Page 5 of Role Play

Chapter Five

Jane

I trailedmy fork back and forth through the salad, looking for the good stuff, namely the pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and chunks of parmesan. "Ugh, sometimes I wish they'd just leave the leafy green stuff out of the salad. It just gets in the way."

Russell squeezed more lemon into his tea. "Then it would no longer be a salad. It would be trail mix."

I stabbed my fork into a tomato. "Exactly."

Russell reached down into the shoulder bag hanging on his chair. He was sporting a new pair of thick black framed eyeglasses that gave him a seriously intellectual look. He was one of those fashion conscious guys who always looked impeccably right for whatever the occasion called for. Today he had been meeting with a few producers, so he was wearing his finely tailored suit and tie. It went well with the new glasses. He pulled a script out of his bag.

"This is top secret. So you can't share it with anyone, or I'll be out of a job and your acting career will be over before it starts."

I put down my fork and picked up a roll. "I think that might already be the case."

"Come on, Janey, don't give up now. You were really close with that last audition. That Oscar is just around the corner. I can feel it in my bones."

"I'm glad you can feel it. All I'm feeling is disappointment and utter defeat. In everything. My whole darn life."

Russell placed the script on the table. "So what's happening with the Brock saga? Are you two still talking?"

"God no. At least I'm not talking to him. He still tries to text and call. He'll get the idea soon enough."

The server came to the table and poured more tea. I picked up my glass and drank away the dry roll crumbs.

Russell swirled his tea with his straw. "I know this sounds ridiculously cliché, but you are better off without him. Have you met anyone new? Lars has a cute younger brother I could introduce you to."

"No thanks. I think I'll go solo for a bit. Especially after—" I stopped and shook my head. "Never mind."

Russell sat forward, his eyes wide between his lenses. "No way with the never mind. Especially after what? I need something juicy to get me through the boring meetings I have lined up today."

"It's not all that juicy. In fact, I'm not really sure how to describe it."

Russell leaned back, leaving one hand still on the table as he drummed a beat with his fingers. "Dish or I'm letting you pick up the tab."

"Well, since I have exactly zero dollars to my name, I guess I'll dish. Otherwise, we'll both be washing dishes." I smiled. "See how I did that?'

"Janey, you're stalling. What happened?"

"It's stupid really. There's this guy, this really big, and, if I must admit, handsome guy who lives in the apartment across the hall."

A wide grin crossed Russell's face. "Yes, go on."

"He invited me to his place to eat something. I don't know why, but I said yes."

"Uh, you said yes because he's big and handsome. You are human, after all."

"But I don't even know the guy. Although now I probably know too much."

Russell tried to scoot closer to the table in his enthusiastic attempt to hear more of the story. "What's too much?"

I sighed in surrender. I'd started the tale, and I was going to have to finish it or endure Russell's pleading texts for the next week. I glanced around as if anyone else in the restaurant cared to listen in on my silly conversation. Still, I lowered my voice. "There were these things on his coffee table."

Russell's well groomed eyebrow arched. "Things? A bong? Cocaine mirror?"

"No. Not drug things." I leaned forward and dropped my voice to a whisper. "Sex things. Dildos and some other things that looked quite innovative."

Russell's short, dry laugh barked loud enough through the room to stop a few conversations and draw curious stares our direction. I could feel my cheeks warm with a blush as if they could figure out exactly what we were talking about.

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