For a second I wonder if Nick is already in love with Jane. If that’s what he sees when he looks at me. But then, I reason, I was Jane wasn’t I, aren’t I? That was me on the screen, nobody else. I shake off the thought and take a sip of my ice-cold free drink.
The conversation moves on to other things and by coffees we’ve circled back to my screen test tomorrow.
“Are you nervous about meeting him? Your co-star?” Nick asks.
“A bit, if I’m honest. I really want him to like me. Is that lame?” I ask, sipping my sharp coffee. I know I should have ordered a jasmine tea or something to stand any chance of getting an early night and being well rested for the test tomorrow, but it tastes so good. I can already feel the buzz of caffeine kicking through me.
Nick shakes his head. “No, it’s not lame.” He smiles and stirs some sugar into his espresso. “You want some insider info on him?” he asks cautiously.
I feel a yawn of dread open in the pit of my stomach, unsure if I can handle any more insider revelations. I don’t think I could deal with it if Nick told me my potential co-star was a terrible person.
I take another hot sip of coffee and nod. After all, being prepared is half the battle.
Nick leans forward with a mischievous grin, clearly enjoying seeing a moment of, no doubt refreshingly novel, vulnerability. I’m guessing most of the people he deals with have skins so thick that nerves are nothing more than a distant teenage memory.
“He’s actually a really sweet guy,” Nick says with a smirk, and I feel a wave of relief flush through my body. “He’s very down-to-earth, easy to work with, crews tend to love him.”
“And the whole Method thing?” I probe.
“Oh yeah. Apparently, he just starts doing it the first time you meet him. Not like full character, costume and all that, but he’ll set your relationship up in real life the same as it is in the script.” He tips back the last of his coffee. “It’s kind of a love story, Galatea, right?”
Not exactly.
But I’m guessing Nick hasn’t had access to the actual script, and the previous versions of the story have tried to turn it into a love story. “Yeah, sort of,” I say, moving the conversation on.
“Yeah, so he’ll be setting up that relationship with you from the get-go.”
“Okay. That sounds…” It sounds a little terrifying considering Higgins and Eliza’s relationship, but it will certainly make my job playing her much easier. I’ll hardly need to act if he’s giving me all of that already. Yes, put like that, it’s a gift. Plus, I’ll get to watch him work from day one. I feel a shiver of excitement. This is what I wanted. This is it. “It sounds great. I’m not amazing at small talk anyway so he’ll save us both the effort,” I joke.
“Oh, and he loves biscotti, apparently,” he adds. “Remember all that stuff about him living in Italy in the ’90s? He likes to have biscotti with his morning coffee, always has it on set. Just a heads-up, but if you swing by Guidi Marcello’s on the way to the studio tomorrow—I’ll text you the address—you can pick some good stuff up.” Nick pulls out his phone. “I’ll drop Marco there a quick text, let him know you’re coming in and who you’re buying for. He’ll get you the right brand.”
I can’t keep a grin from spreading across my face. “You’re really good at your job, aren’t you?” He looks up at me, caught off guard, uncharacteristically bashful, and for the first time since we met I have a very real flash of what we could be like together, as a couple. Without hesitating I lean forward and kiss him. The restaurant and all its people and politics and pretense disappear around us. It is just his willing lips and mine. When I pull back there’s an achingly sexy, slightly surprised look in his eyes. I want him so much it hurts. You’re in a restaurant, I tell myself, it’s just a first date; you barely know this guy.