Page 70 of Mail Order Bride
“Listen, Gigi,” he says, stubbing out his cigarette.
“Gianna,” I say. “It’s Gianna.”
“That’s what I said. If you were auditioning, you might get a callback on that, you might not. You were engaging. You showed heart. I can see you in the role. Maybe. But I’ve gotta give it to you straight. The way you landed that monologue at the end, I didn’t buy it.”
“Well, I felt it was very close to the truth—I mean to the heart of the character.”
When I look up, I see Mona across the bar. She raises her glass in my direction.Shit.I don’t mean to, but I make a face.Oh, God. Not again. I like this one.At this rate, I’m never going to land an agent.
“You know her?” Ronald asks.
“No. I don’t think so.”
He shrugs. His color is looking a little off. Everyone in this town has their vices. “We can work on it,” he says. “Back at my place… the monologue. Like I said, you were okay. I just didn’t buy it.”
“Why not? I mean, I thought I stayed true to the story.”
He lights another cigarette. “It’s simple, Gigi,” he says. “No one cares about the truth. People just want to be entertained.”
I hop off the barstool and smooth out my skirt. I throw enough money on the bar to cover my tab. “Well, in that case, I think I’d better get going.”
“Oh, come on now,” he says. “Don’t be bitter. There’s nothing worse than a sore loser.”
“I’m not bitter, Ron. I’d just rather not waste my time or yours.”
“Gigi, oh sweet Gigi,” he says, shaking his head slowly from side to side. “No one makes it in this town without first putting in a little sweat equity.”
It’s Gianna.
He places his hand on my forearm. “Just come back to my place. It’s quieter. We can work it out there. You’ll see. Or your place? I’d be down for that too.”
“I have dogs,” I say. “They’re very vicious and they hate all men, except for one, maybe two.”
“It’s good to be the exception,” he says with a smile. “But I’ll take your word for it. My place it is.”
I remove his hand and drop it into his lap. “I don’t think I’m what you’re looking for.”
“You could be exactly what I’m looking for.”
“Okay,” I tell him with a genuine smile. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”