âChemistry Testâ-Part 1: Leoch Pictures
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Prompt #33: Modern AU: Claire auditions for a role opposite Jamie, who has been cast as the male lead in a TV drama. Â
A little NSFWâno pics, just wordsâŠ
âOne more pair of plastic boobs and IâllâŠâ
âYouâll do what?â asked Murtagh.
âIs it too much to ask?â questioned Jamie as he laced up his boots. âA woman with enough confidence in her natural beauty that she doesnât feel the need to spackle herself with makeup or submit herself to surgery?â
âHear, hear,â Murtagh said, lifting his bottled water in a toast. Â âTo boobs au natural.â
âSometimes I think I should never have come to Hollywood,â Jamie sighed, shaking his head. âI should have stayed in Scotland, satisfied myself with working on the stage. At least there I wasnât surrounded by cookie cutter blondes with their pouty-lipped instagram selfies.â He trailed off as he slipped on his leather jacket.
Murtagh grinned, holding up an imaginary phone and taking countless fake snaps as he made duck lips and stuck his butt out, peeking over his shoulder.
âGod, Murtagh. Iâd be able to laugh if it wasnât so damn true. And so damn sad. Â I think Iâve forgotten what a normal, non-fame-obsessed girl is even like.â
"Good luck to ye, though, Jamie,â Murtagh said, sitting down on the couch in front of the computer on the coffee table. âYou were fortunate enough to get the role. Now all they have to do is find ye the perfect leading lady.â
âIt would help if they had any idea at all what Jackie Dawson should look like,â Jamie sighed as he stood in the doorway. âThey canât even decide between having her a blonde or a brunette.â
âThey just want that special something; that moment of magic. Ah, well, break a leg,â Murtagh said, not looking up from the computer screen. âHey! Â Looks like I might have another audition for âcurmudgeonly gruff but lovable friendâ some time next week.â
Jamie grinned. âNot the leading man who gets the girl?â
âDamn you, young fool,â said Murtagh. âIâm almost certain the world will not be seeing me kissing onscreen any time in the near future⊠Not that Iâd want to.  Iâd be happy to settle for my own real-breasted woman to kiss completely in private.â
Jamie grinned and headed down the stairs, glancing at his Lyft app when he paused on the landing. He didnât drive in LA if he could help it. There was public transport here, too, but he preferred the anonymity of riding in a Lyft or Uber. Occasionally the driver would recognize him from his roles in other movies, but he wasnât famous. Not yet, anyway.
Jamie glanced down at his script. Hard to believe that a stack of paper held so much power to transform his whole life. Â This particular script was either genius or the dumbest thing ever; unfortunately, they wouldnât know until theyâd screened the pilot if they had a hit on their hands or not.
Jamie had been cast in the part of Ross DeWitt Bukater, the young CEO of Titanic Corporation Limited. He wanted to think it was not just the fact that he had naturally curly red hair but on account of his incredible charisma and his chameleon-like acting skillâthe way he could transform himself into another characterâthat theyâd chosen him. However, he could still see the greed in the casting teamâs eyes when heâd assured them his fiery red curls were his own. He could imagine what they were thinkingâthat theyâd save a fortune on dye, perms, and wigs alone, not to mention the savings from having to edit for hair continuity.
âSony. Lot 15.â He told the Lyft driver, paging through the stack of head shots. Â He stopped at one of a dark-haired beauty with blue eyes and a curvaceous form.
The actress pictured was Geneva Dunsany, cast as his fiancĂ©e Calista Hockley, daughter of the billionaire owner of the company. Geneva appeared to be just as haughty and egotistical in real life as the character she was supposed to play.  At least he wouldnât end up with her, Jamie reassured himself, though in the TV series the writer planned for more of the will-they-or-wonât-they tug of war while Ross and Jackie fell in love, so Jamie was pretty sure there would be some on-screen kissing with that one.
Jamie glanced through the rest of the pictures. Jackie. That was the role they were still trying to fill. Jackie, the data entry clerk, unimportant and forgettable in the eyes of anyone who mattered at Titanicorps. Â Yet Jackie would be the one who would talk Ross off the ledge when, misunderstood by all those around him, overlooked and disrespected, Ross Bukater would consider ending his life.
Jamie looked forward to filming those scenes with raw anticipation. Â It was in those moments that being classically trained seemed to help him plunge into the depths of emotion, to internalize the desperation and hopelessness a man would have to feel to reach such a dark place. He didnât want to be disingenuous, but he couldnât help but hope that the actress they chose would be able to hold her own in those tough scenes. Â
Thatâs why today mattered. Â There were five actresses coming for call backs, this time to each have a chemistry test opposite him. Â Today mattered so much that Jamie had lobbied for the casting team to include the rooftop scene in the trio of script excerpts theyâd do today.
