Lucas smiled warmly. "So, tell me more about where we're at with the project," he prompted.
Damien's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "Well, we've locked in most of the cast. J.K. Simmons is still on board to play Fletcher, the teacher. You remember him from the short, right?"
Lucas nodded, a wry grin spreading across his face. "Oh yeah, how could I forget? That guy looked like he could make grown men cry with just a glare. Talk about perfect casting for a terrifying music instructor."
Damien chuckled. "I know, right? But J.K. is actually one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Total teddy bear off-camera."
Lucas smiled. "I can't wait to work with him."
Damien nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, J.K. is thrilled to work with you too. He actually mentioned he's a big fan of your work."
Lucas smiled, genuinely pleased to hear that. "That's great to hear. So, how's the production coming along? Everything on track?"
Damien's eyes lit up. "It's been amazing, actually. Ever since Blumhouse saw the potential in the short film, they've been incredibly supportive. They were already serious about the project, but when you came on board..." He shook his head in disbelief. "Let's just say they went into overdrive."
He continued, "They've increased our budget, given us more shooting days, and even managed to secure some top-notch locations. Your involvement has really elevated the whole production."
Lucas smiled modestly. "I'm glad I could help. Though it's your vision that got us here. I'm just happy to be a part of it."
Damien nodded appreciatively. "Well, your involvement certainly doesn't hurt. The producers are talking about a wider release now, maybe even an awards push if things go well."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Lucas chuckled. "First, we need to make the best damn movie we can. Speaking of which, when do we start shooting?"
Damien smiled, his excitement palpable. "We're actually set to start shooting in about five to seven days. We're just finalizing some location permits and waiting for a couple of key props to arrive. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find the right vintage drum kit in this city!"
Lucas nodded understandingly. "No worries, I get it. These things take time to get right."
After wrapping up their chat, Lucas bid Damien farewell and headed out of the café. As soon as he stepped onto the sidewalk, he was blinded by camera flashes. A group of paparazzi had apparently been lying in wait.
Lucas quickly made for his car, but the photographers swarmed around him, blocking his path.
"What can you tell us about your next project?"
"How's your relationship with Jennifer after her Oscar speech?"
Lucas chuckled and shook his head, trying to navigate through the crowd. Jack and Simon sprang into action. They formed a human barrier around Lucas, gently but firmly pushing the paparazzi back.
"Come on, guys, give the man some space," Jack growled, his imposing figure causing some of the photographers to step back.
Simon opened the car door, ushering Lucas inside. "No comments today. Mr. Knight is late for an appointment."
***
Back at his apartment, Lucas turned to Jack and Simon with a grateful smile. "Thanks again for handling that paparazzi situation, guys."
Jack shrugged, a slight grin on his face. "Just doing our job, boss. Nothing to it."
Simon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, all in a day's work."
Lucas chuckled, then had an idea. "Hey, why don't you guys stay for dinner? I'm thinking of ordering in. Shawn," he called out to his driver, "you're welcome to join us too!"
The three men looked surprised but pleased at the invitation. They enjoyed a relaxed meal together, swapping stories and jokes, the earlier tension of the day melting away.
After his security team and driver left, Lucas finally had a moment to himself. He flopped onto his bed, pulling out his phone. It had been months since he'd properly checked his social media.
As he opened Twitter, his eyes widened in disbelief. His follower count had shot up to 78 million. And that Oscar selfie? Still trending.
A slow grin spread across Lucas's face as the implications sank in. With this kind of following, promoting Uber Eats would be a breeze. It was like having a built-in marketing cheat code.
As Lucas scrolled through his feed, he came across the photos of himself during his preparation for the Joker role.
He couldn't help but chuckle at how gaunt and sickly he looked. "Damn, I really went all out for Arthur," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in amusement before finally calling it a night.
***
The next morning, Lucas was jolted awake by a ping from his phone. The Uber Eats team had messaged him with an update: the app had launched, but despite their prior marketing efforts, it had only garnered a few hundred users so far.
"Got it," Lucas texted back, his mind already whirring with ideas.
Grabbing his notebook, he settled into his favorite armchair, determined to brainstorm a killer marketing strategy. He knew he needed something more interesting than his previous Uber promotion during the Whisper Challenge. This time, he wanted to introduce the product in a way that felt organic and entertaining, much like how the Oscar selfie had subtly promoted Samsung.
Lucas tapped his pen against the notebook, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Okay, think... What's a funny scenario that could naturally involve food delivery?"
He started jotting down ideas...
"A skit about a disastrous attempt at cooking."
"A parody of a fancy restaurant experience gone wrong."
"A day-in-the-life video where everything goes wrong except the food delivery."
As he brainstormed, a playful grin spread across his face. He might not have been a marketing expert, but he knew how to entertain people. And if he could make them laugh while subtly introducing Uber Eats, well, that would be the best kind of promotion.
"Time to put those acting skills to use," Lucas murmured, his pen flying across the page as the ideas kept flowing.
