Surveying the sea of beautiful people occupying the trendy bar, Justin Plank felt a slight thrill of the hunt. At the very least, one of these young stars-to-be would be desperate enough to talk to him about a contract. "Ok, Justin," he said to himself. "This is your night."
For the past three years, Justin had been running his father's talent agency in Los Angeles. The senior Plank had died in a skiing accident, boosting Justin to a top position that he was hardly qualified for. He was twenty-five at the time.
Now, at the age of twenty-eight, he had accomplished little with the once well-regarded agency. Other people in the industry now mocked Plank Talent for only signing on D-list celebrities, and then putting them into sub-par projects. It was a dismal time for Justin Plank.
People would avoid him if they saw him walking towards them at parties. Wearing a stiff three-piece suit, his unpleasant bland, brown hair greased back, and donning a pathetically desperate grin, Justin would stride around with his hand out, shaking vigorously with any well-connected person he could find. He was of average build, and paled in comparison to the shining stars that event planners would stock at these types of parties.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Justin?" one such star sighed, annoyed that the greasy talent agent had caught him. "I already signed on with Toroda."
Justin's grinning expression barely flickered at the mention of the talent agency that had been taking over L.A. like an unstoppable force. Tony Toroda, at the same age as Justin, was the youngest talent agent to build his own company and make it the most profitable in five years. Toroda People had languished during Plank Talent's heyday, while Justin's father had been alive. However, now that the bungling son had inherited the company, Toroda blasted to the top.
"I know that," Justin rasped, "but you had been a loyal talent at Plank for ten years, my father built your career!"
The star shook his head sadly, "And you were going to destroy it. I couldn't risk it. I'm sorry Justin." He clasped Justin's shoulder with a conciliatory grip, and walked away, Justin staring murderously at his back as he went. He glanced around at the people smirking at him, and rubbed his chest nervously. "Tough crowd…" he murmured, a phrase his father loved to say constantly. Taking out an old pocket-sized notebook, he quickly crossed out the star's name and shoved the pad back into his pocket. With a shrug, he headed towards the bar, where several beautiful women were standing, waiting to be discovered.
It was a futile task; as soon as they heard the name "Plank Talent", they would rudely turn and walk away from Justin. He tried flirting, which was virtually pointless. He didn't have the physical presence that women found attractive, nor did he have the charm. Usually, Justin came off like a sleazy car salesman.
Of course, 'sleazy' was not a false term to pin on Justin, for he did try to pull underhanded tricks at times, misrepresenting himself, lying that he was from a different talent agency so that he could get phone numbers from unsuspecting hopefuls. Most people in the industry were aware of Justin's antics, but viewed it pityingly, a son desperately trying to live up to his father's image.
"Christ…" Justin said, leaning against the bar as he slurped down a cheap glass of wine. All of the women who had been crowding the bar dispersed when he had arrived, as if he were some leper. With a sigh, Justin decided that he would just drink the night away.
Of course, that was when Tony Toroda decided to show up.
Justin could hear the clapping cascade starting from the front of the room, moving back to where he was at the bar. People stopped their conversations midsentence as the word spread that Tony had arrived. The very slight chance that he would have shown up was the only reason why most of them were there. Then the excited whispering erupted as people tried to figure out where he was standing, so that they could inch towards him.
Justin scoffed at the transparent adoration, just before trying to crane his neck high enough to see the hotshot talent agent.
Tony certainly stood out. He was tall, with longish blond hair, which he kept gelled back in the same way that Justin did, only the hairstyle complemented him magnificently. He was wearing a demure, but modern suit that no doubt cost thousands. Justin looked down at his own Sears three-piece and smiled derisively. His green eyes moved up when he heard the crowd grow louder, indicating that Tony was coming closer to the bar. Quickly straightening his jacket, he moved forward, hoping to intercept the industry giant.
"Tony!" Justin shouted, jumping up to get the man's attention, "Tony, over here! It's Justin Plank!"
The taller man stopped upon hearing Justin's name. He turned his head, and everyone around him glared down at whoever dare shout out Tony's name so personally. "Justin?" He smiled when he caught sight of the other talent agent. "Justin Plank?"
Truth be told, they knew each other. Truth be told… Tony had interned at Plank Talent. Justin hated him even then. They were the same age, but Tony had accomplished so much more with his A-type personality, and Justin's father simply adored him. Justin tried to keep up at the agency, where his father had given him a concurrent internship with Tony. Unfortunately, Justin just did not have that killer instinct, and everyone knew it.
Tony waded through the crowds of people, and walked up to Justin with a friendly smile. He placed his large hand at the small of Justin's back, and gently guided him towards the bar. Justin gritted his teeth at being handled like some bimbo floozy, but ignored his rising hatred towards Tony.
