AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I look up at him. A single dark curl hangs onto his forehead, just like it did in the elevator. That night, I reached up to touch it. This time, I just stare.
I clear my throat. “But you would have been William no matter what. Why is it so important to you that I play Elaine? Why go out of your way for me?”
He takes a breath and sets his cup down. “Here’s a question for you: if you took me out of the equation, how badly did you want this role?”
“I wanted it more than anything.”
“Right. But would it mean anything if you had to act alongside someone who wasn’t right for his role?”
I furrow my brow.
“See, I’m sure you understand. I did it for my own selfish reasons,” he continues. “I think you’re a much more believable Elaine than the other actors who auditioned. Of course, I’d want the ideal leading lady next to me, right?” He shifts in his seat and pulls out a notebook. “Plus, I knew this opportunity meant a lot to you.”
Flattered by his compliment, I smile genuinely at him. But before I have a chance to respond, he changes the subject. “But, enough about that. We’re here now. Have you worked on Elaine’s backstory?”
“Um, a little?” I watch him open his notebook to a list of handwritten notes. I suddenly feel very unprepared.
“I want to discuss their character traits and how William and Elaine complement each other, as well as the ongoing themes. Did you notice anything particularly insightful about Elaine’s character?”
He has completely flipped a switch. This isn’t the Kai I thought I knew. He’s all business now, fully engrossed in the process. It’s day one, and he’s already showing me how much he meant his promise. It’s a comforting turn of events.
We chat about our characters for a half hour, comparing their motives and their flaws and figuring out how they feel about each other. Kai is perfectly well-behaved, and a sense of hope washes over me. If we can truly maintain this level of professionalism, then maybe this will be the perfect opportunity after all.
I study him as he speaks about William’s self-assuredness, his confidence, and the things that sometimes make him feel less so. Kai is so passionate about getting the character just right. When he thinks hard about a concept, his strong brows pull together firmly across his forehead, and I have to bite my lip not to smile. It’s endearing, the way he concentrates with such intensity.
I talk about Elaine and her inner conflict to find self-worth. Her character has to painfully watch William in a relationship with her sister, Daria, whose health is failing. It’s a relationship she can’t bear to break up, if only for her sister’s sake. The entire first half of the script centers around a heartbreaking love triangle. Daria loves William. William loves Elaine. Elaine loves them both.
And then there is Elaine’s innocence. She’s much more naïve than myself, but there’s a connection there that I feel with her. We both want a true kind of love, but neither of us quite knows how to find it, and neither of us has enough experience to know how it might feel once we get there.
Of course, I don’t divulge those deeper internal connections to Kai, but I speak confidently about the grasp I have on her personality and her motivations.
“And together,” Kai finishes a thought, studying his notes. “I feel like they’re kind of the perfect balance. His experience. Her lack-there-of. And he has a disregard for her feelings sometimes. He’s a bit of a jerk. But her hurt reactions are what make him think a little more deeply.”
I nod. “Yeah, I think that balance is kind of what drives the story forward. I think they’re just so intrigued by their own differences that they can’t bear to give up on each other.”
Kai smiles. “I think if we can tell that story successfully, then the results are going to speak for themselves. It’s a brilliant dynamic.”
“It really is.” I hold his gaze for a moment too long and then look down at my empty coffee cup.
Kai clears his throat. “Well, I should get going.”
I lift my eyes to his again to find he’s shuffling with his notebook and beginning to stand up. I take half a breath and shift in my seat. “So, um…”
He places his notebook in his bag without looking at me. He’s avoiding my gaze on purpose, pretending he’ll just leave without knowing how to contact me.
I smirk slightly. He’s going to make me suggest it. So, I sit up straighter. “So, um, do you want my number then?”
Just the very corner of his mouth turns up as he pulls the zipper closed on his bag. “If you insist.” He finally lifts his eyes to mine. There’s a twinkle there for an instant, but then it disappears, and he pulls out his phone, types something briefly, and then hands it to me.
He entered my name into a new contact form. I type my number below it and then pass it back to him with a light smirk.
I wait for him to make a cheeky comment about the exchange, but it doesn’t come. He taps the screen of his phone and then pockets it and slings his bag over his shoulder. “I just texted you, so you have my number too. Let me know if you want to discuss any more during the next few weeks. Otherwise, I’ll see you at the table read?”
I nod and straighten my apron as I stand. “Yes, ok, that sounds good.”
He turns to leave, and in his wake, words are bubbling up in my throat without my consent, and they come out jumbled and disorganized. “Have a…your flight…have a good flight…a safe flight.” I mentally kick myself for sounding so stupid in front of him again.
He pauses for just a second and turns his head halfway toward me. He’s smirking. “Thanks, Sophie. I’ll see you soon.”
