Behind The Spotlight Chapter 6
Collin went to the elevator to reach the 8th floor and tapped the button as the elevator slowly made its rise. His friend's office was on this floor, indicating that he had a higher status in the company. A position that came with more power, better clients, and a bigger paycheck.
In ANT, the higher the floor you worked on, the higher your status. People often joked that promotions could be measured in floors. Obviously, the CEO of ANT was staying on the 10th floor, the highest floor in the building. A place where most employees rarely had the chance to step on.
Collin and his friend had known each other since high school, their friendship forged through conversations, dumb pranks, and cafeteria meals.
Although his friend was two years older than him, he never acted like a senior.
In fact, his friend helped him get a job in the company, a huge favor that changed Collin's life trajectory.
'He was also the one who taught me how to be a professional agent. Showing me the ropes,' Collin thought.
Collin could describe his friend in one word, thick-face. Unapologetically bold and unafraid to do anything as long as there was profit.
He was probably the most shameless person Collin had ever met, but that shamelessness had helped him close some big deals.
He walked to the hallway, the click of his shoes echoing in the corridor. But before he could even reach his destination, he found his friend talking to a woman. His posture relaxed, but his eyes flickering with seriousness.
"I want a $10 million contract, the bare minimum. If they are interested in hiring someone as gorgeous and talented as me, they need to offer at least that amount or they're not worth my time."
The woman scoffed, unimpressed with the studio's offer.
"You don't have to worry. I'll take care of it. You just have to listen to me. Don't answer their calls, don't even look at their messages. The negotiations should happen between me and them, that's how it works. All you have to do is relax, enjoy your free time. Maybe you can take some time and party around. A little vacation never hurt anyone. I will settle it, and your salary will be $10 million, no, $15 million, because you're worth every penny."
"You better be. Don't mess this up," she muttered with narrowed eyes.
The woman scoffed and walked away, her heels clicking confidently against the floor. The way she strutted was attention-grabbing, turning heads like a model on the runway. Her hips swayed in a seducing manner that demanded attention.
Collin recognized the woman immediately, even before she passed by him. She was Jolyne Robs, a walking headline. She was an A-list actress who starred in many romance movies, blockbusters that made audiences cry and critics applause.
She was famous all over the world, with fan clubs on every continent and luxury brand deals stacked under her name. Light red hair, brown eyes, and seductive pouty lips.
Jolyne walked towards the elevator and found Collin standing there. Collin greeted her with a polite smile and a nod. Jolyne paused for a second, as if debating whether to acknowledge him.
Her eyes scanned him up and down, assessing, like a casting director, before walking without a word.
'That guy is handsome, unfairly and roughly handsome. Is he an actor? Wait, did I meet him somewhere? Meh, probably a nobody who auditioned for some of the movies I starred in.'
She was very wrong, not even close to the truth. The reason why she remembered Collin was because he helped the actress find a personal assistant for her, someone who ended up being her most loyal staff member to date.
Jolyne mistook him for an actor because most handsome men in the industry were striving to become actors instead of talent agents. Someone as handsome as Collin rarely stayed behind the scenes/spotlight.
"Arnold."
Collin called his friend, who was two years older than him. A man who had always carried himself like a big brother and a hustler rolled into one.
Arnold Johnson, a name well known in their industry. He was a talent agent who managed three celebrities, a modest number, but each one had their own strength. To be precise, he managed one A-list actress, Jolyne Robs, and two B-list celebrities, an actor and a horror movie director, both with growing reputations and steady work.
The difference between A-list celebrities and B-list celebrities was quite obvious, a wide gap in terms of fame and paycheck.
A-list celebrities were global superstars. They graced magazine covers, hosted Saturday Night, and had sponsor deals waiting. Famous all over the world, they were treated like royalty.
B-list celebrities were well-known personalities. They had fans and steady gigs but lacked that international pull, one level lower than a superstar.
Most people knew Jackson Mike, who was the King of Pop, a living legend with timeless hits.
But only die-hard fans of Rock N Roll knew Colt Kurtvain, who was the vocalist of the band Enlightenment, a cult icon in his own right.
The difference between A-list and B-list.
Arnold kept his smiling face, his trademark grin plastered on like armor. But it was obvious that he was stressed, his jaw clenched just slightly.
Jolyne was a famous actress and recognized as a Hollywood goddess, admired from afar by millions. But she clearly had flaws. Flaws that made managing her both a blessing and a curse.
In Arnold's opinion, Jolyne was too arrogant. Too used to being praised without question, yet she was easy to convince. Like a balloon that could be pushed in any direction with the right strength of wind.
One time, while negotiating for a movie, Arnold was striving for a $10 million deal. He was confident, aggressive, and ready to close the deal. But because the producer convinced Jolyne to sign the contract for a lower salary, using manipulative language that played on her pride, Arnold's job became nothing, like dust in the wind.
At that time, the producer kept saying Jolyne couldn't perform the female lead's role because she didn't know how to act. Insulting her talent and pushing her buttons.
Jolyne was so offended that she immediately agreed to the contract, a reaction driven by pride. And thus, she received only a $1 million salary, a tenth of what they originally aimed for.
The movie was a box office hit, a success with international praise. But Jolyne didn't make much money out of it, which left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth.
Since then, Jolyne had become serious about salary, turning into a hawk when it came to contract terms.
And since then, Arnold made sure that the actress would stay away from negotiations. Shielding her from any deal until the terms were written on paper.
She was not allowed to contact the production crew unless the contract had been signed, a hard rule Arnold enforced religiously.
"Looks like you have a tough day as usual," Collin commented.
"Don't even talk about it, my brain is melting," Arnold sighed.
"How about you? You came out of the hospital?"
"Yeah. I started working again today, first day back in the warzone."
"Your mom told me it's because of being overworked. You should really learn how to take care of yourself. You should take your time and rest longer. There's no glory in collapsing at your desk."
Arnold was too busy to visit Collin in person, always caught up in meetings or chasing deals. But he called Evelyn last time and even delivered a box of fruits for Collin, a gesture that said more than any visit.
"I don't have time to rest. I have too many things to do."
"Kid, listen to your elders. Once you've reached my status, higher floor, fancy clients, and all, you will realize that having a vacation is a miracle. A rare and beautiful thing."
"You're just two years older than me, barely older. Why do you keep calling me kid?" Collin blurted out.
"It doesn't matter. Respect your seniors," Arnold said, not missing a beat.
"I'm also taller than you and you know it."
"...It doesn't matter. Height doesn't mean anything in the real world," Arnold was firm in his opinion.
"And? What's the reason you want to talk to me? I thought your client was hired as an assistant director. You should be celebrating."
"About that... We have a slight change of plans. Can you lend me $200,000?"
"Fuu--!"
Arnold started coughing when Collin asked for money, nearly choking on air as his eyes widened in disbelief.