Stage Left (Bright Lights Billionaire #1) Read Online Free
Author: Ali Parker
through the film at least.
Chapter 3
One Week Later
Riley
"Oh God. I hate accounting." Charlotte pressed her hands to her face and let out a long groan as we sat at the table together.
"Then why are you studying it?" I glanced up from the lines I was working to memorize. I'd scored a side part in the next school play at UCLA. My best bet for snagging a real agent and dropping mine was to grab someone’s attention in one of the college productions. Sadly enough, it was more about who you knew and not what you were capable of.
"It's part of my business degree." She closed the book and leaned back. "Guess what I heard this morning, or rather saw."
"What?" I reached for my Coke and took a quick sip as it spilled onto my papers. "Shit."
I got up and grabbed a few paper napkins as she continued like nothing happened.
"They're having open auditions to a big time movie coming up." She wagged her eyebrows and took a sip of my Coke.
"Oh yeah? What? Elves in Wonderland three?" I lifted my eyebrow and gave her a cheeky grin as I cleaned up my papers.
"No, you turd. It's for Down Low. " She wagged her eyebrows.
"No it isn't. You're pulling my leg." I got up and worked to spread my papers across the coffee table, hoping they would dry and not smear. Ink was expensive and I was beyond broke. Sitting in a line for the printer at the university library wasn't how I wanted to spend my Friday afternoon.
"No, I'm serious. Let me find it." She pulled her phone toward her face and narrowed her eyes a little. "I hate the fact that I'm going to have to break down and get glasses."
"Why? You would look good with glasses." I turned to face her, trying hard not to let myself entertain the thought of an open audition. It was too much to ask for.
"Yeah, it's not that. It's having to call my dad and ask for anything. I'd rather sleep with the optometrist for a pair." She lifted her phone toward me. "Check it out."
I walked over casually, but couldn't help but snatch the phone from her. I scanned the information and smiled.
"Seriously? This shit is real?" I glanced down at her. "On Wednesday."
"I told you." She got up and walked to the kitchen. "Dude, you're going to have to talk to your mom about cleaning up after herself. I love you guys being here, but you know I'm a clean freak."
"This coming from the girl that almost licked a movie poster last week," I mumbled and continued to read the information. "Ugh."
"What?" Charlotte moved up beside me. "Why the ugh?"
"It says here that only ten women will be moving to the next round." I looked up and handed her the phone, not willing to read the rest of it. I wasn't going to be in the top ten, or the top one hundred.
"You can make the top ten, Riley. What's gotten into you lately? You're incredibly talented." She set her phone down and moved in front of me, gripping my upper arms tightly. "What's up?"
"I don't know." I glanced down and let out a sigh. "I guess it's all this shit with my mom and the fact that we're graduating soon."
"That's a good thing, right?" She reached up and pushed at my chin, forcing me to glance up.
"Not really. I'm getting my degree in drama, Char. I have nowhere to go with this but the classroom, and I'm not cut out for teaching." I pulled away from her and walked to the couch, dropping down and trying to forget about the audition. I'd stick to commercials and keep trying for a sitcom. There was no way in hell I would be welcomed onto the set of a major motion picture with no previous experience outside of a live stage at UCLA.
"You're giving up, which makes no sense." She sat down next to me. "Since when are you the type of person to give up?"
"I guess I'm not, but I’m tired of hoping for something that doesn't seem possible." I shrugged.
"Fuck this. Let's go shopping and then go to dinner. We'll hit the club and get wasted, and I promise you by the end of the night, you'll be your old self again. You're doing this audition, and you're getting
Chapter 3
One Week Later
Riley
"Oh God. I hate accounting." Charlotte pressed her hands to her face and let out a long groan as we sat at the table together.
"Then why are you studying it?" I glanced up from the lines I was working to memorize. I'd scored a side part in the next school play at UCLA. My best bet for snagging a real agent and dropping mine was to grab someone’s attention in one of the college productions. Sadly enough, it was more about who you knew and not what you were capable of.
"It's part of my business degree." She closed the book and leaned back. "Guess what I heard this morning, or rather saw."
"What?" I reached for my Coke and took a quick sip as it spilled onto my papers. "Shit."
I got up and grabbed a few paper napkins as she continued like nothing happened.
"They're having open auditions to a big time movie coming up." She wagged her eyebrows and took a sip of my Coke.
"Oh yeah? What? Elves in Wonderland three?" I lifted my eyebrow and gave her a cheeky grin as I cleaned up my papers.
"No, you turd. It's for Down Low. " She wagged her eyebrows.
"No it isn't. You're pulling my leg." I got up and worked to spread my papers across the coffee table, hoping they would dry and not smear. Ink was expensive and I was beyond broke. Sitting in a line for the printer at the university library wasn't how I wanted to spend my Friday afternoon.
"No, I'm serious. Let me find it." She pulled her phone toward her face and narrowed her eyes a little. "I hate the fact that I'm going to have to break down and get glasses."
"Why? You would look good with glasses." I turned to face her, trying hard not to let myself entertain the thought of an open audition. It was too much to ask for.
"Yeah, it's not that. It's having to call my dad and ask for anything. I'd rather sleep with the optometrist for a pair." She lifted her phone toward me. "Check it out."
I walked over casually, but couldn't help but snatch the phone from her. I scanned the information and smiled.
"Seriously? This shit is real?" I glanced down at her. "On Wednesday."
"I told you." She got up and walked to the kitchen. "Dude, you're going to have to talk to your mom about cleaning up after herself. I love you guys being here, but you know I'm a clean freak."
"This coming from the girl that almost licked a movie poster last week," I mumbled and continued to read the information. "Ugh."
"What?" Charlotte moved up beside me. "Why the ugh?"
"It says here that only ten women will be moving to the next round." I looked up and handed her the phone, not willing to read the rest of it. I wasn't going to be in the top ten, or the top one hundred.
"You can make the top ten, Riley. What's gotten into you lately? You're incredibly talented." She set her phone down and moved in front of me, gripping my upper arms tightly. "What's up?"
"I don't know." I glanced down and let out a sigh. "I guess it's all this shit with my mom and the fact that we're graduating soon."
"That's a good thing, right?" She reached up and pushed at my chin, forcing me to glance up.
"Not really. I'm getting my degree in drama, Char. I have nowhere to go with this but the classroom, and I'm not cut out for teaching." I pulled away from her and walked to the couch, dropping down and trying to forget about the audition. I'd stick to commercials and keep trying for a sitcom. There was no way in hell I would be welcomed onto the set of a major motion picture with no previous experience outside of a live stage at UCLA.
"You're giving up, which makes no sense." She sat down next to me. "Since when are you the type of person to give up?"
"I guess I'm not, but I’m tired of hoping for something that doesn't seem possible." I shrugged.
"Fuck this. Let's go shopping and then go to dinner. We'll hit the club and get wasted, and I promise you by the end of the night, you'll be your old self again. You're doing this audition, and you're getting
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