Centre Stage

Keep calm...

"Do you REALLY think I'll be any good? I've never done anything like this before! What if I can't? " He turned back from the window and sat down with a thump.  Leaning back, he stretched, then picked up the mug and drained it.  "God Luke, this coffee is awful!"

"That's because it's not coffee!" Luke shook his head and smirked. "And it also wasn't yours.  THIS one is yours!" He slid the identical mug across the desk, and Tom groaned.

"Sorry! Just picked up the first one that came to hand." He squinted at his publicist and friend, a sheepish grin on his face.  Luke laughed. There was nothing that this man couldn't get away with. All he had to do was smile.

"Anyway, going back to your last-minute crisis of confidence, yes, you're going to be bloody marvellous. And let's face it, knowing you," he paused and smirked, "you can always just mumble and smile." He shrugged and stood up. "Now, you didn't have time to go through all the audition tapes before they assembled your class, so I asked them to make a compilation for you. So you get a feel for the students."

"Thanks Luke, not sure what I'd do without you! Now, that's next week, so what's on this week?"

"Ok, so a couple of production meetings for the series at the end of the year, a photo shoot for a film magazine,  and oh yeah, a charity evening at the Festival Theatre.  Tomorrow, 8.30pm. I'll send a car at 7."

Tom nodded and turned the DVD over in his hands. He liked the feel of the solid item in his hands. It felt 'proper'.  Much as he loved technology, like most people now, he couldn't function without his phone. Sometimes, he felt there was just too much online. 

"Ok, I'm off home. It appears I have some homework to do. If they send me any CV's or background, will you just sift out the basics, please? I think I want to go into this blind, no preconceived ideas about people. Just their name and where they live."

"Not their experience? Age?"

"Nope. Everyone will be assessed on their own merits." He smiled."Who knows what we might uncover!" Standing, he walked to the door. With a final raise of the hand and a "bye," he was gone.

Luke watched him walk out of the building and cross the road to the Tube. In the hubub of the city in rush hour no-one noticed the tall and handsome actor. If only life - Tom's life - was always that simple, he smiled to himself.

Lucy sat and stared at the screen.  The email from The Donmar had arrived as promised. Date, time, duration... all the expected stuff. And something that wasn't. A note. From her new mentor / director. A personal welcome and an invitation for all the participants to 'get-to-know-you' social the night before they started.

She was thrilled and terrified. Meeting Tom was a wonderful prospect. Having to make decent human conversation? Not turn into some babbling idiot that just grinned? Not so much.

Mandy wandered in, compulsory coffee in hand. "Whatcha up to? Dirty pics of Loki again?" She plonked herself down next to Lucy, "Let's see Loki's Pokey Stick then?" She gave a wink and a dirty laugh.  Lucy thumped her with a red-faced grin.

"That was ONE time on Tumblr, and it was a MISTAKE, and you know it!" She shook her head, "I'm reading the joining instructions for the workshop. Seems we have a little social gathering the night before." She tried to sound less worried than she felt.  Mandy was having none of it.

"Can I come? Pleeeeeeeze? Please can I come? I know you, you'll hide in the loo all night and barely speak!" She sipped her coffee innocently.

"And?" Lucy knew there was something coming...

"Well, how are you supposed to fall in love and make beautiful babies together if you can't even speak to the man?"  She shrugged as if discussing the colour of her socks.