Young Adulting - Christina Benjamin Page 0,2

indie passion projects than big-screen blockbusters, but one thing I did have going for me?

I’d never been afraid of hard work, something the Henry Landons of the world knew nothing about. I glanced at the screen again and gave a huff of disgust at the terrible script and the over-the-top acting.

Fallon was right when she’d said that Henry’s looks weren’t fair. But when it came to Henry Landon and his blessed life...there was no such thing as fair.

Chapter One

Henry

Two months later...

I pushed through the set door and stumbled out into the blinding California sun. I should’ve given my eyes a moment to adjust, but I was desperate to put as much space between me and my dad as possible.

Besides, I didn’t need sight to navigate the winding back lots of the studio. I’d practically grown up here.

I couldn’t take another second watching the director and crew fawn all over my father like he was some sort of king. Sure, he was the show’s executive producer, but that didn’t make him royalty.

Try telling that to the great Lars Landon.

What started as a visit to the set to see his son ended with him doling out the sort of career advice I so did not need to hear right now.

Why take a minor role in an artsy indie film when you could be an A-list star? Then he’d laughed. He’d freakin’ laughed right in my face, like the idea of me doing serious acting was a joke.

Movies were the family business—just not the kind of movies I wanted to be in. I could only imagine what he’d say if he ever read my script.

I blinked again as I rounded a corner and got hit with a glare from the sun, temporarily blinding me so badly that I slammed into someone.

I was so startled I bit my lip. I hissed in pain when I touched the fragile skin, already beginning to swell. I swore under my breath.

Great! Just great!

Now I’d need to sit in makeup for another hour before we could resume filming. Another thing my dad would ream me out about when I got back to finish our little ‘talk.’ He’d probably think I’d done it on purpose since I’d not so subtly told him exactly what I thought about the latest Hermosa Beach script.

But seriously! How was I ever supposed to be taken seriously as an actor when I was playing Max Harding, a piece of man meat that said things like, I’m glad we’re taking this CPR course because you make me breathless.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be ungrateful. I know a million actors who would kill for a part on the sensational teen drama, but I wanted to be known for more than looking good in a pair of boardshorts and having girls drool over me, which was precisely what the girl I’d just crashed into was doing.

The blonde stared at me, speechless. I was about to ask if she might have a concussion with the dazed way she was blinking those big brown eyes at me, but she finally spoke. “You, you’re Henry Landon.”

And my day keeps on getting better. “Look, I’m sorry, I don’t have time for an autograph or interview or whatever it is you want. I’m late for a meeting.” Not one I was looking forward to, but I didn’t need to explain myself to some random chick wandering around the lot.

“E-excuse me?” she stuttered.

I gave her a quick glance from head-to-toe. The girl was a mess. Her hair was falling out of a bun and her clothes looked like they’d seen better days. Still, she was cute in a sort of wide-eyed, golly-gee-aw-shucks kind of country bumpkin way. Any other day, any other time, I might have had some fun watching her drool all over me. But today…?

No time for this.

I ran a hand through my hair with a sigh. “Listen, I’m having a bad day. So why don’t you save us both some time and tell me what you want?”

“Want?”

I rolled my eyes. “Are you hurt?”

“No but—”

That was all I needed to hear. I turned on my heel and walked briskly away before she could trap me. Who knows, maybe she’d been waiting there just to run into me. It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to happen to me.

She was probably just some intern anyway. They were always skulking about, hoping to run into someone who would give them a leg up or a part as an extra. This town