[Chapter 48: The Cliche: Hero Saves the Damsel in Distress]
Beverly Hills, William Morris Agency.
Edward walked into the lobby, constantly shrugging and twisting, as if his black suit was severely limiting his freedom of movement.
Hawke finished his conversation with the receptionist and came over, giving him a light slap on the back, saying, "Get it together. You're a senior manager now, representing the company's face and image."
Edward looked defeated: "Boss... I'm fine being a rogue, a gang member, a criminal, even a dealer, but a senior manager at a studio? I can't do that."
"Don't be insecure. Just keep a straight face, no need to speak." Hawke encouraged him, "When you're out, your identity is what you make it. Be confident."
Edward adjusted his expression, trying hard to appear serious.
Hawke waved him along as they headed upstairs to a small conference room.
A stunning intern opened the door: "Please hold on, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Garcia are just finishing up with the crew and will be right in."
As Hawke stepped in, he noticed a woman sitting in the conference room.
The woman had shoulder-length blonde hair, was dressed in Chanel, and carried a Hermes bag; her makeup was flawless, comparable to a star walking down the Oscar red carpet.
Hawke had seen her once before, a public relations agent for Sarah Parker, who had once launched a soda attack.
Caroline Jones raised an eyebrow, perplexed: "What's a Wyoming hick doing here?"
She quickly realized, "You are the one working with Dwayne?"
Hawke didn't hold back: "Hello, Peacock, didn't expect to run into you here."
Caroline shot back: "A paparazzo wanting to do operations?"
"Because I'm sharp and capable," Hawke shrugged, pulling out a chair to sit across from her, "unlike some people, who seem young and pretty but have rocks in their heads."
After their last encounter, where Caroline had lost comprehensively, she didn't dwell on that, switching gears, and moved her finger playfully in a loop, saying, "I heard Wyoming cowboys like to catch sheep on the mountains."
Hawke replied with a smirk, "So it's you, Ms. Sheep."
Caroline leaned back in her swivel chair, slightly parting her legs clad in beige slacks and resting her feet, adorned with red high heels, on the conference table, absentmindedly tapping them like a "head-bobbing bug."
Her pants hugged her figure so tightly that it hinted at uncomfortable angles in certain places.
"Baa, baa..." she mimicked a sheep, beckoning to Hawke: "Come on, are you brave enough?"
Hawke wasn't brave enough; if this woman accused him of sexual harassment, he might survive, but he'd definitely lose some skin.
False accusations could be dismissed, but clearing one's name would require enduring too much.
Hawke pulled out his Nokia 7650, aimed it at the wall behind Caroline, and pressed the shutter button: "I want a picture of the wall decoration, don't block my shot."
Caroline didn't expect him to be bolder than her, quickly closing her legs.
Before she could fully compose herself, the conference room door swung open, and Dany and Johnson entered one after the other.
Dany looked at Caroline and said, "Hey, darling, we called you in for work, not to flirt with the men."
Caroline glanced at the two who practically towered over her and replied, "Just playing a little game."
Johnson settled next to Hawke and introduced, "This is my public relations agent, Caroline Jones from BWR Public Relations; and this is Hawke Osment, founder of West Coast Media Entertainment Studio."
He leaned closer to Hawke, whispering, "According to the PR contract, concerning media and promotion, I need to inform Caroline."
With a thick skin, Hawke responded, "Caroline and I are old friends." He then asked Johnson, "Were you able to negotiate with the crew?"
"Yes," Johnson confirmed, "Producer Stephen Sommers approved our plan."
According to the contract, the crew agreed, and the agreement automatically went into effect.
Hawke didn't beat around the bush; he stood up, walked to the front of the conference table, pulled over a whiteboard, and clapped his hands: "Alright everyone, let's start the meeting."
Edward passed out the detailed plan he had brought to everyone.
Dany and Caroline finished their whispering, and all eyes turned to Hawke.
Hawke picked up a marker and wrote a line on the whiteboard -- "Hero Saves the Damsel!"
It was as cliche as a prodigal son returning home.
Hawke continued, "When Dwayne participated in pro wrestling, he was known as The Rock. He looked as reliable as a rock yet had a charming smile."
