Actress Not For Sale

[IsabellaRose]

Your grip tightens on the cool metal of the doorknob. The words from the other side of the door are smooth as silk but threaded with darker expectations. You breathe in. Steady yourself. You are an actress, not a toy, not a decoration, not prey. You push the door open and step inside, your heels clicking against the polished wood floor.

The room beyond is dimly lit, the glow of a single lamp casting long shadows across plush leather furniture and a sleek, black desk. Floor-to-ceiling curtains are drawn over what you assume are windows, their heavy fabric muffling the sounds of the city beyond. The air is thick with cologne and the faint bite of whiskey. At the far end of the room sits a man you assume must be the director.

He is a man of presence, handsome for an older man, his suit sharp, his silver cufflinks glinting in the low light. His gaze drags over you, slow, assessing, and you fight the urge to shiver. His eyes have undressed you before you even have a chance to move, and he leans back in his chair, fingers steepled, a smirk playing at his lips as if he already knows the outcome of this conversation.

You don’t let him speak first.

“I hope you’re looking for talent,” you say, your voice even, strong, “because that’s what I’m offering.”

His smirk widens, as though he expected resistance but doesn’t find it discouraging. "Talent," he repeats, tasting the word like it's a foreign concept. "Well, that remains to be seen, doesn’t it?"

He gestures to the chair across from him, a lazy flick of his fingers. "Please, have a seat. Let's talk about the role." His gaze is fixed on you, waiting.

 

• If you sit, shake off your fears and assumptions, decide you're both professionals, and approach this like any other audition, click here. <link forthcoming>
• If you sit, stare him down defiantly, make it clear that you won’t be intimidated, click here. <link forthcoming>
• If you remain standing, force him to make his intentions known first, ready to leave if he says the wrong thing, click here. <link forthcoming>