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Tuesday is our second to last class of the acting session, and we start out by doing the scenes Earl gave us last week in pairs. On the one hand, it’s nice not to have to be up there alone; but on the other hand, I memorized only my lines one after the other and having to remember which line comes next after my partner spoke theirs thoroughly confused me. I slink back to my seat, disappointed after receiving such high praise for my monologue. Earl stomps and yells after each set as, two by two, we ascend the stage in pairs and fail the assignment. Callie the would be model paired with Janine the actual computer genius, and they perform so poorly, Earl went so far as kicking them off stage. The only pair who does half way decently is Tessa and Molly. Unlike the rest of us, they manage to avoid awkward pauses while the other person struggles to remember their lines.
“It’s not terrible,” Earl says with a sigh after they exit the stage. “I don’t really have time in this class to do scene work and deal with relationships as much as I would like to. Today is just a basic overview to give you an idea of what it’s like to work with another actor. I offer an intensive class that is almost exclusively scenes in my studio if anyone is interested in taking their acting to the next level. See me after class for more information. No homework for Thursday. We’ll be doing agency and marketing.”
Always the first to leave every single class, Tessa makes a beeline for the exit without a word. I step aside to let her pass, then follow Sabrina out the door.
“Hey, I’m having a few friends over tonight. You should come over.”
“On a Tuesday night this late? What’s the occasion?”
“It’s not late!” she sputters. “It’s only 8:30 p.m., and no reason really. I was bored and just felt like inviting people over. So come.”
“I have to work early tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, c’mon,” Sabrina begs. “It’ll be fun. You don’t have to stay too long. Just come and have a drink then you can go.”
I’m not much for spontaneity under the best of circumstances and especially not on a week night when I really want to go home, put on pajamas and go to bed. Sabrina runs ahead to catch up with Talya inviting her too. She nods her head enthusiastically as I catch up.
“Are you coming too?” Talya asks.
I sigh. I really don’t want to be a stick in the mud, but they don’t have jobs and I do. “No, I better not. I’m just not up for it tonight.”
“C’mon Lexi. Just come!” Sabrina begs. “Live on the edge for once. It won’t kill you to stay up late just one night out of the week. Just go to sleep right when you get home tomorrow.”
Easy for her to say, but Sabrina isn’t going to leave me alone and I have to admit it is nice to feel included.
“Fine. I’ll go! One drink and I’m out. Where do you live?”
“Yes!” Sabrina says, pumping her fist at her side. “You can both follow me.” She links arms with Talya and me, skip dragging us down the hallway.
I’m not exactly a social butterfly, so I’m already feeling nervous about meeting Sabrina’s friends and I already know I’m going to regret this tomorrow morning.
I get into my car then follow Sabrina and Talya out of the parking lot. About five miles from Chloe Dillon’s, Sabrina slows down in front of a high-rise building and motions us to pass her. As I drive by, she yells out the window that she only has two parking spots in her parking garage and one belongs to her roommate, so we’ll have to find street parking. She’ll meet us in number Thirty-thirty.
I drive around for about ten minutes, looking for a parking space I can actually squeeze into without leaving half my car hanging in the street, then make my way back towards Sabrina’s building, running into Talya at the entrance.
“This should be fun,” Talya says excitedly, pulling open one of the heavy double doors.
As we step into the lobby, I’m wondering if this a condominium complex or a hotel because it sure looks like a hotel to me; and a fancy one at that. The man in a bellhop type suit seated behind the front desk smiles, nodding his head in our direction. Are we supposed to sign in or something? We observe travertine floors polished to a high gloss, vaulted cathedral ceilings and elegant lobby furniture in awed confusion. I glance at the building directory enclosed in glass on the wall. Concierge, Gym, Movie Room, Club house... The man behind the desk says nothing so we keep walking until we see a silver plated sign with the word Elevator on it. Talya and I glance at each other with wide eyes when we see that the Thirtieth floor is marked penthouse.
“I didn’t know she was rich,” she says as the elevator doors close behind us.
I knew she was well off but this...well, this is definitely rich. The elevator bell dings as we reach the top. I walk the wrong way immediately as always, but Talya grabs my hand, leading me in the opposite direction.
