Page 6 of Billionaire's Second Chance

My gaze startled her.

“Stop it—I can—”she stuttered toward the end of her line.

I stared at her still.Come on. You’re the closest thing I have to Rose. Please don’t die on me now.

She didn’t say anything. She stood still and returned the stare I gave her, then answered all my questions and left.

“Now, that wasn’t a bad performance,” Cole said after she left. “I don't know if she feels confident enough, though. What was her name again?”

“Ava Sage,” Agatha informed him in a dry monotone.

"I think she was brilliant," I stood up and paced around Cole, Carl, and Agatha.

“She understood the script. Her delivery was okay but slightly forced toward the end.” Cole elaborated.

“Agreed,” Agatha said. “She delivered the script, but she didn’t becometheRose. She lacks the confidence of an A-list star. We can't risk it.”

“And was that a stutter in the end?” Carl asked. “She couldn’t remain in character till the end of a performance. I’ll give that a C.”

AC?What would he know about performances? Had he ever directed a movie? She was a perfect fit for the role. A simple yet daring actress without any previous big hits. Just the kind of raw talent I was looking for.

Something about her performance stood out from the rest. She made the script her own, and the character came alive. Sure, she needed some more guidance, but even most A-list actors do.

The others before her had been abysmal, to say the least. One had dared to read the entire script, inflecting her voice while motioning with her hand like a conductor who had lost his baton. When I asked her, she claimed she had assumed the scene was to be a voice-over.

I glanced at my watch again, more out of habit than urgency. It was still morning.

“Let’s get on with the auditions.” I cut in, eager to find someone else that we all agreed upon.

“Yes, Damon,” Cole nodded and called in the next actress.

She was chubby and wore a hoodie with ‘I LOVE U’printed boldly. Definitely not my star. I crossed my arms and straightened up.

Come on. Surprise me.

My phone beeped. I raised a finger and looked over it.

"Hey, Handsome,"Lily Rae's text read.

Cliché, but it did make me smile. Lily Rae was a fast-rising actress I had met on a set. Her flawless skin, green eyes, and petite stature had drawn me in. We had been on two dates, and like many others before her, she was walking her way into being my girlfriend.

"Hey, are you free today?"I texted back.

“So where were we?” I raised my head to face the stage.

“Right here, Damon,” the chubby girl waved at me.

I took a sip from the water on the table and looked sternly at her. She didn’t flinch.

“Mr. Alexander,” Agatha said, mocking the situation. “I think I’ll let you handle this one.”

“Name?” I asked, rolling my eyes.

“My name is Samantha Barnett. I graduated top of my class from LA High, where I majored in—”

My phone beeped again. I tapped on the new message notification before I had time to read the sender’s name.

"Just name the time and place, love."

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