Behind The Spotlight Chapter 20
"Here's your change. Here's your pizza."
"T-Thank you... Ahh~"
Esmeralda forced a smile as the fat man in front of her leaned forward and inhaled the change she gave him like it was some kind of holy relic.
She had been working at this pizzeria for two years now, ever since she first set foot in Los Angeles. She was an aspiring actress who had left her hometown filled with dreams and hope, thinking she'd become the next big star. Hoping to find success in Hollywood.
The outcome of that brave decision? She was now a cashier at this pizzeria, serving greasy pizza and dealing with freaks instead of walking red carpets.
The fat guy, who was now deeply inhaling the scent of the pennies, stared at her with a lewd, lustful gaze that made her skin crawl and her stomach churn.
Esmeralda felt disgusted but held herself back from vomiting right then and there on the counter. She had met her fair share of creeps in her two years here, but people who inhaled pennies like they were drugs belonged in a special place.
The man finally left after grabbing a box of pizza, without even thanking her, leaving behind a trail of stench. There was a stain on his crotch for some reason, and she prayed to every deity she knew that she'd never have to find out why.
"Phew, that guy's been visiting our shop for days now like some cursed spirit. God, why do you give me these hard battles? I feel like I'm going to be assaulted a few days from now... Please don't let that be foreshadowing."
While muttering to herself, the phone rang abruptly, jolting her out of her spiraling thoughts. Esmeralda answered the call.
"Domihoes Pizzeria, the best pizza in Hollywood according to our drunk customers. Hello, can I take your order? What, you're not calling to order? You're from ANT? Isn't that a huge talent agency? Yes, yes, I'll call Lawrence right now!"
Being an "actress," Esmeralda of course knew about ANT. How could she not? It was practically every struggling actor's dream to be represented by ANT.
Apex Network Talent was one of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood. She had applied there last month using a heavily exaggerated resume, and she still hadn't heard back.
So when she heard that the caller was an agent from ANT, her heart skipped a beat, even if the call wasn't for her.
"Lawrence! Someone from ANT is looking for you!"
Esmeralda yelled more loudly than she intended, drawing curious glances from the other staff. Even though the call wasn't for her, she was still thrilled.
Lawrence, with flour dust on his shoulders, came rushing out of the kitchen. He didn't have a phone of his own, so he used the shop's landline as his only contact. He had been waiting anxiously since yesterday, the longest 24 hours of his life.
He'd barely slept, tossing and turning all night, praying for a miracle he wasn't sure would come.
Even though the project he'd auditioned for was a small-budget one, it meant everything to him. It could determine his future and whether he would finally escape this current life.
Lawrence grabbed the phone with trembling, excited fingers.
"Hello, yes, that's me. You want to meet me? Of course, of course! I'm off work around 3 p.m. I'll head to your agency as fast as I can. Thank you, thank you so much!"
The person who had called him was Collin East, one of the panel judges from the audition who had shown interest in him.
Lawrence had no idea why a talent agent wanted to meet him in person, but he knew it had to be good news. Bad news didn't usually come with polite scheduling.
Most of the time, Lawrence just received a cold call saying he didn't pass, or worse, no call at all, the cruelest rejection.
But this was different. And his gut told him that meant something good was coming. Maybe he really did have a shot.
Grinning from ear to ear, Lawrence returned to the kitchen.
"Wait, Lawrence. That call was about your audition yesterday, right?" Esmeralda asked, eyes wide and cheeks slightly flushed.
"That's right," Lawrence replied proudly, with a nod. No point in hiding it.
"Then..." Esmeralda looked down shyly, twirling her hair. "Are you single?"
...
...
...
At exactly 3:45 p.m., Lawrence arrived at the ANT building after taking two buses and walking five blocks. His hands still smelled faintly of pepperoni and dish soap, a scent that stubbornly clung despite three washes. He adjusted his secondhand jacket.
Nerves twitching, he stepped into the sleek, tiled lobby.
He approached the receptionist, who verified his identity and directed him to the reception area on the ground floor.
The lounge had several tables and chairs, and sunlight streamed gently through the windows. The place was lively, with agents talking to stunning men and women, perhaps trying to sign them.
Lawrence scanned the room and quickly spotted Collin, already seated at a table, flipping through a magazine. He recognized the man immediately from the audition.
Collin had shown great interest in him, especially in the fact that he was a freelance actor. Still, Lawrence hadn't expected him to be a talent agent.
With that chiseled face, black hair, sharp green eyes, and model-like posture, Collin looked like someone who should be in the magazines, not flipping through them.
"Sir," Lawrence managed to say as he approached.
"Lawrence, sit down."
Collin smiled with a calm confidence that made Lawrence even more nervous.
Subconsciously, Collin glanced above Lawrence's head, but there were no floating words glowing like yesterday.
That meant Lawrence wasn't currently using his talent. He was just in "normal" mode.
Collin nodded as Lawrence sat down carefully.
"According to your resume, you're a theater actor."
"That's right. I was in the theater club back in high school and even directed a play during my senior year," Lawrence explained, pride and nervousness mixing in his voice.
"I see, I see..." Collin had already memorized most of the resume, having read it multiple times.
"You probably have an idea why I invited you here today."
Lawrence swallowed hard, the sound echoing in his own head.
"I want to be your agent and help you climb the slippery ladder of showbiz. I'll help you find your place in Hollywood, no matter how long it takes."
'You're going to be a staple in Comedy and Romance films once you find your rhythm... Heck, you'll dominate RomComs too, since they blend both genres,' Collin thought with a knowing smile.
Lawrence possessed a golden talent as a Romance Box Office Hit Actor, and a yellow talent as a Comedy Actor. That rare combination screamed "leading man."
Collin hadn't stopped thinking about it since yesterday. It was rare to find such a specific, standout talent in this cutthroat industry.
To prove his point, Collin glanced around at the other agents pitching to innocent actors with practiced smiles. Words floated above many of their heads. Most had white talents in Negotiation or Communication. Useful, but far from exceptional.
None of them had a golden talent. That alone spoke volumes about how rare it was.
'Especially a specific talent that screams immediate success. I have no idea what exactly "Romance Box Office Hit Actor" means... but I trust what I saw.'
For now, Collin had one goal. To convince Lawrence to sign with him.
That was the first step in what could be a career-defining partnership for both of them.
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