We follow the silver plates on two other numbered doors until we get to Thirty-thirty. The sound of loud music seeps into the quiet hallway from the other side of the door . I’m not sure anyone will hear the doorbell, but we ring it anyway then wait a minute or two, staring at each other in silence. Talya cautiously grasps the doorknob and turns, pushing the door open
The doorway leads down a hallway with doors on both sides. I peak behind one door, revealing a small powder room. We keep going and the hallway opens up to a large living room and dining room combination. The cavernous living area sprawls to the right opposite a spectacular all-white kitchen with subway tile backsplash. The wall next to a large pantry with glass doors holds open, dark wood shelving for pots and pans instead of traditional cabinetry. A large, gleaming chrome range hood hangs suspended above the center island housing a six burner, restaurant quality cook top. This is seriously my dream kitchen. I’ve drooled over it a thousand times on HGTV and now its right here in Sabrina’s house. Not that I cook, but I swear I would if I had a kitchen like this. And that’s not even the best part. Straight ahead lies an amazing view of the San Diego Bay through giant floor to ceiling windows occupying most of the back wall. Gigantic french doors lead out to the balcony. Through spotless windows, the city skyline sparkles brilliantly against the dark night sky and the reflection of the moon bounces off the pitch black water amidst the twinkle of sailboats and yachts bobbing up and down in the bay. Is this the place where she wanted me to move in with her?
Two girls holding wine glasses chat animatedly in the kitchen while a third lounges on the couch in the living room, talking into her cell phone.
“Hey,” the brunette from the kitchen calls out to us. “Everyone’s upstairs. Appetizers are here but all the drinks are upstairs.” She turns back to her conversation.
I admire her wild patterned leggings and black flowing top—the kind where the armpit area of the shirt doesn’t actually come anywhere near your actual armpits when you put it on—ensemble. I tried one of those shirts on once and it made me look big and frumpy, but it looks great on her.
Talya and I approach the white marble kitchen island filled with an array of different appetizers to choose from.
“Oh, yum,” Talya says, grabbing a plate. She hands one to me and we load up. My sandwich is long gone and I’m starving. I grab two sliders, a few golden colored balls speckled with green flecks, and a few rolled up looking things with toothpicks stuck in them.
“How do you eat so much and stay so thin?” I ask Talya who has loaded her plate with about five of everything. Good thing the plates are real and not paper or it would collapse under the weight.
“It’s all in the genes. Metabolism, I guess. I was skinny as a child. I hated it, but now I don’t mind because I get to eat whatever I want.”
How many supermodels have I heard say that very same thing on TV interviews? I should be so lucky. I feel like I have to watch every single bite that goes into my mouth. If I don’t, my jeans literally feel tighter the next day. Plates filled, we glance around, looking for stairs. The girl said everyone was upstairs, but I don’t see a staircase. I start toward a hallway off the living room.
“The deck is outside,” the girl on the couch says.
Oh. We head out the French doors. I’m immediately chilled by the cool air coming in off the bay and glad I wore my jacket.
From the balcony, we make our way up the spiral stairs to a giant, well-lit rooftop deck with a pool at the far end. Chairs and side tables are neatly arranged into different seating areas with potted greenery scattered throughout. Everyone clusters around a giant, L-shaped wicker sectional covered in bright orange seat cushions and equally bright, multi-colored pillows. Talya follows me as I head toward one of the industrial sized heat lamps to keep warm. I’m not sure exactly what I would have worn if I’d known in advance I was coming here, but I’m sure it wouldn’t have been this. My old button up white shirt with blue and black vertical stripes, standard fare, wide leg, black work pants and black nylon jacket are outdated and plain amongst this fashionably dressed crowd.
“Hey, there you are!” Sabrina says as she sashays her way through a cluster of people and over to us. “Come on, come on, let’s get a drink and I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Talya smiles enthusiastically, chowing down on one of her sliders, while I sigh inwardly. I was hoping to stay where I was by the heat lamp and keep to myself until sufficient time had passed and I could leave. Lured by the promise of a drink and not wanting to be left behind, I trail behind them as Sabrina leads us to a mini bar set up off to the side next to the outdoor kitchen. “Ben, we need you!” she calls out.
“So, what do you guys want? I have wine. Red, white or sparkling. Or I can get Ben to mix up anything you want.”
Ben smiles at us, and I wonder if he’s really a bartender.
“Ben, meet Talya and Lexi. Talya and Lexi, meet Ben. His father works with my dad and we’ve known each other since we were ten...which is why he volunteers to be my bartender any time I want.” She winks at him and he shakes his head at her.
“You’re lucky I am hopelessly in love with you or I wouldn’t even come to your party just to be treated like a servant.”
