Stalker On Set

I waited patiently in line, my palms sweating profusely, anxiety crawling up through my spine. I was just one of many girls standing in line at the casting office to audition for a role in a movie. I traced my fingers over the edges of my new headshot. I had it taken just for this. Understandably, it wasn’t the best photo of me, but it would have to do for now.

Fluorescent lights illuminated the dozen other girls auditioning as well. However, this was the competition, and I didn’t plan on getting friendly with any of them. This audition was my only chance—my only chance to get close to him and to chase my dreams. The male lead for the film had already been decided: Rich Willis. I had seen him in a film a while back and, since then, I’ve watched every interview, every movie, and collected every magazine I spotted his photograph in. I was completely obsessed with him. I knew it was unhealthy, but I didn’t plan on stopping any time soon.

“Christina Lawson?”

Concrete collected in my throat as they called my name. The moment I had been waiting for had finally come. I moved away from my spot toward the voice calling out, my legs a little shaky beneath me, and forced myself to walk steadily toward the door. I could feel the eyes of the other actresses on me, sizing me up, but I didn’t care. This wasn’t about them. This was about me and Rich.

The assistant led me into a bigger room, where a casting director sat behind a long table, flipping through some notes. I had already passed the first rounds—I’d nailed my monologue, got the callback, and now there was just one thing left. They wanted to know if I would have good chemistry with the male lead. Honestly, I wondered the same thing.

Rich sat at the edge of the room, lounging in a leather chair, wearing a tight leather jacket and beat-up blue jeans, looking every bit as perfect and handsome as he did on screen. His dark brown hair stood up on his head like static, but it was part of his signature look, and he pulled it off perfectly. His lips curled up in a half-smirk. When his eyes met mine, my stomach flipped, a current of energy surging through me.

“Christina, right?” Rich’s voice was sexier in person, smoother—and for a second, I forgot my lines, my purpose—everything.

“Yeah, that’s me,” I managed, my voice betraying a hint of my nerves. Great, I was already losing my cool.

The casting director looked up. “Great, Christina. We’re going to do the scene where your character meets Rich’s character for the first time. It’s tense, seductive—imagine yourself as the character. Got it?”

I nodded, trying to keep myself together. This was the moment. I had dreamed of this for weeks, repeating it in my head a thousand times, imagining what it would feel like to be in Rich’s presence, to feel that electric chemistry between us. I had never been this close to someone I idolized, and now I had to act like I wasn’t completely infatuated with him. I took a deep breath. I had to act like I didn’t know who he was, without acting uninterested, so I wouldn’t blow my cover. Ahhh! My head felt like it was going to explode from all the pressure.

Rich stood up and stepped closer to me, his presence filling the room. He smiled, but there was something predatory in it, something that made my breath catch in my throat. His eyes locked onto mine with that same intensity that made him irresistible on screen. I was supposed to play it cool, to keep the tension simmering between us. How exactly was I supposed to do this, though? All I wanted to do was throw myself onto him and straddle his waist.

We began the scene.

“So, you came all this way—for what?” Rich’s character asked, his voice low and teasing, stepping closer to me. Damn, he smelled so good. The scent of his cologne wafted into my airways, making me want to lose my mind.

I swallowed hard, trying to get into acting mode—a woman lured into danger, unaware of just how close she is to the edge. “I think you know why I’m here,” I replied, my voice steady despite the way my heart thumped in my chest. I could feel the heat between us—was it real, or just acting? I wasn’t sure anymore. Am I being delusional?

Rich’s eyes swept over mine, slow and deliberate. “I’m not sure you’re ready for what comes next,” he said, his voice dropping even lower. I almost couldn’t do this anymore; he was inching closer toward me, if that was even possible. He was standing right in front of me.

My heart pounded. This was my chance. I had to show them—show Rich—that I wasn’t just another girl auditioning for a role. I leaned in, just slightly, tilting my head the way I had practiced in front of the mirror a hundred times. “Why don’t you find out?” I teased, still playing the character.

There was a beat of silence before Rich’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. It was like a challenge, and one I felt deep inside. The casting director was still watching, but in that moment, it felt like it was just me and Rich in the room.

Rich didn’t break eye contact as he delivered the next line, his voice dripping with seductive danger: “You might regret that.” I felt my core ache at the sound of his voice, squeezing my thighs together. I needed to focus. Focus, Christina, focus!

A shiver ran down my spine. This was more than acting now. I could feel the chemistry, the pull between us, and for a moment, I forgot where I was. I wasn’t Christina anymore. I was the character I was supposed to be playing.

“Okay, that’s enough.” The casting director’s voice broke through the tension, yanking me back to reality.

Rich stepped back, but not before his eyes lingered on mine for just a second longer than necessary. Adrenaline pumped through my chest, butterflies fluttering in my belly.

The casting director scribbled something down and nodded. “Good work, Christina. We’ll be in touch.”

I nodded, trying to keep my composure as I left the room. My heart was still racing as I stepped back into the hallway, the door slamming behind me. I had done it.

Finally, I got to see him in person. Internally, I chanted yes, yes, yes. A big smile stayed glued to my face. I knew I had nailed that audition based on the looks I got from the casting crew and director.

But more than that, I knew I had just gotten one step closer to Rich.