Lights, Camera, Omega (Hollywood Omegas #1)

After that game of spin the bottle? Hell, after seeing Cosmo in those itty bitty swim trunks, I was practically presenting, ready to be knotted and bit right there.

Rupert yowls, bringing me back to reality once more.

I launch myself from bed and head toward the kitchen.

Though our little game went a little off the rails for a moment, the rest of my visit at Cypress House was delightfully uneventful. We enjoyed our brunch and a little time in the pool before I was able to get back into my freshened clothes for a ride home from Sol.

I was back home before dinnertime, but Vinny acted scandalized that I’d spent so much time on my first visit. Probably a good thing I didn’t share any details about the aforementioned game of spin-the-bottle…

I’m feeding Rupert his standard can of low tide scented pate, when my phone begins buzzing with rapid fire text notification vibrations.

I’m worried that Vinny’s about to tell me that they’re canceling today’s callback. My screen test for yet another western—this time, a prestige television series about a beautiful blonde frontier widow acting as sheriff of her own small town after the death of her husband, the law man.

The good news? My screen test is going to continue as planned. This could be a huge break for me. The bad news? Vinny wants to get together for drinks tonight to talk about which pack I’m most interested in, and it’s incredibly clear that he thinks that Johnny Angel and his Lost Daze pack should be the front runners.

Vinny

Daph,

We should get together and talk about maybe making some preliminary press announcements about which pack you’re going to start courting.

We don’t want the paparazzi to get snaps of you and Johnny out somewhere and hit TMZ with that shit before you’ve made the announcement you’re going to begin courting.

Not to mention, we should probably let the Dubois boys and the Panopticon Pix guys down gently.

Never want to burn any bridges in this town, trust me.

I groan. Vinny can really be thick as a brick sometimes. How has he not taken the hint that Johnny and his pack are definitively not my type?

I opt for simplicity in text. If he wants to get drinks tonight, I’ll be able to explain it to him slowly, and carefully—as if he were a child. I’m all but decided on the Panopticon Pictures pack, it’s only a matter of confirming that they feel the same way I do.

For now, I better motor if I want to make it to this callback on time!

The topic of conversation in Pack Silver for the last 24 hours has hardly strayed from one little sunshine omega; the sparkling Daphne Dale.

While everyone has been keen to allow Daphne herself to make the next move, I have my own ideas about how best we should play our cards.

I’m knee deep in a daydream of commitment, meeting families, bonding—even going as far as to imagine the pitter patter of little feet in the coming year or two, when I nearly crash headlong into Amelia.

“Sol! You’re late!” she snips, jabbing a perfectly manicured finger at the heavily highlighted and post-it-noted schedule on her clipboard.

“I would have thought you’d be hustling your ass onto set this morning, since Little Miss Sunshine is apparently making the rounds on screen tests on and off the lot.” Amelia waggles her silver brows at me.

My heart skips a few beats, and I can’t help but let my eyes wander ahead, trying to find her cloud of golden blond curls in the crowd.

“Oh shit, thanks for the tipoff Amelia.” I clap Amelia on the shoulder, eyes still scanning the sea of people milling about the east lot.

“We’re gonna be on soundstage F. I made sure to put you with her and Moose,” Amelia smirks, tapping the tiny yellow highlighted boxes on her complicated matrix of animal talent, trainers, stunt folks, and prospective actor riders.

“Thanks Amelia,” I call over my shoulder, already picking up the pace on my way to Soundstage F.

I feel like a high schooler again, giddy and about to bubble over with the excitement of a fresh infatuation as I brush out Moose, a large Chestnut Bay, checking the fittings on his saddle, and making sure that he’ll be good and ready for Daphne’s screen test.

I’m busily thinking of how I’m going to open casually, how I’ll act cool and not too smitten or over interested when she walks in—then I catch sight of her, meandering in with none-other than Amos Benett.

My heart sinks at the sight. Natalia, our placement agency representative, had mentioned that she heard ‘through the grapevine’ that Daphne was potentially looking to be courted by two other packs in addition to ours. Apparently, Daphne’s agent had shot for the moon–along with Pack Silver, Daphne is also in potential courting talks with both Pack Dubois and the Lost Daze pack.

It’s all I can do not to spit on the sidewalk just thinking of that skeeze Johnny Angel, but it’s none of my business, so I bridle my frustration and put on a brave face.