Page 54 of The Actor: Harrison

“What is this page?” I ask him.

“Something we’re working on. I’m testing it,” he explains, clicking on another part I can’t see and a black page with some coding comes up for a few seconds before he hides it again.

“I know nothing about it, but it looks great,” I say, feeling stupid. It’s not exactly the brightest conversation I’ve ever had.

“I should make you sign a non-disclosure agreement,” he mumbles like it’s an afterthought.

I laugh. “Do you really think I can describe to someone what I’m seeing? Like, ‘it has these cute little buttons instead of the plain links.’ Very helpful to your competitors.”

The corner of his mouth bends upwards. “Do you see anything interesting here?” he asks.

I take a good look at the page and the only things that come up are projects she worked on in the past, awards she’s won, nothing I don’t already know. Information well-crafted by a publicist but nothing major about her personal life. I think her Instagram and TikTok accounts are handled by Harper. Sienna doesn’t do social.

“Nothing interesting. Just standard info from IMDB or similar websites,” I admit, defeated.

He tries other combinations of Sienna’s name and words, like finance, or projects, or movies, but nothing comes up. I want to ask itWhy doesn’t she want my money?but I don’t think it will have an answer.

“This is a major waste of time, you know that, right?” Leonard tells me after his search comes up empty.

“I guess so.” I can hear the disappointment in my voice.

He turns around and faces me. “Why is it so important for you to give her that money?”

I shrug, playing with the label on my beer bottle.

“I want this movie to do great. This is my chance to finally shine in something that has some value and I don’t want to screw up this chance. I won’t have another chance like this if this movie flops,” I confess.

He frowns. “What does your manager think about it? He can find you other movies like this one. It’s not like they don’t make any indie movies.”

I smile sadly. “He completely freaked out when I told him I was starring in this movie. He went batshit because I wouldn’t make enough money. He tried to renegotiate my percentage but I cut him off. As soon as I finished filming this one, he gave me a script where I have to be naked half of the time. Back to square one.” I can feel the bitter taste rise in my mouth. I hate how he thinks I can’t do anything better.

“You know you should fire him, right?” He asks like he can’t understand why I haven’t already done it.

And I can’t remember why either. In the beginning I felt honored to be his client, he was the best in his field, but along the way his only interest switched from finding good movies to making more and more money. I’m starting to wonder if this was his agenda since the beginning and I was too naive to figure it out.

“I know, but now I can think about it. Until a few years ago, the only thing I could do to be famous was star in a blockbuster movie or end up in the gossip magazines with some scandal.”

An idea forms in my head as soon as the words leaves my mouth. “Gossip. Damn! Gossip,” I blurt out.

“I’m not following,” Leonard says, puzzled.

“We should search for gossip about Sienna. She’s been in this field for a while. She’s probably linked to someone who can give us new information.”

“Are you serious right now?” he scolds.

“Do you have a better idea?” I challenge him.

He lets out a big sigh and then turns to the computer, typing Sienna’s name and the word boyfriend. I hold my breath, hoping I don’t come up in the research, not because I don’t want to be associated with her like that, but because it will become impossible to find something useful with my name in the equation.

A few links come up, but nothing with my name. What surprises me is the name Glen Seymour. I stare at the screen with my mouth hanging open.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Leonard says, clicking on the link.

This istheGlen Seymour, the most famous director in recent Hollywood history. I’ve worked with him countless times because he makes blockbuster movies. And she was fed up with me even before knowing me? After dating this douche? Well, that explains a few things, actually.

“So, this is why she had a beef with you,” Leonard smirks, as though reading my mind.

“I don’t get it. She can’t possibly have dated that guy. I mean, she’s the queen of indie movies, he’s the king of…anything but indies.” I can’t explain how uncomfortable this information makes me.

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