Reijn

Click. Click. Click. Click.
"Reijn! How is it like being in a movie with John Strout!!"
Click. Click. Click.
"Reijn over here!!"
Click. Click. Click.
"Are you dating director Jack Flor?"
Click. Click. Click.
"Reijn! Reijn!"

Jack Flor? Haven't seen him in weeks, I wonder how he's doing?
Wasn't his new movie premiere last month.

"Reijn look over here!!" I turn my head to the voice, posing and automatically more flashes blind me. Tonight's my movie premiere. Casting the Night.
I'm on the red carpet waiting for John. We're being interviewed before the movie, but like always he's late.

"John! Look over here!"
"John! Who are you wearing!"
John enters the red carpet in a brand new suit his hair slicked back. He walks up to me and greets me with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hello, my darling" John leans close to my ear for his special hello.

"Late again John" I scold him as he poses in front of the cameras. John snakes his hand around my waist angling us so we look like a couple.

After a couple of snaps, I begin to walk off with John right behind me. We head to a tent that's on the side of the red carpet. Inside a giant poster of our movie is hanged and two chairs in front of it. I take a seat in one and John sits in the other. A lady walks into the tent greeting us.
"Hi how are you, I'm Penelope Ginger" She shakes Johns hand who responds by kissing her knuckles. Penelope blushes and walks towards the cameras.

"Okay we don't have much time so I'm only going to ask four questions please don't take 2 minutes on each question," Penelope informs us then turns on the camera and sits back down in her chair.

"Hi, I'm Penelope and I'm sitting here with the stars Reijn Laheurte and John Strout. Today is their world premiere for their new movie Cast the Night." I smile and wave at the camera while John blows a kiss.

"Okay first question I think everyone wants to know is who are you wearing, Reijn?" Penelope makes a tiny nod with her head, signaling me to answer. I look down to my blue sequence dress before replying.

"I'm wearing a dress from her new collection called Dazzle made by my mother, Jane Laheurte."
Penelope gives me another compliment before moving on and asking John the same question. I daze out for a bit ignoring what John has to say and start to think of my mother. I haven't seen my mom in awhile, when I turned 18 I was able to support myself so I moved to Belgium by myself. It's not like my parent's minded.

My dad was a director and my mom was a fashion designer. They wanted greatness for their only daughter. I still visit for the holidays, but I miss them. I see them on the news sometimes and I get homesick. I don't know why it's not like my parents were ever home when I was growing up.
My parents always traveled always leaving me behind with a maid. Maybe I'm homesick for something that I've never had. That doesn't make sense.
"Reijn?" I look up to see Penelope looking at me. I panic as I realize she has asked me something.

"Sorry?" My cheeks turn pink as Penelope repeats the question.

"What was it like playing Sarah, a woman who didn't know who she was and didn't know her purpose in life?" Penelope asks while reading from a cue card.

Sarah.
She hid herself using her career because she didn't know who she was. Sarah only focused on her job so she couldn't have time to find herself.
To tell you the truth I am Sarah, I wasn't made for the role, I am the role.

"To tell you the truth Penelope, it was difficult. Before each scene, I had to spend a couple minutes getting into character. The crew always supported me when I took time to become Sarah," I lie easily, a habit that actors pick up quickly.

"Wow, you are such a great actress. You're the top 5 actresses in France who truly can make any movie astounding." I give my signature smile tilting my head to the side.

"Thank you" I bow my head a little still amazed that I'm one of the top 5 actresses.

"Now John, how was it like playing Trevor a man who helps Sarah find her true self," Penelope leans forward more interested in John than anything.

"Playing Trevor I learned what it truly means to be there for the love of your life. As a man, you have to carry her weight no matter how heavy her problems are." Penelope looks at John like he's Shakespeare that just read one of his famous poems.

"What beautiful words, you heard it yourself people John Strout is truly a ladies man," Penelope places her hand on his knee slightly squeezing it.

"Too bad, he isn't single, am I right," Penelope adds laughing at her own joke. Yeah sure John has a girlfriend. However, John has this 'big secret' that he's not really a ladies man at all, but these days a lot of actors aren't a ladies man. If you know what I mean.

Penelope asks us the last two questions and the interview is over. We say our goodbyes then leave the tent. There's still paparazzi outside taking pictures of the rest of the cast.

John and I walk into the theater greeting our set crew and other actors. After a while of talking the lights go dim indicating it's time to take a seat.

"Reijn do you want to sit with me and Ryan?
John asks me as Ryan stands behind him.

"I'm alright thank you," I decline politely. Johns, not a bad guy he's pretty cool when he's not pretending to be a so-called ladies man.

"Alright, cheers then," John adds as him and Ryan walk off to find their seats.
I walk the opposite aisle looking for a seat. I find an empty one at the corner of a row and sit. An usher comes by offering me wine, I gladly accept. It took seven months to make this movie and I just need to celebrate somehow.

During the movie, I couldn't focus I kept thinking about how similar I am to Sarah. The fact that I don't know what I'm doing with my life taunted me throughout the movie. Of course, when the movie was over it was pouring outside and I forgot my coat.

Calm down Reijn.
Oh please calm down. Not here and not now.
I take deep breaths trying to ease myself.

Slowly I cool off and the rain clears. Outside the theater, my driver waits holding an umbrella even though the rain had stopped. I walk toward him as he opens the door for me.

"Thank you, Charles"
Charles closes the car door as soon as I'm in.
I pull out my phone and call my mother.
Ring. Ring.

"Where are we headed, Miss. Laheurte?" Charles asks from the driver's seat.
Ring.

"My parent's house please," I respond.
Ring.
Ring.
"Hello, this is Jane Laheurte," the voice on the other side of the line greets.

"Hi, mom," I hear a bit of shuffling on her side of the call before she responds.

"Oh, Reijn how are you, dear?" My mom's voice softens.

"I'm good, mom. How have you been?" I question.

"Marvelous" She replies.

"That's good how's dad?" I ask hesitantly.

"He's doing great, he's starting his new film this month. Say, when are you visiting?" My mom brings up.

"Actually I'm in town for the week, surprise" I reveal, instead of a happy gasp, I hear a sigh.

"Oh dear, I wish you had told us. Your father and I are not home, we're in Finland on vacation. I'm so sorry, you can still stay at the house." My mood drops, suddenly I can hear the raindrops fall onto the window.

"Okay raincheck then," I tell her trying not to sound disappointed.

"Sorry dear" She apologies.

"Don't worry, mom," I smile pretending she could see me.

"I have to go I just pulled up in the driveway, I'll talk to you later mom" I find a way to end the conversation.

"Okay dear I'll call you next Sunday, chao" My mom ends the call before I could say a goodbye myself.

"Bye" I still say before checking the time,
1:07 am.

"It's going to be another hour due to the weather Miss," Charles informs me.

"Thank you, Charles." It's been such a long rainy day, I just want to go home and sleep. Yet, I'm in France and home is 2,389 miles away.
I lay my head on the car door closing my eyes as I try to get some sleep. Charles turns on the radio to my favorite station and I fall asleep listening to the piano.