"Im coming with you tomorrow". I said
"Huh? Coming where" he replied confused.
"To the casting dummy".
"Ohh, but I thought you weren't coming. So, you decided to come see beautiful ladies right" he said in that annoying tune again. I wasn't ready for this conversation at all.
"What time is it starting" I asked.
"By 10:30 officially" he replied.
"Good night" I said hastily.
"Wait tell me what....." I ended the call before he could finish his words. I didn't even want to know what he was going to say. I laid on my bed and closed my eyes. I thought about how my day was going to be tomorrow. I called my assistant to move anything I had in the morning till noon so I'd have enough time to attend the casting.
It was morning and I was too lazy to get up. I was an early bird but it wasn't by choice. I usually got up early because of the early morning meetings I had, and I didn't like arriving late to anything, the same way I detested those who arrive late for meetings they had set with me. I always arrived on time and one of the basis I use to qualify those I do business with is their ability to keep to time. My alarm started ringing by 5am and I got up lazily and went to the bathroom to take a leak. I suddenly remembered that I had cancelled all my morning appointments so I could attend the casting which would officials commence by 10:30am. I happily went back to bed but I reset the alarm to ring by 7am. I fell asleep immediately. The alarm started ringing again and it felt like I haven't even slept for up to twenty minutes. You know that annoying feeling when you know you still had about two hours left to sleep but it felt like you just closed your eyes for a couple of minutes before the alarm starts ringing? I was feeling like that right now. I got up lazily and headed to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, took a nice warm bath, dried my hair and selected my outfit. I picked a grey Louis Vuitton suit I had gotten recently. Actually, almost all of my clothes were grey coloured, I loved the colour grey as it was not too dark or too bright but just right. I called up Richmond and he said to meet him at his house first. I got there and we had breakfast together. Apparently, he had spent the night with one of the girls coming for the casting. I think she wanted the role of Veronica or something. He had his own shit to think about and I was not ready to start giving advice about how he should live his life.
We left his house and arrived at the company together as that was where the casting was to take place. We arrived by 10:05 and most of the actors who wanted different roles were already waiting. We headed inside and we saw the director and casting director together with his team and others who were going to be auditioning. They welcomed us and gave us coffee which I didn't drink of course, because the girl who served me looked at me suspiciously like she had spiked it. I might be wrong but she just had that look on her face that says "I'm gonna drug you and rape you". I might just be overthinking again but someone had actually tried that with me before so I have to be extra careful. Richmond on the other hand kept flirting with the girls.
The audition started and I was getting bored. I had asked Richmond to confirm if the girl I was looking for was actually here and he confirmed it and even told me her number. Richmond was quite capable sometimes. Number 8 came in for her audition and I was losing my mind. She just needed to act out one scene but she kept on making mistakes and I still don't know why she was still here. She probably had connections and that's why the director was still willing to let her make a fool of herself. Her acting was horrible and I was losing brain cells fast. Worst of all, she was delaying me from achieving my purpose of coming here. I was probably going to suffer from brain and eye damage if I kept on watching this horrible acting. She was finally done and most of the auditioners were showering her with praises. She finally left (thank God) and number 9 was called in. It was her, the one I came here for. When she walked in, she looked around and I watched her until her eyes fell on me. I could clearly see how shocked she was. I quickly looked away but looked back at her as she caught my gaze but quickly averted it. I could see her mumbling some words that I couldn't make out. The casting director then asked her to introduce herself which she did. Lora Anne. It was a beautiful name and my mind began to wonder what it meant. I wanted to find out the meaning of her name so badly that I Googled it. She was asked the role she was auditioning for and she also replied. The director asked her to act out a scene where the character dies trying to help her friend and he also asked her to act out another scene where the character tries to stop her friend from taking revenge. I was really satisfied with her acting. Not because I was interested in her or anything but because she actually played the role very well. But, I didn't really think she was fitted for this role. Her appearance didn't strike me as one who would be meek and all that. From the conversation the director and auditioners were having, she was probably not going to get the role as each of them already had who they wanted to play the role. This audition was just a scam, as in reality they had already chosen their cast. I can't just let her go empty handed and I felt that she deserved a more popular role, so I decided to step in as the big hero who saves the damsel.
"Have you read the whole script" I asked seriously.
"Yes sir" she replied immediately.
"Then take a look at scene seven and act it out" I said again in that same serious tune. She looked at it and then back at me as if she had realized something.
"But this is Veronica's..."
"Are you doing it or not" I cut her off.
"Wait Anthony, this is a scene played by the character Veronica" Richmond whispered to me.
"I know. I want to see her play it" I responded without looking at him.
"But we already have someone playing that role" the casting director said cautiously.
"I don't think she played it well" I stated plainly while Richmond kicked me from under the table.
"But...." The casting director said.
"Let him do what he wants" the director said cutting him off while he turned to me and smiled. Bunch of boot lickers, I said to myself.
She finally started acting and she did it beautifully. I told them that I wanted her to get the role but Richmond already had his candidate, the girl from this morning. We argued about it but decided to talk about it later. The casting director later told her that he would get back to her. She greeted and walked out. I immediately stood up and went after her. I saw her standing and waiting for the elevator. I didn't know what to say when I walked up to her so I just said something that would likely bring up a conversation between us.
"Hey stalker" I said. She looked at me for a brief moment as I walked towards her. This was probably a dream come through for her as she would never have believed that the one she fantasized about will actually walk up to her. As I neared her, she immediately started running and this confused me. I ran after her as she made her way to the stairs. She was half way down the second flight when I got hold of her and pulled her to me by the waist.
"Why were you running" I asked confused.
"I wasn't running but you were chasing me" she said pulling herself from my arms but i grabbed her wrist as a way of saying I'll let go when I want.
"If you are not guilty you wouldn't run" I said holding her wrist firmly.
"I have nothing to be guilty about" she responded. "So you recognized me that was why you deliberately tried to make things difficult for me right" she said still trying to pull her arm away from my grip.
"Making things difficult?? I was giving you an opportunity" i said pulling her closer to me and grabbing her other arm putting her in a position that she couldn't resist because the movements she was making was already making my head hurt and I couldn't handle the struggling.
"Please let me go. That day I didn't stalk you I just wanted to see my friend and I didn't know she was already chased out and I only pretended to be epileptic because I didn't like the way the security guard tried to shoo me away and that's all. Please don't take me to the police and post things online because I still need to make a living...." She went on and on and her eyes were getting teary. I sighed and let her go so it wouldn't look like I was bullying her.
"Look, I know you did that out of your adoration for me but I'm not here to take you to the station. I only wanted to compliment your acting skills but you ran away so I had to chase you" I said scratching my head in frustration. I could see that she was lost in thought so I wanted to call her back to reality when my phone suddenly rang. I looked at the caller ID and it was Chantel. I have been avoiding her but like Richmond suggested, I had to talk to her, but I also wanted to talk to Anne. I told her I wanted to talk to her privately and she just looked at me as if lost in thought. I have noticed that her mind always wondered. I called her back to reality and gave her my card.
"The day after tomorrow, come to my main company and look for me. Be there by 10 and don't be late". I said and walked away answering my phone that has been ringing. In my head, I felt that the way I had walked away was so cool, like a main character in a movie.
"Hello" I said.
"Hello, it's me" she responded.
"I know, what's up".
"Can we meet?" she asked.
"Sure".