Simi, who had been trying not to stare at Cameron, now stole a glance. She was stunning. She looked tall in her perfume adverts but in real life she had to be over six feet tall. She had cocoa skin, platinum blond hair, limbs like scaffolding and yet the poise of a dancer.

Antonia cleared her throat again.

‘We certainly hadn’t thought of Dorothea as being quite so… enraged,’ she said.

‘Well I was thinking, perhaps she’s a communist who doesn’t want to buy into this bourgeoisie lifestyle,’ Simi offered, her conviction withering at the sight of Antonia’s pained expression.

‘Communist. I see,’ Antonia said.

Simi searched Gabe’s face for some clue as to how she was doing. Gabe stared back, gave her an almost imperceptible neck-pop then started tinkering with the camera.

‘I mean, she doesn’t have to be. I could try it another way,’ said Simi, backtracking.

Antonia glanced over at Cameron who was halfway through her extra-slim cigarette. Simi’s eyes darted between them as though some sort of telepathic communication was taking place. Cameron raised an eyebrow and closed the window, turning her back on the room.

‘Please,’ said Simi not noticing that her hands were clasped together in prayer.

Antonia gave an unreadable smile. ‘Alright,’ she said, then nodded to Gabe. ‘Strawberry filter please.’

Simi exhaled with relief. And strawberry filter? Perhaps they were sending her tape to the producers and wanted it to look as good as possible. Come on, Simi, she chanted in her head. Make that strawberry filter count. This time she would discover the character for herself, in the moment. Gabe nodded with a grin and began adjusting the camera settings.

‘Will Cameron be coming back in?’ Simi asked looking over to the window.

‘No, darling, I’ll read with you this time. When you’re ready,’ said Antonia.

Simi looked out at Cameron. How were they going to discover if they had chemistry if she was ten feet away on a rickety old fire escape? Maybe Cameron was checking how far their chemistry could stretch. Simi nodded assuredly before reordering her script pages and beginning again. A moment later, Gabe was clacking the viewfinder closed and opening the door for Simi.

‘Right… I… you don’t need to see anything else?’ she stuttered.

‘No, that was great,’ said Antonia.

Simi gave one last confused look at Cameron who was elegantly staring into nothing, probably having intelligent acting thoughts.

‘Thanks again, Simi,’ said Antonia and before Simi had finished wittering her twenty-five goodbyes, Gabe had closed the door in her face.

Simi walked down the corridor, stunned. She’d been bustled out of the room so fast, her feet had barely touched the polished wooden floor. Well at least her last attempt had been better and hopefully, Cameron had a sense of how far Simi could project her chemistry.

‘Really interesting interpretation. So brave,’ said the other actress, though her eyes seemed to be saying something very different, like, WTF was that. Simi felt her mouth go dry and left.