Page 6 of The Actor: Harrison

“He was lucky to have a damn good script, with a damn good director that pushed him to do more,” I snap, my blood boiling under my skin.

“Now you’re the one being unfair. He won the Oscar as best actor, but the movie didn’t win. That means something.”

I don’t answer because I think the movie was great, but the one that won was objectively better. It was a tight competition that year.

“So, tell me why he didn’t win any other Oscar. Tell me why, if he is so good, does he only do movies that are barely mediocre. Action-packed franchises that leave nothing to the future generations. Maybe because he was lucky that one time and then he couldn’t nail any other audition where some skill was required? But he’s here in his Ferrari, and all he has to do is snap his fingers to get the money he needs.”

She says nothing after my outburst, but she’s not looking at me. When I turn around and follow her gaze, my eyes meet Harrison’s. He is staring at me like he’s looking into my soul.

A heat rises from my chest and hits my cheeks. My breath catches in my throat and I almost stop breathing. My heart starts hammering in my chest and I’m almost sure he can read my mind and pick up all the hateful thoughts I just poured out against him.

He frowns like he can’t figure out why I hate him so much and I feel a bit guilty because, at the end of the day, I’m someone who wants to play fair and it’s not fair how I treated him tonight, even if he didn’t hear me.

I turn toward Harper, to see if she’s noticed him staring at me, and I find her smiling.

Fuck. My. Life.

“Who the hell is that?” I stare at the gorgeous woman on the other side of the room trying to kill me with her gaze.

Damn, I’ve never seen someone look at me like I just shit on their plate. She’s throwing daggers at me while she chats with the blond next to her. Her raven black hair falls down in waves behind her shoulders and the tight red dress hugs her curves like it’s painted on her gorgeous luscious body. She’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and I swear to God, I’ve had the chance to see a lot of them.

“Who?” Aaron asks, scanning the crowd.

“The goddess with black hair and a killer body in a red dress next to the photo booth.”

He follows my gaze and smirks. “That, my dear, is Sienna Mackey, an indie director who’s got her hands on one of the hottest projects around right now.”

I turn my attention back to my friend. “Really?”

He chuckles. “Don’t be so surprised, she is really good at her job.”

“I’m not surprised at that, but at the fact that there’s still a hot movie to film out there,” I point out.

Aaron studies me for a long moment. “You should really change managers.”

“Tell me about it,” I mumble. “How do you know about this project?” I ask louder.

He sips the whiskey he just got from the bartender and frowns. “I tried to get my hands on it, to produce it and distribute the movie through the streaming platform, but she didn’t even want to hear about it. She wants to send it to festivals and try that route.”

Very few people turn down an Aaron Steel proposal. He is big in this industry, and has the power to make or break a career. He is also a good guy, so it’s not like he stabs you in the back if he doesn’t get what he wants, but still, there are few people that pass up a chance to work with him. The line of people at his studios, waiting to work with him, is so long that if he asks you about your project, you drop everything and come crawling with a smile.

“It’s gnawing at you, isn’t it?” I bump my shoulder with his, grinning.

“You can say that. It’s a very good movie, but Kevin got there first and he’s not giving it up.” He chuckles.

“Kevin as in, this Kevin?” I point at the ugly house where the party is hosted.

He nods. “She’s probably here because they need a bit more money to start the project.”

This gets my full attention. Indie movies are famous for their low budgets and lack of adequate funds. The fact that one of the most influential producers in this industry is putting out his cash to make it happen and looking for someone else to chip in means this thing could be huge.

“You’re sure it’s a very, very good project?”

He gives me a curious look. “Absolutely. Oscar-worthy good.”

The excitement bubbling in my chest almost makes me smile. I glance back at the goddess again and I can’t snuff the hope blooming inside me. Oscar-worthy is the only thing I can think about. I need this. I need a project that can make me feel useful.

“Is there a male role?” I ask my friend.

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