***
Ashley slumped in her chair, glaring at the pile of school projects scattered across her desk. "Just my luck," she groaned. "The one week Mom and Dad decide to go on a second honeymoon, I'm drowning in homework."
The sound of laughter and video game explosions drifted in from the living room. Her brother and his friends were having a blast, their worries no further than the next level of whatever game they were playing.
"And of course, they've ordered pizza," Ashley muttered, her stomach grumbling in protest. "Why couldn't I be one of those kids who live on cheese and pepperoni?"
Sighing heavily, she reached for her phone. "At least I've got you, faithful internet. Don't let me down now."
As she opened Twitter, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. "No freaking way," she breathed, sitting up straight. There, at the top of her feed, was a new post from Lucas Knight himself.
"Is this for real?" Ashley whispered, her finger hovering over the play button.
Lucas's account was notorious for being a wasteland of PR-approved retweets and generic likes. Actual content from the man himself was rarer than a solar eclipse.
"A video?" she squealed, trying to keep her voice down so her brother wouldn't hear. "It's like Christmas came early!"
She excitedly pressed play, holding her breath in anticipation. Whatever was in this video, she knew it would be the highlight of her otherwise miserable day.
The video opened with Lucas lounging on a couch, engrossed in a Looney Tunes cartoon. Suddenly, he glanced up, as if just noticing the camera. "Is there something on my face?" he asked, looking puzzled.
The camera shook slightly, as if the viewer was shaking their head 'no'.
Lucas's brow furrowed. "Then why are you looking at me like that?"
A deep voice, subtitled at the bottom of the screen, replied, "I'm just wondering, besides acting, can you do other things in life?"
Lucas raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of amusement and indignation. "Whoa, hold up there, buddy. Don't be so judgmental. Of course I can do other stuff besides acting."
"Like what?" the voice challenged.
Lucas pointed directly at the camera, his eyes narrowing playfully. "Alright, you're really pushing it now, aren't you?"
"I'm not the one pushing you," the voice retorted. "It's all those tweets saying you can't do anything but act."
Ashley couldn't help but chuckle as she watched. The way the camera moved, nodding and shaking, made it feel like she was the one Lucas was talking to. It was as if he was right there in her room, defending his honor against her playful accusations.
Ashley watched, grinning from ear to ear, as Lucas confidently declared, "Let me show you my masterful cooking!"
The camera followed Lucas into the kitchen, where he proceeded to whip up a meal that looked... well, edible at best.
"Taste it," Lucas said proudly, gesturing to his creation.
Ashley could almost feel the reluctance of the person behind the camera as they apparently sampled the dish. His complaints were muffled but clear enough to understand.
Lucas looked utterly offended, his face a picture of exaggerated hurt as he tried to defend his culinary skills. "Come on, it can't be that bad!"
"Why don't you try it then?" the voice challenged.
Lucas paused, looking thoughtful, before agreeing with a shrug. He took a spoonful of his creation, his face carefully neutral as he chewed. But his acting skills couldn't quite hide his true reaction - it was clearly awful.
Ashley burst out laughing at Lucas's expression, a perfect blend of trying to maintain dignity while fighting not to spit out the food.
Finally, Lucas swallowed hard and conceded, "Okay. I won't argue with you on this one."
Ashley wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. Seeing Lucas Knight, Hollywood superstar, failing so spectacularly at something as simple as cooking was unexpectedly hilarious and endearing. It made him seem more human, more relatable.
The video continued.
"So it's true? You can't do anything but act or sing?" the voice taunted.
Lucas smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "That's where you're wrong. I can still deliver good food. Look—" He pulled out his phone.
"What? What's a phone going to do?" the voice asked skeptically.
The camera zoomed in on Lucas's phone screen as he opened an app. "Watch this. I'll just order and wait."
"What? You're ordering? Like pizza?" the voice sounded confused.
Lucas snorted, rolling his eyes. "It's not pizza. Just wait."
A caption appeared: "Fifteen minutes later..."
Ashley's eyebrows shot up as Lucas's doorbell rang, and a delivery person arrived with the food. She giggled as the starstruck delivery guy asked for a picture with Lucas.
Then came the moment of truth. The cameraman tasted the food, and to Ashley's surprise, he approved enthusiastically.
As the video ended, Ashley found herself rewinding, curious about the app Lucas had used. She paused the video, zooming in on his phone screen. "Uber Eats," she read aloud.
A slow smile spread across her face. "Well, would you look at that," she murmured. "Talk about perfect timing."
Without hesitation, she opened her app store and started downloading Uber Eats.
As she waited for it to install, she couldn't help but marvel at Lucas's clever marketing. He'd made it seem so casual, so unplanned, but Ashley knew better. This was a masterclass in subtle advertising, and she'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.
But you know what? She didn't even mind. If it meant she could get a decent meal without having to cook or eat her brother's leftover pizza, she was all for it.
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