Chapter 5

Zoya's POV

The hallway felt strangely quiet once Olivia left. Like someone had turned down the volume on the world the moment she walked away. I stared at the juice in my hands, the sandwich untouched on my lap, and tried to piece together what had just happened.

My head was still spinning.

I had fainted. On Olivia Lopez.

Correction: I had fainted into Olivia Lopez's lap.

And then she smiled at me, touched my face, offered to send a car, sat next to me like we were equals. She even laughed—actually laughed—at something I said, which would’ve been amazing if I hadn’t been blurting out every humiliating thought in my head like a walking disaster.

I pressed the cold juice bottle to my face, hoping it might lower the heat radiating off my cheeks. This had to be some sort of fever dream.

My audition felt like a lifetime ago, though I remembered every beat of it. Every line I delivered. Every breath I took to ground myself before stepping into character. And now I couldn’t even focus on whether I’d done a good job or not because Olivia Lopez had smiled at me.

“Zoya?” one of the assistants poked their head out the door.

I jumped slightly, then stood up too fast. “Y-yeah?”

“You’re good to go for today. We’ll be in touch.”

“Okay. Thanks,” I murmured, clutching the sandwich and juice like they were sacred offerings as I walked out.

The second I stepped into the cool air outside, it hit me—how fast everything had happened. I’d rushed from class across town, nearly missed the call time, delivered what might’ve been the performance of my life, then passed out from sheer shock... and somehow ended the day with Olivia Lopez offering to drive me home and handing me a juice like we were in some kind of indie romance film.

I spotted my reflection in a building window. Hair wild. Eyes still wide. Face blotchy from embarrassment. I looked like someone who had been struck by lightning and lived to tell the story.

I climbed into the bus, choosing the window seat and hugging the sandwich to my chest. My phone buzzed with a message from my roommate asking how it went, but I didn’t reply. I didn’t even know how to explain it yet.

The bus rattled forward, weaving through the city streets, and all I could do was sit there replaying it all. The moment Olivia touched my hair. The way her voice dipped when she said my name. The soft pressure of her legs under my head. The way she looked at me—not like I was some background extra, but like I mattered.

I sighed and leaned my forehead against the glass.

It was probably nothing. Just a moment. Just a kind gesture from someone kind.

And still, I knew I’d remember every second of it.

I was sitting in my room with Sebastian after texting him to come over once I arrived home. He came right away, and even though we only met a couple of weeks ago, I feel like we have known each other for ages. I genuinely enjoy his company.

"You actually fainted?" he said incredulously, erupting into laughter so hard that he had to pause several times to wipe the tears streaming down his face.

I let out a sigh, trying to hide my annoyance. "Could you please let me continue?" I asked, my patience running thin. On second thought, maybe I don't enjoy his company as much as I thought I did.

"Okay! Sorry," Sebastian managed to say between fits of laughter. Finally, he took a deep breath to regain his composure. I continued with my story about Olivia, telling him how she had followed me to make sure I was alright. As I spoke, I couldn't help but sigh in remembrance of how kind she had been.

"Sebastian, you were right about her. She's absolutely perfect, just as I had imagined her to be," I said, resting my hands over my face as I fell back onto the bed.

"Alright, I understand your infatuation with her, but let's put that aside for a moment. How did your audition go? Do you think you will get the part?" he asked, his tone shifting to a more serious one.

"I felt like I performed well, but then I found out that Olivia Lopez has been cast as the lead. It's practically impossible for a nobody like me to be chosen to star alongside her." I sighed in frustration, feeling defeated already.

"But even if I did somehow get the role, I don't know if I could face her again. I made a complete fool of myself during the audition," I admitted, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "In all honesty, I would probably turn it down even if I was offered the part."

My phone started ringing and without even bothering to look at the caller ID, I hastily grabbed my phone and answered it.

"Hello?" I said, my voice anxious.

"Zoya, you absolute genius! I don't know how you did it, but you got the role!" Emre's voice boomed through the phone, causing my heart to almost stop.

Relief washed over me, followed swiftly by a wave of disbelief. "Wait, what?" I stammered, my mind struggling to process the news. "Are you serious? Me?"

Emre chuckled on the other end of the line. "Of course I'm serious! You nailed your audition and the production team loved you. They're ecstatic to have you on board."

I couldn't believe it. After years of dreaming and countless auditions, I finally landed my first major role. Grinning from ear to ear, I thanked Emre over and over again before hanging up and staring blankly at Sebastian.

"What happened to rejecting the role?" he chuckled lightly.

"Are you kidding me? This is a dream come true! I get to act alongside Olivia Lopez! I can't wait," I exclaimed, immediately jumping out of bed and doing a victory dance with Sebastian.

"So, what's the plan now?" I asked Sebastian, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice.

Sebastian paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Well, first, there will be a meet and greet party for the entire cast. Everyone will be introduced to the media, and then we'll have table read meetings until it's time to shoot the first episode," he explained, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Will you be there?" I asked, hoping for some familiar company during this nerve-wracking but exciting time.

"I'm not part of the cast or crew, so I won't be around all the time. But I'll do my best to attend the party and the first table read," he replied, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything," I said quietly, grateful for his unwavering support.

"Don't mention it, you got the role on your own merit. But I did give you that cringey pep talk" he laughed.

"Yep," I made a disgusted face playfully," but you also told me about the audition. You've been a great support throughout all this," I admitted, feeling grateful.

"Okay, okay, stop. You're making me tear up," he chuckled, playfully slapping my shoulder.

"You are so fruity," I teased while pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Hey, you're not one to talk," he countered with a grin. "You fainted when you saw Olivia Lopez."

"Okay, okay," I admitted, my face feeling a bit warm. "But she's not just any woman."

Am I really about to act with Olivia Lopez? Maybe we'll talk after work. Maybe we'll even become friends. Who knows? But just being in the same room as her, I'm already thrilled.