Page 38 of The Casting Couch

“Thanks, Lola.Love you too.”

Before Bradley could bolt, she grabbed him by the arm with surprising strength for someone her size.“Come on, pretty boy,” she said, yanking him inside.“Let’s get you smooth enough to slide off satin sheets.”

His eyes went wide, like a man realizing too late that he’d stepped into a trap.The door shut, and I muttered out loud, “Good luck, dude.You’re going to need it.”

ChapterNine

Bradley

The Sanctuary of Beauty smelled like lavender, chemical warfare, and broken dreams.

I stood there, frozen just inside the door, staring at a pot bubbling with some strange goop.Next to it: a tray of fabric strips stacked with the same casual menace as a loaded gun.

Lola clapped her hands together like a kindergarten teacher about to lead craft time.

“Alright, darling!”she purred, already pulling on a pair of pink latex gloves with a snap that made my soul leave my body.“Let’s get this party started.Strip down and get on the table.”

My brain short-circuited.

“I… wait… like… everything?”

She arched one perfectly overdrawn eyebrow.“Unless you’ve got plans to wear a turtleneck and sweatpants in your upcoming scenes… yes.Everything.”

I stood there blinking, wondering if faking a seizure would get me out of this.

Lola pointed toward a folded paper gown on the edge of the table.“You can use that to cover your shame.”She rolled her eyes.“Not that you’ll have any left when I’m done.”

Then she gave me a wink like this was all a hilarious joke and swept out of the room, shutting the door behind her with a cheerful click.

I just stood there, staring at the closed door like I’d just been left alone with a bomb and no instruction manual.

Strip down.

Right.

I peeled off my shirt first, tossing it onto the chair.Jeans next.Then underwear.

I stood there for a beat, completely naked except for my socks, staring at my reflection in the wall mirror like: Sir, how did we get here?

My stomach twisted.

This was actually happening.

I grabbed the sad little paper gown and wrapped it around my waist like it might somehow protect me from what was coming.

Then I climbed onto the table, lying back like I was about to be embalmed.

The vinyl was cold against my skin.The ceiling tiles above me had exactly two dead bugs stuck in the fluorescent light cover.I counted them like they were my last tether to reality.

A minute later, the door swung open and Lola breezed back in like a one-woman hurricane.

“Alright, handsome!”she chirped, snapping her gloves again for dramatic effect.“Let’s get the hard part over with first.Bikini zone.You, my friend, are a situation down there.”

I went still.

“Wait.Hold up.Bikini zone?Like… down… down there?”

“Yes, darling,” she said, while cheerfully stirring the mystery goop with a tongue depressor.“Front.Back.Sides.If it grows, it goes.”

---