Avery Hayes Caught in the Crossfire
Wyatt was off handling the arrangements for Willa Patton's birthday party that evening, so Avery killed time chatting with a few of the teachers before it was her turn to film.
Next up was a dialogue-heavy scene between her and Franklin Price. The script called for the Fourth Prince, on the advice of an old minister, to use a "honey trap" on her character, Isolde, to keep her in the Central Plains.
Now, Franklin wasn't as drop-dead gorgeous as Raphael Valenti, but he was a handsome guy. Pulling off a honey trap should have been a walk in the park. But for some reason, his eyes were darting all over the place, and he just couldn't land the whole "fake deep affection" thing at all.
Director Conrad King was so frustrated he was practically vibrating out of his chair. He snatched his megaphone and roared, "Cut! Cut!"
"Franklin! You've got a gorgeous woman lying right there, a stray dog would have more focus! What is *wrong* with you? You look like a kid who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar!"
Avery, still lying in position for the scene, felt like she was caught in the crossfire. She wasn't a prop, for crying out loud. Couldn't the director tear someone a new one without causing collateral damage?
His own frustration bubbling to the surface, Franklin stepped right up next to Avery and jabbed a thumb at his own face. "Director, seriously, take a look," he said, only half-joking. "When we're standing here side-by-side, don't you see a slight problem?"
He'd known for days that Avery had a powerful on-screen presence, but he never thought it would be so overwhelming that she'd completely eclipse his performance just by *standing there*. How the hell was he supposed to act out "fake deep affection" in this situation?
Director King, however, didn't give a damn if Franklin was struggling to keep up.
He just let loose, tearing Franklin to shreds.
"You've got a hell of a nerve. She's a newcomer, and you can't even hold your own? Why don't we just give *her* the role of Fourth Prince? You can go play one of the eunuchs!"
Franklin stood there, speechless. *Assistant? Where's my assistant? I need some backup here.*
The clock was ticking, and King was fuming.
"Both of you, get over there and practice," he snapped.
"Take the acting coach and run the scene. It's too important to change."
He shot Franklin a look that could freeze water, then raised the megaphone again.
"Stop messing around! New scene, Imperial Garden! Let's get ready!"
The second he finished yelling, Raphael Valenti and Willa Patton were already getting their costumes straightened out by their assistants and moving into place.
After barking his orders, King turned and saw Avery and Franklin still frozen in place. A shadow fell over his face. "What are you two still standing there for? Are you waiting for me to teach you the scene myself? Get to it!"
Franklin shot Avery a defeated look before trudging off toward a quiet corner.
Avery's scenes with the veteran actors almost always went off without a hitch because she made a point to practice with them beforehand.
But she didn't really have the same rapport with the younger guys like Raphael and Franklin.
She had perfected the most dramatic scenes in *Bones of Mountains and Rivers* under the guidance of her coach, Alden Pierce, and could nail them every time.
She'd just overlooked the gap between the seasoned pros and the new generation.
The older actors could easily handle, or even play off of, the Grand Princess's commanding presence. The younger ones, though, were getting steamrolled. It was clear they needed to make some adjustments.
Thankfully, neither Avery nor Franklin was a slow learner. With Alden and Franklin's acting coach helping out, they found their rhythm after about half an hour.
"Dr. Hayes, are you going to Willa's birthday party tonight?" Franklin asked casually, a smile playing on his lips once they'd finished rehearsing.
Avery shook her head. "I've got plans, so I can't make it."
Franklin's eyebrows shot up. "That's a shame. Raphael will be there, too. I'm gonna go join the fun." As he spoke, his eyes drifted over toward Raphael.
"Hope you guys have a good time." Avery didn't know why he was suddenly so interested in her evening plans, so she just gave him a polite reply and went to sit next to Wyatt.
Wyatt handed her a thermos of ginseng tea he'd prepared. She took it, warming her hands on the cup as she took a small sip, her gaze subtly sweeping over Franklin. Seeing she had no intention of chatting further, Franklin just shrugged and disappeared into his trailer.
"Why do I get the feeling Franklin is a little too focused on Raphael and Willa?"
Avery said in a low voice, setting her cup down on a small table.
The last time Willa gave her the invitation, he'd acted like he was just passing by, but it had felt more like he was deliberately trying to stir the pot.
It wasn't the first time, either. A couple of days ago, when a good-looking guest actor was talking to Raphael, Franklin had crowded his way into that conversation, too.
He was always just... there. It was weird.
"He's a hard read, for sure, but he doesn't seem to have it out for you," Wyatt said.
He'd noticed Franklin's odd behavior for a while but hadn't paid it much mind since he always kept his distance from Avery.
He thought for a moment, then added, "Raphael's an A-lister, and Willa is a veteran at Shiguang Entertainment, she's even a shareholder. Maybe he's just trying to network."
"Maybe," Avery said. She had a feeling Wyatt was off the mark this time, but she didn't argue. It wasn't like she and Franklin were friends.
After a short break, Raphael and Willa's scene wrapped, and it was time for Avery and Franklin's take two.
This time, their performance was worlds better.
King even had them do two more takes so he could pick the best one in post.
It was a critical scene, the only moment where the barbarian Grand Princess had any kind of romantic entanglement with a man from the Central Plains.
Once this was in the can, the rest of the shoot would be smooth sailing.
By sunset, all of Avery's scenes for the Imperial Garden set were finished, and she had the next day off. After quickly taking off her makeup, she left with Wyatt for The Empyrean Club.
More than a week ago, right after she'd passed the bar exam, she'd messaged her brother-in-law, Leo Foster, asking him to help her find a law firm for her internship, one that could work around her acting schedule.
The big white-shoe firms and high-end boutiques were out; their management was too strict, and their caseloads were insane.
Interns were required to be on-site, and performance metrics were no joke.
Joining a firm like that would mean putting her acting career on hold, which was not an option.
Leo had gotten back to her two days ago. He'd found a law firm in New York City called Starlight Law Group that catered to celebrities. It sounded like they might be flexible enough for her to do both. Leo was flying back to New York today to introduce her to the person in charge.
Avery wasn't picky. As long as she could juggle her internship with acting and eventually get her license, she didn't care what kind of cases the firm handled. So, when she'd told Willa she had plans, she wasn't lying. She just wasn't doing anything with the production team.
She had already run this by her agent, Dexter Reed, a few days ago.
He didn't quite get why she was so set on becoming a lawyer, but he wasn't about to argue.
If one of his clients was a doctor, a lawyer, *and* a celebrity, she'd be a walking publicity machine, the crown jewel of Stellar Media.
She'd create her own buzz and positive press without the company having to lift a finger, locking down her place in the industry with a built-in fanbase.
Dexter had held a meeting with the company executives, and they'd all greenlit Avery's career plan.
After all, she would be specializing in entertainment law.
Who knew, maybe she could even help out when the company's other artists got into legal trouble.
The better she did, the better it was for the company.
As long as Starlight Law Group was willing to take her on, he was more than happy to send some of Stellar Media's legal work their way and specifically request that Avery be assigned to the cases.