At the bar, Tony ordered two scotches and smiled down at Justin. "I haven't seen you in awhile," he said as he put an elbow on the bar, and clasped his hands. People were watching them conspicuously, reminding Justin to keep this conversation going as long as possible so that everyone could see that he knew important people. Tony's eyebrows rose with curiosity at Justin's momentary space-out. "Any one in there?"
Justin bounced back to reality. "Sorry, of course, it's been too long." Justin chuckled. "How's the business going?"
Tony smiled knowingly at Justin, well aware that everyone on the planet knew that Toroda People was the fastest growing talent agency in L.A. "Are you trying to play coy, Justin?" Tony smirked, "We've known each other far too long to do bullshit small talk." Justin flinched at Tony's cavalier tone, and glanced again at the people watching them out of the corner of their eyes. "Don't worry Justin, they can't hear us." Tony said, catching Justin's expression, "So tell me, how close are you to suicide? Has Plank Talent filed a chapter 7 yet?"
Justin looked down at his drink, trying to emit fake laughter along with Tony, as he battled the urge to smack the condescending prick on the face. "We're still going strong Tony," he was finally able to say. "Nothing to worry about."
He set the glass down on the bar, and tried to walk away. Nothing was worth listening to Tony Toroda brag about his success. However, as he began to step towards the front, Tony grabbed his arm, and jerked him back. It was so fast that no one would have noticed, or probably thought Justin stumbled because he was drunk.
"Why don't you just sell the agency to me, Justin?" Tony said, his fake smile now firmly back in place, "You're running it into the ground, your father's legacy doesn't deserve that." His blue eyes glinting as he glared at Justin.
"It's my agency now," Justin hissed back, as he tried to claw Tony's grip from his arm. He staggered a bit, and Tony had to hold him up. Maybe he was a bit more drunk than he had thought. Glancing around nervously again, paranoid that everyone was laughing at him, Justin finally was able to pull his arm away. "Tell me," Tony said mockingly as Justin tried to regain his composure, "what was you tactic tonight? Try to flirt your way into a number, or bribe someone?"
Justin shook his head, which only made his vision swim. "I don't play dirty."
These words only seemed to make Tony angry. He scoffed, and took a last sip of his drink. "Fine Justin, let your father's agency go up in flames, it shouldn't really matter since he's dead." As soon as Tony said this, his anger seemed to dissipate, and his model-handsome features melted back into a pleasant, but distant smile. "Well, it was nice talking to an old friend," he said casually, and walked off without a goodbye, back into the crowd of his adoring fans.
Justin watched him with a blurry gaze, and then turned back to the bar, only to come face to face with the bartender. "You an actor?" Justin mumbled, "Need representation?" He pushed a shaking hand into his pocket, and pulled out a crumpled business card. "We represent every kind of talent."
The bartender looked down on him blankly. "Even if I were an actor, I don't think I would sign with you," he said, "Maybe that guy… but not you."
Justin let out a choked laugh, and nodded his head as he tried to flatten the business card on the bar. More people converged towards them, taking up the bartender's attention. Justin listened in as they all gossiped about what brand Tony was wearing (Armani!), and whom he was dating (she's only twenty!). Tony Toroda… he was the king, and he had a cool name. Justin had a name that rhymed with 'spank', which did not go over well on the elementary school yard. Now that he was an adult, he had managed to grow up in the city of angels with a fashion sense that one could only label as 'government auditor chic'.
As he was spacing out again, Justin noticed a young and glamorous woman trying to get his attention. He shook his head again, and looked at her. "Yes?"
She giggled at his slurring. "How do you know Tony?" she shouted over the din. Justin smiled ruefully at her questio
Surveying the sea of beautiful people occupying the trendy bar, Justin Plank felt a slight thrill of the hunt. At the very least, one of these young stars-to-be would be desperate enough to talk to him about a contract. "Ok, Justin," he said to himself. "This is your night."For the past three years, Justin had been running his father's talent agency in Los Angeles. The senior Plank had died in a skiing accident, boosting Justin to a top position that he was hardly qualified for. He was twenty-five at the time.Now, at the age of twenty-eight, he had accomplished little with the once well-regarded agency. Other people in the industry now mocked Plank Talent for only signing on D-list celebrities, and then putting them into sub-par projects. It was a dismal time for Justin Plank.People would avoid him if they saw him walking towards them at parties. Wearing a stiff three-piece suit, his unpleasant bland, brown hair greased back, and donning a pathetically desperate grin, Justin would stride around with his hand out, shaking vigorously with any well-connected person he could find. He was of average build, and paled in comparison to the shining stars that event planners would stock at these types of parties."How many times do I have to tell you, Justin?" one such star sighed, annoyed that the greasy talent agent had caught him. "I already signed on with Toroda."Justin's grinning expression barely flickered at the mention of the talent agency that had been taking over L.A. like an unstoppable force. Tony Toroda, at the same age as Justin, was the youngest talent agent to build his own company and make it the most profitable in five years. Toroda People had languished during Plank