Rising Star

Chapter 1

     I hate this part. Nothing is ever close to home. I couldn't keep traveling around the world. My money is getting low. I may have to get a second job. Again. The list of places and and times scroll swiftly past my laptop screen. A few places stick out to me, places I've longed to go to almost my whole life. London, England, 9:30am. Venice, Italy, 11:00. Sydney, Australia, 11:00. Each one too far away for my minimal budget. A soft sigh escapes my lips before Los Angeles flies past. I swiftly go to back to it.
"Wait. Wait. Wait. I need you." My voice comes out in a frantic whisper as I click the name.

Lost in the City - Rated R - Jessica
Female, lead roll
Auditions at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, Ca USA
1:45

     My eyes close as I think silently before opening them again. I need another audition. I need money again. My hand reaches out towards my notebook and pen. The sound of a click fills my room before I start scribbling the words down. My tongue peaks out between my lips before I toss the pen and paper on the couch next to me, returning my fingers to the computer pad. My search continuing.
     An hour passed and I only got three written down before I set it down and pulled out my black, leather bound journal. My fingers brushed over the simple papers as the book flips open, pages ruffling as I get to the page I'm on, well over halfway as I click my pen open again. The tip glides smoothly over the paper in my messy cursive handwriting, scribbling down my day.
     Tried to find another audition near home. Turns out, it's much harder than one would think for the land of movies stars. Maybe it's the off season. Maybe they're just doing interviews or something and not making many movies this year... Who knows. I hope I'll be one of the greats, just like my favorites, Tom Hiddleston and Sebastian Stan.
     My writing stops once I hear soft whining and a wet nose pressing against my left hand. I look up to see my six and a half month old German Shepherd puppy, Luptă, sitting and staring at me with his soft brown eyes. A soft smile spreads on my lips as I gently let his head. My hand tenderly grabs his ear and rubs it, feeling the soft fur under my thumb as it parts and shifts to accustom to the movement.
"Hey, Luptă. Are you wanting to do something and get out of this crummy apartment?" His tail ways as I speak gently to him. I giggle softly and pat his head as I stand up. My hard feet slowly shuffle across the floor as I walk to the coat rack near my door, the front door opening into my living room. Luptă barks at me once, his voice a little lower than most dogs his age. I smile widely.
"Oh look at you! So excited to get out. I bet it will be good for both of us." I grab his navy blue and white, braided leash before looking at him.
"Luptă, sit." I speak firmly and his hindquarters swiftly lower and hit the ground, his tail wagging against the floor, hitting one hip then the other. I smile again and crouch in front of him to clip he leash onto his collar. He stands up and runs his tongue over my ring cheek and nose, leaving a bit of salvia behind with each kiss. After the third one I pull back and let his head for a second.
"You're such a good boy, Luptă. I don't regret getting you." I gently kiss his head before grabbing the loop of the leash with my right hand and standing up again. Luptă finds his place on my right as I open the door. I lead him down the hall a few feet before turning right, to head down the stairs.
     Once we get to the bottom, I hold Luptă's leash tighter to keep him close as I walk to the door, no one down in the lobby area. I frown slightly and pull out my blue flip phone. My thumb runs along the side to find the volume buttons as I click the lower one to turn the outer screen on, exposing the time, 4:17 PM. I look at Luptă.
"You still want to go out?" He looks up at me and tilts his head. I giggle softly before starting to walk out with him by my side.
"Okay okay. Me too." Luptă holds his tail high as it wags back and forth, his erected ears twitching a little as he searches the air for different sounds. I open the main doors before turning left to walk up the street.
     People pass me on bother sides as I walk towards the park, my shoulders wagging slightly and pulled close to me, not wanting to hit anyone or really wanting to be seen. Luptă seems to sense it and walks closer to me, his fur brushing against my skinny jeans. I smile softly at him as I keep walking towards the park.
     Once we get there, I jog to a tree to search for a fallen branch. Luptă puts his nose to the ground as he takes in each of the events. I chuckle softly and find a maple branch fallen a few feet from the base of the trunk.
"Luptă! Here boy!" I tug lightly on his leash and he trots back to me, dirt on his nose and his tongue hanging out of his mouth as a trail of saliva falls down from the pink muscle to the ground. My hand reaches out to take off his leash as I giggle softly. I slowly stand up, saving the stick in front of him.
"Ready, boy? Sit." He drops his hips as his tail thumps against the ground, staring up at the brown stick. I wave it again before throwing overhand out into the field.
