制霸好莱坞

Jim didn't manage to catch up with Vijayri leaving the company, and Jenny also felt that there was no way he could smoothly obtain the CSI performance master tape. This was a systemic issue within the crew. Unless he built a good relationship with the staff responsible for managing the data, it was almost impossible. Judging from Jim's imposing manner, it was clear that he wouldn't have good relations with the lower-tier crew members.

Vijayri didn't offer a ride, and since Jenny didn't have a pass, she ended up taking a taxi back to the set. She used a smile to trick the security guard into letting her in, following her into the studio to confirm she was an actress. She also bought the guard a coffee to thank him for his leniency. This allowed her to catch up on post-lunch makeup and wardrobe changes. As a result, she missed lunch and spent the entire afternoon filming in a state of dizziness from hunger.

During the shooting breaks, Jenny saw Cesare and Jim's figures on the sidelines. Someone went over to shake hands with them, but the rest of the details were unclear to her as she was too far away and too busy to pay attention. She tried to find Dave—she hadn't had a chance to speak with him since she returned, having gone straight to makeup and acting.

Dave was in a corner of the set, but far away from Cesare and the others. Jenny wasn't sure if it was intentional on his part. Amidst the numerous murder scenes being filmed, she didn't have the mental space to think about it.

After receiving the full script for the episode, the acting space provided an opportunity to make choices, though without the finished film to watch, she couldn't fully empathize with characters like Juanita, Nick, or Warwick, whose faces remained blurry. Nevertheless, it was enough to play the supporting role. Jenny had already done several rehearsals in the acting space, so she felt well-prepared. Despite the scenes in the afternoon not being easy, most were completed in just a few takes. Many times, the director took extra shots just for different angles, giving more options later.

The rest of the afternoon passed without incident, and Jenny's scenes were all wrapped up. Before the episode aired, there was a chance she might be called back for reshoots. The CBS crew would send Jenny her check within the month, settling her pay. All in all, this shoot had gone smoothly for Jenny. Not only did everything go well on screen, but off-screen, there were no issues like Dave had feared. The two leading women in CSI, Catherine and Sara, didn't have any one-on-one scenes with Jenny and were usually filmed in separate studios.

After finishing her scenes, Jenny shook hands with the director, thanked him for his support, and accepted his invitation to have dinner together some day. She hesitated for a moment but then went to find Dave. She raised her hand to give him a high five. "I did it, Dave! My first appearance is done!"

Dave smiled. "Yes, congratulations!"

Compared to the morning, his attitude had become subtly distant, and Jenny frowned. She was about to say something when Jim came over. "Hey, Jenny, congratulations! You did a great job."

"Thanks, Jim," Jenny said with more enthusiasm. No matter what, whether this turned into a success or not, Jim had introduced her to a senior agent at CAA.

"Where's Mr. Vijayri?"

"Cesare left two hours ago. He had a lot to handle." Jim answered, glancing at Dave. However, this time there was no hostility like in the morning, but instead a hint of sympathy. "He said you had a dinner appointment?"

"Oh, right." Jenny suddenly understood why Jim sympathized with Dave. She quickly explained to Dave, "We're just going to discuss the contract, Dave. You know, not— not that kind of date."

As she spoke, she remembered her appointment with Hollywood Star. "Oh! Sorry, I need to make a call. I was supposed to work tonight, but now I need to have someone else cover for me."

She walked over to a nearby open space and dialed the Hollywood Star's number while keeping a close eye on Jim and Dave, afraid they might have another confrontation. But surprisingly, they were actually quite friendly now. After chatting for a bit, Jim even patted Dave on the shoulder, and Dave didn't shake it off but instead gave a slightly bitter smile.

Once the call went through, Jenny no longer paid attention to the men and focused on apologizing to Old John. John kept sighing but didn't blame her, just letting her know he would deduct her pay for yesterday. He even gracefully wished her success. "Whatever you're doing, I wish you the best."

"Thanks, Old John." Jenny said sincerely, hanging up the phone and walking over to the two men. "I'm going to remove my makeup and change now, probably shower too—I'm covered in corn syrup."

"Go ahead," Jim quickly said, "I'll take you to the restaurant, it should be just in time."

"Dave—" Jenny turned to Dave, who smiled reassuringly at her, looking much better emotionally now.

"I'm heading back now," he said. "See you next time, Jenny."

"Hey." Jenny suddenly felt reluctant. She walked after him for a couple of steps. "You'll come back to Hollywood Star for some snacks, right?"

Dave looked surprised, then smiled. "Yes, I will. Don't worry, I have your number. Do you remember?"

"I remember," Jenny said, smiling and gesturing near her ear. "If you need anything, just—"

"Callyou/Callme." They said in unison, laughing at the same time. Dave urged her, "Go ahead, don't be late. Cesare is very punctual."

"You know him too?" Jenny asked in surprise.

Dave shrugged. "Hollywood's small. Everyone knows everyone. Go on, this is a great opportunity. Both Lynch and I have confidence in you. You'll get the contract."

Jenny knew she shouldn't delay any longer. She gave Dave a quick smile and hurried toward the makeup room, with Jim following.

Her scenes were done, but others still had work to do. The makeup room was crowded with a few extras who had special effects makeup, and Jenny saw the long line. She was about to do her makeup casually, but Jim went ahead and spoke to the makeup artist, leading Jenny to the front. "You don't have time to wait. Let's get you done first."

