being in a box, wants to push myself.
I’m capable of so much more, regardless of the director.
“I need this.” I reach across the table and rub the back of Heather’s hand with my thumb. She’s been like a second mother to me all these years; I know she only wants the best for me.
She exhales, drops our grip, and immediately springs into action, pulling out her phone. Without looking at the keyboard,she types out a message. “We’ll need to prepare a press release. Geraldine and I have a ton of work to do!”
I barely register her words, my mind already racing through the transformation ahead.
The training.
The preparation.
This is my moment.
A knock comes from the trailer door. “Ready for the spoon scene, Miss Sinclair!”
I can endure one last yogurt-soaked humiliation because now I see it as a mere stepping stone on my way to becoming more than the actress I’ve been told I can be.
Chapter 2
Dante
Between endless roundsof drinks and the blur of faces, I’ve lost track of all my hours and minutes. Laughter cascades across the Mediterranean as sun-kissed bodies launch themselves off my yacht’s gleaming deck. The August sun blazes down on the French Riviera. It’s been a summer of pure decadence. Of lapping up what pleasures and beauty the world has to offer. Of forgetting I should be in my mask and plastron right now.