"Fetch!" I call out and Luptă swiftly stands, turning tail to sprint after it as a bit of dust follows in his wake. I smile as I watch him pick it up, Luptă's face slamming into the dirt with his mouth open to get the stick. A soft giggle escapes my lips as he trots back to me, holding only one end of the stick in his mouth. Once he returns to me, I take it from his mouth to throw it again.
     Just before I have the chance to toss the small branch, a dark brown blurry springs past my feet, inviting Luptă to go tearing after him. Chunks of dirt and grass follow in his wake before it registers in my mind what is happening.
"Luptă! Luptă come!" I sprint after him, holding his leash tightly. My feet pounding against the earth as I struggle to catch up to his rapidly moving paws. Why today... I groan internally, giving me enough time to collide right into someone walking on the path.
     My body slams into the other person, making them unstable as they wrap their arms tightly around me to help keep me up and off the ground. The unknown person stumbles backwards three steps, taking me with from the force of impact. I grab onto the shirt to stabilize myself before looking up at them to see green eyes staring back at me, surprise lighting his gaze as he looks back into my soft, green-grey pair. I swiftly pull back.
"I'm so sorry. I was chasing my dog. I collided into you. I'm so sorry. Are you ok?" I feel my cheeks heat up slightly the longer I stared at his well defined facial features. A sharp jaw, hint of a stubble growing along his chin and above his lip. Those smooth, slightly pink lips. I feel my heartbeat pick up slightly the longer I stare at his lips before slowly looking up back to his eyes, following the path of his slightly slender nose. A hint of concern shows in the dull green as he stares at me. I shake my head slightly to clear my non-existent thoughts.
"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that. Are you ok?" I stare into his eyes, resting under his medium brown, average thick eyebrows. He chuckled softly, not too deep but enough to tell he's masculine.
"Yes I'm ok. Are you ok?" His voice soft and hinted with concern. I nod slowly and bite my lip, lost in my world of having ran into the most handsome man I have ever met.
"Need help finding your dog?" I nod and smile softly.
"That would be great. Thank you." My hand flies out to shake his as I speak swiftly.
"I'm Nicole." He grins, almost smugly yet flirtatiously as he grabs my hand firmly but gentle, clearly knowing his strength before pumping out hands a few times.
"Bryce. Nice to run into you." Bryce chuckles softly and so do I, sounding a little shy as I look to his brown hair. It's parted of center on his right side as the hair rolls gently to the left, a few natural lighter brown highlights roll through in the sunlight. Wonder of it's as soft as it looks. I almost slap myself for thinking that so early. Bryce moves to stand next to me as he searches for Luptă.
"What's your dog's name?" He doesn't move his gaze from the seemingly empty field.
"Luptă." He looks at me with surprise.
"I was expecting something like 'Chief' or 'Charlie.'" I giggle softly and and shake my head.
"Too common of a name. I wanted to do something different." Bryce smiles.
"I understand that. Sometimes names are just too common." I nod before calling Luptă's name out, searching the field again. Where did he go...?
     I start walking in the direction he was going before his leash form comes barreling into view, running straight for me. I swiftly put my hand out and speak firmly.
"Luptă sit." His hindquarters drop instantly, forcing a stop as I walk to him, surprisingly having held onto the leash the whole time as Bryce follows. I swiftly get his leash attached to his collar before looking at Bryce.
"I'm sorry about this again..." He chuckles that slightly deep and smooth chuckle again as he slowly shakes his head.
"It's alright. Worth getting ran into by someone of your beauty." My cheeks heat up again, pink hinting in the skin.
"Thank you..." I smile shyly at him, slowly taking in his well built figure. He looks like he should be in the army.
"Will I see you again, Nicole?" My gaze looks back into his and I bite the inside of my cheeks before taking a shot at flirting.
"As long as you're paying." He grins more as he catches the flirtation in my voice.
"Tomorrow at seven? I'll meet you here." I stare at him with surprise, not having expected such a response.
"I'll be here." I speak shyly. The pink shifting to a darker red.
"Wait. How will I contact you if I can't make it?" Bryce's grin shifts to a slight smirk at my words.
"May I have your phone?" I slowly fish my iPhone out of my pocket before handing it to him, the screen still locked. He chuckled again before holding it out to me.
"Care to unlock it?" I giggle softly and type in my PIN, 99687. Bryce smiles and goes to my contacts, ignoring my wallpaper of Luptă sitting with a green and black rope you in his mouth as he stares at the camera, before swiftly making a new contact profile with his information in it. He clicks the picture button to take a selfie and places it as the profile picture before making a new message to text himself 'hey.' His fingers slide over the power button to turn it off before holding it it to me. I smile softly and take the phone back, putting it into my pocket. Bryce grins back.
"See you at seven!" He speaks softly before turning to walk away, heading the opposite direction Luptă came from, his well defined body getting smaller.