Chapter 5
After a week's reprieve, Sebastian had found himself rushing to the airport to fly out to Chicago to meet with a casting director for a project with an upcoming writer/director, Phillip Jarvis. He immediately said yes when he learned that it was one of the scholars from New York Film School who had attended one of his talks there.
"Hi, Sebastian, so glad you could come!" Phillip said excitedly with a hug.
"Oh absolutely," he responded enthusiastically. "I am so glad it's finally happening for you!"
Phillip escorted him to the coffee shop they had rented for the day where the auditions were to take place. A few people were already there, including his agent, Roxanne and Kayla, of course. She was immediately by his side with her iPad in tow to discuss what was gonna happen for the rest of the morning.
"After the audition you don't have anything else lined up apart from lunch with Phil, Cassidy and Roxie. Your next appointment is next week with Marvel about the 2nd season of your Disney+ series. Roxie says the writers want you and Mackie to be there to see the 1st draft of the script."
"Okay, got it. Thanks K. Won't you be joining us for lunch?" he asks, to which the assistant shakes her head.
"Nah, I'm meeting up with some cousins I haven't seen in a while. Oh shit," she gasped. "I forgot to tell you, I--is that alright? I mean, I could cancel if you need m--"
"Stop it, Kayla," Sebastian responds with an airy chuckle of amusement. "Of course it's alright, I'm gonna be fine by myself for the rest of the day. You can take the rest of the day off if you really need to."
The audition was nearly over and Sebastian was finishing with the scene he was acting out when the chimes of the door sounded, signalling that a customer had come inside. They were in a closed off part of the coffee shop and they could only hear faint sounds as voices spoke in the near distance.
"Hey, sorry, we're not opening until after 3," a tired looking girl points out the sign to you at the door that said what she just told you. You gasp softly.
You'd discovered this tiny but cozy coffee shop just about ten minutes from Hart's place. It reminded you of the same one you were frequenting at the beginning of last year and so you began hanging out in it whenever Hart and the kids were off to work and school. You smile apologetically at the girl now standing behind the register.
"Oh god, I am so sorry I didn't notice the sign. I, uh, I'll just come back later," you say as you turned around and began walking to the door. She calls you out just as you were reaching for the door handle.
"Wait, I think I've seen you before, Hart's cousin aren't you?"
You turn around and you see her sliding a cup of steaming black joe towards you.
"Here," she says. "This one's on the house, I'll actually just charge this to the people who rented the place out."
She smiles at you conspiratorially and you can't help but smile back, despite your slight embarrassment. You take the proffered drink after hesitating for a split second.
"I-uh--thanks. You're very kind," you tell her with a grateful smile. "Um, who's in there anyway?"
She leans over and speaks in a hushed voice. "I heard it's Sebastian Stan auditioning for a role. But don't tell anyone, my boss will kill me if paps show up."
"S-Sebastian Stan?" you stuttered out and nearly dropped the cup you were holding. The barista's face brightens up, seemingly recognizing who you are.
"Oh my god!" she whisper squeals. "You're the girl he hugged at SDCC! I can't believe I didn’t recognize you right away!"
A blush creeps up from your neck up to your cheeks. When Geri said you went viral you didn't think about this particular situation happening to you. You were at a loss for words so you just gave another smile and left.
Inside, right around the same time you got recognized, Sebastian was shaking after he finished his audition piece. Everyone was silent after he said his last line you could hear a pin drop if there was one.
This is exactly what he loved about acting. He could lose himself in the characters he chooses to play and be as affected as he wants to be. It's as if he's continuing to discover layers and layers of himself through these roles and still keep the privilege of allowing those discoveries for himself.
"At first I thought you were going to punch something there," Phillip mused in between bites. "That was amazing, Seb." Their party moved to a nearby Italian restaurant downtown for a late lunch.
Sebastian shook his head before taking a sip of water. "Nah, it was the material that was amazing Phil. The conflict was just jumping off the page and I just interpreted it best I could."
He was about to take another forkful of pasta when the restaurant owner's voice boomed in the background.
"Hartley!" he said in a heavily accented Italian tone. "You are early no? Finally decided to stop working too hard, bella?"
"Oh Giovani," the woman who was called Hartley chuckled. Their voices got lower and Sebastian continued eating. He would occasionally glance towards your cousin's way, something about her seemed familiar to him, like he had seen her or someone that looked like her before.
It was then that you decided to make your appearance known.
Sebastian's jaw dropped upon recognizing you right away, in sheer disbelief that he had found you unintentionally. Not that he had agonized about not seeing you at the meet and greet. He did not lose a couple of night's sleep at that at all.
"Seb…" Roxie's voice coaxes him back to their conversation. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
She looks at the direction he was too and furrows her brows. She returns her gaze back to Sebastian who was still sporting the same dazed look. A small grunt of confusion escapes her lips as to why her client seemed to be befuddled by a woman she thought he hadn't seen before.
"Who are you staring at Sebastian? Do you know her?"
Sebastian swallows an invisible lump and is torn whether to answer his agent's question but Roxie saves him the trouble.
"You know what, never mind, your personal life is yours."
He could only watch as you and your cousin walked out of the restaurant.
"I'm not crazy, K! I told you she's here in Chicago! The girl from the con!"
"Oooookay, Seb. You really need to get a grip. That's too much of a coincidence. You sure you weren't just imagining it was her? You must have missed her more than you're admitting to yourself."
Sebastian paces in his hotel room while Kayla plops down on the sofa, perusing her list on her iPad. Her boss sits down and drops his head back on the backside of the sofa with a big sigh.
"What the fuck is wrong with me?" he asks frustratedly.
Kayla puts her iPad down and looks at Sebastian thoughtfully.
"Nothing's wrong with you, dumbass. You are interested in this girl, just need to admit it to yourself."
He sighs heavily and runs a hand over his face. "I shouldn't be," he mumbles. "Did you see the last time I tried to date someone? They were fucking disasters. I can't do it. The stress is just not worth it."
"Who said you had to date her?"
Sebastian sits up straight and eyes his assistant warily. "I don't?"
"Look," Kayla sighed. "If she's really staying here in Chicago and it's meant to happen, you'll see her again. If that happens, ask her for coffee and see what happens from there. You go way too far in your head. Relax."