Behind The Spotlight Chapter 203
Collin and Arnold kept their mouths shut as they stepped out of the Uni-versus Pictures headquarters. They looked at the tall building before walking away.
If this had been a few days ago, they would probably have thought that Uni-versus Pictures would be their primary source of income. But now, well, they still believed it, especially after just closing a huge deal for their clients.
"Let's have breakfast first, I'm starving," Arnold sighed, patting his empty stomach that had been rumbling ever since the stress of the meeting. The Chairman's secretary had brought cookies and tea for the meeting, but Arnold hadn't had the time to enjoy them.
"Let's go. I know a diner near here," Collin said.
"So what's your plan today?"
As the two walked further, Arnold asked Collin a question, trying to break the tension and lighten the mood.
"I have a meeting around 6 or 7 pm."
"Pfft—!" Arnold laughed.
"What? Is there something funny about what I said?"
"6–7." He chuckled.
"Fuck off."
Collin gave him the middle finger and walked away.
"But why so late though? Six pm is quite a late hour to work. Surely you get overtime pay, right?"
"It's a private business meeting."
The two found the diner and went in. The smell of bacon and coffee immediately made them feel at home. The waiter handed each of them a copy of the menu.
"Let me have a hash brown, cinnamon rolls, and black coffee," Arnold said, making sure he had enough food to fuel both brain and body.
"Mine's French toast, eggs, and bacon. Also a black coffee," Collin added.
Once the waiter wrote down their orders on her small notepad, the two looked out the window for a few seconds, watching people walk along the street.
Los Angeles was a busy place. The streets were filled with people, some moving with purpose, some lost, and some chasing dreams.
"Is that the radioman?" Collin narrowed his eyes at a slightly chubby man with a thick white beard, carrying a classic portable radio around his chest.
"Don't fuck with me, Collin."
"Look, I'm not joking."
Arnold looked outside and confirmed it.
"Holy shit, that's radioman."
The two watched curiously as the radioman walked down the street until he disappeared from view.
"An agent in ANT actually offered to sign him, but he declined," Arnold recounted.
"Really?"
"It's true, although I don't know the details."
For context, radioman was an extra and background actor who had made over three hundred appearances in films and TV. He was not a famous actor, but he was well-known in the industry, especially for always wearing a radio around his neck, hence his nickname.
Their breakfasts arrived, and the two started eating. The food was simple but comforting.
"... Fuck Noah Nash," Collin muttered.
"Yeah, fuck Noah Nash," Arnold agreed.
Their plan had been going well, but Chairman Noah was such a bastard.
The documents he had given them contained both good and bad news, a mix of reward and subtle threat. A perfect chess move.
For Arnold, when he first opened the document, he was impressed. The first page alone had information about TV shows that his new band could guest on. He was surprised that Noah Nash knew about Pulse Static and even had a list of shows they could appear on.
Pulse Static was an indie rock band with minimal influence but with potential if handled correctly. Arnold had been racking his brains to promote and advertise them on TV. Promotion was crucial to a band's trajectory, without it, even talent could go unnoticed. Especially since Pulse Static had just recently signed a contract with Moonrise Music, their future remained uncertain, heavily dependent on management and opportunities.
Arnold thought Noah Nash was offering him brownie points in exchange for lowering Brody Paige's salary. But things went downhill when he turned to the third page and saw what awaited him. The page was filled with pictures of Arnold and Jolyne together, married!
Sure enough, Arnold felt figuratively slapped in the face by the realization of being blackmailed. He was stunned. Arnold and Jolyne's relationship was still a secret, kept that way to protect both their privacy and career stability. Especially this year, when Jolyne Robs was vying for a comeback after her pregnancy last year.
If these pictures spread while Jolyne was filming a movie, her career could be jeopardized.
Celebrities being married wasn't really taboo, in fact, it was common. But Arnold and Jolyne wanted stability and to avoid unnecessary public scrutiny. The actress was already dealing with crazy fans, they didn't want to add more fuel to the fire. She was almost kidnapped for god's sake.
Collin was in the same situation. Chairman Noah had offered benefits, then followed it with blackmail on the third page.
The benefit concerned Nation TV, which was looking for a program to fill its 9–10 am weekday slot. Collin read the documents carefully and was pleased to find that Nation TV had already contacted ANT about producing a show, a package deal. The network preferred a talk show for the slot, perfectly suited to Jennifer's talent and skill set. The contract hadn't been signed yet, but ANT was definitely interested in producing it.
Naturally, Collin was excited because Jennifer's talent was in hosting talk shows, a chance for her to shine.
However, his excitement waned when he turned to the third page. The page was filled with photos of Princess Chantal and Isabella flirting, a situation that could be manipulated in tabloids.
He agreed to Noah's condition after seeing the pictures.
To be fair, the blackmail material Noah had wasn't truly career-ending, but the stress and attention it brought would consume resources. It was just a hassle to deal with. Marriage was widely accepted, while two women flirting could be interpreted in many ways depending on the narrative.
But being the Chairman of a major Hollywood studio, Noah had the influence to make things difficult. Although both sides probably didn't want to harm each other, they accepted the situation peacefully.
'... Perhaps I should ask Princess Chantal to sing a song about liking girls or something, just to give us an angle to protect ourselves.'
Moreover, if Chairman Noah wanted to strike hard, he could have chosen the scandal involving Lawrence and his current marriage to a crazy woman, which would have caused real media chaos. But that would have been too much to handle since Blackstone Corporation would do everything to keep the issue hidden from the media.
Clearly, the Chairman of Uni-versus Pictures was just testing boundaries, playing around. Noah had no intention of burning bridges, he was merely reminding them of what he could do.
Overall, the meeting had been surprising but also fruitful. Both agents had received valuable information that could help elevate their clients' status in exchange for a lower salary. They knew the transaction was worth it.
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[Author's Note:]
You can read more on my Patreon with:
78 advance chapters of Behind The Spotlight
60 advance chapters of Reincarnated as a Fisherman and Dad
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