The Director's Cut by Js Taylor (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📕

Does this mean I’ll be expected to open up too?

I’d pushed the idea of his acting method to the back of my mind. If I’m honest, I’d lied to myself, pretending it wouldn’t be the confessional I feared.

Now he’s telling me, it would be exactly that.

James is prepared to give more. To tell more. Using his method.

Am I willing to do the same?

“What’s wrong, Issy?” he asks.

“Nothing… I.”

I realise, suddenly, what he’s giving me. And a few happy feelings spill over. A little.

“I’m touched,” I say, “that you feel you can be more open. Because of me. I didn’t know I’d had that effect on you.”

“I hope you never know the effect you have on me,” he says. “You might realise that you could take full advantage.”

He’s smiling now, and the moment to voice my fears has passed.

“Are you ok with this?” he says. “Could you act alongside me?”

“Do I have a choice?” I keep my tone light, to deflect attention from how I’m truly feeling. But James seems to pick up on my uncertainty.

“Yes. I could still cast Shane. He’s already told me he’d come at a moment’s notice for one of my movies.”

I don’t want that, I realise. I don’t want to be kissing another man in front of James. Even a screen kiss.

But do I want to act with James. A memory of the first audition is burned on my brain. Acting with him. It was so… intense.

“Don’t cast Shane,” I hear myself saying. “I want you.”

“Interesting choice of phrase.”

“It’s true.”

“I need you to think about it carefully. I can’t change things once it’s all set. For one thing, it would look suspicious.”

“Yes,” I say determinedly. “I do want that. I want to find out more about you. Every last bit of you.”

But do I want you to find out about me?

Lost in thought, I hardly notice when we pull up at the hotel.

And despite my troubled mood, I am at least able to acknowledge that James has once again picked a fabulous spot.

The hotel is on one of Barcelona’s incredible plaza-style squares. It’s an enormous old building, built in the neo-classical style, with a grand façade and intricate stonework.

“Wow,” I say, as we slow to enter the underground car park of the hotel. “This looks amazing.”

James blinks and turns to look at me. Clearly, his mind was elsewhere.

Poor James. First the stalker, now this press leak.

“I’m glad you like it,” he says. But his voice sounds distracted. I feel my stomach tighten. Is this going to be a real problem? We’ve only just dealt with a dangerous stalker. In comparison, surely a newspaper leak couldn’t be so bad? But something about James’s demeanour warns me that he’s taking this very seriously.

I sigh as the car enters the car park.

It’s like everything else in life, Issy, I tell myself, drenching up a familiar motto, which I often use in times of trouble. One foot in front of the other. Just keep going forward.

Chapter 11

All the actors are assembled in one of the hotel conference rooms, which has been temporarily convened for rehearsal purposes.

After we got back, James and I just about had time to shower and change in our separate rooms before making it down to the scheduled meeting.

Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, James looks younger. He seems to have been able to leave his fears for press leaks at the door. And he slips into professional director mode with ease.

There’s something authoritative about him in this guise, which I love. Even though I can’t be close to him physically, I find this part of his personality super attractive.

What’s with that, Issy? Do you like him being in charge?

Whatever the reason, I feel my eyes roaming over his sculpted features and broad chest. I can’t wait to be in his arms, later.

Then I remember the bet I lost, and a fission of thrilled fear runs through me.

The riding crop. I promised him he could do whatever he liked with me.

Will he even remember? With the dramatic turn of events, he might have forgotten.

I push the thought to the back of my mind. For the time being, I’m called upon to be professional.

It’s only Natalie, Callum and me in the room. We’re seated in a semi-circle, with James standing.

Lorna and the other extras and crew are at a different meeting, elsewhere in the hotel.

“I’ve talked to you all, individually, about my method,” James says after having welcomed us to the meeting. “And I have another important fact to inform you of.”

He runs his fingers through his hair.

“A few of you will know that my background is in acting,” he says.

Callum nods at this, but Natalie looks blank.

“So I hope you’ll be pleased,” continues James, “to know that I’ll be taking the lead role in this movie.”

“You?” Natalie voices the word in pure shock, and then looks embarrassed.

“I mean. That’s great,” she backtracks, turning to include Callum and I. “But can you be sure you’ll be able to give the rest of us enough attention as a director?”

James nods patiently.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Natalie. It won’t affect my direction.”

Natalie looks unconvinced. But sensing she has no support from Callum or me, she shuts her mouth tight, looking pained.

“What it means for this session,” continues James, “is I’ll be joining you.”

He gives this a moment to sink in.

It suddenly hits me with full force what a sacrifice he’s making. James Berkeley. Introverted and fiercely protective of his personal life, prepared to lay everything on the line and open up to all of us.

He’s doing it for you.

The thought almost brings tears to my eyes.

“Now it’s time to get started with the first exercise,” James is saying. “It will take real bravery. But I know you all have what it takes to get deeper into your roles.”

I let my eyes slide over Natalie’s face. She’s chewing her lower lip, and she looks nervous. Callum’s face is impassive, resigned almost.