October 23rd 2010. Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, CA. 2pm.
Mindy had led all of them in a spacious room with a few cameras and to someone all of them recognized straight away.
"Steve! We're here!" Mindy let out like it was the most natural thing in the world and went to greet the guy with Carmen.
The rest of them trailed behind, a little uncertain, before they brought him to them and made the introductions.
"Steve, Liza, this is Jay Aslan, this is his father Lee and this is Ruby." Mindy stated.
"It's nice to meet you." Steve Carell smiled and shook their hands.
"Likewise." Jay and his father replied. The dude seemed really easy going which was nice.
"So," Steve began while looking at Jay, "I hear Carmen recommended you to Mindy and you're here to audition?" he grinned good-naturally.
"I was told so." Jay nodded.
Steve looked at his watch, "Well we're just missing Emmy." he turned to a woman who was standing on the far side and asked "Melissa could you please go get her again?"
The woman nodded and left, and Steve led them further in.
"We're going to do a camera test, you know, to see how you'll fair in a real situation?" he said before giving him a manuscript, "Page 235, starting from the top, you can start reading it while we wait for Emmy to come."
Steve nodded at them and joined who seemed to be the director behind the cameras.
"I'm guessing I'm not the only one auditioning today." Jay slightly smiled.
"Huh... Yeah, sorry. I should've mentioned that." Mindy guiltily let out.
He had already thought it weird that Steve Carell would be present, but then there also seemed to be Emma Stone as well as the director which made no sense unless they were here to audition several people for the role.
But no matter, Jay chuckled "It's fine."
He started reading the script and quickly memorized the lines he needed before closing his eyes and waiting.
A few minutes passed and he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, so he turned around and faced the stunning redhead head on.
"Hi." she smiled and said while extending a hand, "Emma Stone."
"Jay Aslan." he softly smiled and shook it, before noticing the woman next to her.
"I'm Liza Lapira, I'll be doing the next scene with you guys." she said and shook his hand as well.
"Nice meeting you." Jay said. He recognized her since he had seen the movie in the past. She was playing Emma's character's (Hannah) friend, Liz.
"You good to start?" Emma asked and he nodded.
"Nervous?" she grinned.
"A little." he answered and she smiled.
"Honest, that's good. Come on, let's do this." she said, before her and Liza sat at a table in front of the cameras.
Jay handed over the manuscript to his dad before getting in place on the high chair next to the wall, to the surprise of both Steve and Emma.
"Huh... I think you're probably going to need that script." Steve said.
"I've already memorized the scene though?" he answered.
"You have?" he said with raised eyebrows. "Are you sure?"
Jay nodded and so he didn't insist and nodded at the director who shrugged and got the cameras rolling.
"Ready... and action!"
{ [drinking at a bar]
Hannah: I don't care. I love him. I really do. And given the opportunity, yes, I would have his babies.
Liz: Seriously? Conan O'Brien? You would do Conan O'Brien?
Hannah: Oh, my God! Yes!
Liz: Ew! Friend to friend, ew!
Liz: I don't know, your life is so PG thirteen.
Hannah: My life is not PG thirteen.
Liz: Oh, it so is.
Hannah: No, it's not!
Liz: Yes, it is. You've never left LA. You passed the bar for patent lawyer, probably get married to that human Valium, Richard. I just…listen, I worry about you, that's all.
Liz: So much potential and you're resorted to fantasizing about Conan Ginger Junco O'Brien.
Hannah: He is funny!
Liz: He looks like a carrot, honey.
Jacob Palmer: Who looks like a carrot?
[Hannah and Liz look up to find Jacob, he's been eying Hannah up from afar]
Jacob Palmer: Hi. Who looks like a carrot?
Liz: Conan O'Brien. My friend um…Hannah here thinks he's sexy.
Jacob Palmer: That's weird, because I think that your friend, Hannah, is really sexy.
Hannah: Oh, my God! You did not just say that! How old are you?
Jacob Palmer: What are you, a lawyer?
Hannah: Yeah. A little bit.
Jacob Palmer: Come on! You are? Is she?
Liz: Gonna be.