Caroline raised her pen: "That smile was professionally designed by me and took years of training."
Hawke nodded slightly, asking, "You're designing Dwayne's path as an action star, right?"
Dany replied, "Yes, Dwayne's acting is average; given his background, action roles akin to Schwarzenegger's are the best fit."
In work mode, Caroline didn't miss a beat, as if nothing had just happened, adding, "Consequently, I've done a lot to create his image to enhance his strong and reliable characteristics, ensuring he displays masculinity in any setting."
Johnson straightforwardly said, "Stuffing socks in his pants comes from Caroline's suggestion."
"Good idea," Hawke kept his emotions separate from work, continuing, "Dwayne's new movie, The Scorpion King, is a positive role distinct from the villain he played in The Mummy Returns. It's about overthrowing tyranny and rescuing people from disaster, presenting him as a hero on screen."
He circled "hero" on the whiteboard: "This type of role requires a special approach; his public persona must align. If he's the hero in the movie but a total wuss in real life..."
Caroline interjected, "I agree with him."
Dany nodded along.
Hawke outlined, "The plan is designed: while we're at the designated location, a woman shopping gets robbed by a few thugs."
Danni and Caroline's gazes landed on Edward.
Edward remained stoically silent.
Hawke elaborated, "Dwayne happens upon the scene, heroically intervenes, pushing back the robbers, and it just so happens someone captures it on film."
In a past incident, a certain actor famously promoted his superhero film premiere this way, and it was quite effective.
Caroline chimed in, "Why not take it a step further? Dwayne repels armed robbers..."
"Hold on!" Johnson interrupted her, "Don't joke, I'll definitely run if I see a gun; you only have one life."
Hawke asked, "What's a reasonable matchup for you?"
Johnson thought briefly: "One adult male against three is reasonable; any more would be over the top."
"Sounds good." Hawke turned to Edward: "Have the three most professional people from our team handle this."
Edward nodded vigorously, though he felt apprehensive as the team only consisted of the two of them.
Caroline focused on her task: "I'll contact the television stations..."
"No, you can't use television," Hawke interrupted, raising his hand. "Television shots don't look genuine; things could spiral out of control."
He was fully committed, "I'll film it myself from a bystander's perspective and send it to Channel 11; I maintain excellent relations with the hit show Midnight Entertainment."
Edward and Hawke worked seamlessly together, pulling out their special correspondent badges.
"Paparazzi," Caroline thought, hesitating but ultimately recognizing this method as the best approach, asking, "Are you selling the footage to Channel 11?"
Hawke replied seriously, "I can guarantee the footage will air on Midnight Entertainment. With its viewership, major entertainment media will surely pick it up the next day."
Dany and Caroline exchanged glances, both nodding in agreement.
Hawke added, "Launching media coverage, extensive reporting, and later promotions -- you're more professional than I am in this."
Caroline didn't hesitate to take charge: "That's my job."
Johnson inquired, "When do we launch?"
"My team needs some preparation and to finalize the right location," Hawke said, "Three days from now."
Johnson looked at Dany, who checked his schedule: "The day after tomorrow afternoon was originally planned for Dwayne's street shoot, I'll go cancel that."
A typical street shoot couldn't match this intensity.
Hawke reminded, "The $30,000 retainer needs to be in within an hour."
Johnson asked, "Why the rush?"
Hawke explained succinctly, "We can't stage in a crime-ridden area. What if the stunt attracts a real group of robbers? Your safety wouldn't be assured. But in safer areas, police patrols are denser. If we're filming and suddenly LAPD shows up? I need to clear it with LAPD first; public relations require funds."
Everyone in the meeting room understood that establishing ties with LAPD required real money.
Johnson made a call to get the accountant to expedite the transfer.
Hawke and Johnson delved into further detail, leaving the William Morris Agency over an hour later.
Johnson walked Hawke out.
In the conference room, only Caroline and Danni remained.
Caroline asked, "Am I allowed to know how much you guys are paying him for this deal?"
Dany replied, "$80,000."
Caroline picked up her bag: "That's worth it."
Dany agreed, seeing it as a bargain, especially since Johnson was earning $5.5 million for the film.
*****
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