Simi nodded, not reassured at all. No matter how hard she tried, things rarely went her way. Usually she only found out she hadn’t got the job when she stumbled across the show on TV. And who did she most often see staring back at her from the screen – Sandra Scott. She was everywhere, doing everything from selling toilet roll to delivering bad news in the latest hospital drama. Simi didn’t wish Sandra less success, she just wanted a little for herself. And where was ‘Sandy’? she wondered. Normally, by now she’d have breezed in, shattering all hope. Was it possible for once, she hadn’t made the cut and Antonia was in a race against time to fill the role? If that was the case, Simi was more than happy to be the rank outsider stealing a last minute win. She had to focus though. With or without Sandra in the race, this could easily be snatched from her by any one of the great actresses being seen for this role. Simi scrolled through the notes Meagan had emailed her, perplexed. She had only ever had two agents in her career, one of whom had spent most of their relationship trying to enrol her in a colon cleanser pyramid scheme. But though she’d had little experience of what agents did, she was sure burying her under a pile of acting notes, wasn’t part of the deal. Every audition Meagan sent her on was the same. The annoying part was, Simi knew Meagan didn’t do this with her comedians. She wasn’t telling them how to deliver their jokes so why was she telling Simi how to act? She reread Meagan’s notes still unconvinced. Meagan, who only ever skim-read scripts had advised her to play Dorothea as angry – because it would be funny. However to Simi, Dorothea seemed happy about her situation evidenced by the line, ‘Being in my lady’s favour has advanced me beyond my station. I could not have hoped for more!’ Why would someone say that in anger? Was she being sarcastic? Simi speculated. Possibly but there was literally nothing in the script to suggest that. Dare she ignore Meagan’s advice and follow her own instincts just this once? The very thought gave her the jitters. Moments before the biggest audition of her life was not the time to go rogue.

Inside the audition room, Antonia lowered her glasses as Simi looked at her expectantly, pleased with her performance. She’d made ‘angry’ work and given almost everything, leaving just a little in reserve in case Antonia wanted more. Antonia cleared her throat as the echoes from Simi’s angry shouting bounced around the room.

‘That was very – interesting,’ she said.

Simi smiled hoping ‘interesting’ was casting-speak for, you got the job, kid!

Cameron, who had been lying on a tattered chaise longue opposite Simi stood up and slinked, feline-like, over to the window. She pushed it open and with the ease of a cat, slipped out onto the fire escape and lit a cigarette as long and thin as her limbs.