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A shrill sound jarred Sam from a deep sleep. She turned off the alarm and lay in bed, letting the morning sunlight tickle her senses as she stretched out her lazy body. As her legs straightened, she could feel her calves ache, reminding her of how much she had danced with Peter.
Sam couldn’t deny the fact she was still attracted to his take charge personality and his genuine concern for other people. Had it not been for their religious differences, she would have dated him again in a heartbeat. They had always gotten along well and rarely argued, leading her friends to believe they were a perfect couple. But now it seemed God had other plans for her life, and she knew she needed to trust him to fulfill her desires.
Sam glanced at her alarm clock as the time slowly came into focus. “Ten o’clock.” She kept her gaze as the neurons in her brain worked to cut through the fog of sleepiness. What was I supposed to do this morning? She rubbed her eyes, and seconds later her brain engaged like a rebooted computer.
“Oh my gosh, the audition.” The whites of her eyes grew larger as she tumbled out of bed and made a beeline for her dresser.
How could I have overslept? Why didn’t the alarm go off? I can’t be late for this audition.
She scrambled through her closet desperately searching for something classy to wear.
What would dazzle the director?
Sam didn’t want to underdress for the occasion nor did she want to appear as if she was going to a wedding. Her eyes landed on a ruffled denim dress, one she had worn to a concert with Peter and paired it with her blue lace up pumps. She slipped on the fitted dress and laced up her pumps before hastily applying eyeshadow and a bare lip liner to complete her look. Sam preferred the natural look, and even though she wanted to make a good first impression on the musical director, she hoped her voice would make a lasting impact.
She snatched her purse and keys and slammed the door to her sister’s condo before hurrying to her white Honda Accord. Even though the car had almost two hundred thousand miles on it, it rarely needed servicing until recently when she had to have the starter replaced. She shoved the key into the ignition and prayed that her car would get her to the audition before it was too late.
Sam turned the key, waiting for the familiar revving of the engine as it came to life, but only a loud clacking sound mocked her ears. “Please don’t fail me now. Please start.”
Panic set in as she held her breath and engaged the ignition a second time, but only the sounds of a malfunctioning starter broke the silence.
Sam pounded the steering wheel with her fist.
“Lord, please make my car start. You know how important this audition is for me. Why are you letting this happen?”
She glanced at her watch.
Ten forty.
She knew it was a thirty-minute drive from Anaheim Hills to the Langdon Playhouse, and that was without traffic. But with a defective starter, how could she make it in time? Catching a ride was out of the question as all of her friends and Kay were working. That left her only one option. Grab an Uber and hope she would make it in time.
Sam opened the app on her phone and flagged the first available ride. The ten-minute wait felt like hours as she paced the driveway in front of her complex looking for a black compact car. Finally, her ride pulled up to the curb, and she scrambled into the car.
Sam looked at the driver who couldn’t have been more than a few days past his eighteenth birthday. “I need to get to the Langdon Playhouse before twelve. How fast can you get me there?”
The Asian driver with spiked hair pulled his lips into a wide grin. “Oh, I no drive fast. Very dangerous and no good for insurance. I get you there safely.” He gave her a slight nod and slowly pulled the sedan away from the curb as if he was taking his first driving test.
Sam couldn’t believe her luck. Of all the Uber drivers in Orange County, she was lucky one to land one that drove like an old lady. Her hopes of getting to the audition were fading fast, but she wasn’t ready to give up so quickly.
“Please, you don’t understand, I have to get to a very important audition. This is my chance to become famous. You have to get me there faster.” Sam looked at him with desperate eyes.
The driver smiled into the rearview mirror and pointed to himself. “Aki is good driver. No accidents yet. I get you there safely.”
Sam watched with disbelief as Aki kept the sedan barely over the speed limit. At the rate they were going, she would barely make it to the audition in time. She had to figure some other way to make him drive faster.
“Look, I’ll pay you an extra twenty dollars if you can get me to the playhouse by eleven thirty.”
“Twenty dollars? Oh sorry, if I get ticket, it will cost me more.”
Sam searched through her wallet and pulled out her largest bill. “One hundred dollars then.” She waved it in front of Aki. “I’ll give you one hundred dollars if you can get me to the playhouse by eleven thirty.”
Aki’s eyes widened with excitement. “One hundred dolla’s?” He snatched the bill from her hand and flashed his brownish yellow teeth at her. “Aki now learn how to drive fast.”
Sam sank deeper into her seat as Aki gunned the engine to fifty miles per hour, and the sedan shot through the winding canyon road toward the 91 Riverside Freeway onramp. The fastest route to the playhouse required them to transition through the 55 Newport Beach Freeway where there was always congestion. She could only hope there would be no traffic today.
Her body tossed like a rag doll, the knuckles on her hand turning white as she tried to maintain a grip on the handrail.
Please God, get me to the audition in one piece.
“You okay?” Aki shouted above the hum of the engine.
Sam nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. How are we doing on time?”
Aki glanced at his clock on his dashboard. “We doing fine. Aki get you there by eleven thirty.”
The tires squealed in protest as the Maxima swerved onto the 91 freeway and barreled toward the transition of the Newport Beach Freeway. Sam glanced nervously at her watch. The minutes were ticking away, and by her calculations, they would arrive with just enough time for her to audition, as long as there were no accidents.
She closed her eyes and exhaled like a mother in labor as she tried to relax her body.
Everything is going to be alright, Sam. There’s no need to worry. You’re going to nail this audition.
She had to believe that. The next few hours would determine the future of her singing career, and Sam didn’t know how she would handle the disappointment if she failed the audition. Her thoughts were interrupted by the high-pitched sound of Aki’s voice.
“Oh oh, this not good.”
Sam’s eyes snapped open as her body lunged forward. She could feel the car’s momentum come to a halt, and she knew something was wrong.
“Sorry Lady, but I see accident up ahead.” He pointed past the windshield toward the line of flashing lights in the distance.
Sam’s throat tightened, and her stomach burned as if she had ingested a bottle of chili sauce. Her gaze traveled over the sea of cars, and she knew her chances of making the audition were slim unless she came up with some other plan.
“Can we take the streets?”
Aki sat quietly for a moment before answering. “Yes, Aki know another way. Aki no guarantee you make appointment on time, but we try.”
“Yes, we have to try,” Sam said as she began to pray for a miracle.