Hannah: Don't you think you're a little old to be using cheesy pick-up lines?
Jacob Palmer: Objection. Leading the witness. Wow, Hannah. You really wearing that dress to be doing it a favor.
Hannah: Oh, God!
Jacob Palmer: That's a line. Me, sitting over there for the past two hours, not being able to take my eyes off of you, is a fact. I mean, there's lots of beautiful women in this bar, your friend included. Hi.
[Liz is just staring at him]
Liz: I love you.
Jacob Palmer: But I can't take my eyes off of you. That's a fact, it's not a line. I find you very attractive. Do you find me attractive?
Liz: She does.
Hannah: I don't.
Jacob Palmer: You do. She does.
Liz: Yes, she does.
Hannah: I don't!
Jacob Palmer: You do.
Liz: You do.
Hannah: I don't!
Jacob Palmer: Hannah, can I buy you a drink?
Hannah: No.
Jacob Palmer: You say no a lot, don't you?
Hannah: No.
Jacob Palmer: Oh, boy! Permission to approach the bench.
Hannah: Seriously?
Jacob Palmer: Just, come on. Let me…let me deliver my closing argument.
Hannah: Sure, proceed.
Jacob Palmer: Hannah, we live in a physical world, right?
Hannah: Uh-uh.
Jacob Palmer: And you're going to age, right?
Hannah: Mm-hmm.
Jacob Palmer: I guarantee you this; you're never gonna regret going home with that guy from the bar that one time, that was a total Tom Cat in the sack. But I can't guarantee that you won't not regret it.
Hannah: That was a double negative.
Jacob Palmer: You're a double negative.
Jacob Palmer: Okay. Hannah, can I buy you a drink?
Hannah: Okay, it's…you know what? It's time to go home.
Jacob Palmer: Really?
Hannah: Mm-hmm.
Jacob Palmer: Wow, that's forward of you. But okay. I'll do it.
Jacob Palmer: Should I pull my car around? Or yours? Have you been drinking? I'll drive.
[she rejects him leaving him surprised and fairly amused] }
They finished and Emma grinned at him before turning to Steve. "Let's try some other scenes?"
***
Four or so hours later, after many tryouts and fake takes, Jay passed the audition.
He was sure it was mainly because of his looks and body-type, but he was glad he had invested most of his mission-acquired SP into Acting. The more he acted, the better he got.
Regardless, he had passed, and he and his dad were sitting in a conference room with Steve Carell and Denise Di Novi, who were the movie's producers.
Both of the production companies at the origin of the movie were owned by them.
"... and I'm also from Massachusetts, you know?" Steve said.
"Really? I didn't know that." Jay admitted.
"Let's get to the point, everyone here is busy and eager to bring this movie back on track." Denise interrupted them, she was afraid this would last forever, they'd been chatting for a while already.
Steve coughed and nodded. He eyed the father and son duo and cut to the chase. "I like you Jay, and we're racing against time here so I'm not going to short-change you; 250k."
Jay looked at his father, who was looking back at him, before turning to Steve. "What if the movie breaks any milestones at the box office?"
Jay of course knew that Ryan Gosling had been paid much, much more, but he wasn't him. Also it was indeed generous for a newcomer, so he shouldn't be too greedy.
Looking out after his interests, however, was fine.
Steve grinned, the kid wasn't bad at all. "Tell you what, the movie breaks through 120 million, and you get another 50,000$. Sounds fair?"
Jay held back a laugh. That old fox was probably estimating breaking 110 million and nothing beyond, but Jay knew that it would in fact go further than that.
He looked at the two producers and craftily smiled, "Sure, let's get that on paper, shall we?"
***
"Well, that was anticlimactic." Jay said to his dad when they were on their way out of the Warner Bros. Studios.
Lee chuckled, "What were you expecting? Some kind of hard fought battle, where you and the producers would rip each other to shreds?"
"Yeah." Jay admitted.
"I think it might've happened if they weren't so pressed for time. Steve Carell blanched a little when you said you wanted to start mid-November."
"If I hadn't said that, I wouldn't have been able to compromise on November 8th."
