Chapter 1: The Beginning Of Our Story

Once upon a time, a starlet fell in love with Hollywood's hottest hunk. They met filming a movie together, and it was love at first sight. He was the golden boy of the film industry, and she was an up-and-coming actress who was finally getting her big break. It was a love story straight out of the movies...

At least that's what they want you to think. The truth is a lot more complicated.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. This story technically begins over two years ago, when a bright-eyed young actress (that's me) finds herself at a screen test for what she's hoping will be her big break - Cataclysm: Earth, the disaster epic and pet project of two of Hollywood's biggest names, Dante and Luca Fontaine.

I'm sure you can imagine how terrified I am from the moment I walk into that room. I've spent the better part of the last three years struggling to get by, going to audition after audition and praying that someone will see something in me. I've been told everything imaginable - that I'm too curvy, too skinny, too "ethnic," too generic. My first manager tried to convince me to change my last name to something "less Mexican," explaining that since I'm "only" half Puerto Rican (and a much more "commercial" Scotch-Irish on my mom's side), he could probably get me into a broader range of auditions if I dyed my hair blond and adopted a more "American" last name.

Needless to say, I dumped his ass. And now I'm ready to take over the world.

I wipe my palms on my pants as I walk into the casting office. No reason for the people in this room to know how anxious I am. I have the bit of script they gave me folded up in my pocket, but I won't need it. I memorized it days ago.

Kyle Jacobs, the casting director, extends his hand to me when I enter.

"Emilia," he says, his close-trimmed mustache curling up as he smiles. "Thank you for coming in today. Everyone, this is Emilia Torres."

"Everyone" turns out to be a lot more people than I was expecting to see today. There are seven other people in the room, and I suspect many of them are very important - producers, studio execs, and perhaps even the director himself. None of them introduce themselves, but I recognize at least one person - Dante Fontaine, the film's screenwriter.

It's my understanding that screenwriters aren't usually around for any part of the audition phase, but Dante is a special case. His family basically runs Hollywood. His parents, Charles and Giovanna Fontaine, are industry legends, and now their four grown sons are making their own mark on the world of film - and the tabloids. Dante, the oldest Fontaine son, tends to make less trouble than his brothers, but he's still a regular fixture in celebrity news media simply for being rich and famous and possessing such dark, brooding good looks.

But Dante isn't the only Fontaine brother involved with Cataclysm: Earth. He wrote the part of Jax Walton specifically for Luca, his next youngest brother. Luca is arguably the golden boy of Hollywood. He's at the top of the A-list, a recurring star of the tabloids, and his acting chops are matched only by his inhumanly good looks. He's the perfect package. The very definition of a true movie star.

And as I stand there waiting for Kyle Jacobs to instruct me to begin, Luca himself walks into the room.

I know he's there even before I see him. Even though I've never met him before, I feel his presence the moment he comes through the door. It's like the entire atmosphere of the room changes - like I suddenly can't breathe. I've had actor friends tell me that some celebrities just have a magical something about them - a special quality that seems to affect everyone and everything around them. But I've never truly experienced it until this moment.

And I'm not prepared.

"Good morning," Luca says to the room.

I've heard his voice a hundred times before, speaking to me through movie screens. But in person, it's something else.

"Good morning, Luca," his brother says. "You're late."

Luca smiles, his mouth spreading into that trademark grin of his. He's not even looking at me, and yet my insides go all wobbly.

Why didn't they warn me he'd be here? Since Luca has already been cast, it's no surprise that they'd want me to read with him, but I wish they'd told me. It would have given me a chance to prepare. I don't like surprises, especially when it comes to my work.

Luca takes his time greeting the Important People, and I take a deep breath, remembering one of those silly "mindfulness" exercises my dad likes to force on me. It doesn't help.

Finally, he turns to me, but I'm still recovering from the shock of his presence. I swear my heart stops for a moment. That's the effect he has on people. It's like he's some sort of golden god come down to earth, and a mere human like me can't quite handle his heavenly aura.

He's absolutely beautiful. His hair is wavy and golden blond, a contrast to Dante's darker coloring. His eyes are a warm, pale brown - like buttery caramel. He's sporting the ideal California tan on his exquisitely proportioned body.

He's perfect.

His smile widens as he looks at me. He must know the effect he has on people - especially poor, desperate actresses who are ready to murder to get their big break.

"You must be Emilia," he says, stepping toward me and holding out his hand.

For a minute, I'm simply shocked that someone of Luca's importance has bothered to learn the name of an actress who hasn't even snagged the part yet. But somehow I manage to find the power to reach out and place my hand in his.

I expect him to shake it. Instead, he raises it to his lips.

"Pleasure to meet you," he says, dipping his head. His lips brush against the back of my knuckles, and his golden hair falls across his forehead as he looks up at me through those warm, bright eyes.

I'm pretty sure I gape at him for a full five seconds. And then I remember where I am and that my entire career hangs on me being able to perform basic speech functions around this man.

"Nice to meet you, too," I say. "Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of each other soon."

Something in Luca's smile looks positively wicked. His fingers tighten slightly on mine.

"Yes," he says in that honeyed voice of his. "Hopefully we will."

If I'm not careful, I'm going to jump him right here in the middle of this room. Smiling, I gently pull my hand out of his and pray I still look relatively professional. At the end of the day, that's the most important thing - remaining professional. I'm here to build a career for myself, and I refuse to let anything stand in my way - even a smile like that. I've spent my whole life working toward this moment, and the past three years working here in Hollywood, scraping and scrounging for any bit of work I could get. When all of my buddies from acting class are going out to parties or trying whatever new designer drug is in vogue, I've been at home, practicing scenes in the bathroom mirror. All I need is for someone to take a chance on me.

"Let's start from right after Jax's line about the explosion," Kyle Jacobs says.

"Actually," Luca says, his eyes never leaving mine, "I have a few questions for Emilia first."

My stomach tightens. I'm trapped by that gaze, lost in the spell of Luca Fontaine.

Slowly, his eyes pull away from mine, drifting down my body. It's more of a curious, assessing look than a sexual one, but that doesn't keep my insides from going all warm.

After what feels like an eternity, his gaze finally rises to mine again.

"What sort of acting experience do you have, Emilia?" he says.

I'm confused. Everyone in this room already has that information. Shouldn't they have passed it along to him?

But no one else says anything, and Luca is staring at me expectantly, so I say, "I've been in four independent films. The most recent one won a number of festival awards last year. I've also had a few television roles, including one on the finale of American Crime Lab last season. And I've been in six nationally syndicated commercials - "

"Commercials?" Luca says. He shoots a look at the small army of Important People in front of us. "You brought in some nobody from television commercials?"

His abrupt shift in tone - from flirtatious to accusatory - is jarring. My heart stops.

Kyle Jacobs straightens in his seat and rubs his jaw. "She blew it out of the park in her previous auditions, Luca. And we did discuss wanting to bring in someone who's relatively unknown - "

"There's relatively unknown, and then there's completely obscure." Luca glances back at me with a shrug. "Sorry, love, but we need someone with a little more experience than that. This is a major franchise, and I can't be expected to act opposite someone who can't keep up with me." He takes my hand again, bringing it back to his lips for another kiss. "It truly was a pleasure meeting you. I'm sorry things didn't work out."

I silently curse at myself for experiencing even a shiver of response at the touch of his mouth.

Luca drops my hand, turning back to the Important People.

"Call me when it's time for the next one," he says. "And please, gentlemen, don't waste my time again."

And then, without another glance at me, he strides back toward the door.