The Eating Habits of Strangers

She sat in the corner and picked at her cheeseburger like an old man might pick at a loaf of bread while feeding the birds. Across from her sat a small man with a pompadour haircut making out with his teenaged girlfriend. Josie sat and took all this in. She contrasted it with how her day started.

She started the day on her way to a casting agent's office where she was to read lines for a soap commercial.

"With new Oleavio soap for sensitive skin...washing my face is a dream!"

She practiced the lines in her head on the subway all morning. She took turns accenting different words in the sentence.

"Washing MY face is a dream!"

"Washing my FACE is a dream!"

"Washing my face is a DREAM!"

She felt confident she could deliver lines with confidence for once. She skipped breakfast to feel lighter and to not upset her stomach. She made sure she got at least 9 hours of sleep, she didn't want bags under her eyes. She approached audtions with the same cautiousness some might reserve for surgery.

As the day progressed she got more and more nervous. She had wished she made the appointment for 9 or 10 or even 11 instead of 12. Noon. So much time to wait. And worry.

She got to the offices early and waited in the tiny and dirty waiting room. She filled out her paperwork and stared at the tv in the corner playing a Destiny's Child music video. She smiled without realizing it. She felt silly. She wasn't an actress. There were pictures on the walls of models and child stars. Black and white head shots blown up to enormous proportions. She waited some more before excusing herself for the restroom. The receptionist didn't even hear her and she left. She left the waiting room, the office, the floor, the building.

"I can't do this", she said to herself.

To soften the blow she went out to eat with money she didn't have and observed the eating habits of strangers.