Lee looked at his son, before slinging his arm around his shoulder; "I'm glad you did, Lou would've been sad if you missed her birthday."
Jay smiled, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
***
October 24th 2010.
Jay had been pooped after coming back to his hotel room yesterday, and had been out as soon as he'd reached his bed.
He woke up at 6:30am, which was an hour later than his usual time. He went through his routine before jumping into the shower and putting on comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. He had already passed the audition, he had no need to dress fancily.
The first thing he did after that was to go eat a nice and fulfilling breakfast with chocolate chip pancakes and French toasts with Nutella. It wasn't healthy, but to hell with that. It was delicious.
When his dad and Ruby came down for breakfast, he had already finished.
They all sat at the table and Jay opened, "So, Ruby, I'll let you and my dad talk about that agent position. He's my lawyer after all."
He grinned and went on his way, leaving the two behind.
"Aren't teenagers usually greedy for control? It seems like yours has learned to delegate." Ruby laughed.
"That's why smart kids are a pain." Lee sighed and ordered breakfast before getting down to business.
***
Jay wandered outside his hotel for a stroll that took him to a remote alleyway where he bumped into a man selling handcrafted friendship bracelets.
This gave him an idea so he doubled back to a nearby store he had previously passed, and went in.
"Hi sir, what can I do for you?" the clerk asked.
"I want ten of your best cotton yarn, each should be a different color. I'll leave the choice to you." Jay smiled and said.
***
When he went back to his hotel room, he was a shopping bag and one ice cream heavier.
The temptation of vanilla flavor with cashew nuts topping on his way back had been too much; he had succumbed.
He started packing his luggage, and when he was done, took a peek at his watch. It was 11:30 am.
He took out his phone and video called his mom on the spot.
She answered right away. "Hey baby," she waved at the screen.
"Hey mom. Sorry I didn't call earlier, I was so tired I just slept right after we came back." he smiled apologetically.
"It's okay, your dad filled me in. Congratulations!" she beamed at him.
"Thanks, it was awesome. You should've seen it, the studios were amazing, and the staff…"
They chatted for some time, before Jay went to the point.
"Is Lou with you?"
Helen chuckled, "Uh-uh, she's in her room. Wait, I'll go get her."
His mom had been using the laptop propped on the kitchen counter when she received the call. So when she left, all he could see for a moment was the living room behind it.
Then he heard rushing footsteps and his mom's startled yelp, before an adorable head popped out from the counter's corner and beamed at him.
"JAY!" the little one exclaimed.
"Hey baby. Did you run down the stairs?" he greeted her with a smile that quickly turned into concern.
"Um!" Lou happily acknowledged.
"Don't do that again, okay?" he gently but firmly said, and the little girl guiltily nodded.
When their mom finally arrived, Lou turned to her with her arms outstretched, "Upsy?"
"You…" Helen sighed before sitting the girl up on the counter. "One day you're going to kill yourself young lady." she chided.
"Sorry, mommy." the girl apologized with her head bowed.
"What did you do yesterday baby?" Jay asked, effectively changing the subject.
"You didn't call!" she puffed up her cheeks, looking wronged. "You said you would…"
Jay joined his palms together and apologized. "I am so, so sorry. I wanted to call you when I woke up yesterday but didn't. Then I was so busy I… You know what, those are excuses. I should've made the time. I'm sorry, sweetie. Forgive me?"
Lou pouted for a second but giggled at his puppy face, "Okay, I forgive you! I had your necklace so I didn't cry!" she said in a tone begging for praise. "But you have to play with me later! When are you and daddy coming back?"
"My Lou is such a good girl. Hm, I will definitely play with you. Today, actually. I already packed my luggage and we're about to leave for the airport to take the plane right now. I'll see you in about eight hours. Okay?"
"Okay, I love you Jay!" she said and waved at the screen with both hands.
"I love you too sweetie. Alright, I'll see you guys later, bye." he said before hanging up, just in time to hear the knock on his door.
He opened and was met by his father. "All good?"
When Jay nodded, Lee smiled and added "Great. Let's go home."