Chapitre 184: Not surprise?

At the audition venue, Lucas didn't have to linger in anticipation of his turn to perform; he was promptly escorted to the audition room alongside Neil.

To put it plainly, Lucas wasn't subject to the usual audition rigmarole he had experienced with previous projects.

This time around, Lucas was under the representation of a manager, and with Neil's assistance, the role seemed almost tailor-made for him. The studio had Lucas in mind for the part of Peeta Mellark, believing he was an ideal fit. Thus, Lucas's audition was more of a formality—a quick confirmation, an opportunity to iron out any potential scheduling conflicts, and a chance to gauge his rapport with the newly selected cast members in a chemistry test.

Upon entering the audition space, the atmosphere was already buzzing with actors mingling and connecting.

---

Jennifer was deep in conversation with her fellow "Hunger Games" co-stars, including Liam Hemsworth, Sandra Lafferty, Paula Malcomson, and Wes Bentley. Yet, even as she engaged with them, her gaze kept wandering, as if she was on the lookout for someone.

"Are you looking for someone?" Liam asked, catching her in her distracted state.

Jennifer turned towards Liam, caught off guard. "Uh... No," she hesitated, choosing to keep her thoughts to herself.

Liam gave Jennifer a puzzled look before turning his attention back to the ongoing discussions with the other co-stars.

---

As Lucas and Neil were guided by the receptionist to where the other actors had gathered, they observed the actors already deep in conversation, while the "Hunger Games" production team managed the auditions for various roles in the project.

After pointing out where the newly cast actors were mingling, the receptionist excused herself, leaving Lucas and Neil to join the group.

Approaching the new cast, Lucas spotted Jennifer among the actors. Seeing her in animated conversation, he couldn't help but smile.

As they made their way closer, the actors noticed them. Jennifer, catching sight of Lucas, her eyes sparkled with recognition, though her expression remained composed, betraying little surprise.

"Hi everyone, it's great to meet you all. I'm Lucas Knight," Lucas greeted the group of actors warmly.

"And I'm Neil, his manager," Neil added with a smile, extending his greetings to the actors' managers who were present.

"Hi, Lucas and Neil. I'm..."

Following Lucas and Neil's introductions, it sparked a round of introductions from the other actors and even some of their managers.

As names were exchanged, Lucas couldn't help but offer a friendly smile, especially noting that Jennifer merely gave him a slight wave.

Walking over to the young actress, Lucas teased, "You don't seem too surprised to see me here?"

"Hehe, I'm actually quite surprised," Jennifer responded, her tone playful. "I just don't make a big show of it."

"Is that right?" Lucas chuckled, enjoying the banter.

"Absolutely. Seeing you sporting a new look has definitely taken me aback," Jennifer replied with a soft laugh, a sparkle in her eye.

Their laughter filled the air, and then Jennifer playfully reached out to touch Lucas's head, where his hair was just beginning to grow back.

Truthfully, Jennifer wasn't entirely taken aback to see Lucas joining her in the new film project, though she did feel a mix of relief, happiness, and a touch of surprise — she had half-expected his presence.

After all, it was she who had suggested to the "Hunger Games" production team that Lucas would fit the role of Peeta Mellark perfectly. She believed they would share great chemistry on screen.

The casting team had assured her they would take her recommendation into account, but deep down, Jennifer hadn't fully anticipated they would act on her suggestion. Discovering Lucas had indeed been cast in the film brought her a great deal of joy.

Meanwhile, the production team and studio were already convinced of Lucas's suitability for the role, having been impressed by his portrayal of Arthur in the recent film "Inception."

Jennifer observed Lucas, noticing his markedly leaner appearance and the stubble on his head. With a mix of concern and amusement, she asked, "Looking at you now, why does it seem like you haven't eaten in days? And what happened to your hair?" She couldn't help but laugh softly at the last part.

