Iwas the weak link. My acting ability was limited to corpses and zombies. If Josh looked at me for longer than a second, it might blow the entire operation.
Or the simple plan that wasn’t anywhere near an operation, but still.
I just had to hope that Josh treated the meeting like our relationship and had no interest in me while I was there.
“Relax, siren,” Tripp whispered.
Realizing I was tucking my hair behind my ears, I dropped my hands but gave him a quick smile. “Don’t worry, he never noticed that habit.”
“What a dumbass.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Both men stood as June—Easton’s admin who was levels of proficient I aspired to—led Josh into the room. He didn’t thank her, apologize for being nearly an hour late, or acknowledge me.
Just as I hoped, his focus was on the only famous person in the room. He greeted him like they were old friends. “It’s great to finally meet you. I’m a big fan.”
“Thanks, man,” Tripp said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m a big fan now, too. Greer showed me your demo reel. It’s great stuff.”
Pure delight brightened Josh’s expression, but he worked to hide it behind off-putting arrogance his skills didnotbackup. “I’ve been told it’s one of the best by some casting directors.”
“It is.” Not a twitch. Not a flicker. Not even a flare of his nostrils that would give away how full of shit Tripp was. He gestured to a chair, waiting until Josh sat before returning to his. “I’ll be honest, I only agreed to meet with you as a favor to Greerbecause she’s a good assistant. But when she showed me that reel…” He shook his head. “I was at a loss for words.”
Don’t laugh.
Don’t laugh.
Don’t laugh.
I had to pinch my thigh, but I managed to keep my humor in check since I knew that wasn’t the compliment it sounded like.
“I’m surprised you don’t have more credits,” he added. “Tell me about what you’ve done.”
Josh slouched back, eating it up with zero of the skepticism I’d expected. He inflated his minimal roles to sound like more than they were, and even then, it was nothing. “You know how this business is. They only want big names or people with connections.”
Tripp spread his arms out with one of those charming smiles that melted hearts and panties. “Now you’ve got a connection.” He reached behind him for the binder before pushing it toward Josh. “The rewrites forSummerare happening now, so this is subject to change. But it’s enough to give you an idea of the available role.”
“Yeah, this looks good,” Josh said after barely flipping through the manuscript pages. He finally looked at me, a thinly veiled threat in his narrowed gaze. He went for casual, but it came across as stilted. “But Greer mentioned there might be some action movies. That’s where I’m really hoping to make a name for myself.”
“I can see it,” Tripp said, the words forced through his clenched jaw.
Uh-oh.
He totally caught that nasty look.
He was better at masking his emotions, and his easygoing vibe was back in an instant. “I’m going to be honest with you.”
Josh braced, and his glare shot to me.
Tripp got his focus back when he leaned forward and slapped his palms on the table with more intensity than was necessary. He continued talking in a friendly voice that didn’t let on to the fact he’d likely been picturing hitting the man across from him. “I’ve been in this business a long time. My dad is an actor. I grew up here. I can tell when someone is going to drop off, and when they’ll skyrocket.”
I’m pretty sure he’s channeling Tony.
He kept going. “So believe me when I say you’ve got something. It reminds me of?—”
“A young you?” Josh cut in like Tripp was double his age and not just ten years older.
I fought the urge to kick my ex under the table.
