Ashton took a final swig of coffee, then set it aside. Showtime.
JASMINE STOOD IN the empty ladies’ restroom in her underwear, trying to dry her bra under the hand dryer while she was still wearing it, when someone knocked on the outer door and called out, “Hello? I have your clothes.”
“In here!” Jasmine scurried back into the stall and stuck her head out. Penny rushed in and handed her a plastic “I Heart New York” bag with folded items inside.
“I hope these work,” Penny said, sounding uncertain. “There weren’t a whole lot of options, and you’d be surprised how much tourist wear costs.”
Jasmine clutched the bag to her chest and eased back into the stall. “I’m sure they’re fine. Thank you so much!”
Jasmine tore into the bag—and froze. Shit, maybe she should have been more specific about what kind of outfit.
The nylon running shorts were black, at least, and devoid of any logo. They were shorter than she would have liked, but not the shortest thing she’d ever worn in a professional setting. She’d make them work.
The T-shirt, on the other hand . . .
Jasmine unfolded it and stared. It was fuchsia with black trim, a hood, and NYC emblazoned across the front in sketchy white block letters. Tacky, yes, but that was to be expected when buying clothes in a souvenir shop. More worryingly, however, was that it was very, very small.
Jasmine took a closer look at the tags and sighed. It was a size medium . . . for a child. Both articles of clothing had clearance tags, and still came out to thirty-three and change. Apparently thirty-four dollars hardly got you anything these days.
She stuck her head out of the stall, but Penny was long gone. Probably scared Jasmine would bite her head off or ask her to switch clothes. Which, in hindsight, might have been a better idea. Too late now.
She glanced at her blouse, which was currently soaked and still bore faint brown stains, and then her watch. She was out of time.
Jasmine wrestled herself into the shirt, which fit—just barely—like a crop top. The material was thick but stretchy. It was especially tight in the shoulders, but it covered her boobs more than a wet white silk blouse would. She shoved her wet clothes into the plastic bag and exited the stall, then caught sight of herself in the bathroom’s full-length mirror.
Between the child-sized shirt, the gym shorts, the black heels, and her sparkly gold jewelry, she was certainly rocking some kind of look, albeit not one that said Leading Lady. More like Sporty Spice on a hot date. Maybe coffee-splattered wouldn’t have been so bad, but she didn’t have time to dry everything with the bathroom’s weak-ass hand dryer.
Then she remembered her grandmother’s adage: If you’re not wearing lipstick and earrings, you might as well be naked.
After freshening up her dark magenta lipstick, Jasmine snapped a photo of her reflection, then sent it to Ava and Michelle in their Primas of Power group text. Time to call in the hype squad.
Ava answered first.
Ava: Um, what are you wearing?
Michelle’s reply came a second later.
Michelle: Hawt.
Jasmine: I had a run in with an iced coffee.
Quick, tell me I’m still pretty.
Michelle replied with an animated GIF of Natalie Wood in West Side Story, twirling and saying, “I feel pretty!”
Ava added one of Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl saying, “Hello, gorgeous.”
It would have to do. Jasmine tossed her hair, squared her shoulders, and cocked a hand on her hip. “Make jefa moves, remember?” she told her reflection.
Inside, she didn’t believe that for a second, but she was a good enough actress that her embarrassment didn’t show on her face.
Then she exited the bathroom and strutted into that table read like she was on a motherfucking runway.
Chapter 4
Between the chat with Yadiel and a series of increasingly positive interactions with the showrunner, the first assistant director, and the director for episode one, Ashton’s confidence came roaring back. After working in TV for more than fifteen years, the bustle felt like home, more so than his apartment in Miami or his suite at the Hutton Court did. Sure, there was a lot riding on this role, but he could do this. He was one of the best in his industry—no, not one of the best, the best—and he was here to show American audiences—plus the casting agents and producers—what he could do. No sweat.
He followed Marquita to the conference room where the table read would