Page 9 of What I'm Looking For

“Actually, I don’t. I’ve never auditioned for a commercial, and I have no plans to.”

“It wasn’t a commercial; it was an industrial film. Three whole days of work! If I got it, I’d be eligible to join the union.”

“Speaking of which, guess I’ll be joining a different union.”

Jess claps her hands together and squeals. “Yay! I was wondering if you’d gotten the call yet. You weren’t up for Romeo, so what roles did you get?”

I lean on the shovel. “Not Romeo. Bertram and Mercutio. And the fight choreography.”

She nods slowly. “Cool. I’m doing Diana, so we’ll still get to work together. Oh, and you’ll be such a good Mercutio.” She does a little dance, grinning. “I’m so excited.”

The girl drives me crazy but there’s a reason she’s so successful. She is an entertainer. “Can I assume you got Juliet, then?”

She slaps her forehead. “Oh, duh, yeah.” She wipes her brow theatrically. “Whew.” Hands on hips, her brow wrinkles. “I wonder what they offered Bella. I mean, they had to give her something, right?”

“I’m guessing Helena.”

“Yeah, I could totally see her doing that. Have you heard from the guys?”

“Not yet.”

She steps around the pile of dirt and the stack of railroad ties. “What are you doing, anyway?”

I gesture between us. “Weare supposed to be building a garden bed.”

She fluffs her hair. “Why are you digging up the dirt? Don’t plants grow in dirt?”

I sling one more shovelful into the wheelbarrow and then roll it over to the pile I’ve created. “Yes, but this dirt is compacted, full of rocks, and needs fertilizer. We have to dig it up, set those ties in to create the bed, mix the soil with the amendments and then put it back.” I hold out the other shovel. “What’d you think we’d be doing?”

Jessica receives the tool gingerly, like it might bite her. “Not manual labor.”

I go back to work. “Yeah, you’re not exactly dressed for it.”

“I came straight from the audition. Maybe I can do something with the kids instead.”

She scans the area, her gaze locking in on a tall guy heading our way. He’s as fashionably dressed as Jess, in acid-washed jeans and a bright green Members Only jacket, the collar of his pale pink Izod shirt turned up. A slim brown-haired girl struggles to keep up with him.

Her determined march across the yard. The impatient frown on her face. It’s Fake Old Fashioned Girl. When I gave her the flyer at the bar, I didn’t think there was any way she’d show up today, but I have to admit I’m pleasantly surprised that she did.

She’s even prettier than I remembered. Kind of like Phoebe Cates with super straight hair.

The guy stops near the pile of dirt I’ve created. “Do you all need help?” He runs a hand through his own big hair. He must go through a can of mousse a week.

Jess puts a hand on Hair Guy’s arm. “We do! How did you know?”

If I were directing her in this scene, I’d tell her to take it down a few notches.

Fake old fashioned Girl peers at the garden bed to be. “The supervisor sent us over here after we finished raking.” Unlike the guy tagging along with her, she’s dressed to get work done. Her Wranglers are already dirt-encrusted and her faded Harvard sweatshirt isn’t falling off of her shoulder and getting in the way,Flashdance-style. “Do you have any more shovels?”

Jess quickly hands off hers. “Oh, you can have mine. I’m Jessica Abraham, by the way, and this is Will Talbot.”

Hair Guy reaches out a hand to Jess. “I’m Steve Lowell. And this is Kate Bishop.” Clipped consonants and a tight jaw. This guy comes from money. “Our investment firm encourages us to give back to the community through volunteer work. Your company must do the same.”

At the wordinvestment, I stiffen. Just my luck.

Kate gives me a little wave and I nod in return. She sure doesn’t match my image of a finance shark. The way she argued with me, I assumed she was a lawyer.

“Actually, Will is the one who told me about this event,” she says, her vowels lengthening in an accent that sounds almost southern. “He bartends at Cheers.”

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