Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“You’re not an asshole to want more challenging work,” she argued. “And it’s not like you aren’t grateful for what you have now.”
“I’m definitely grateful,” I said. “I might be sick and tired of Bulge, but he rescued me from obscurity. He bought me a house. A car.”
“Hot dogs and beers.” Ari clinked her bottle against mine.
“Hot dogs and beers.”
Silence fell around us again, but it was comfortable. A breeze ruffled Ari’s curls. I wished I could put my arm around her shoulder, tuck her against my side. It had been a long time since I’d wanted to get close to someone. “You know, I’ve been thinking about you a lot the last couple days.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“My agent dragged me to this psychic healer a few days ago. She looked like you.”
She burst out laughing, her feet hitting the ground again. “Wait a minute. Back up. A psychic healer?”
“Yes.” I paused with my beer halfway to my mouth. “Her name was Delphine.”
“Oh my God.” She turned on the bench to face me, tucking one leg beneath her. “I need to know more. Why are you seeing a psychic healer?”
“Because casting directors have said that my work lacks emotional depth, and Izzie—that’s my agent—said that I can’t make an audience feel things if I don’t feel things.”
“You don’t feel things?”
“I do,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck, “but I don’t like wallowing in them or talking about them. And playing Bulge for the last five years hasn’t really challenged me to dig very deep into my emotional well. So now that I need that skill, I’m struggling. There’s this director—Katherine Carroll. Have you heard of her?”
“Of course.”
“I really want to be considered for this particular role in her next project—it’s a movie called All We’ve Lost—but it’s a romantic lead, and Izzie said she wouldn’t get me an audition unless I went to the psychic healer to clear some negative energy. Open up the emotional channels or something.”
Ari quirked a brow. “So what did Delphine do to unclog your channel?”
“She took me into a dark room and told me to sit in the chair across the table from her. Then we held hands so our energies could meet.”
Her lips twitched. “And then?”
“And then she told me my energy was fucked because my ego is too big, and my heart is constipated.”
“What?” Ari dissolved into laughter again.
“She said there was some kind of blockage to my heart energy that was preventing me from connecting to my deepest feelings. Then she said she was going to try to shift some of the energy around and get it moving again, but she couldn’t.” I tipped my beer up again. “My poor heart energy is all backed up, and she was fresh out of emotional plungers to sell me.”
She wiped tears from her eyes. “So what’s the solution?”
“According to Delphine, I have to strip down to my purest self and get more comfortable with vulnerability. I need to show the universe that I’m willing to accept its gifts. And my agent thought some time away from the L.A. scene would be good for that.”
“Wait a minute.” Composing herself, she rested her beer bottle on top of my thigh. “Is this why you were walking around naked yesterday?”
“Yes.” I paused. “But I also just like being naked.”
She shook her head. “This is ridiculous, Dash. You need a better plan for solving your emotional depth problem.”
“I’m all ears if you’ve got one.”
She was silent for a moment, during which I studied the way her hand was wrapped around the neck of that beer bottle on my leg and imagined it closed around my cock, which was in the vicinity and definitely aware of her fist.
Then she sat up taller. “You know what? I do have a plan.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. I believe I can help you get in touch with your feelings, Dashiel Buckley.”
“How’s that?”
“I’m going to make a list of my all-time favorite big-feels movies. Then we’re going to watch them together and soak in the emotional depth.”
“Soak in the emotional depth?” I laughed. “I’m not sure that’s how it works.”
“Oh, but walking around naked is going to help? Listen, these films are going to be a masterclass in making an audience fall in love with you.” She got to her feet and faced me. “I need to start making my list!”
I watched her start pacing back and forth in front of the bench, the moonlight dusting her hair. “I’m almost afraid to ask what’s on this list.”
“All kinds of things. Titanic for sure,” she said. “Possibly The Lion King.”
“The Lion King? As in the cartoon?”
“You’re right, maybe we should stick to people.” She kept pacing. “The Princess Bride is great. Shakespeare in Love is a must.”
“Shakespeare?” I made a face. “I’m not much of a—”