Page 77 of Beneath the Blindfold

Jamie:You picked the right place to work it out. I do my best thinking behind the wheel.

Jamie:Although my crew chief might disagree.

My short laugh punctuated the silence inside my car. This conversation was surreal, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.

Jamie:Can I help? Want to pro/con it with me?

Lord help me, I considered his offer. He was basically a stranger, but at the same time, not. He’d been a nice guy ten years ago. There wasn’t risk in doing it. I wouldn’t put anything in the chat I didn’t feel comfortable getting out, and I had ‘mom’ insurance anyway. His mother was my mother’s hairdresser, and in the South, that was the ultimate level of trust between women.

Jamie:I did a commercial for spark plugs last year, so I’m an expert at acting.

Jamie:Full disclosure, it was one line and I fucked it up, but still consider myself an expert.

Me:One role is a rom-com. The script is funny, but the director’s last movie didn’t do well. They haven’t cast the male lead yet.

Jamie:OK. What about the other one?

Me:The script is amazing. Director has won two Oscars.

His message popped through while I was still typing.

Jamie:So maybe do that one.

Me:The problem is it’s sexy.

Jamie:How sexy?

Me:The role calls for full-frontal nudity.

Jamie:Are you serious?

Me:Yup.

The Blindfold Clubwas based off an anonymous memoir written by a high-end escort, and the book was currently sitting on theNew York Timesbestseller list.

Speech bubbles danced across the screen, showing he was typing, but then they disappeared. Finally—

Jamie:OK.

I chewed on my lip at his plain response. In fairness, when he’d started this chat, he hadn’t been expecting to help me decide if flashing my vajay was a good career move.

Me:I don’t have a problem with nudity, but should I cross that line? This movie could be huge, but it’s a gamble.

Jamie:So, rom-com = safe.

Me:Yes.

Jamie:Sexy movie is high-risk, but maybe high reward.

Me:Yeah.

Jamie:I’m probably the wrong guy to ask. I like risk.

Of course, he did. Every Sunday he drove in circles at two hundred miles an hour, knowing any second a crash could send him into the wall.

Jamie:If you turn down the sexy one, how will you feel about it a year from now?

If I passed onThe Blindfold Club, I was certain I’d spend the rest of my life wondering,“What if?”The role was an original. Not like the rom-com, where the chances of me being offered a part in some similar movie down the road were likely.

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