Out of the Woods | ✓

02 | path of the righteous woman

Holding auditions for the musical didn't give Jensen much time to review her lines for her Sparks Fly callback. She looked at the script while on break during Legendary shooting, but between teaching and acting and attempting to find somewhere in between those to sleep and eat, Jensen was ready to vomit when she walked into Studio E.

Jensen wore heels for her audition. A horrible idea, really. To look professional? No. To wear blister-inducing heels that clacked loudly in empty hallways and made her more nervous than she already was? Yes. Echoing heels were anxiety-inducing. Always had been, always would be. Heels meant business, which was why Jensen spent her time in canvas trainers.

The producers and casting directors of Sparks Fly had been all over North America looking for people to audition for their characters, and now that there was a shortlist, they'd flown out writer and director of Sparks Fly, Keira Lim. Academy Award nominated director Keira fucking Lim. As if the heels weren't terrifying enough.

Jensen was positive she would be one of the last—if not the last—callback Keira would see. Canada was a trip across the border the studio heads only wanted to make once. Because that didn't add any pressure to the situation. None at all.

The halls of Studio E weren't doing anything to help Jensen's panic. Lining the walls on her right were posters from blockbuster films that Studio E members had produced. Big shoes Jensen wasn't sure she could fill. Big shoes Jensen wasn't sure she wanted to fill.

The left wall had headshots of people who had made their name from Studio E's productions like Maddox Tacoma. People who were tabloid bait every time they stepped out their front doors in Calabasas. People who couldn't get a moment of peace and their dreams were muddled in flashes of paparazzi cameras.

Jensen really needed to stop reading tabloids.

Maybe next week.

Large glass doors met her at the end of the hallway. Tucked inside the doors was a wooden desk at which the receptionist typed vigorously, a headset tucked into her brunette hair. Jensen pulled open the door and waited at the front of the desk. The receptionist looked up at her with a kind smile. Jensen still felt like she was going to throw up.

"Jensen Rhodes, here to see Keira Lim?" Jensen didn't know why she sounded unsure. She was certain that's who she was looking for and that, indeed, she was Jensen Rhodes. Maybe she could vomit in the fake plant beside the desk.

Typing quickly, the receptionist looked at her computer. "You're early."

"I am."

"Ms. Lim will be out in a moment." The receptionist motioned to the neat row of plastic chairs behind Jensen.

Jensen nodded, walked over to the chairs, and sat down. She crossed her legs one way, then placed both feet on the ground. Then crossed her legs the other way. Her hands folded and unfolded, tapped against her knee and thumbs twiddled.

Jensen had tied her hair up in a bun before she left her apartment. After about ten minutes of driving Jensen had taken her hair out of the bun at the red light. As Jensen sat there trying to find something to do with her hands, she tied her hair up again. And a minute and a half later, put it back down.

If Jensen's hair wasn't already a mess of curls, she would have had a serious case of ugly ponytail-induced waves at that point. Twiddling her thumbs seemed like the best option to avoid trying to fix her hair again.

The door beside her opened not long after and made Jensen jump. And attempted to hide it. Badly. What a terrific way to prove she was a good actor. She was sure Academy Award nominee Keira Lim was going to be so impressed that she: