Model to Holywood

*Knock knock knock*

San Francisco, Bay Bridge, Vitale Hotel, twelfth-floor luxury suite.

Luca had no idea how long he had been asleep when a knock on the door woke him up. He rubbed his forehead and glanced at his watch—he'd only been asleep for about an hour and a half.

"Just a second!"

He slipped on his shorts, grabbed a T-shirt, and was putting it on as he walked to the door. Looking through the peephole, he saw Jessica Alba standing there with her assistant.

"Good afternoon, Jessica!" 

He opened the door with a smile.

"Hey, Luca, were you just asleep?"

Jessica gave him a quick once-over. Seeing his groggy eyes and disheveled clothes, she chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, just a nap, but I'm fine now. No need to apologize."

Luca shrugged.

Jessica smirked. "Alright, thanks for understanding. I came by to ask if you wanted to practice some dance moves."

"Dance practice?"

Luca scratched his head, realizing he did need some training.

"Thanks. Give me a minute. Do you want to come in?"

"I don't think that's necessary."

"Alright, no more than five minutes!"

Luca went back into the room, washed his face, brushed his teeth, finished off a sandwich he hadn't eaten at lunch, threw on a loose T-shirt, grabbed his sneakers, and jumped out the door. Exactly 4 minutes and 59 seconds had passed.

"You're right on time!"

Jessica glanced at her watch and smiled, heading toward the elevator.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she wore a yellow sweatshirt with gray leggings that showed off her toned midriff and a hint of her fit figure.

"Jessica, where are we practicing?" Luca asked as they entered the elevator.

"There's a gym downstairs. Billy's already there with Mekhi and the others."

Jessica pressed the button and smiled.

"Oh, thanks for coming to get me."

"No problem!"

Jessica tilted her head with a smile. "Is the movie done?"

"Not many scenes left for me. What about you? I heard you landed the lead role in *Into the Blue*. Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Jessica's lips curled into a bright smile. "What about you? What's next?"

"No projects lined up. I'll probably head back to New York for Fashion Week in the fourth quarter."

Luca spread his hands.

"And *Step Up*? When do you start that?"

"Not sure. Billy's trying to secure some funding, but things aren't moving fast. Maybe if *Honey* does well at the box office, we'll pick up the pace."

"Well, good luck to you!"

Jessica smiled as they stepped out of the elevator.

The gym was on the third floor, a luxurious space with glass walls, spacious and refreshing, perfectly suited to the five-star hotel.

Inside the private training room, Luca spotted Billy and a few others.

Billy stood by the stereo, acting as the DJ.

In the middle of the room, Mekhi Phifer, little Leo, and two street dance experts from the cast were dancing energetically to the music.

"Hey, Luca, you made it!" Billy laughed.

"Billy, are you entering the street dance competition too?"

Luca slapped Billy's hand in a playful greeting.

"I wish, but I don't think my belly will let me!" Billy laughed, patting his stomach.

Luca smiled and greeted Mekhi and the others.

"Billy, do we really need to practice? I thought we just needed to go up and do a few moves."

Luca crossed his arms, a little puzzled seeing how hard everyone was training.

"These guys are pros. Johnson and Chuck both won street dance championships before joining the cast. Now that there's a real competition, they want to give it their all."

Billy gestured toward the two supporting actors.

Luca nodded. "Ed, how's the movie coming along?"

"New Line and Summit are both interested in *Step Up*, and they're willing to invest. But they want the film done the Hollywood way, meaning they'd handle everything: director, casting, lead actors—the works."

Hollywood's way meant the production company would decide everything, essentially buying the script from the creators.

"What do you think?" Luca asked, rubbing his chin.

Billy thought for a moment. "In Hollywood, the one who invests the most calls the shots. If we can secure independent funding, we can go the indie route. If not, we'll have to let a big studio take over."

Luca nodded. The film would need a budget of 20 to 30 million dollars. He could barely pull that together by leveraging his property and *Twilight* rights as collateral, but he wasn't willing to take that risk.

Hollywood was a complex industry, and with limited funds, jumping into a major investment was too risky. He wasn't ready to commit that much yet.

"Billy, you've been in the industry for a while, and you've got the experience. Whatever you decide, I'll back you. I don't have a million dollars, but I can invest two or three hundred thousand. If you sell the script, just make sure you get a good deal."

Luca patted Billy on the shoulder with a smile.

"You're willing to sell the script?"

Billy looked at him in surprise.

Luca tapped his head. "I've got plenty more scripts up here."

Billy blinked and then laughed. "Luca, of all the young people I've met, you've got the thickest skin!"

"Why not mention my talent?" Luca protested.

"Alright, you've got talent. You can play soccer, act, write scripts, and even compose music."

Billy paused and then added, "Luca, you really are talented."

"Of course!" Luca grinned proudly.

"But you know what I admire most about you?"

"Tell me!"

"Your skill with the ladies!"

"..." 

Luca shot him a look, shaking his head. "Billy, it's called making friends, not *flirting*."

"Alright, alright. But come on, Britney Spears and Jennifer Aniston are your *friends*? You're pretty good at making friends!"

"Jennifer? Why'd you bring her up?"

Luca asked, puzzled.

"She and Brad Pitt started a film company, Plan B, last year. They're pretty solid."

"Are you thinking of asking her for investment?"

"Exactly. I was hoping you could introduce me to Aniston."

Billy said seriously.

Luca thought for a moment. The film had potential, and getting Aniston to invest wasn't a bad idea. But with her and Pitt divorcing next year, Plan B would end up with Pitt anyway. Why make money for him?

"Billy, to be honest, I recently wrote a script for Aniston. She's planning to start production next year, so she might not be interested in another project. But I can mention it when I get back to L.A."

"Alright, I'll wait for your news!"

After a brief chat, Luca was ready to start practicing street dance. Though he didn't need to do much on stage, his growing popularity meant the media was paying attention. He didn't want to embarrass himself.

*In my place, in my place, were lines that I couldn't change... I was lost... oh yeah... I was lost...*

Thank you to 'FlyingHerToMars' for the donation, much appreciated!

(End of Chapter)