Too late for a second chance (Lila and Dorian)

Teddy was startled, his posture shifting from casual to upright the moment he heard Jamie's voice. "I..." He parted his lips, searching for the right response but stumbling over his words.

Lila's voice sounded soft but clear, smoothing the moment over. "There aren't any roles in this project that suit him well. It'll be better to find something that fits him. Both of you should focus on finding something that fits you."

Jamie glanced at Teddy, saw him nod, and then smiled lightly. "You're probably right."

Teddy rose from his seat. "I'll let you guys talk. I'll take these scripts with me and go through them on my own. If anything catches my eye, I'll let you know, Lila."

The door closed behind him, and Jamie's eyes lingered on the spot he had stood until he was long gone. When she turned around and met Lila's eyes, she faltered. "My bad, I got distracted for a second."

Lila didn't call her out on it, choosing instead to smile and gesture for her to sit. "So, what brings you here? Is something on your mind?"

Jamie hesitated, her fingers brushing the edge of the table. ""Not really. I just thought I'd see if you needed a hand with anything. My schedule clears up starting tomorrow."

"There's nothing I really need help with, but I'm planning to hire an acting coach for Teddy. Would you like to join the lessons with him?"

carefully before breaking into a soft chuckle.

figure out what it meant. With a small smile, she picked up the script and started walking Jamie through it. Before they knew it, the

to ask if Jamie wanted to grab a meal together when,

brow, wondering if there was someone else. Jamie continued, "Soren's coming, but I don't feel like having dinner with him alone

didn't matter whether she said yes or no, but that moment's silence had

more, Lila smiled and said, "Sure,

food? Count me in!" a playful voice chimed

a long

we'd all just

The three of

already

for the briefest second, surprise flashed across his face. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by his signature

since we had a meal