Lucas responded with a smile, casually rubbing his head, "I guess I got a bit too immersed in my role for the latest film project that wrapped up a couple of weeks ago. I'm currently on the mend, aiming to get back to my prime condition soon, hair growth included..."

"Wow," Jennifer was genuinely impressed. Lucas's current state spoke volumes about his commitment to his role. "That project must be something special. I'm really looking forward to seeing it... I hope you don't mind me asking, and I understand if you can't share much, but what's the film about?"

Lucas nodded, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity, "It's about a man who's fighting cancer..."

"Oh... I see." Jennifer's response was tinged with understanding as she took in Lucas's transformed appearance. "That explains why you look this way."

"What do you mean?" Lucas teased, a playful glint in his eye.

"Nothing," Jennifer replied with a smile. Despite Lucas's current look being a far cry from his usual healthy glow and his signature blonde locks, her perception of him remained unchanged.

Jennifer kept her thoughts to herself, especially with her manager nearby, but she had found herself thinking about Lucas quite a bit over the past few months since their work on "Like Crazy"...

Initially, Jennifer had convinced herself that any feelings she harbored for Lucas during their project were fleeting, bound to fade with time and the distractions of her busy life. Yet, the opposite proved true; the longer Lucas was out of sight, the more pronounced her feelings became. Her experiences with the fluttery nuances of young love were limited. In her youth, Jennifer grappled with hyperactivity and social anxiety, which made school challenging and social interactions, especially with boys, somewhat awkward. She found solace and a sense of freedom only when she was performing on stage, where her anxieties would melt away, leaving a profound sense of fulfillment in their wake.

Despite a somewhat isolated adolescence, feeling often lonely and friendless, it was in her professional interactions with Lucas that Jennifer felt a unique sense of comfort and serenity. This connection made her feel drawn to him, even though she was uncertain if he shared the same sentiments.

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Chapitre 185: Feelings?

As Jennifer chatted with Lucas, her face alight with joy, others, including Liam, couldn't help but notice the warmth in her expressions, markedly different from her interactions with the rest of them. Observing Jennifer's animated conversation with Lucas, who appeared quite frail, stirred an unfamiliar pang in Liam.

"She doesn't look at me that way..." Liam thought silently, watching the two with a mix of curiosity and a budding sense of envy.

Liam had been working closely with Jennifer for a few weeks, having run through several rehearsals and mock scenes for the "Hunger Games" project. During their time together, he found himself gradually, and somewhat unexpectedly, developing feelings for her.

Despite his role as "Gale" — a character who doesn't end up with Jennifer's "Katniss" in the story — Liam found himself entertaining the thought of exploring a relationship with someone from the same profession, perhaps even in secret. He was aware his manager and agency might disapprove, yet the idea lingered. But now, seeing the woman he had begun to harbor feelings for engaging so joyfully with another man stirred a subtle jealousy in him. Unbeknownst to Liam, Jennifer wasn't interested in dating him, regardless of her feelings towards Lucas or anyone else.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Liam decided to join Jennifer and Lucas. "Hey, Lucas. What are you two chatting about?" he inquired, noting their laughter and the easy rapport that seemed to isolate them from the others.

"Oh, Liam," Jennifer responded with a nod. "Lucas was just sharing some hilarious experiences from his recent project."

"Really? Mind if I listen in?" Liam asked, his expression one of interest and curiosity. Yet, underneath lay a tinge of jealousy and annoyance.

Lucas, with a twinkle in his eye, recounted, "During my last project, there was this hilarious moment when my co-star, Seth, swapped out my water for vodka right before we filmed a really intense scene. You can imagine the 'authenticity' of my performance on that take." Jennifer's laughter echoed softly, clearly delighted by the story. Lucas, riding the wave of her amusement, dove into more behind-the-scenes antics, "And another time, Seth convinced everyone to speak only in rhymes during rehearsals. And imagine we're trying to discuss character motivation, and all you get is, 'He feels quite sad, quite mad, not bad, this lad.' It was absolutely ridiculous, but it broke the ice like nothing else."

