Page 48 of The Love Raffle

The older man was already immersed in conversation with her agent.

Amber made a mental note to keepfar awayfrom this director after shooting hours.I’ll put up with what I have to for now.She held her chin up then sped to the reading room.

The main cast was all there. A plastic table ran down the middle and iron fold-in chairs spanned the sides. She saw a counter with drawers and cupboards along the walls. Two people leaned against them. One was a teen she’d never seen before and the other held a steaming mug of coffee. She recognized the adult as the protagonist. This show was all about broke interns making ends meet. A simple premise with plenty of room for antics.

“Good morning, everyone.” Amber was all about first impressions. Beca may not have been the most capable but she gave solid advice. Ensuring people loved you was half the business. That went for fellow actors and the public alike.

“Oh, it’s the new girl.” A guy at the table got up to meet her and introduce her to everyone. If Amber wasn’t mistaken, he played the best friend. His lower half was clad in beach shorts. No one here was in costume. She wondered how long wardrobe and hair was predicted to last.

After shaking hands with everyone and taking a seat, Amber breathed easier. So far, they all seemed pleasant and professional. This would go smoothly.

Their table reading ended within thirty minutes but rather than scrambling to get ready for shooting, everyone just sat there, chit-chatting.

Amber rolled up her script and fit it in her leather handbag, smiling awkwardly as banter ensued between a few of the main characters. Seemed they found a bit of the dialogue ridiculous.

“Why does he say that of all things, though?” asked the lead actress. The teenager beside her had not participated in the reading at all. She sat on her phone even now, earbuds in and face void of expression. Now that Amber was getting a closerlook, she kind of resembled the lead. This kid must be her sister or niece. Something of that nature anyway.

“I think it’s corny enough to get a few laughs but realistic enough to make sense,” said Beach Shorts. He haphazardly flipped back and forth through the script pages. Amber would behislove interest. “What do you think?” He brought the discussion to Amber.

Amber felt put on the spot with the entire cast now watching.They’re trying to include you. Don’t mess it up.Why did she have to be an introvert on top of everything? Social situations were not her thing, but theyhadto be to make it. “I think—”

“Hang on,” said the guy at the head of the table. He’d flipped his chair backward. His arms were crossed on top of the backrest as he leaned forward. Just like Beach Shorts, his outfit seemed geared for a trip to the beach. He wore a blue and white striped tank top and cropped jeans. Amber wanted to ask if she’d missed the memo on something but didn’t know how that would come off. “Can I just say that you lookwaytoo out of his league to be his love interest?” The question summoned laughs from even Beach Shorts, melting away any tension that may have been there.

Amber’s face grew hot as she joined in with a giggle. “I don’t… I…” She nudged Beach Shorts. His name was Owen and he’d been in several teen sitcoms before landing this role. “Ah, don’t say that. Owen’s a catch.” She looked on as Owen tossed a comeback at the other guy.

“That’s just their dynamic. Insufferable,” said the main girl. She had deep brown eyes and rich dark skin. Amber would mistake her for a model if she wasn’t already known for acting. “Anyway, you were really good for someone slipping in from reality TV. What acting school did you go to?”

Amber’s voice hitched the first time she tried to speak, indicating how pressured she felt. “I didn’t. I just love the art.I’ve been searching for my big break for a while now and it seemed that being the potential love interest of a movie star is what brought that on.” She joined them in laughter, internally patting herself on the back for making them laugh.

“Oh yeah, you were on that awful Love Raffle show.” Backwards Chair clapped twice, ignoring the scolding from a few of his co-stars. “She knows I’m not making fun of her, come on.”

“She wasn’t only on it, shewona date with that hotshot. That kid from Captain Evolution.” Owen snapped his fingers three times while fighting to recall. “Everyone loves him and he’s with that Oscar winner right now.”

Fiona.Amber felt deflated but chastised herself for it. She was well aware of what was forced on the public but hearing firsthand how they simply referred to Fiona like she was Levi’s stung. A back-and-forth was happening between Owen and the main girl right now but Amber couldn’t hear them over her own doubt.Why did that sound so pathetic?She tuned back in with the hopes of contributing.

Owen sat back with folded arms. “That doesn’t make any sense. What is this? Charity?” He rolled his eyes. “Amber, listen.”

Amber perked up. Was she about to be asked something? She didn’t have any context or a clue as to what was going on.Oh crud. Why’d I zone out?“Wait, what are we talking about—”

“You’rewaybetter than that over-glorified Spider-Man wannabe, okay?” Owen tapped her arm reassuringly, his teeth pressed into his lower lip.

With her elbow on the table, the main girl shook her hand. Her name was Gwen. “You can’t just openly proclaim your resentment for someone like that, you idiot.” She made a pathetic attempt to hide her laugh. “And no one sees it as celebrity charity. It’s all in the name of recognition.”

“Nah, it feels patronizing to celebrities. Like they need someone to stroke their egos or something. Oh, these fans are justdyingto have a date with you.” Backwards Chair clasped his hands beside his cheek and batted his lashes in the name of mockery. “Like get over yourself.”

“I swear I read online that you dated him even after the prize date.” The actress to her left finally spoke, placing her phone face-down on the table. “Didn’t you?”

Amber was once again under close watch. Things seemed to go quiet. “I…No,” she laughed and twisted in her seat, a poor attempt at being natural. “Why would I? He just did it to start the buzz for his movie and I only did it to get my foot in the door. The date itself was so awkward. I even had an allergic reaction to the food.” She drummed her fingers on the table, one after the other, nodding her head when a few people gasped and expressed concern. “I was fine in the end but we both had anawfultime. It was just so weird. No chemistry there.” It hurt her to lie as the opposite was the truth. Even miles away she could feel a reaction. They were chemistry defined. Sure, they had a bit of an awkwardness to them, but it was their charm. Their shtick. Just the way they rolled, and Amber would sell an organ for the world to see them as what they truly were.

But it won’t happen.At least not today or anytime soon.

“Really?” A smaller voice dragged the word out, their tone saturated with skepticism.

Amber ceased her self-pitying. She flicked away a tear that escaped and sniffed behind her palm. “Hm?” She scanned the table. “Oh, you.” The young teen beside Gwen seemed smug, her phone against her chest. “Yeah, really. The whole Levi thing was just a passing phase. It wasn’t as bad as—”

“If it was a one-time date then why were you at his apartment last night?” The girl’s lips curled at the corners likethe Cheshire Cat but without the malevolence. Her round cheeks and twinkling eyes gave an air of mischief rather than evil.

Amber’s heart sank to her soles as yet another gasp was shared by the table. “Um…beg your pardon?” she whispered, legs shaking like a Chihuahua.

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