Roleplay

Nate entered the apartment in his interview attire, took off his suit jacket, and slumped down onto the couch next to his sporadically employed roommate.

"How's it going?" he asked.

Jimmy shrugged, returned to his television show. Nate got up and scoured for something edible in the kitchen.

"Didn't you have an audition today?"

Jimmy's attention piqued with this question.

"Nope. That was last week. It was for a commercial. A cereal."

"Oh. How did it go?"

"Still waiting to hear from them, but someone I know on the inside says that I'm on the short list."

"That's great. Didn't you have something going on today though?"

"That? I just had an appointment with the dialect coach," said Jimmy.

Nate found some cookies on the top of the refridgerator. He returned to the couch with them in hand.

"Since when did you go to one?"

"My agent says I need to expand my skillset. Next week is a stage combat class. I'm learning a British accent right now. Did you know there was more than one?"

"Speaking of acting," Nate said in between mouthfuls of cookie, "I need your help with a reference."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow.

"They asked for references at the interview today and I couldn't give them any names from the last place after what happened. I panicked. I made something up. I gave them your number."

Jimmy threw him an annoyed look.

"Look, I know I said the last time that it was the last time, but I need this. So can you just play along if they call? Think of it as an audition without a script."

Jimmy sighed. "Fine. Who am I?"

"Roger Hermann. I told them I was his personal assistant for eight months last year."

"Can I use my southern accent? I could use the practice. Or maybe the British stuff I've got going now."

Against his better judgement, Nate said that was fine. At least Jimmy was getting excited about it now.

"What's my motivation?" he asked.

"Your motivation is to get me a job so I can pay for my share of next month's rent."

"That's pretty good motivation, but what about my character's essence? Does he have kids? Is he happy with his life? Does he like Thai food or Italian."

Nate was exasperated. He'd unleashed a monster. "Please, just keep it simple. Just tell them I did a good job, all the normal basic stuff. Don't get carried away."

"Who, me?"

"Remember last time? When you told them I carried three people out of a fire? All at once?"

"Okay, that was overkill," Jimmy said, grinning ear-to-ear.

"So, I can count on you?"

"Consider it done. Think nothing of it, my good man," he said in an accent that was neither southern nor British, bowing dramatically while twirling his hand.