Chapter 3
Sebastian
The Establishing Shot
“Sebastian Shaw? Oh, my God.”
My lips twitched. As I spun around, I lowered my sunglasses and flashed a smile at the two women with their mouths open and arms stiff at their sides. The lanyards around their necks told me they were here for a tour.
“Hello, ladies. Would you like a picture?” I strode over to them.
“Would you? Sadie, oh my God. Amy is going to be so mad!” the blonde with the sheer crop top underneath squealed.
I stepped between the two as the brunette on my left stretched her arm out to take a selfie.
“Who’s Amy?” I asked, smiling wide.
“Amy is our best friend. She was supposed to come with us, but her sister went into labor, and she had to head to the hospital. She’s obsessed with you. She has a tattoo that says Sebastian Says on her lower back,” the blonde who took the photo explained.
“Bummer. Want to really make her mad?”
The girls’ eyes widened, and they nodded.
“You got a pen?”
Two signed shirts later, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone.
“Sorry, ladies, I have to take this.” I left them giggling as I turned and ducked into a sound stage before I could be stopped by any more fans.
There’d been no phone call, but it was an easy excuse to get out of talking to people.
Just as I was putting it back in my pocket, a text came through from my agent, Anderson.
Anderson: WYA?
I scrunched up my nose at the question. I pushed the call button and brought the phone to my face.
“Hey, sorry. I’ll be there in a few. I got distracted.”
A loud sigh came from the other side of the call. “I’ll order a Red Bull.”
“Blueberry.” I hung up and left the building, grabbing a golf cart to take me to the lot restaurant I was supposed to be at twenty minutes ago.
Once there, I ditched the cart and hurried inside, finding Anderson at a table, sipping on a glass of amber liquid.
He was a silver-haired man in his fifties.
He didn’t tan, bleach his teeth, or participate in any new trend that was running around L.A.
His blue eyes were hard but his smile charming.
Before he was an agent, he did a lot of security work.
Today, like most days out of office, he wore jeans and a tight T-shirt over his muscles. He was a definite upgrade from Heather.
“Sorry about that. I was out late last night. I’m a little hungover,” I admitted, sitting down across from him.
The restaurant was brightly lit, with lots of windows that let in natural light, and decorated in green and white.
A waiter came over and set a blue energy drink in front of me, along with water.
I downed the water and then popped the tab on the ice-cold can.
“I assumed as much,” Anderson said after the waiter left. “What time did you get home last night?”
“I love that you think I went home.” I sipped my Red Bull and tipped it toward him. “It’s hard being the hottest man in horror.” I grinned. A magazine gave me the title earlier this year, and I’d used that line every chance I got.
“Yeah, yeah. Drink up. I have some news for you, and I need you to pay attention.”
The waiter returned with a plate of cheese and crackers. I grabbed a wedge and popped it into my mouth.
“News?”
“I got the script for Simon Says Six.”
I paused, picking up the menu in front of me. “Oh yeah? Dante is directing, ain’t he?”
“He is. The subtitle leaves something to be desired. Simon Says Six: Six Six.” He rolled his eyes. “But, on the better end, the writers came up with some interesting stuff for Ronny McCoy.”
“Anything good?” I asked, feigning disinterest as I scanned the list of lunch items. My stomach rumbled. I tried to remember the last time I’d eaten, but last night was a bit foggy. All I remembered was a pair of soft, tanned—
“Well, your character is an adult now. So, they’re adding adult problems.”
“Adult problems?” I looked over the menu and lifted my sunglasses. “Like what? Bills, doctor appointments?” I laughed. “Is Ronny gonna have to get a desk job?” I reached for my drink and took a sip. I’d already seen the script. I just hadn’t mentioned it to anyone.
“No, he’s going to have sex.”
I choked on the carbonated liquid so hard it came through my nose. I set the can down and reached for a napkin.
That was a rewrite.
“What?” I coughed, cringing at the burning in my nasal cavities.
Anderson laughed.
“The producers saw you in Step-Devil. They know how much that movie made. They noticed that once you became a legal adult, you were up for the challenge. No pun intended. Step-Devil wasn’t just some cheap horror movie.
