“Claire, look at all these celebrities on set. Aren't you even a little starstruck?"
She just shrugged. "Not really. I mean, it's a new experience, sure, but I think it's more fun just watching everyone work together."
The director kept trying, his voice getting more and more desperate, but Claire just sat there looking bored, totally unmoved by the whole thing.
He glanced at Karla, hoping she'd help. "Karla, think about it. If Claire does a cameo for us, I can recommend Oakley for a really good project tomorrow."
Karla just lifted an eyebrow. Oakley was already a big deal, an award-winning actor. He wouldn't care about some average project. Tempting him would take something huge.
Osborn, the director, grumbled to himself. Karla had gotten tougher over the years. She never agreed to anything unless she saw a clear benefit.
"Look, you know my mentor's been planning a movie. He's been working on the script for three years now, really putting his heart into it. People are going to be fighting for roles in this one. If Oakley's interested, I'll get him an audition.”
He couldn't promise Oakley the lead, but if Oakley showed up at the audition, it wouldn't be hard for him to land one of the major supporting roles. Plus, the film was supposed to debut during a huge holiday. It was going to be a big deal, with a cast full of heavy-hitters.
As soon as Osborn said that, Karla's expression finally changed a little. She'd heard about this legendary script, too, and she knew it was almost ready to start shooting. Getting Osborn to open the door was way better than having to call in favors
elsewhere. If Osborn recommended Oakley, the director would definitely be willing to give him a real shot.
Still, Karla didn't respond right away. As much as this opportunity mattered, Claire's feelings did, too. If Claire didn't want to do the cameo, there was no way she'd force her.
“I can't decide for her,” Karla said calmly. As she spoke, she shot Oakley a look. If he wanted this opportunity, he'd have to talk to Claire on his own.
Osborn could see what was going on between them. It was obvious Claire wasn't Karla's kid, maybe more like family from the other side. So, yeah, Karla really couldn't make this decision.
“Alright, just hang out for now. If Claire gets interested, let me know. If she's really not feeling it, that's fine too."
At the moment, they were filming some minor scenes, so the main actors were on break. Oakley caught Karla's hint and went over to Claire.
He tried to introduce himself, even though he felt a little awkward. "Hi, I'm Oakley. Karla's my manager."
Normally, Oakley didn't have to
chase down his own opportunities or sweet-talk people into helping him. Karla handled all that with
no nonsense attitude, and roles came to him.
Trying to win Claire over felt weird. He wasn't about to flirt with her. That would be
wrong. But what was he supposed to do, exactly?
“Hello,” Claire replied, her tone polite but distant. She didn't seem the least bit
interested in him or his fame.
That made Oakley's job even harder. He had no idea where to start.
He tried again, reaching for some kind of connection. “Is there a celebrity you like? I probably know them. I could get you an autograph if you want."
That just made things more awkward. Qakley wished the ground would swallow him up. He honestly couldn't figure Claire out. What kind of family raised a kid who was so calm so unimpressed by everything?
Karla watched from the sidelines, completely indifferent. She didn't step in to help Oakley at all He'd ad an easy ride these past few years-maybe it was time for him to struggle a bit.
Claire's total lack of interest in the entertainment world was surprising even to Karla.
Oakley noticed Karla watching him like this was all just entertainment, which only made his headache worse.