Liam observed Jennifer's laughter at Lucas's story, but couldn't quite share in the amusement, prompting him to ask, "Who's Seth?"

Lucas replied with a smile, "Seth Rogen."

Liam was taken aback upon hearing Seth Rogen's name, recognizing him as a well-known Canadian comedian, actor, and filmmaker. It was a surprise to Liam that Lucas, with his unassuming appearance, had worked alongside such an industry heavyweight.

Liam then inquired about Lucas's role in the upcoming project, to which Lucas casually responded, "I'll be playing Peeta Mellark."

"You're going to be Peeta?" Liam couldn't hide his surprise.

Lucas, noting Liam's reaction, asked, "You seem surprised?"

"Well, yeah, given how you look, I wouldn't have pegged you for Peeta," Liam remarked candidly.

Jennifer's eyebrows knitted together in slight disapproval as she chided Liam, "Don't put it that way. Lucas doesn't usually look like this. His current appearance is the result of his deep commitment to his last role. That's the reason behind his look now..."

Liam shifted uneasily, taken aback by Jennifer's fervent defense of Lucas.

Lucas chimed in, affirming Jennifer's point, "Yeah, she's right. I'll gradually get back into shape and let my hair grow back."

Liam, still seemingly unconvinced and focusing on Lucas's physique, pressed on, "I get that your last project demanded a lot from you, leading to your current appearance. However, Peeta is described differently in the books—he is describe to be in medium height and stocky built. How come you were cast as Peeta?"

Jennifer's expression turned into a frown, detecting a hint of issue in Liam's tone towards Lucas.

Lucas, sensing Liam's skepticism from the moment he joined them, felt the underlying lack of respect.

"It's the studio's decision to cast him as Peeta, Liam," Jennifer interjected, aiming to put an end to the scrutiny.

Confronted with Jennifer's support for Lucas, Liam chose to retreat into silence and walked away.

Jennifer, apologetic for the discomfort caused, said to Lucas, "I'm really sorry about Liam. He's not usually like this..."

Lucas, with a forgiving smile, responded, "It's alright." He then shared, "I've actually met Liam's older brother before, so I don't want to judge Liam based solely on today."

"Older brother? Who?" Jennifer inquired, curious.

"Chris Hemsworth," Lucas revealed, glancing towards Liam's departing figure. "It was a year ago, but Chris showed genuine kindness when we spoke."

Lucas gave Jennifer a knowing look and said, "I think I might know why he was acting that way towards me..."

Intrigued, Jennifer leaned in, asking, "And why's that?"

With a playful grin, Lucas ventured, "He seems to have a crush on you and got jealous seeing us together. That's probably why he was so standoffish with me."

Jennifer's eyes went wide, a mix of surprise and disbelief coloring her voice, "What? Are you serious? I highly doubt Liam has feelings for me—we've always been strictly professional. I can't imagine him mixing personal feelings with work..."

Lucas laughed lightly, shaking his head, "Come on, it's not unheard of for colleagues to develop feelings for each other, even if it's just one-sided, right?"

Caught off guard by Lucas's observation, Jennifer found herself at a loss for words, "I...," she paused, glancing back at Lucas, the implication of his words slowly sinking in.

Jennifer mulled over Lucas's insight, realizing there might be a sliver of truth to his words, especially considering her own burgeoning feelings for Lucas. However, she was resolute in keeping those emotions under wraps. In the complex web of their industry, embarking on a relationship was laden with considerations—public perception, the risk of personal matters affecting professional dynamics, and the ever-present scrutiny under the public eye were just the tip of the iceberg.

Moreover, Jennifer found herself unable to voice her feelings to Lucas, held back by a mix of professional caution and personal hesitance.

Casting a glance towards Liam, who stood a short distance away, Jennifer acknowledged the possibility of his interest in her. Yet, regardless of Liam's feelings, her own heart didn't echo the sentiment.

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