âTheir chemistryâŠâ The producers had agreed as they talked after the last failed batch of auditions.  âItâs got to be like Kate and Leo. Natural. Magnetic. Instantaneous. Riveting.â
âNot like thereâs any pressure on me or anything,â Jamie groaned, slouching in the back seat and staring out the window. Â Christ, he missed Scotland. Â Here in LA with their watering restrictions and xeriscaping. Â He knew having yards filed with rock and cacti instead of grass saved the environment. Â But God, what he wouldnât give to see the verdant green hills rising up behind Lallybroch Estates where heâd spent his childhood.
He wondered again about the choices that had led him here. Â He was 34. Â Other people, all his grammar school friends, they were married and had at least a kid or more. Â What if he hadnât left home? Â Would he be married by now, possibly to Laoghaire? Would they have a few snot-nosed bairns running around?
He felt the tremor of stage fright in his gut as the driver coasted to a stop. Â Jamie couldnât remember which of his teachers had coached him to be grateful for that sensation, knowing that it was his body pumping adrenaline into his system, providing the extra burst of energy to fuel whatever intense emotion he needed to conjure.
He tapped the tip icon, patted the driver on the shoulder and said âThanks, manâ as he headed into the sound stage. Â This was in response to his request, too. Â He wanted to do the scene on a roof set. Â He wanted to teeter on the edge with the crash pad below him. Â He wanted to see what the actresses would do, how they would respond physically, not just with words.
The casting director met him at the door. Â And it began, the barrage of names and faces and actresses. Â Beautiful women, yes, but women that he felt like he couldnât see anything when he looked at them. Â Not the characters they were playing, not themselves. Â There wasnât anything real there. Â
Until her. Their first two scenes were good. She delivered her lines with just enough emotion, subtle changes on her face displaying irritation, humor, attraction. Her brown hair was curly, he observed, though she had pulled up in a bun. Â Who wore buns anymore? Â And her eyes were blue. Â Gray in some lights, nearly green in others.
But then, the rooftop scene. Â Jamie stood on the ledge. Â He could feel his gut drop as he looked down at the crash pad. Â It wasnât far, but far enough that he felt physically agitated. That would only help the performance.
She held her shaky hand out to him, palm up, reaching toward him, her whole body plaintively begging him to stay. Â âRoss, you have so much to live for,â she said. Â Damn, what was her name? Â Claire? Her eyes were filling with real tears. Her chin and lower lip quivered with deep emotion.
âDonât make me watch you die,â she begged. Â âDonât put this tragedy on my shoulders.â
She wasnât following the script anymore, Jamie thought with confusion. But this felt raw and real, and he quickly dove back into the scene.
âSurely thereâs one good thing left on this earthâŠone thing that youâd love to see againâŠâ Claire stepped forward, her hand still extended toward him.  A single tear traced a line on her cheek as she spoke again.  âSurely thereâs one thing, one hope, one future joy that youâll be stealing from yourself if you end it now.â
He turned his back to her. Â âJackie,â he said. Â âI have nothing left. Â Not one thing to live for.â Â He closed his eyes and extended his arms to the side.
The voice he heard behind him was no longer plaintive and calming. Â âDamn you, Ross Bukater!â she said fiercely. Â âDonât you dare kill yourself!â
And then, she turned away. Â She turned away and started walking. Â
And it was an empty desperation, a desperation not to end everything but to be with her that pulled Jamie off the ledge, dragged him off and forced him to run to her, to take her firmly in his arms.
She was sobbing as he grabbed her in a bear hug. Â She sobbed and pummeled his chest with her fists, so hard that Jamie nearly lost his breath.
It hurt. He needed her to stop. Â But she was sobbing as she beat him, and he couldnât, or wouldnât hurt her. Â He tried to grab her wrists, but she was strong. Finally he did the only thing he could think of to stop her: he grabbed her around the waist, lifted her entire body, and crushed his lips against hers.
She thrashed and whimpered against him, and then she responded, madly pressing her lips to his, opening her mouth to him, biting his lower lip, invading him with her tongue. He lowered her feet to the ground and released his grip on her, but she responded by throwing her arms around his neck and digging her fingers into his hair. He could feel her fingernails scratch his neck. Â He bent slightly at the waist, and she responded to his physical cue by wrapping her legs around his midsection as he grabbed her thighs.
