around my waist. “Actually, this is my girlfriend.”
His new fan looked from me to the other woman and then pursed her lips. “I see.” She turned and walked away, back to her cart. She looked at us once more, shook her head, and then disappeared down the bread aisle.
“What the hell?” Patrick said. “I’m sorry about that.”
I blinked back tears. It was easier for that woman to assume a middle-aged white woman was Patrick’s girlfriend over a black woman his age. “Don’t apologize. She’s ignorant.”
I’m sure I did a good job brushing it off, appearing as if it didn’t bother me. But in the back of mind I could hear Patrick’s mother’s voice.
I don’t care that you’re black, but other people will.
Chapter Two
New Opportunities
Patrick
Leave it to Cat to demand I come to her office right away , then leave me waiting in the lobby for twenty minutes. I’d spent the entire day on set and wanted nothing more than to go home, take a hot shower, and relax. I checked my watch and decided I’d give her five more minutes and then she’d have to call me with the important news. Exactly four minutes later, Cat peeked her head out of her office door and gestured for me to enter.
“Sorry. Was wrapping up an important call.”
That was all the apology I was going to get so I took a seat and said, “Okay. What’s the emergency?”
Cat sat behind her desk and smiled mischievously. “I didn’t say it was an emergency. Emergencies are bad news. Patrick, this is great news. The best.”
I threw my hands up. “Are you going to make me guess?”
“You’re going to Los Angeles.”
“I am?”
“Yes, you are. You’ve been asked to read for a part in an HBO mini-series!” Cat clapped her hands together.
I blinked in shock. “They asked for me to read? Who?” This was a big deal. Being asked to read for a part meant that there was already some idea you were right for the job. That meant someone important had been paying attention to your work.
“One of the producers, Tim Minor, called me this afternoon. He assured me that if you got the part, it wouldn’t interfere with the show. They’re shooting this spring and then again in the summer. Ask me who’s the director.”
“Who’s the director?”
“George Clooney.” The self-satisfied smile on Cat’s face would have made you believe she was not only responsible for George Clooney’s success, but his very existence as well. I didn’t bother to ask if she was joking. She wouldn’t kid about something so amazing.
“You fly out in two days. You’ll meet with Tim and George. You’ll read the part and it will be yours.”
***
“I wish you could come with me.”
It was the night before I was due to fly out to Los Angeles and I was speaking to Chloe from my old room in my parent’s house.
“I know, but I have to work and they’re only flying you out on such short notice. Wow. I still can’t believe this is happening.” Chloe giggled.
“Right? An HBO mini-series. That’s just… insane.”
“And you get to meet George Clooney!”
I laughed. “Yeah. There’s that.”
“Babe, this is big time. This is like Golden Globes level. You know that, right?”
“I’m not trying to think that far ahead. I finally memorized my lines in the scene they sent over.”
“I know you don’t want to get your hopes up, but I have a really good feeling about this, Patrick. Like you said, they asked for you. They already have an idea that you’re right for the part. You just have to prove them right. And you will.”
“Mmmm. I really wish you were coming with me.”
“It’s just two days.”
“Yeah. Okay. I’m gonna get downstairs and have dinner with my folks. A car is coming to take me to the airport early.”
“Call me when you land?”
“No. I’m calling you when I wake up. I love
His new fan looked from me to the other woman and then pursed her lips. “I see.” She turned and walked away, back to her cart. She looked at us once more, shook her head, and then disappeared down the bread aisle.
“What the hell?” Patrick said. “I’m sorry about that.”
I blinked back tears. It was easier for that woman to assume a middle-aged white woman was Patrick’s girlfriend over a black woman his age. “Don’t apologize. She’s ignorant.”
I’m sure I did a good job brushing it off, appearing as if it didn’t bother me. But in the back of mind I could hear Patrick’s mother’s voice.
I don’t care that you’re black, but other people will.
Chapter Two
New Opportunities
Patrick
Leave it to Cat to demand I come to her office right away , then leave me waiting in the lobby for twenty minutes. I’d spent the entire day on set and wanted nothing more than to go home, take a hot shower, and relax. I checked my watch and decided I’d give her five more minutes and then she’d have to call me with the important news. Exactly four minutes later, Cat peeked her head out of her office door and gestured for me to enter.
“Sorry. Was wrapping up an important call.”
That was all the apology I was going to get so I took a seat and said, “Okay. What’s the emergency?”
Cat sat behind her desk and smiled mischievously. “I didn’t say it was an emergency. Emergencies are bad news. Patrick, this is great news. The best.”
I threw my hands up. “Are you going to make me guess?”
“You’re going to Los Angeles.”
“I am?”
“Yes, you are. You’ve been asked to read for a part in an HBO mini-series!” Cat clapped her hands together.
I blinked in shock. “They asked for me to read? Who?” This was a big deal. Being asked to read for a part meant that there was already some idea you were right for the job. That meant someone important had been paying attention to your work.
“One of the producers, Tim Minor, called me this afternoon. He assured me that if you got the part, it wouldn’t interfere with the show. They’re shooting this spring and then again in the summer. Ask me who’s the director.”
“Who’s the director?”
“George Clooney.” The self-satisfied smile on Cat’s face would have made you believe she was not only responsible for George Clooney’s success, but his very existence as well. I didn’t bother to ask if she was joking. She wouldn’t kid about something so amazing.
“You fly out in two days. You’ll meet with Tim and George. You’ll read the part and it will be yours.”
***
“I wish you could come with me.”
It was the night before I was due to fly out to Los Angeles and I was speaking to Chloe from my old room in my parent’s house.
“I know, but I have to work and they’re only flying you out on such short notice. Wow. I still can’t believe this is happening.” Chloe giggled.
“Right? An HBO mini-series. That’s just… insane.”
“And you get to meet George Clooney!”
I laughed. “Yeah. There’s that.”
“Babe, this is big time. This is like Golden Globes level. You know that, right?”
“I’m not trying to think that far ahead. I finally memorized my lines in the scene they sent over.”
“I know you don’t want to get your hopes up, but I have a really good feeling about this, Patrick. Like you said, they asked for you. They already have an idea that you’re right for the part. You just have to prove them right. And you will.”
“Mmmm. I really wish you were coming with me.”
“It’s just two days.”
“Yeah. Okay. I’m gonna get downstairs and have dinner with my folks. A car is coming to take me to the airport early.”
“Call me when you land?”
“No. I’m calling you when I wake up. I love
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