Night Cap

The Seat Filler

"Girl you going to another award show?"

"Yes," I huffed at my bestie. I was tired of going to them, but I was an aspiring actor, which meant I was broke. I waitressed on the side as well, but being a seat filler was easy money and it got my face out there too. It gave me a chance to rub elbows with celebrities and network a little bit. By definition, a seat filler is someone who fills empty seats during an event or telecast, so there aren't holes when the camera pans out to the audience. For me, it was more than that. It gave me a glimpse of what I hoped my life would be like in the future.

I slipped on the same dress I'd worn the last five or six times I was a seat filler, like I said, I'm broke. And besides, no one is paying attention to me anyway.

As I entered the large auditorium, I wondered who I'd be seated next to today. I usually got stuck on the third or fourth, row barely in sight of the cameras, I was hoping tonight would be different.

"Hey Naomi! It's good to see you again!" I was hoping Justine, one of the production leads, wouldn't notice I was wearing this dress yet again. She seemed too busy to care.

"Hey Justine. Who you got me sitting by tonight?"

"Hmmm, let's see. Well, I have front row seat tonight with your name on it," she smirked, knowing how excited I would be at her news.

"Are you serious?! Thank you, I owe you big time!" I found my seat about 15 minutes before the show started. The large piece of paper with the celebrity's name and picture that's placed in the chair before the show starts had already been removed, so I had no idea who I'd be sitting next too. I squealed in excitement when I saw Denzel Washington heading my way, this would be a great opportunity for me. But he didn't sit, he just nodded politely as we briefly made eye contact when he walked by.

The announcers notified the crowd the show would be starting in three minutes. I looked eagerly at every one who came by, but my seat neighbor was taking their time. Finally a skinny little guy slipped into the seat next to me. He must have seen the disappointment on my face.

"Not expecting me?" I looked over to him with a half smile. "They just told me to sit here until who ever belongs here arrives. Don't you worry sweet cheeks." Sweet cheeks? The comment almost bothered me, but I just told myself he'd be gone soon.

The show started with one of those awkwardly, not funny openings that was supposed to be funny, but instead just made everyone uncomfortable. After it was over and the first few awards had been given out, I looked at my phone, 25 minutes had gone by. I can't believe I'd survived this long. The skinny white dude sitting next to me was trying to whisper sweet nothings to me the whole time. I tried to ignore him but he wasn't picking up on any cues, like the fact that he was staring at the back of my head the whole time. The last straw was when he said, "Ever tried white meat?"

I turned around infuriated, "I definitely don't want whatever rancid meat you got!" I blurted it out in anger so quickly that I didn't notice the white guy had gotten out of his seat and a gorgeous brown-skinned man was hovering over me. Mouth agape. I looked around him and saw the white guy winking at me. I was embarrassed, but even more than that, I was pissed. If whoever this man was had been here on time, I wouldn't have had to endure the torture of the other seat filler.

"You're late," I grunted, folding my arms across my chest, giving his face a second look. Seemed like I knew him from somewhere, but I couldn't call it, so I turned away from him, annoyed.

"And you're beautiful." I could hear the smirk on his face as the show started back up from commercial break.

A smile tried to creep across my lips. He leaned forward and whispered, "It's OK to smile you know," he teased. Any signs of that emerging smile disappeared from my face as I heard him chuckle at me. Tonight's job was proving to be not so easy money.