Guillaume, Her French Husband

Lara looked at the piece of paper and bit her lower lip. She realized as she read the details that Felipe had gone into some kind of detail when he talked to her because she had the name of the French director right. But she was still trying to figure out if she was the right fit for a European director. She had never really worked with one before and she was not sure how the whole thing was going to work out. She’d heard on more than one occasion that the European were arrogant and she was not in a place to determine whether or not she could stomach the haughtiness.

“This Guillaume person,” she started as she put the paper down on the desk. “How do I know that he is as big as you make him sound?”

“Well, he has done a number of projects. Just a few known in the Americas but he is not a new name in Europe and especially his home country of France.”

There was a long silence before she spoke again.

“So what is this part I am auditioning for exactly?” she asked and Felipe smiled. A smile so wide that it showed off his dimpled cheek.

“I am not sure but he wants to make a romantic comedy or something like that. Well, granted, this will not be the first film he has made in that genre but it will be the first one with an American star. So, yeah…I guess this will be different.”

“And what makes you think he will want someone like me?” Lara asked and Felipe shrugged.

“Why would you ask that?” he asked.

“Well, French director casting for his new movie, it is more likely than not that he would go for a white person. Definitely not me,” she said, shaking her head.

“That’s a little too much racial profiling. Don’t you think?” he asked and she shook her head, drumming her fingers on the side of the chair she was seated in.

“I wouldn’t say that. I mean, this wouldn’t be the first time I would be passed over in favor of a blonde haired, blue eyed girl.”

Felipe sighed loudly.

“Yeah I guess the industry can be a little tough on some people but that doesn’t mean that you should just resign yourself to a fate that is not even confirmed yet.”

She sighed loudly and nodded.

“Yeah, I guess not.”

“So, does that mean that you are actually going to go for this audition?” he asked and she shrugged.

“No harm in trying my luck now is there?” she asked and Felipe smiled again.

“That’s the spirit,” he said in a soft voice.

He handed her a yellow envelope and a card.

“That’s the address of the place holding the audition and those are your lines…”

“…Read them. Learn them. Internalize them,” she said cutting him short.

“Took the words right out of my mouth,” he said smiling. “And call me after. I will have a bottle of champagne on ice to celebrate.”

“Why do I have a feeling that you are more excited about this audition than I am?” she asked.

“Maybe that’s because I am,” he said a little too excitedly.

“But we don’t even know how this is going to work out,” she said as she stood up. “Don’t you think you are jumping the gun a little too soon?”

He shook his head.

“Au contraire, mademoiselle,” he said. “According to my grandmother who is a fortune teller by the way, I have a big opportunity coming my way and I don’t want to jinx it or anything,” he knocked on wood and she raised an eyebrow. “But I think this might be it.”

“So, let me get this straight. You are this excited just going on the word of a fortune teller?” she asked and Felipe’s smile faded almost immediately.

“Hey, my grandmother is not just any fortune teller. She is the fortune teller,” he said. “Before I brought her out here, people used to go all the way to Puerto Rico just to consult with her. And I am talking big names. Word has it that Eva Longoria and Penelope Cruz were some of her big shot clients.”

“Really? Penelope Cruz and Eva Longoria?” Lara asked. She knew that her doubt was obvious in the tone of her voice.

“What? You don’t believe me?” he asked.

“No…not really. It is just that one of those women are Spanish and the other is one hundred per cent American…it’s just an unlikely union.”

“Hey, mira. It is not like they got married or anything.”

“But Cruz and Longoria, really? Those two couldn’t be more different if they tried,” she pointed out.

“Well, if your grandmother thinks this is your big break then I will look into it, Felipe.”

“I didn’t say that this was the big break. All I am saying is that this might very well be the beginning of…something great.”

She smiled and shrugged.

“If you say so,” she said in a soft voice.

“If you don’t believe in my grandmother at least trust your gut,” Felipe called out to her as she walked towards the door.

“My gut?” she asked turning around. “What does my gut have to do with any of this?”

“You are a gut feeling kind of person. And that being said, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think this was a good gig to begin with,” he said and she smiled.

“I’ll read through this and let you know, Felipe,” she said, waving the yellow envelope.

“You do that,” he said smiling before she walked out of the office.

She smiled at Ruth who was on the phone as she made her way back to the elevator and usually, she would have waited until she got home to go through the audition notes. But for some reason, she was too excited to wait until she got home. So as soon as she got into the car, she opened the envelope and pulled out the audition details. As she read through, her eyes were growing wider and wider. This was not just a simple romantic film. Everything about it screamed the next big heartbreaking love story. It was a tragic comedy. Maybe as good as Titanic or The Notebook.

A smile played on her lips. If she did get this part then there was a very good chance that this was going to be her big break.

“And it’s all thanks to my sister,” she thought as she sat there, a smile on her face. She secured her seatbelt and put the key in the ignition. And for the first time in a long time, she actually felt excited about her future career in acting. She was still in a state of bliss when her phone rang. She looked at it and saw Ashley’s name on the screen.