There was an air conditioner vent on the roof set, and he carried her to it, pressed her against it. Â God, he had a raging erection. Â Hell, this was embarrassing. Â She couldnât help but feel it with his pelvis pressing her against the cold metal, her legs open to him. Â She was wearing a skirt, so the only thing between their bodies was her panties and his slacks. Â Christ, he should not have gone true Scotsman today.
Claire could let him know if it was too much, but she was kissing him back with as much urgency as he kissed her.
He couldnât stop himself. Â He released her thigh and raised his hand to her breast. Â It was soft and heavy in his hand, with that natural give of real flesh. He groaned.
She whimpered in his ear. When he gripped her thigh again, he overshot his mark, and his hand firmly grabbed her round ass.  Not only that, his fingers⊠his fingers accidentally slipped inside her panties.  They were inside her panties, and she was wet. God, she was so wet.  He would have apologetically recoiled in embarrassment if she hadnât made a little movement with her hips that established his hand more firmly in contact with her.  And then she moaned.
âFuck, I want you, Jamie Fraser,â she murmured into his hair, biting his neck.
From behind them, there was cheering, whistling, and clapping. Â Jamie released Claire to the floor, stunned. Â He met her eyes and found the same strange mix of desire and embarrassment he felt. Â But she smiled in a playful way that extended all the way to her eyes.
He kept himself between her and the panel as she straightened her skirts, and then she walked in front of him back to the panel while he begged his body to calm itself. Dead things. Â Rotten trash. Â
When they stood in front of the casting team, he found himself standing close to her. Â She slipped her arm around his waist. âChemistry,â she whispered, so he put his arm around her shoulders.
Everyone on the panel had their own thing to say.  It was so realâŠyes, they broke script, but they demonstrated the whole range of emotions Jackie and Ross would need to express during season one.  They were amazing together. Â
They needed to talk, so they huddled at the table. Â Jamie didnât know why they needed to discuss. Â She so obviously deserved the part. Â Sheâd blown the other actresses away.
âThat didnât feel like acting,â Jamie said. Â âThat was so raw and real. Â Sorry I grabbed you so hard.â Â
âSame. Â Sorry I beat you up,â she said, lifting the front of his shirt away from his skin and peeking at his chest. Â âYouâre going to get bruises,â she said. Â âYou might want to buy some arnica. Itâll keep the bruising to a minimum.â Â She drew her hands away, her fingertips dragging gently across his clavicle.
God damn, thought Jamie. Dog poop. Â Rotting kitchen scraps. Â Fruit flies. Â
It happened so fast after that. Â Rupert MacKenzie, the director, pushed his chair back and put his hands behind his head. They didnât need another chemistry test. Theyâd found their Jackie. Â The whole panel wanted to shake her hand, congratulate him, take more pictures with the two of them standing next to each other. Jamie could feel her breasts against his ribs as she stood next to him, short enough to fit under his arm. Â She had both arms around him, and though he was embarrassed about their interaction, he didnât want her to let go of him.
But finally, she did. Â And Rupert had a few things to say to him. Â Jamie couldnât think, making excuses. Â Heâd had a late night. Â He really needed to get home.
He rushed down the stairs, begging fate to let her still be there.
She was getting into an Uber.
âClaire!â he cried out. Â âClaire, wait!â
She turned and looked at him, bent and said a few words to the driver as he approached.
He was out of breath, probably red-faced. Â So nervous that he had sweat stains on his Henley tee. Â âCongratulations on earning the part,â he gasped. Â âIâm looking forward to working with you.â
âThanks,â she responded. Â âThis will be my first show ever.â Â She stood there, waiting for him to say something.
He was running circles in his brain, searching for any way to keep their conversation going. Finally he laughed.  âThat was intense.  I need to decompress from that scene.  Do you want to have a few drinks or go for a run or something?â He bit his lip.
âNo,â she said firmly, shaking her head, staring at him intently. Â
Jamieâs heart dropped. Â Of course, she must have a boyfriend, a fiance, a husband. Â He glanced at her left hand.
âNo,â she repeated. Â âYouâre coming back to my hotel room, and weâre finishing what we fucking started. Â Itâs either my vibrator or you, and judging from what I felt earlier, thereâs no competition.â
âWell, then,â Jamie said, husky-voiced. âI suppose that means Iâm coming with you!â He flushed and glanced around, heart racing, as he climbed into the car.Â
Oh, Jamie Fraser, I just canât quit you: On to âChemistry Test, Part 2âł
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