T/W: Mentions minor violence and drunken antics.

*****

BREAKING NEWS! ACTRESS CHARLEY EVANS WAS SEEN LAST NIGHT, EXITING THE POPULAR NIGHTCLUB, RADIANT, STUMBLING ALONG, DRUNK AND DISORIENTED.

ONCE OUTSIDE, WHEN THE ACTRESS WAS APPROACHED BY MULTIPLE PAPARAZZO, SHE VICIOUSLY ATTACKED THEM!

MOMENTS LATER, SEVERAL POLICE OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE, WERE CHARLEY EVANS WAS ESCORTED AWAY FROM THE MOB SCENE, BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

****

"Charley, get your lazy ass up!" Melanie Richards, my agent is standing by the side of my bed, hands planted on her almost nonexistent hips, her pretty face screwed up in a deep scowl.

I purposely ignore her, rolling over and yanking the blanket up higher and covering my head. I hear an aggravated huff escape Mel's mouth and a moment, the blanket is viciously ripped away, as I'm exposed to the bright, blinding sunlight.

I pop up, fury filling me and immediately regret it, as I fall back, a sharp dull pain throbbing in my head. I squinch my eyes closed, moaning loudly.

"How many times do I have to tell you; more alcohol is not better?" I ignore Mel's little speech. I've heard it enough times by now, I could recite it, word for word.

"Go away."

"Don't tempt me." I hear the sound of my closet door creaking open and the rustle of clothing being shuffled. "You have an audition for the leading role in James Young's latest film."

"Screw it," I moan. "I'm not going. I'm dying. Just drive me to the morgue instead."

"You're not dying." Mel comes over, and sits down beside me, flinging an outfit at me. I reluctantly open my eyes and the pain behind my eyes intensifies by two hundred.

"Nooo!"

"Charley, you're not screwing this one up." I slowly prop myself up on my elbows, glaring ferociously.

"Forget about acting! I quit!" Mel just scowls and reaches out to start pulling off my t-shirt. I squeal and slide away from her.

"Then. Do. It. Yourself." Mel stands up, pointedly looking at her watch. "It's precisely seven-oh-three. You have approximately one hour to get ready."

I pout and begin undressing myself and putting on the clean clothes. Mel's expression softens a notch.

"I know things haven't been easy for you of late."

I grunt at her, trying to focus on getting dressed instead of puking my guts out. Mel tosses me a sympathetic glance before exiting my bedroom and giving me some space. In addition to being my agent, Mel's my bestie. In all honesty, she takes a lot of shit from me.

I quickly finish dressing and hoist myself upright, groping along, head down, forcing myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Mel appears in the doorway and grabs my arm, guiding me out to the living room, where she gives me two aspirin and a cup of hot coffee.

I quickly swallow the aspirin and almost instantly, my hangover headache backs off a few notches.

"Think you manage a piece of toast?" Mel calls from the kitchen. My stomach lurches at the mention of food, but I need something solid in my gut.

"Not sure." I wince the sound of my own voice. "But I'll try." As I settle back against the couch cushions, sipping my coffee, and Mel gets me some toast, I can't resist taking a peek at the entertainment headlines.

Instantly, I regret it.

There's dozens of videos and photos of me, leaving the nightclub and the police arriving to..ahem..escort me away.

"How many times do I have to tell you: stop doing that shit to yourself?" Mel's sharp tone snaps my attention away from my phone screen.

Mel snatches my phone from my fingers, and replaces it with a piece of toast. The smell is making me want to vomit. I take a tiny bite, slowly chewing it and swallow it.

"I know," I say, feeling the intensity of her glare, even though we're not making eye contact.

"Reading that shit will only bring you down, mentally." A delicious burst of anger rolls over me.

"What does it matter?" I snap. "I'm always gonna be a screw-up!"

"Charley," Mel begins but I jump up, holding up my hand, halting her.

"We don't have time for that." I march into the bathroom, gulping down the remainder of my dry toast, brush my teeth, hair and apply some deodorant. I return to the living room.

"I'm ready. Let's get this shit show over with."

***

Forty-five minutes later, I'm standing in front of James Young and a few others, while Mel keeps watch from the back of the room. I'm holding the script and am about to audition. In all truth, I just want this to be over with, go home, crawl beneath the blankets in my bed and sleep for two weeks straight.

"All right, Ms. Evans," James tells me. "You'll reading the part of Jemima. I'll read the part of Alex. We'll start on page six, where these characters first meet." James looks at me. "You may begin whenever you're ready."

I steady my nerves and launch right into the dialogue. James and I go back and forth for several minutes before he halts the audition. I nervously wait for his response.

"That was brilliant, Ms. Evans." At first, I think he's joking. "You really nailed it."

"Y..you mean it?" James nods. "I just want to screen test you with the male lead. Can you return tomorrow at ten A.M.?"

I nod dumbly. "Absolutely." James gives me a smile and dismisses me. I thank him for his time and hurry towards Mel, who's beaming.

We exchange a look as we hurry towards the exit and burst out into the bright sunshine. Mel grabs my hand, squealing.

"I'm so proud of you!" I fish my sunglasses out of my bag, jamming them on my face.

"I don't have the role yet." I veer over towards a coffee shop, suddenly famished now that my stomach has decided to stop trying to cave in on me. We enter and get in line. Because of the time of day, luckily it's not overly crowded.

There's a man just in front of us. He's concentrating so hard on staring at his phone screen, that he's not paying any attention. I tap him on the shoulder and he pivots, and the first thing I notice about him, is are his deep, brown eyes.

"Yeah?" His is voice deep and sexy. My knees go weak.

"Um, it's your turn?" I gesture towards the counter. He flashes a bashful grin and I get a brief sneak peek of his dimples.

"Oops! Sorry! Actually I'm in the middle of answering an email. You can go first."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." He flashes another grin and I almost turn into a puddle on the ground.

"Thanks." I step up to the counter, ordering Mel and I some coffee and two bran muffins.

I collect my stuff and turn, crashing into him. I frown. Especially when I look into his face. He's grinning, like he planned on doing that.

"Sorry!" I give him a tight smile and move away, muttering under my breath, as I hurry past the others waiting in line and outside.

"Oooh somebody's in a snit!" Mel is at my elbow.

"Bite me!" I bite into my muffin, trying to shake off these uncomfortable feelings.

Mel giggles, but I refuse to take the bait, instead changing the subject.

"I wonder who my leading man would be?" I muse, thinking about tomorrow's screen test.

"Hopefully someone dreamy," Mel comments. I roll my eyes.

"I wouldn't bet on it." We walk along in silence for several minutes. "Whoever it is, will probably drop out the second they'll be cast opposite me."

"Have a little more optimism," Mel chides. I just sigh. One problem with being Hollywood's bad girl, no one wants to work with you.

***
I hardly sleep that night. I toss and turn, worrying who I'll be screen testing with.

When Mel arrives the following morning, I'm already up, dressed and have had some breakfast. She eyes me warily.

"You're up early." I nod, sipping my coffee. "Couldn't sleep?" I shake my head. Mel wraps an arm around my shoulder.

"Everything will be fine."

"Yeah right."

***
When I step into the room for the screen test, my eyes nearly fall out of their sockets. My screen test partner is none other than the man in the coffee shop yesterday.

"Ms. Evans, I'd like you to meet Pedro Pascal."

Oh shit.