The Agent Arrives
Avery spent the entire afternoon and evening on the set of *The World's Game*, filming six scenes straight. By the time she'd wrapped, downed some hot tea to warm up, and finally headed out, it was already past eleven.
On her way out, the director, Simon Vance, stopped her and handed her a cash bonus for the "dangerous" scene.
Avery was surprised. She thought crews only handed out cash bonuses if your character died on screen, not for something as simple as jumping into some water.
The envelope felt thick, way thicker than the one she'd gotten on that period drama. She weighed it in her hand for a second before tearing it open. After counting the bills inside, her jaw dropped.
"Six hundred dollars..."
That was a ton of money. It was more than she was even getting paid for the part. Her total acting fee was only two hundred dollars, but this one bonus was six hundred.
A smile crept across Avery's face. She pulled out her phone and shot a text to Maya Laurent.
**Avery:** *Just got a cash bonus for my water scene. How much do crews usually give for those?*
Maya must have been free, because a reply came back instantly.
**Maya:** *Nice! Big productions usually give a couple hundred, maybe up to five hundred. Definitely not more than six hundred.*
Avery raised her eyebrows, a grin spreading across her face as she tucked the envelope into her pocket. The bonus was way over the standard, which meant it definitely had something to do with her saving Dylan Nash.
When she got back to her apartment at Summit Ridge and pushed open the door, she found two people waiting in the living room, a man and a woman.
The woman, well-built and wearing a cream-white pantsuit, was leaning over a desk, explaining something to Wyatt Riggs.
The other, an older man with a tall, straight posture, was facing a full-length mirror, doing some light stretches.
"Diana, Mr. Pierce. You're here," Avery said, recognizing them instantly as she slipped off her shoes.
Both Diana Marks and Alden Pierce turned at the sound of her voice.
The young woman in the doorway was tall and slender, with an effortless poise that made you look twice.
Under the cool fluorescent lights of the entryway, her features were delicate and clean, giving her a presence that was immediately captivating.
It was a professional's first assessment of a promising newcomer.
Diana exchanged a satisfied look with Alden and capped her pen. *Dexter actually did something right for once,* she thought. With a look and presence like that, all the girl had to do was not screw up and follow the plan Diana laid out for her. Her future would be set.
"You're back," Diana said.
"Yeah. When did you get in?" Avery walked into the room, and they exchanged a few pleasantries. Everyone there, except for the quiet Shane Croft, was a natural conversationalist. Within minutes, the initial awkwardness of a first meeting had melted away.
As Avery smiled and chatted, she was already sizing them up.
It only took a few sentences for her to get a read on Diana Marks: decisive, efficient, with an assertive, no-nonsense energy.
Mr. Pierce, on the other hand, was gentler, with the measured pace and easy sophistication of an older gentleman.
Once they were all more comfortable, Avery got up to pour herself a glass of water, shifting the conversation to business.
"Diana, what's the plan for work? I still have those three guest spots lined up."
Leo had already put her name in with the casting directors, but she hadn't auditioned yet.
The possibility of not getting the parts didn't even cross her mind.
Now that the opportunities were in her hands, she wasn't about to let them slip away.
"Dexter told me about those guest spots," Diana said, standing to pull three scripts from her briefcase.
"If you think you can handle them, go for it. If not, just focus on training with Mr. Pierce for now."
She handed them to Avery. "I managed to get my hands on these. They're all for the third female lead. Pick one."
Avery set her water glass down and took the scripts, stunned. Her new agent had just flown in from overseas, how was she already this efficient? She'd landed three potential roles the day she got back?
"Listen to Mr. Pierce's advice on the scripts," Diana said, checking her watch. "I just got back in the country and I'm swamped. Tomorrow, I'll have a temporary team come over and shoot a set of professional headshots for you."
At that, Diana's gaze fixed on Avery's face.
Her look was truly outstanding. Few newcomers had her kind of calm confidence right out of the gate.
No one who makes it as an artist is ugly, but there's a difference between "pretty" and "striking", it's like the difference between hardware and software.
They're not starting on the same level. If the headshots tomorrow captured that charisma, she could send them out to every major production and brand partner and be a real contender.
Diana was already calculating. "Your current exposure should be enough to get you in the room with some producers and directors," she continued.
"But since you're brand new to this, it's a bad look to force your way into roles you don't have the skills for yet. Dexter also mentioned you're taking the Bar Exam. Until that's done, I'm not scheduling any other work for you. For now, you'll pick a script and work with Mr.
Pierce to really learn the craft. An actor has to build a solid foundation to have a real career."
Avery nodded. The first part of the Bar was already done; the second part, the essays, was in three weeks.
This was actually the plan she'd mapped out for herself: take it easy in Hollywood, picking up guest spots to get familiar with the industry until the exam was over, and then start pushing for work full-time.
It was just as Avery had pegged her, Diana was impatient. Once she got going, she laid out Avery's entire work plan for the next month in a single, breathless monologue. Avery didn't interrupt, just listened quietly from the sofa.
About half an hour later, Diana finally finished.
"I have to run," she said, glancing at her watch again.
"Try to keep a low profile while you're in California. Limit your exposure."
For a newcomer with no projects, frequent exposure wasn't a good thing.
Of course, if another opportunity like the news story from a few days ago presented itself, making headlines might be worth it.
After giving her final instructions, Diana left in a hurry.
Avery didn't ask her to stay. She knew Diana would be slammed for a while.
Even though her contract guaranteed a certain level of resources, she was still a rookie.
Top-tier projects would be wasted on her right now; she couldn't handle them, and it could lead to backlash from audiences.
She had to take it one step at a time if she wanted to be ready for the kinds of resources the agency would eventually throw her way.
As for the entry-level roles, Diana would have to fight for those. The agency had plenty of starter projects, but most weren't a great fit for Avery's specific look and skillset. That meant Diana would have to hunt for opportunities outside their established network.
Avery saw Diana to the door.
Just as she stepped out, Diana seemed to remember something. "Read the historical fantasy series script first," she said, turning back. "That film crew is holding auditions in two weeks. If you're interested, you need to start preparing."
Avery smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll check it out. Thanks for everything, Diana."
"Oh, one more thing." The elevator doors were about to close, but Diana stuck a hand out to stop them. "I'll have the company send over a detailed job description for assistants tomorrow. Have yours study it carefully."
"Okay, thank you. Wyatt was worried about where to even start," Avery said gratefully. He really needed some formal training materials.
She'd glanced at Wyatt's notes on being an assistant before she got home.
As a total newbie, he clearly didn't get it.
His notebook was full of scribbles, but it was all surface-level stuff.
He hadn't grasped any of the key responsibilities.
A good assistant did more than just handle an actor's basic needs; they were crucial support on set.
They weren't just a follower but a bridge between the actor and the crew, passing on information so the actor wasn't bogged down by trivial matters.
They had to track personal items, give reminders, run lines, and check positions before a take.
They even had to monitor the actor's mood and help them manage stress.
The job was a lot harder than it looked.
She'd really felt the absence of a good assistant today on the set of *The World's Game*.
An experienced pro would have known she had a water scene and made sure a PA had hot tea waiting for her the second she got out, instead of someone scrambling to make it after the fact, while she stood there shivering.