Page 25 of A Lucky Shot

“She told the director my work was understated but forward thinking.” Cass could hardly believe it. Not only did Melanie Westwood know who she was, but she asked for her by name. “But theatre!”

“This does sound like a great opportunity,” Jill said. “But you’ve been talking about working with your friend in theatre all year. What’s the movie?”

She could always count on Jill to enable her decisions, especially in work-life balance. Cass pulled out her phone and scrolled her inbox. “They said it was something serious. Serious armour, serious ardour … it was really loud last night.”

Jill’s entire posture changed, eyes widening. “You don’t mean Sirius Darker, do you?” she whispered.

“Yeah! That’s it!”

“Sirius Darker is going to be a movie?” She seized Cass’s forearm and shook her. “That’s one of my favourite books! It’s a dystopian love letter to humanity! It’s a new modern classic!”

So, she’d heard of it? Funny. Terry said it was niche. “Nothing’s confirmed yet, and you can’t say anything to anyone.”

“I won’t, I swear,” Jill said breathlessly. “I can’t let you not do this. You have to do this.”

Cass’s face dropped. “What about work-life balance? Theatre?”

“You won’t regret it. The story is incredible.” Jill put her elbows on the café table. “How about this? I’ll lend you my copy while you’re on vacation. Read it, then make up your mind.”

Cass could feel herself being talked into it. Theatre didn’t pay well, anyway, and her friend had a solid backup costumer if Cass backed out. They wouldn’t even miss her.

She sunk her head into her hands. “Fine. I’ll read a hundred pages.”

“And then you’ll read the next four hundred pages. Trust me.”

“I’m not even sure I want to even work on another movie right now,” Cass said, sucking the foam off her drink. Then a thought occurred to her. There could be other benefits of joining the crew. “Plus, if I’m busy again, I won’t have to answer any questions about why I’m still single.”

“Cass,” Jill said, softening, “not everyone is like him.”

The swath of fizzled situationships begged to differ.

“Of course not!” Cass said. “But like you said, this is an amazing opportunity I can’t pass up!”

And if it meant she’d be too busy to date for the foreseeable future, even better.

I’M MEETING MELANIE WESTWOOD TODAY!!!!!

I can’t breathe!!!!

Davie

who

Suzie

isn’t that the chick who flashed her boobs on Secret Celebrity Dancer a few years ago?

How her siblings still didn’t know who Melanie Westwood was after the hours Cass had talked about her made no sense. Or it did make sense. If a topic didn’t involve her sister’s kids or her brother’s dirt biking, they didn’t pay much attention to anything Cass said.

Sure, Melanie had gotten the streaming company a fat fine for her striptease, but she’d also gotten noticed by Hollywood mogul Darrin Westwood, who was responsible for executive producing some of the biggest films every year. Nothing with awards show buzz, but the man knew how to make money. When he met Melanie, Mrs. Westwood Number Four was retired, and Melanie was promoted to Mrs. Westwood Number Five later that year. Overnight, she bank rolled her own passion projects, tiny little films that never would have been noticed.

She’d discovered Brynne Sparo, of all people.

And Melanie had asked for Cass by name. Cass squealed the entire time she scrolled her email.

The studio wanted her on the crew enough that they upgraded her vacation, with the caveat that she read the script on the beach. Staying at a five-star hotel instead of a three-star made for good bribery. Cass tucked the script into the pages of the brick Jill had lent her to read on the beach. Libby, having been hired on as the head electrician, declined the hard copy, instead downloading the audiobook so she didn’t have to lug the thing around.

Packing the tome into her carry-on bags precluded the addition of an extra pair of shoes or another dress. At the last minute, she threw her sketchbook into her carry on, in case inspiration struck over daiquiris.

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