Jenny had a special effect bruise makeup on her shoulder that she couldn't remove herself. Of course, it was quicker than the other extras who had open wounds on their bodies. But still, there's a queuing order, and these extras might have jobs to go to after. Jenny felt a bit uncomfortable inside. However, both Jim and the makeup artist, even the extras who had been waiting, acted as though it was totally normal.

It wasn't a rare occurrence. Jenny had always thought of herself as an extra, and now because of her association with Cesare, she suddenly got special treatment. It felt as though she was abusing her connections. Hate often starts this way. If she hadn't succeeded, today's events might have become the subject of others' ridicule.

She finished the makeup removal, got changed, and didn't even bother to reapply makeup, coming out in a T-shirt and jeans. Jim looked a bit dazed when he saw her. "Sweetheart, don't you have anything else to wear?"

"I do, but there's no time." Jenny replied, "What time's Cesare's reservation? Seven? It's already 6:30. I'm sure he wouldn't accept being late or changing the time."

Jim sighed dramatically. "Seven, but Cesare booked Mastro. You need to dress formally to get in."

"Then he'll just have to wait." Jenny said. "That's his problem, unless I can fly. How am I supposed to go from wrapping up at 6, getting my makeup off, and then putting on a formal dress and walking into an Italian restaurant by seven?"

"No, it's my problem." Jim slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "I stood there the entire afternoon—I should have prepared a formal dress for you, or at least borrowed one from the wardrobe. I don't know what I was thinking!"

"Hmm, I don't know what you were thinking either." Jenny said. Now that she thought about it, she realized Jim wasn't too sharp. No wonder Cesare said he was almost an idiot. In this business, it's all about the people you know. Without being clever, you can't do much. "Let's see, we have 25 minutes left..."

She glanced at her T-shirt. Because she was so tired last night, she just grabbed a big T-shirt and rushed out. It was a men's T-shirt that she usually wore as sleepwear, paired with a not-so-fashionable pair of skinny pants. This outfit would get her kicked out of any decent restaurant. And she wasn't wearing heels, just flat shoes, though they had a somewhat formal pattern.

"You just head to the restaurant," she decided. "Don't look at me."

But Jim kept looking at her as he drove—because Jenny wasn't even trying to hide as she took her arms out of the T-shirt, pulling it up to her armpits.

"Do we have any safety pins in the car?" Jenny asked. "Don't look at me, concentrate on driving. Do you want to cause an accident?"

"Uh, uh, yes." Jim suddenly snapped back to reality, stammering. "In the compartment right in front of you. You can check."

Jenny wrapped the two sleeves tightly around her chest and tucked them into her shirt, pinning them under her arms. The oversized T-shirt was instantly transformed into a chic evening gown with an open chest. She then slipped off her pants, leaving only her skirt, and let her hair down. With her flat shoes and small handbag, she looked like a glamorous fashionista.

"All set." She placed her clothes on the backseat, joking, "You owe me one— not just for saving you from being scolded, but because—"

She waved her hand beneath the steering wheel, and Jim gulped, awkwardly shaking his head and crossing his legs to hide his reaction.

"Wow," he said, turning into a side street. "Okay, no problem. I owe you one."

The car was quiet for a while, then Jim said, "Wait a minute, this doesn't add up. What about me introducing you to Cesare?"

"Wasn't that your job?" Jenny said. "You should be seeking credit from Mr. Vijayri."

She said it with a bit of a joke, so Jim wasn't mad. He just rolled his eyes and stopped the car in front of a commercial building. "Here we are. The restaurant is on the 16th floor. You can go up by yourself. Just mention Cesare's name."

"Aren't you coming?" Jenny asked.

Jim shook his head. Jenny couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He was the agent, yet it felt like he was acting as Cesare's assistant.

"Don't pity me," Jim noticed. "If you want to get an ulcer, the quickest way is to have dinner with Cesare. Good luck."

He said the last sentence very sincerely. Jenny stared at him for a moment, shook her head, and silently got out of the car, walking quickly into the lobby.

The maître d' at Mastro seemed a little skeptical about Jenny's dress but didn't say much. When he led her to a table by the window, Jenny suddenly had a sinking feeling in her chest. Cesare was already sitting there, studying the menu, looking like he had been waiting for a while. When he heard her footsteps, he glanced at his watch.

"7:05," he said, lifting his head to look at Jenny. "You're late, Jenny Jefferson."

Jenny would never take the apologetic approach Jim used. She smiled at the server, who helped her sit down, and then spoke to Cesare. "I have to say, Mr. Vijayri, your faith in me is dwindling."

Cesare tilted his head slightly, indicating for her to continue.

"I assume you asked me to dinner because you've recognized my acting skills." Jenny opened the menu, but her gaze didn't leave Cesare. "This dinner is to show me what makes you a great agent and why I should choose you as my agent."

She smiled. "According to the filming schedule, I finished at 6 p.m., and getting here from Beverly Hills during rush hour took at least 40 minutes. I don't fly, Mr. Vijayri, and my makeup doesn't remove itself. You're very time-conscious, Mr. Vijayri, so tell me, how could a qualified agent schedule two such tight appointments?"

Their eyes met above the gilded menu, the oxygen in the air suddenly feeling thin. Cesare's expression was blank and indifferent, while Jenny smiled, not backing down. The standoff was already formed.