It's always been you

Chapter 22 - Table Read

LUCY POV

Oh god. 6 weeks after receiving our contracts we were heading to the first table read. This was all really happening. I could feel myself trying to force the nausea down. I was as white as a sheet. Even Ollie was awfully quiet and subdued. Joseph looked a bit green in the face. We were currently standing around the large conference room where we were to do our table read with the rest of the cast waiting for Tony to make a start.

"Luce did you have breakfast this morning?" I raised my eyebrows at Joe. "Course not. What do you think? Even Ollie only had a single piece of toast." "Yeah I'm regretting the McMuffin I had." "Oh god Joe don't say McMuffin or I WILL be sick!" He smirked at me evilly and whispered "McMuffiiiin!" I glared at him as Ollie snorted. Then Tony called a start.

"Ok everyone please take your seats! To start off with I'd like you all to go around the table and introduce yourselves and who you'll be playing." I looked around the table at the faces of the people we'd be working with for the next 9 months or so while we were filming. There was some serious actors here! Faces I knew extremely well from movies and tv shows and I felt incredibly humbled and small in their presence.

Soon it was Joes turn. He was seated to my left. "I'm Joseph Quinn. Please call me Joe. I'm playing Arthur Havisham." Then all eyes in the room turned to me and I felt myself flush. I felt Ollie squeeze my hand under the table. "Hello everyone I'm Lucy Harris. I'll be portraying Nancy." Good girl Harris. Keep it short and sweet. "My name's Oliver Blake. You can call me Ollie. I'll be playing Compeyson."

Tony interrupted us then and said "now I would like everyone to make Lucy, Ollie and Joe feel welcome. This is their first gig and they're still completing their studies at LAMDA. Please be kind to them and don't haze them too much!" Oh god that's embarrassing. I glanced around the room again and saw nothing but kind and welcoming smiles. As we finished the introductions Tony immediately started the table read. He read the commentary parts of the scripts before each actor said their lines.

Oh no this is a scene between Nancy, Bill and Fagin. Shit shit shit! I took a deep breath and felt Ollie squeeze my knee and Joe press his arm up against mine for support. I took a deep breath and then began to read my lines.

FF AFTER THE TABLE READ
STILL LUCY POV

NAILED IT! Didn't fuck up my lines once and Tony seemed happy with the inflections and my tone of voice. "Great work everyone! Wardrobe fittings next week don't forget!" Tony dismissed us for the day.  I was picking up my bag and getting ready to leave with Ollie and Joe when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned, and there was Anton Lesser. Oh god! He was the actor playing Fagin. He'd done some incredible work!

"Lucy....Harris?" "That's me! Hi it's an honour to meet you!" "I thought I'd come and introduce myself properly seeing as we have so many scenes together. Pleasures all mine!" He shook my hand and then shook hands with Joe and Ollie. He looked at Ollie closely as he shook his hand and then pointed at him with his other finger. "Richard and Sarahs son?" "One of them. There's also my older brother David." "Great people your mum and dad! I've worked with your dad before. I'd best go soon. But it was wonderful to meet you all. The three of you all did extremely well. Congratulations on getting the parts!"

He smiled kindly and then left the room. Ollie, Joe and I turned to each other and then grinned widely. "Who fancies a drink?" "Ollie it's 2pm on a Wednesday." "Fuck it it's 5pm somewhere." "I could go a pint" Joe answered. I rolled my eyes but agreed we'd go to Fitzgeralds for a quick pint before heading home.

Fitzgeralds was almost over for me. I'd had to give my notice. There was absolutely no way I could fit studying full time, filming the series AND bartending. There wasn't enough hours in the day. Truth be told I was gutted. I loved that pub and all the friends I'd made working there. And now we weren't living together anymore I wouldn't see Nikki almost every day like we still did now. I missed her terribly already and leaving my job would only make it worse. But, as I kept telling myself, this was always the plan. This was what I'd wanted. And of course we would still be the best of friends.