You showed them what you could do when given the proper spotlight. They want that.” He smirked.
I rolled my eyes, but a grin slowly spread over my face.
“Yeah? Well, Step-Devil paid for the privilege of seeing my ass plastered in every theater in the world.” I sat up. This meeting had just gotten interesting. “How much are they offering?”
“I told them how much we want, and they offered to double it.” Anderson leaned back, a smug smile on his face.
My eyes bulged.
Come again?
“Double Step-Devil? Do they even have the budget for that? It’s the sixth installment of the franchise, for fuck’s sake.”
“Apparently, they do. The studio thinks that you dropping trou, paired with a killer marketing campaign, will drive sales through the roof. Simon Says Six—”
“Six Six,” I interrupted. I’d been the one to suggest the subtitle and was quite amused by it.
He rolled his eyes. “Simon Says Six: Six Six has the biggest budget of any film they’re making this year. You need to take the offer before they change their minds.”
I slammed the rest of my energy drink just as the waiter came by. He took my empty can, and I ordered street tacos and a beer then returned to the conversation.
“Doubling Step-Devil is steep. Why are they offering such a high price for my ass?”
Anderson’s blue eyes flicked away from mine.
I narrowed my gaze. “What?”
“Well, for that price, they want a little more than just your backside.”
It took me a beat to understand, and then my jaw dropped. “They want me to show my cock on screen?”
“Well...” Anderson shrugged. “Yeah.”
I stared down at the table, slightly sick to my stomach. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry anymore. I shouldn’t have downed that Red Bull so fast. Full-frontal nudity was bold. Was I prepared to show the world my cock? Would I disappoint, or would I shoot straight up to A-list status?
“We can always tell them no, Sebastian. It’s not like you need the money.”
No, I didn’t. Ever since I fired Heather and the rest of my team, I’d been putting a lot more money in the bank. Between them no longer stealing from me and finally taking on better-paying roles, I wouldn’t struggle for a long time if I invested wisely.
“Everything will be by the book?” I looked up, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded eagerly. “Yes. There’ll be an intimacy coordinator any time it’s needed and a closed set for those shooting days. NDAs will be signed where appropriate, and there’ll be a discussion between everyone involved about what you and your costar are comfortable with.”
I pursed my lips in thought. I’d been in such shock at the idea of going full-frontal that I’d completely forgotten I’d have someone with me in the scenes.
“Have they cast her yet? Who is the character exactly? I need to see the script.” I sat back and ran a hand through my hair. It was still damp from my shower this morning. This was not the meeting I’d been expecting today.
“I can email it to you.” Anderson took out his phone and started tapping the screen.
I shook my head in disbelief. He was a good guy overall. A vast upgrade from Heather, who’d managed me my entire childhood. He let me say no to projects without making me feel horrible, but he also knew a good deal when it came across his desk. And this was a good deal.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, signaling a new email.
“Take a look later, and we’ll set up a meeting to go over anything you want. Questions, concerns, requests.” He leaned in. “Sebastian, you can ask for anything you want at this point and get it.”
Really? I smirked.
“Just because I’m hot shit in my genre doesn’t mean I’m hot shit everywhere,” I argued. I could go to any horror convention and drown in a sea of pussy and cock from fans, but on the streets of L.A., no one noticed me.
“Stop lying to yourself.” He waved a hand dismissively. “Step-Devil put you on the map, and the producers know it. They are fully aware they could lose you if they don’t offer you something good. This could explode your career, Sebastian.”
I pressed my lips together and considered it. It wasn’t like my cock was unimpressive. I was happy with my size, as were the people I’d bedded. And I worked hard to maintain my toned body. Who didn’t like more money?
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
Anderson clapped his hands together and grinned. “I fucking knew you’d be in. Sebastian, you have no idea how big this is gonna be for you.”
I winked at him and laughed. “Right back at you.” I pointed to my lap.
We both laughed, and then once we settled down, I realized something.
“One thing, though.” I leaned in, a twisted grin curling my lips. “An actor is only as good as his scene partner. Who is the bimbo I’m supposed to fuck?”