Mrs Woods came back in with plates and bowls of assorted greens, and other healthy looking items of food.

“Help yourself.”

There was light small talk throughout the starter salad. And it seemed no matter how much I tried to stay quiet, conversation just kept coming back to me. Then again, of course it would. I was the new lesbian lover in the picture, everyone wanted to hear our story.

“So how did you meet?”

I looked to Rachel, wanting her to take this one. I didn't particularly know how she wanted me to answer that.

“Well, we were both at this party. We'd been drinking, and some stuff happened” Rachel laughed innocently. “But the next day we decided we would just be good friends. Until now, I guess” she smiled at me, so I smiled back. Though on the inside I was groaning. Getting with Rachel in the story of how we met isn't going to help my later case when I announce I'm actually straight.

“Nothing special, really” I said, quieter than I intended. I quickly put my head down and became fascinated with my salad, forking a forkful of lettuce into my mouth.

“Who made the first move?” Valerie asked. I looked up at her, and in another world if the question wasn't aimed at me I would have laughed at Mrs Woods face as she non-verbally chastised Valerie for that kind of talk at the table. Valerie shrugged at her mother and looked back at me with a playful smirk, and I smiled shyly, albeit a little uncomfortable, back at her.

“Duh, me” Rachel said, after a moment when she realised I wasn't going to reply. “Another party situation.” And she left it at that.

“Is everybody finished?” Mrs Woods said, standing up ready to take away the plates.

“Oh, let me help, Denise” Andy offered, not waiting for an answer as he collected his and Valerie's salad plates.

I smiled at him gratefully as I passed him my plate over the table while Mrs Woods tried to persuade him to sit down again, but he was having none of it. He followed her out to the kitchen holding most of our plates. I felt my phone vibrate in my bra and instinctively held up my hand to cup my boob. As eyes fell on me while I struggled to reach my phone through the tight collar of my jumper, I let out a small laugh with an added 'sorry' for the disruption, before fishing out my phone and checking the caller ID.

“Do you mind if I take this?” I asked Rachel, already beginning to stand up.

“Sure, it's fine.”

I headed back out into the hallway as I hit the answer button.

“Amy?”

“Oh, I'm glad I caught you, Jase, are you busy?” Amy replied in her usual rushed I'm-a-very-busy-lady voice.

“Just eating dinner” I said. I wouldn't dare tell Amy I was too busy to talk to her. She was my agent, and she was as nice as people came, but when she spoke to you with her work tone, you should just shut up and listen.

“Good, nothing important. Listen, I think I've found something for you.”

“Really? Already?” I responded, already feeling the grin spread across my face.

“They're shooting a pilot for a new rom-com series next month. I got in touch with the casting director and showed them some of your videos, gave him your résumé. Long story short he thinks you're hot shit and wants you to come down to audition tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“I know it's short notice but they need to fill this spot now. The former girl playing the lead role dropped out unexpectedly for medical reasons”

“Oh my...is she okay?” I asked, wondering what must have happened to pull out of the lead role. Wait... “Did you say the lead role? They want me to audition for the lead role?! Amy, that's amazing!”

“You know me, kid. You get the best. So are you free tomorrow or what?”

“I'm completely free” I replied, before racking my mind to make sure I actually was.

“Great. I gotta go. I'll text you the rest of the deets when I know them, it'll be soon. Laters,” and she hung up. I stared at my blank phone screen for a moment just smiling. Then took a deep breath and walked back into the dining room.

The smell of the roast drifted down the hallway and as I entered I saw the lascivious food laid out on the table. I sunk back into my chair while the others were talking and whispered to Rachel.

“I think I have an audition tomorrow for a pilot” I told her.

“An audition? That's great!” She hugged me and I eagerly returned it.

“An audition did you say?” Valerie asked from across the table. I broke away from Rachel and nodded.

“For what?”

“A pilot of a new TV series” I beamed.

“Wow, Jasey! What channel?” Rachel asked.

“I don't know”

“What character?”

“I don't know, the lead one”

“What time is your audition?”

“I don't know”

I couldn't help but smile at the family members as they bombarded me with questions for which I had no answers but I was just happy at the idea of being wanted to come and audition.

“They think I'm hot shit” I quoted Amy before I realised what I was saying, but thankfully I just got a laugh out of the family.

“I'll cheers to that,” Andy said, holding up his glass of champagne. I blushed and smiled some more. I don't think I could look more easily-pleased if I tried. Everyone raised their glass and clinked them together.

“Now, let's say grace” Mr Woods announced. And then we dug in.

We all looked pretty much the same, sitting around the table, slouched in our chairs and nursing our bloated bellies after a delicious dessert.

“I think I'll drive Jasey home, now” Rachel announced as the family got up and began moving into the living room. They really had a lovely home. Quite contemporary and clean, but cosy all the same. It had a homey touch.

“Are you sure? Did you want to spend the night, Jasey?” Mrs Woods asked me with a tight smile. It was a nice gesture but I knew in the back of her mind she was unsure, friends or not, about me and Rachel staying in the same room. I'm sure she's also hesitant about us moving in together, but unaware to her, our relationship will be no problem.

“It's alright, I've got some unpacking to do, and an early start tomorrow probably, if I ever get the details about the audition” I gave her a polite chuckle. “Thanks anyway. And thank you so much for dinner, it was delicious”

“Oh, it's not problem at all” she said, following Rachel and I to the door and putting a hand on her chest in a humble gesture. “You're welcome here any time.”

Notes

Super boring chapter I know, I just wanted to post something and I don't have the motivation to extend this chapter because I'm tired and super cold haha (but yay cold weather is coming back, fuck summer) *hands up emoji*
okay laters, hope you're still interested in this, if you are, you're fab (Y)