The Auditions

Chapter 3

I wake suddenly with a headache and check the time. It's 2:14am and my head is pounding, I should really be asleep we have another long day tomorrow. But no matter how much I try to shut my brain off I just can't go back to sleep, I throw on a short cocktail dress and head down to the VIP lounge. "One shot please" I say to the bartender as I am going through Matt's Instagram photos, who the fuck is this Danielle bitch and why has he uploaded a photo with her 2 hours ago? That's when he was on the phone to me, well that explains it. Maybe I'm over thinking, but maybe I'm not? As hard as it is to say it, he dumped me. And I know it's not because of the movie excuse he gave me. To hell with him, he can shag whoever he wants! "Keep em coming" I yell to the bartender over the music. And he hands me one shot after another as I am on my 4th shot a young man sits next to me, damn it! It's Jamie. Give me a break! Can I be alone for like a second without a familiar face disturbing me? "Couldn't sleep?" He asks looking wary. "I tried, but I guess it's the time difference" I reply. "Yeah I'm jet lagged too." He says and he gets straight to it. "So what had you so upset before, if you don't mind me asking." Fuck, I don't want to answer to this inquisition, not now.

"My dog died" I lie. What the heck is wrong with me, how can I say that. My poor baby Zeppelin I hope nothing like that ever happens to him! "Oh Dakota I am so so sorry! I know how much Zeppelin meant to you." "No it was my other dog" he pauses "wait I thought you only had one?" Shit. "I recently adopted another, his name was".... I pause "Jackson" I don't know where that name came from hah! I giggle a little. "Well I'm sorry for your loss" I smile at him and he smiles back. "One Jin please, and what would you like" he asks, "another shot please" Jamie eyes me suspiciously and then strikes up a conversation about what car I drive and  what my hobbies are. The time goes by so fast and before we know it, it's 4am and we are slightly tipsy. He walks me up to my room and plants a soft kiss on my cheek, "Good night Dakota" he says, "Goodnight Jamie" I reply, and he leaves.

I've only had another 2 hours of sleep before my alarm goes off, it's 6am as my eyes flutter unwillingly and there's a knock on the door. I open up and it's Jamie with coffee, "We're late! Quick get dressed. We need to be at the new filming site in 40 minutes. Jamie is dressed sweat pants, a sweat shirt and runners. I decide to go with the same style and put on my gym clothes and we head down to the car together. We get to the site and we are summoned to change outfits and each of us are escorted to our trailers by security after being bombarded with the paparazzi. And quickly we are behind the cameras again! Today we are filming the hotel and elevator scene, so that means there'll be some lip puckering, I'm dreading the thought of it all. This is not fun for me, I don't know how it's going to go and to be honest I am quite anxious.

We finish with the hotel scene and we are given a 1 hour break for morning tea and to run lines and practice the kiss together in a private room. Sam explains it would be easier to practice alone, in the comport of our own privacy so we do not have the pressure of getting it all wrong behind the camera and having to start again. I finish my croissant and coffee and run off to the bathroom to clean up and take some gum. "Why why why did I agree to this" I say to myself in the mirror. I am so nervous! I take a deep breath and head over to the room where Jamie is waiting after spitting out the gum. "Hey, you ready for this?" I laugh to try and hide my anxiety. "Ready when you are he responds" and with that we start running our lines and reluctantly we both get to the kiss, the first time we both break out into laughter but as we try it again and again it gets easier. I am not enjoying this one bit I think to myself, and unbelievably he says exactly what I was thinking. "Dakota, I am not enjoying this one bit so don't think I am" he laughs. And we both start laughing. He have another 5 minutes to start filming and we have to try it one last time and take it really seriously. He walks over with me to the corner of the room, grabs me by my waist and pushes me up against the wall and kisses me, pushing his tongue into my mouth, and I feel it in my groin, this is not acting it's real, and I respond to his kiss grabbing his hair with my hands and kissing him harder, allowing his tongue access into my mouth. Just as I am really responding to his kiss and it feels so real he pulls away. I'm breathless and so is he. We are both panting for air, we have both lost our breath when Sam knocks and walks into the room, we're starting guys. And we follow her out and into the filming area where they have set up a fake elevator. I'm going to have to do it again but this time in front of an audience. We both take a deep breath and react the kissing, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and a 6th time until they are finally satisfied and we can leave. We are both stuck for over an hour outside signing autographs and taking photos with the fans, as tired as I am I've never had this much attention from a crowd of people and the feeling is new and exciting. I head back to the hotel and lay down for a short nap before having to prepare for dinner. Tonight Sam, Erika and her husband, Jamie, Eloise, Rita, Luke, Max and Marcia are all having dinner to celebrate the start of filming for Fifty Shades Of Grey. I set my alarm for 5:30pm and I wake with a jolt when it goes off. I need to get ready and my makeup artist and hairdresser will be on their way over here now.

I take a deep breath and step outside of the hotel lobby. Hundreds of young fans run to me with photographs and pens, I sign as much as I could, take a few photos with them and get into the car waiting for me and we drive off into the night. I arrive at the Rockpool bar & grill restaurant where they have the entire rooftop booked for our dinner for the night. Jamie's wife will probably be here so it will be another awkward night for me, if looks could kill I would have died the other night at dinner from the dirty looks and silence she gave me. So I am not particularly looking forward to tonight... I walk in and to my surprise she is not here! Hmm, she may arrive later on I think to myself.  We all greet each other and get to chit chatting, after drinks and entrees I head over to the railing and look down at Seattle's twinkling lights. "You look so, beautiful" a voice says to me from behind, it's Jamie. I turn around and I am pleased to see him. "You don't look too bad yourself" I wink at him and we both laugh. We are chatting for a while and Jamie is trying to beat me with his poor jokes but it's not working "you can just give up, I am the queen of jokes" I laugh when Sam interrupts us. "It's good to see you both bonding together, we need that for the film." And she strikes a long detailed conversation about what we will be doing tomorrow and the following weeks to come, what's expected of us and always staying professional and not getting too involved or emotionally attached. I don't want to hear this I think to myself and completely daze out as she keeps talking.

Later on after dinner and a few more drinks we gather for a group photograph. Jamie standing next to me, places his hand behind my back and around my waste, and while no one is paying attention he slides his hand down towards my ass. What... Is he sending mixed signals? How do I react to this? The kiss felt so real! The flirting with me, the compliments and now this, is this all normal? Am I reading too much into it? Perhaps I'm reading signals that aren't even there. Women tend to do this a lot. I shut the idea out of my mind and continue to chatting with everyone else. Everyone heads back to their hotels and Jamie and I share a ride back to the hotel. He walks me up to my room and we say goodnight, I throw myself on to my bed and re analyse all that has happened today. Is he really giving mixed signals or am I reading too much into it? What if I make a move and he isn't interested and I just end up looking like a fool! I want him so bad, after tonight my body and soul are craving him. He is such an amazing kisser and I know he felt it too, I know it wasn't acting, it wasn't just me. There was something there, I felt him harden, I felt his need and desire. As I am deep into my erotic thoughts there is a knock on the door, I gather myself together and open the door. It's Jamie.