So someone commented on the last chapter that they didn't like Mary getting "catty" with Jim's old girlfriend. Someone made a similar comment long ago when her Dad went a little off too.
We may want to think everyone will always do the right thing. But regardless of what Stan Lee said. "With great power comes great responsibility." We must remember that Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Mary is a bit of an innocent teenage girl. At this point just 19 with near unlimited power over people that she hasn't truly realized yet. She just wanted Jim to have an outlet for his sexual frustration. Then she realized the ends she would need to go to, to keep Jim from feeling bad about it.
Welcome to being Human, folks.
PS. Wow, another milestone. I have over 1,000 followers. From the bottom of my perverted heart. TYVM to each and every one of you.
Now on with the show!
It's my first day at work for Nick's agent Tom. I am standing outside a four story, shiny, steel and glass office building. Everything about the building and the grounds around it is beautiful.
I walk in and a woman maybe in her mid thirties comes down to greet me. She shakes my hand and introduces herself to me as Sherry.
She walks me back to the elevators. "Tom wants to meet with you. He has a few things he wants to go over with you." Sherry says.
I am amazed at the size of Tom's office. It's Huge, and when you look out his window you can see the Hollywood sign. Tom waves me over to his couch, as he picks up his coffee and sits in an armchair. "So have you decided what you want to do?" Tom asks.
"What I want to do about what?" I ask a little confused.
"When we last spoke I asked you if you want to be an actress that needs an agent, or do you want to be an agent." Tom says.
"I am here for the internship. I want to be an agent." I say.
"Are you sure? I have put some feelers out about you. I have three different directors interested in you." Says Tom.
"What? Seriously?" I ask. "Ezzie, what has he done?" I ask Ezzie.
"Tom would rather have you as a client than as an intern he doesn't need or want. He thinks getting you work will keep Nick & Nicole happy, so he can sign Nicole." Says Ezzie.
"An Intern He Doesn't Need or Want? You Bastard!" I scream in my head. "I mean I know he did this as a favor to Nick & Nicole, but you Bastard! Ezzie, what do I do? I need to think. I need to talk to Nicole. I need to call Auntie. Can you make him agree to give me time to think." I say.
"Of course, Mary." Says Ezzie.
"I need to think about it. Can I think about it?" I ask.
"Sure." Says Tom so nicely. "Here, take this." He says passing me the list of director's names. "I know you are staying with Nick & Nicole. Go talk it over and come back tomorrow to sign a contract or start as an intern." He says.
I leave the building mad and confused. I am so distracted I miss a turn getting back to Nicole's house. I eventually get back to the house and Nicole is a little frazzled. "What are you doing back?" Nicole asks. "You know what, I don't care right now. Ronald has been fussing on and off all morning. He is a little colicie, he didn't sleep last night. I didn't sleep last night. I haven't showered in two days." She sighs.
I smile at Nicole as I take Ronald from her. "You go shower." I say as I smile at Ronald and talk in a soothing voice. "Me and Mr Ronald will be just fine. Won't we?" I ask as I tickle his ribs and he giggles.
"Sure he is happy to see you?" Sighs Nicole.
I smile at Nicole. "Go relax and shower. Ronald and I are going to go play." I say.
"Thank You." She sighs and heads for her bedroom.
I take Ronald and head for my room to get changed. I put him in the middle of the bed as I get changed and then go to the living room. Which has become his playroom. His toys and jumper are all there. Over the next hour or so I read to him. We play peekaboo. We watch baby cartoons as he jumps in his jumper. We have a blast, and he falls asleep in my arms.
About five minutes later I hear Nicole. "Sure he sleeps for you." She says smiling. "Do you want me to take him?" She asks softly.
"No, no. Sit. I have him." I say.
Nicole sits across from me. "You are a lifesaver." She says.
I just smile at her. "Are you kidding me? I needed some Ronnie time after this morning." I say.
"What happened with Tom?" She asks.
I tell her about the possible parts, and Nicole has a smile on her face. "So are you going to be an actress, or an agent?" She asks.
"I had a lot of fun shooting the movie with you." I say.
Nicole speaks up. "Shooting the movie or the sex scene?" She asks with a big smile.
"Both." I giggle. "And the live tv show was fun, but nerve wracking." I say.
"So why not do the "Fun" job and see how it goes?" Nicole asks.
"Do you think I really could? Could I really make it as an actress?" I ask.
"You'll never know if you don't try. You did great in my movie, and you nailed the live tv show part." She smiles at me. "I recorded it on the DVR." Nicole says.
I can hear my Dad in my head encouraging me to try. He used to always tell me to try with different silly sayings.
"I think I would like to try acting." I say. "But I want to do the agent thing too. Can't I do both?" I ask. "I mean my Dad made a lot of money doing real estate, but what I could make acting or as an agent is ten times that." I say. Nicole gets a funny look on her face. "What's wrong?" I ask.
Nicole almost looks sad. "I have never heard you talk about making money before. Money was never an issue." She says.
"What?" I ask. "Imagine what I could do with Ben & Karen's Kids with all that money. Or the attention I could bring to Christmas for Kids." I say.
