As I step through the doorway, she offers me a white envelope with a check inside—then pulls it back at the last moment.
“We’re always looking for more staff, you know. You’re good at this.”
I offer a cocky smile. “I know. I’m sure Grace already told you I like to keep my schedule open.”
“It’s very flexible.”
“It is until it isn’t. I appreciate it; I really do. And I’m flattered.”
Svetlana still doesn’t extend the envelope.
I sigh. “I’ll think about it?”
She nods. “Good. And your ‘cougar’ left something for you.”
With a smirk on her lips—or maybe she’s smiling as much as her botox will allow—she hands me the envelope. Stacked under it is a hundred-dollar bill with a phone number written across it in bright red pen.
“How much to get you to say you never saw me again?” I ask.
“A hundred.”
I nod and lightly salute with my envelope. “I’ll take my chances.”
Svetlana waves, and I head out into the August heat, sliding into my car and cranking the AC.
I sit and stare at the ten red digits on the bill.
It could be a sign from the universe. Time to grow up and move on, get a real job instead of chasing this run-off-to-join-the-circus pipe dream of being a stunt performer. I’m twenty-eight. I can only use the excuse of ‘I’m young, I’ll figure it out’ so much longer.
There’s a chance that if I’d had a coach like me when I was Birthday Girl’s age, someone looking out for me, things would’ve gone differently.
I open a blank contact profile, tap in the number, then hit save. My thumb hovers over the call button.
You need the money, Mylo. Suck it up.
The wordsEDDIE HOLBECK (AGENT) flash across my screen, accompanied by the shrill chime of my ringtone. I’ve never hit theaccept callbutton faster.
“Mylo!” Eddie calls out, sounding both relieved and anxious. Eddie’s hardly older than I am, and we’ve been working together for half a decade. He stuck his neck out for me a couple years back and got me my biggest gig to-date, so even with this dry spell I haven’t considered changing representation.
“Hey, Eddie. What’s up?”
“Please,please, tell me you can get on a plane tonight.”
My heart jumps, and I punch thespeakerbutton as I put my car into gear—stick shift, so I can stay sharp. “You know I’m always free, Eddie.”
I can practically hear him pumping his fist. “You never let me down, Mylo! This is a big one. Like,reallybig.”
“Yeah? Who for?”
“I literally can’t tell you. It’s very last minute; the studio is really strict about their NDAs and all that. They’re supposed to email the docs ASAP.”
That’s plausible, but a yellow flag. “Why so last-minute?”
“Injury. Nothing fatal, I checked. Freak accident type thing. But they already have the rig set up, and it’s mid-filming, so every day is costing them.”
“On location?”
“Yeah, New Zealand.”
