Page 10 of He's The Reason Why

The audience groaned, and chatter broke out here and there as stories were exchanged.

Blake knew they’d had trouble casting his role, but he wondered what else they’d had issues with. He glanced at the empty chair next to him. Why wasn’t Piper Bellamy here? Missing the table read would leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. He wasn’t the only one who’d noticed her absence, either. He saw several people keep checking it as if she would magically appear.

“Finally, we are here,” Tamar said. “We have the best people, therightpeople, and we will tell a great story. Enough with the pep talk. Now for the bad news. It’s August, and the promos have already gone out for a Christmas release. That leaves us three months and change to get the voices and final animation in place.”

Groans traveled around the room as that news sank in.

“I thought it was launching next summer,” a high-pitched voice asked from somewhere to the left.

“I heardnextChristmas,” a man on the right said.

Tamar shook her head. “No. This project is already over budget, and next year’s release is already scheduled. It goes now, or not at all. Much work has already been done, so it’s not impossible. I wouldn’t be here if it was. Paul will be pushing the schedule so be sure to check in with him before you go anywhere.”

“Better yet, don’t go anywhere,” Paul said. “There’s cots in the storeroom if you want to move in. It’s only the next three months of your life. No big deal.”

Nervous laughter skittered around the room. Most probably thought he was kidding, but Blake had heard the rumors about Paul’s work ethic. He was ruthless when it came to deadlines and an absolute perfectionist when it came to the final product.

“Right. So let’s get to it.” Tamar clapped her hands together once to get attention. “To make sure we have a firm foundation, we will go around the table. Introduce yourself, your character, and read the paragraph on page one.”

Tamar eyed her chair dubiously. Apparently, it was easier to get up on the table than to get back down.

Blake stood and held out a hand to help her. “Madam Director, allow me.”

“Thank you.” Tamar took his hand. “And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why Blake Ryan is our prince.”

“Piper!” Paul exclaimed.

Everyone turned to see Piper Bellamy standing just inside the doorway. She didn’t look anything like what he’d expected. She was tiny to start with, barely taller than Tamar. He had vague memories of her in concert videos and social media. On stage, she’d seemed taller, somehow. She was drama and edge, with studs on her clothes and attitude. She brought the rock to her sisters’ pop, but he was more of a Rat Pack blues fan, so that was all he really knew about her.

Today, she looked like a woman running late for a yoga session, with her hair up in a simple ponytail and downplayed makeup. For the first time, he could see what Marshall found so attractive about her. She was effortlessly cool and surprisingly feminine in basic black.

He’d always had a weakness for girl-next-door types, probably because they were so hard to find in Los Angeles, but it didn’t change the fact that waltzing through the door over thirty minutes late was completely unprofessional.

There were a lot of divas in Hollywood who thought it was okay to waste people’s time. He’d never liked those people much, no matter how great they looked in yoga pants.

“My dear girl, I hope everything is all right.” Tamar hurried to Piper with her arms outstretched. “Was there an accident? I knew something must be wrong, you’re never late.”

Chatter broke out around the room as everyone lost interest in the drama of a late arrival and went back to entertaining themselves.

Piper’s cheeks were red, and she was breathing a little fast, like she’d been running. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m so sorry I’m late, Tamar. I had a little family drama this morning but everything’s fine.”

Paul followed Tamar, his shirt flapping in the breeze in his rush to get to their late-arriving star. “We’re just getting started. Do you need anything?”

Someone let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Blake would bet anything it was Rachel. Like him, she usually showed up early and had even less tolerance than he did for those she thought unprofessional.

“No, thanks,” Piper said in a firm tone. “I’m interrupting. Please, continue.”

Tamar gestured for Piper to sit and addressed the room. “As I was saying, it’s time for introductions. Piper, you’re up first.”

Piper dropped her bag next to the chair and sat down.

Blake stifled his irritation. She might be late but she was here now and it was time to get things moving. He leaned toward his new costar and whispered, “Name, character, and read the paragraph on page one.”

“Right. Thanks.” Piper nodded and flipped the script in front of her to the first page. “I’m Piper Bellamy, also known as Princess Jewel of Tiranell. My family has a magic map that leads to a stone rumored to provide protection to whoever owns it. The evil sorcerer Malignon has kidnapped my sister, Elaine, to force me into using the map to find the stone, which I will exchange for my sister’s life. I’ll do anything to save my sister. I’m loyal and fiercely determined, but my map is difficult to read, and I have no idea how to defeat the dragon who guards the stone.”

She turned to Blake. “And you are?”

He smiled at her, then addressed the room. “I’m Blake Ryan, but feel free to call me Jesse. My kingdom of Carenth has suffered from attacks by strange flying beasts who have been eating all of our crops and killing our animals. I’m also on a quest to locate the protection stone. I have no idea where the dragon hides, or what I’ll have to do to get the stone, but I do have a handy talking compass that always points true to help me out.”

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