Not Another Diva

3 - Certified Hunk

Char leads me to a lounge chair near where Brianna is sitting, although it isn't right next to her. Dang it, do I call her Brianna, or Ms. Royce? I have no idea how formal to be. I guess it is technically a job interview, so I decide to go all out. Char has been pretty casual but that doesn't mean I'm allowed to be.

"Brianna, I'd like you to meet Zack Marin," Char gestures to me as she speaks. It seems a little like a "ta-da" moment. I'm the rabbit Char has pulled out of a hat. Brianna keeps her sunglasses on as she looks up at me with the faintest hint of a smile. Behind her sunglasses, I can almost detect one eyebrow raised. I get the feeling she's waiting for me to do something stupid.

I stick my hand out to shake hers while leaning across the chairs. "Hello, Ms. Royce. It's nice to meet you."

The second her other eyebrow joins the first in surprise, I realize she doesn't need to wait anymore. I've done something stupid. Guess 'Ms. Royce' is out. She doesn't shake my hand, so I pull it back to my side. Smooth. Char clears her throat, trying to clear away the awkwardness I spread all over the roof. Although it wouldn't have killed Brianna to be polite and shake my hand anyway. Something.

"So," Char makes a dramatic show of taking a deep breath and plopping her hands into her lap. "I think Zack would make a great counterpart for the Rescue Me video." Char glosses over whatever had flashed across Brianna's face at our introduction and launches right into part two. Then she looks over at me while talking about me, as if I'm not sitting right here. "Brianna, Zack is a black belt, has some experience modeling for a few businesses in his home town, and as you can see is a certified hunk."

My cheeks heat up at her words. I almost feel like a piece of man meat already, and the filming hasn't even started.

Before I'm able to fully recover, Brianna finally speaks, keeping her glasses planted firmly over her eyes.

"What did you model?"

She's looking right at me, although I can't quite make eye contact through the shades. But it's her voice that has me tongue-tied. It's sweet, smooth, for some reason nothing like I expected. I thought her voice would be a nasal whine, although I'm not sure why. I finally come out of my stupor when Char cleared her voice.

"Oh, well at first it was posters advertising the dojo I trained at. But after a while, the local supply store used me for their catalogues and magazine ads."

Char speaks up. "Zack grew up on a ranch. He's a literal cowboy." She winks at me. It isn't a flirty wink, though. Char's acting more like a matchmaker trying to set us up on a date. Weird.

"Really? Can you ride a horse?" Brianna is suddenly interested in the conversation. My tongue is effectively untied but now I'm worried I will say something stupid. Again.

"Yeah, I've been riding since I was three."

"I love horses. I wish I had time for stuff like that," she says, which makes me sad for her. What is her glamorous life like if she doesn't have time for the things she loves?

"That's too bad," I say quietly, causing Brianna to look over at me. The smallest smile spreads across her lips, as if she's trying to hold it back.

Char taps her clipboard, getting Brianna's attention again. I, however, don't let my eyes travel away from the girl sitting in front of me. She isn't the Diva I expected, even after the harsh handshake denial. And suddenly I realize why. This girl sounds different than the one I watched in all of those videos and interviews.

"Are we in agreement?" Char asked Brianna. Brianna just nods and looks back to her book. Char turns to me, leaning on her knees while we sit in the lounge chairs. Brianna is once again sitting back, reclining on the pink cushioned chair while Char takes over.