“Don’t listen to him. He’s not in love with me,” Sabrina says to us. “That’s just our little inside joke because we both know our dads wish it were true. He actually loathes me and I despise him right back, but we’re stuck with each other so here he is. You have to admit that ‘Ben the Bartender’ has a nice ring to it. If the name fits...” Sabrina says, tilting back her head with laughter.
Ben has to be one of the most attractive guys I’ve ever seen who wasn’t on TV. His dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and well-built frame is striking enough, but to top it off he has a dimple in his chin. Who on earth besides John Travolta actually has one of those? “Nice to meet you both,” he says to us. “So what’ll it be?”
“Nice to meet you too,” Talya says to him. “I’ll have red wine.”
“And I’ll have the sparkling,” I say. Bubbles. Must have bubbles in order to get me through this. Ben hands us our drinks, tells us to have fun and gives Sabrina a kiss on the cheek as he walks away.
“What is wrong with you, Sabrina? That guy is a walking Ken Doll and he’s obviously into you. Why aren’t you all over it?” I ask.
“Oh, god, Lexi. He’s practically my brother and what self-respecting rebellious daughter wants to marry her Dad’s partner’s son who spends all his time studying in a law library? Not me. Okay, so I can’t pretend not to notice how good looking he is, but I’ll find a man on my own, thank you very much. C’mon. Let’s go,” she says and leads us over to the scary clump of people who belong in Vogue magazine standing by the couch. I take a giant gulp of my wine and down half of it in one go.
“Everybody, this is Talya and Alexis. Talya and Alexis, this is everybody,” Sabrina says to the group, waving her hand around. There are a few halfhearted scattered hellos, then everyone goes back to their conversations. A few people head over to the bar for more drinks, and the ever-dutiful Ben the bartender trots over to his station to see what they want. Sabrina signals across the way, and a guy walks over and introduces himself.
“Hi, I’m David,” he says, smiling. His eyes linger appreciatively over Talya.
“Hi, David,” we reply. Someone calls out to Sabrina so she excuses herself.
“Great party huh?” Talya says, setting down her wine glass and nibbling at the food on her plate.
“Yeah,” David says. “Sabrina definitely knows how to throw a great party and she loves to entertain. This is our favorite hangout spot. So how do you guys know Sabrina?”
“We’re all in the same class together at the Chloe Dillon Modeling and Acting center,” Talya says.
“I knew you were a model,” David says to Talya, ignoring me.
She smiles and blushes. “Well, I wouldn’t exactly say I’m a model, we haven’t even gotten to that part of the class yet, but I’m going to try to be. How do you know Sabrina?”
“Most of us here either went to University of San Diego or know someone who did. Sabrina and I met our freshmen year. I came out here from the east coast to go to school and liked it so much, I got a job here and stayed.”
“What did you major in?” I ask, attempting to be conversational.
“International Business,” he replies.
“Oh, wow. I’m finishing up my MBA at State,” Talya exclaims excitedly. “So, how did you like the program at USD? I almost went there, but the study abroad program at State was much better for me.”
I’m already feeling left out of the conversation, and its obvious David probably has a thing for Talya. Who wouldn’t? I discreetly excuse myself and walk over to one of the giant wicker chairs near a heat lamp. Sitting down to finish up my food and wine, I overhear snatches of conversation wafting my way.
“...back from Europe a couple weeks ago. We only made it to Spain and Italy but next time...”
”...don’t want to work for them. I got a much better C-level offer with First Capital. Give me your resume and I’ll....”
“...bought a little condo downtown. We love the location but it’s too small. We’re thinking of selling and getting...”
Who are these people? They travel abroad, own real estate, and have fancy job titles. I’ve only ever traveled to Arizona to see my parents and Virginia for one semester of college. I have nothing to offer a conversation with these people and I don’t like talking about my job. They always ask if you enjoy it, which gives me two options. I can say, “Yes,” which is a complete lie or, “No” which is the truth, but awkward and leads to another lie. No, I don’t enjoy it, but I’m definitely exploring other options. Lie.
David leads Talya over to another group of people. They’re having a good time and I feel like I’m in the twilight zone. I don’t belong here. I hide in the shadows as they tilt back their well-polished heads with laughter in between sips of wine, wanting so badly to shake the terrible feeling that they are better, smarter and happier than I could ever be. My eyes smart with tears, but I blink them away. Silently, I make my way over to the stairs so I can sneak away quietly without being seen.