Nicole's face softens and she smiles. She gets up and gives me a side hug as I hold Ronald. "That's my girl." She says, and as she does Ronald opens his eyes and sees Mommy. He lets out a yawn and reaches out for Mommy. He lays on her chest and falls back asleep. Nicole still looks tired.
I take Ronald from her. "It's nap time for both of you."
Nicole smiles at me and kisses my forehead. "Thank you." She says and heads for her bedroom. I put the baby in his crib and I curl up in Nick's recliner with the baby monitor. This thing is so comfy, and big enough for two. Well two of me, not two of Nick.
I sit there and really think about it. Can I really be an actress? I need to call Auntie. She is concerned when I call. "What's wrong? Shouldn't you be working?" She asks as she sees me in a tee shirt curled up in the recliner. I turn the camera so she can see Ronald on the monitor screen. "Oh look at that precious angel." She says and I turn the camera back to me. I tell her all about this morning with Tom. It all comes tumbling out. Auntie just listens to me tell the whole story, and then asks. "And what do you want?" She asks with a smile.
"Both?" I say unsure. "What if I don't "make it"." I say using air quotes. "And I don't have the agent stuff to fall back on?" I ask.
Auntie gives me a loving smile. "Oh Baby you are so being your Dad right now. He always was looking to what's next, and worrying about the future. You are young. You have no family to support. Let me be your Mom's voice now. Your Mom and I always wanted you girls to have fun. Haven't both of us always asked if you were having fun doing something, whether it was a dance, a play or sports? It didn't matter what you were doing as long as you enjoyed it. Do you enjoy acting?" Auntie asks.
"I did." I say.
Auntie smiles at me. "I think you just answered your own question. Don't forget you already have a job that you are very good at that you can fall back on."
"I do?" I ask.
"You do. You already run your own charity, and help another with its fundraising." Auntie says.
"I don't get paid for those, and plus I don't run Ben & Karen's Kids, Julie does." I say.
"No Baby, that's where you are wrong. You made Ben & Karen's Kids happen. You funded it to help those kids. You ran yourself ragged doing interviews and appearances to raise money. Julie helps you, but you run it. Don't you ever forget that." Auntie says. "And if LA or Hollywood doesn't work out you can come home, and help run Goldstar. Or you could continue to just do your charity work and live off your inheritance until you find something that makes you happy. OK?"
"OK, Auntie. Thank you." I say. I promise to call her back tomorrow after I find out more about the acting jobs.
The next afternoon I am back at Tom's. Nicole has come along for morale support. We have Ronald in the stroller. Tom is all smiles when he sees Nicole, but now I see it. Now that I don't have my first day on the job jitters. I am not overwhelmed at a fancy restaurant, or a Live TV show, and I have Nicole with me, I am more relaxed. I see it. He seems fake.
"Ezzie, what is Tom really thinking?" I ask.
"He is having many thoughts, Mary. He wishes Nicole never came along. She will never agree to you signing the contract he had written up. She will want you to have a contract more like hers or Nick's. He isn't happy he is going to have to kiss up to Nicole since she technically hasn't signed with him yet. He doesn't like babies and has no clue why people want to have kids." Says Ezzie.
"Oh my God he really is a bastard. He doesn't even like babies? Why do businessmen like him and Don have to be such Bastards?" I ask Ezzie. "Ok well let's see how he likes this. Ezzie, what is his lowest rate that he offers his clients?"
"His lowest is 10% for a few sports stars and actors that he has been handling for years. They all have lots of endorsement deals that Tom makes a commissions on too." Says Ezzie.
"If there are any extras Nicole would like in a contract please be sure he adds them to both of ours, and he will give us 10% too. Oh and make sure he rewrites Nick's contract so all three match." I say.
"Of course, Mary." Says Ezzie.
"Oh and Tom will do his absolute best to get Nick, Nicole and I the best deals and rolls he can, Ezzie." I say.
"Of course, Mary." Says Ezzie.
As we walk into Tom's office he grabs a folder and puts it in his desk drawer. "Ladies take a seat. I need just a minute." Says Tom.
"Ezzie, where is he going?" I ask.
"He is getting the new contracts for you and Nicole written up." Says Ezzie.
"Oh yeah. I guess he would have to do that. Thank you, Ezzie." I say.
"You are welcome, Mary." Says Ezzie.
When Tom comes back in the room, I am playing peekaboo with Ronald. Tom clears his throat as if to say playtime is over. First he sits and looks at me. "Here is the same contract I will be offering Nicole in a moment. I have applied a discount to it for my favorite Hollywood couple." He says sliding the contract across the coffee table to me. "And if you agree Nicole, I will amend Nick's to match."
Nicole speaks up. "What you will be offering me, huh." She says as she looks at me and reaches out and takes the contract off the table. I just nod and let her take it. Her face never changes as she flips through it.
"Ezzie, is she ok with it?" I ask.
"She is thrilled with it, Mary. It is everything she wanted, and has a lower commission rate. She is very very happy." Says Ezzie.
