Page 72 of The Actor: Harrison

I don’t know how he is to work with, but he’s rubbing me the wrong way already. Who does he think he is?

“So, tell me about you. Kevin said you’re one of the best around.” The truth is, I don’t even know him. I talked to Kevin when we discussed David coming on the project with new funds and he asked me what happened with my old agent. Long story short, he suggested someone he knew and I decided to give him a chance.

I should have known. There’s a reason I don’t like Kevin and there’s a big chance I won’t like his friends either. This one is no exception. His order didn’t even arrive yet and I already want to stand up and leave.

“You could say that! I only work with the best because I’m the best. My clients soar because of me. I have almost twenty years of experience in this industry and I’ve never failed once,” he brags.

He’s humble too. What a surprise! I can’t believe I willingly stepped into this nightmare. I’ve had my agent since I started my career and I forgot how hard it is to find someone you feel comfortable with.

“I’m sure they’re happy that you’re helping them.” I’m not sure if they’re too happy with his implication that they’re nothing without him.

I already know that this encounter is going nowhere, but I’m curious to see just how badly he messes up this appointment.

“They sure are. They’re also happy because I’m very honest with them. Sometimes I come off as rude, but there’s no doubt I always tell them the truth to make them better,” he announces. I don’t know if he really believes what he’s saying or if he’s so arrogant that he considers other people stupid and incapable of understanding he’s just mean.

“Oh, really?” I sip my tea.

His face turns serious. “I have to be honest with you, it will not be easy to turn your career around. After you stooped to making this indie movie, it won’t be easy to get back up to where you were before. It wasn’t a wise choice,” he starts.

“But don’t worry, with a couple of movies similar to the old ones, I can bring you back to the old glory.” He says it like I’m a kid who’s failing in every class he enrolled.

This guy is something else. How can he be so cocky with a potential client like this? How does he even find clients acting like this? I can’t believe someone would actually put their career in the hands of a pompous prick like him.

“What make you think my career is actually going downhill?” I smile calmly and sip my tea again.

He scoffs. He actually dares to scoff in front of a potential client. “Everybody knows when you agree to downgrade to indie movies it’s because you’re not receiving any more decent scripts.”

“I actually wanted to be in this movie, and I was the one who invested in it in the first place because I believe it’s a damn good movie,” I point out in my angelic attitude.

He looks at me like I just confessed to enjoying licking shoes for fun. I would laugh at his shocked face if I wasn’t so disgusted by his personality.

“You had to pay to do that movie? That’s worse than I thought. I’ll have to work harder to bring you back. I’m not even sure it’s possible,” he says, outraged.

This time I laugh out loud and he seems even more confused.

“Don’t worry, you’re not my agent and you never will be. I invested in that movie because I believe in it. You couldn’t tell the difference between a good script and a grocery list, so I didn’t think you’d understand my choice,” I point out.

His mask drops and the sneer behind it reveals his true personality.

“He told me he dumped you because you’re a diva, but I thought he was just an incompetent asshole. Turns out, it’s true.” His snarky remark puts me on high alert.

“Who told you that?” My smirk never leaves my face but I’m boiling inside. I have an idea of who’s spreading this gossip.

“Who do you think? The agent that dumped you because you’re a lost cause. He told everyone that you’re willingly sinking your career, against his advice. He had to dump you before you dragged him with you. I thought he was exaggerating, but it looks like he was right.”

I take a deep breath and smile, taking him by surprise.

“You know what? I fired him because he’s exactly like you. He doesn’t want the best for me, he just wants the money. The problem is, just like you, he wouldn’t recognize an Oscar script if it hit him square in the face. Thankfully, I have a good eye for those scripts and I go after them when I find something I think is worth it.”

He scoffs. “Oscar script? It’s an indie movie. You don’t even have the budget to go after an Oscar.”

“What you underestimate is that I’m a billionaire. Money is not a problem. I can work for free and I would be happy with that. The problem is having an agent that recognizes talent. You clearly aren’t a good fit, but don’t worry, I’ll thank you when I get my Oscar for opening my eyes and not making the same mistake twice.” I pause for effect. “Wait, you won’t be at the Oscars because none of you clients are ever invited, let alone you. Never mind, forget I said anything,” I say and then stand up, leaving him gaping after me.

As soon as I get in my car, I call my lawyer.

“What’s up?” He answers on the second ring.

I chuckle. “Do you answer like that with all your clients?”

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