Chapter 286: A Demanding Ask
After filmimng for the day was over, Brooke got a call from Thane that he was near the area to pick her up. Recently, he had been coincidentally around and it was always at the time her shoot ended precisely. She changed out of her costume and went downstairs to meet him. On her way however, she was summoned by a staff member to director Flynn’s office, where he and Dylan had been waiting for her.
"It’s a good thing I caught you before you ran off, there’s something I’ve been meaning to show the two of you." he said, alternating the remote he was holding between them.
Brooke sat next to Dylan who looked equally as confused as she was about the sudden meeting.
Director Flynn turned on what seemed to be a series of clips of one woman, a woman Brooke knew all too well. After the thirty minute video ended, the director broke the silence, "This woman is the face of company J and your biggest rival, Ava Sparks. She’s a child actress who knows her way around the industry, her networking and long collected connections was what catapulted her to her position right now." he briefed them.
Dylan looked uninterested, "If this woman is all that, she would’ve left more of an impression. She cast in that drama Cassie stared in a year ago, but no one remembers her." he pointed out.
Brooke answered, "That’s because her mother was involved with a director at the peak of her child acting career. As a result, she stopped getting roles for a whole decade. It was only recently she began rebuilding her reputation."
Flynn nodded, he placed both hands on the table, a straight look on his face, "Ava only recently made a comeback and she’s already the face of company J. And as for the drama she played with Cassie, that was a lost cause from the start. Anyone into production could tell that the drama was produced with the sole aim of making Cassie stand out." he pointed out.
In clearer words he said, "If we underestimate her, she’ll devour us whole." He turned to Brooke, "That’s why I’ve come to ask you something."
Brooke raised a brow, "What do you want to ask me?" she had a bad feeling about this.
Director flynn sighed, "Can i ask you, to please hold back?"
Dylan laughed, "Hold back? So that was why you called us here?" Although he was laughing, there was no humour in his tone. It was clear as day what it was Flynn was doing, and moreso who put him up to it.
"Brooke, if we go by the clips we already have, anyone with eyes can tell what will happen when the movie hits theatre. Sadie will be outshined, amd we cannot have that." he flat out told her.
Brooke twisted her lips, she understood what he was saying, but as an actress being told to hold back was a bitter pill to swallow.
"Director, it was president Lucas who put you up to this? Wasn’t it?" Dylan demanded.
The director sighed, of course it was obvious who brought the issue forward, but Dylan was too immature to know what to say and what not to say out loud. He turned to Brooke who seemed to be genuinely confused over why Dylan said that.
In her defense, Brooke asked, "I don’t mean to sound crude, but if Ava is competeing with me, it would make more sense if I outshined her, would it not?" she asked.
Flynn rolled his tongue around his mouyh, seeking a suitable response. "Brooke, that would make sense if you were the main character, but a side character with the least lines acting out would cause an imbalance in the film."
"Acting out? Have you forgotten that Brooke is the one carrying this movie on her shoulders? She brought the most money, the most publicity and whether we want to admit it or not she’s brought in the most talent in this film. It makes no sense why she isn’t the main character."
Hearing Dylan of all people speak up for her made her chest tight, considering how much he hated her in the begining, she truly was grateful to have him as her co-star.
But the director already knew all of this, he knew she was a better actress than Ava and Sadie, but the president had called him last night and pushed this decision with no reason given. "You are a professional, Brooke, you used to work at an agency, so you know how to manage talent. If you outshine Sadie this movie will lose it’s structure. You have some of the least scenes, in the short-run, everyone will focus on you, but once you’re off screen, it’ll be left to Damien to carry the movie. Sadie would become an unbearable character."
He took a pause letting his words sink in, and then he said, "We will have to reshoot your scenes, and have you-"
"You’re joking, right?" Dylan could not believe what he was hearing, "So, just because Sadie cannot keep up, Brooke has to tone herself down? How will that guarantee Sadie will surpass Ava? How will that help?" he demanded.
Brooke sunk into her chair and looked at the ceiling, drowning out the bantering voices of Dylan and the director. She understood what he was saying, she would outshine Sadie if she kept up what she was doing. And with scenes so little she could count them with both hands, the viewers would get bored whenever Sadie came up on screen.
She sighed, recalling how Sadie had helped her back at Luther’s agency, how she had spoken up for her when Damien tried to get her taken off. She owed her, at least to some degree.
"Alright." Brooke announced, "I’ll do it."
Dylan widened his eyes, "You cannot be serious-"
Brooke cut him off, "I will do it, but I have a condition." she announced.
"What is it?" Director flynn asked.
She replied, calmly, "Give me three scenes, three scenes to go all out in the movie."
"Alright-" he was saying but she cut him off.
"I will be the one to pick them out myself, the three scenes where I get to act the best I can." she insisted laying her condition.
Author’s Note: Chapters on their way! So sorry for being late with them, I’m preparing a mass release and forgot to share it with you guys!