Talent's heyday, while Justin's father had been alive. However, now that the bungling son had inherited the company, Toroda blasted to the top."I know that," Justin rasped, "but you had been a loyal talent at Plank for ten years, my father built your career!"The star shook his head sadly, "And you were going to destroy it. I couldn't risk it. I'm sorry Justin." He clasped Justin's shoulder with a conciliatory grip, and walked away, Justin staring murderously at his back as he went. He glanced around at the people smirking at him, and rubbed his chest nervously. "Tough crowd…" he murmured, a phrase his father loved to say constantly. Taking out an old pocket-sized notebook, he quickly crossed out the star's name and shoved the pad back into his pocket. With a shrug, he headed towards the bar, where several beautiful women were standing, waiting to be discovered.It was a futile task; as soon as they heard the name "Plank Talent", they would rudely turn and walk away from Justin. He tried flirting, which was virtually pointless. He didn't have the physical presence that women found attractive, nor did he have the charm. Usually, Justin came off like a sleazy car salesman.Of course, 'sleazy' was not a false term to pin on Justin, for he did try to pull underhanded tricks at times, misrepresenting himself, lying that he was from a different talent agency so that he could get phone numbers from unsuspecting hopefuls. Most people in the industry were aware of Justin's antics, but viewed it pityingly, a son desperately trying to live up to his father's image."Christ…" Justin said, leaning against the bar as he slurped down a cheap glass of wine. All of the women who had been crowding the bar dispersed when he had arrived, as if he were some leper. With a sigh, Justin decided that he would just drink the night away.Of course, that was when Tony Toroda decided to show up.Justin could hear the clapping cascade starting from the front of the room, moving back to where he was at the bar. People stopped their conversations midsentence as the word spread that Tony had arrived. The very slight chance that he would have shown up was the only reason why most of them were there. Then the excited whispering erupted as people tried to figure out where he was standing, so that they could inch towards him.Justin scoffed at the transparent adoration, just before trying to crane his neck high enough to see the hotshot talent agent.Tony certainly stood out. He was tall, with longish blond hair, which he kept gelled back in the same way that Justin did, only the hairstyle complemented him magnificently. He was wearing a demure, but modern suit that no doubt cost thousands. Justin looked down at his own Sears three-piece and smiled derisively. His green eyes moved up when he heard the crowd grow louder, indicating that Tony was coming closer to the bar. Quickly straightening his jacket, he moved forward, hoping to intercept the industry giant.
"Tony!" Justin shouted, jumping up to get the man's attention, "Tony, over here! It's Justin Plank!"
The taller man stopped upon hearing Justin's name. He turned his head, and everyone around him glared down at whoever dare shout out Tony's name so personally. "Justin?" He smiled when he caught sight of the other talent agent. "Justin Plank?"
Truth be told, they knew each other. Truth be told… Tony had interned at Plank Talent. Justin hated him even then. They were the same age, but Tony had accomplished so much more with his A-type personality, and Justin's father simply adored him. Justin tried to keep up at the agency, where his father had given him a concurrent internship with Tony. Unfortunately, Justin just did not have that killer instinct, and everyone knew it.
Tony waded through the crowds of people, and walked up to Justin with a friendly smile. He placed his large hand at the small of Justin's back, and gently guided him towards the bar. Justin gritted his teeth at being handled like some bimbo floozy, but ignored his rising hatred towards Tony.
At the bar, Tony ordered two scotches and smiled down at Justin. "I haven't seen you in awhile," he said as he put an elbow on the bar, and clasped his hands. People were watching them conspicuously, reminding Justin to keep this conversation going as long as possible so that everyone could see that he knew important people. Tony's eyebrows rose with curiosity at Justin's momentary space-out. "Any one in there?"
Justin bounced back to reality. "Sorry, of course, it's been too long." Justin chuckled. "How's the business going?"
Tony smiled knowingly at Justin, well aware that everyone on the planet knew that Toroda People was the fastest growing talent agency in L.A. "Are you trying to play coy, Justin?" Tony smirked, "We've known each other far too long to do bullshit small talk." Justin flinched at Tony's cavalier tone, and glanced again at the people watching them out of the corner of their eyes. "Don't worry Justin, they can't hear us." Tony said, catching Justin's expression, "So tell me, how close are you to suicide? Has Plank Talent filed a chapter 7 yet?"
Justin looked down at his drink, trying to emit fake laughter along with Tony, as he battled the urge to smack the condescending prick on the face. "We're still going strong Tony," he was finally able to say. "Nothing to worry about."
He set the glass down on the bar, and tried to walk away. Nothing was worth listening to Tony Toroda brag about his success. However, as he began to step towards the front, Tony grabbed his arm, and jerked him back. It was so fast that no one would have noticed, or probably thought Justin stumbled because he was drunk.
"Why don't you just sell the agency to me, Justin?" Tony said, his fake smile now firmly back in place, "You're running it into the ground, your father's legacy doesn't deserve that." His blue eyes glinting as he glared at Justin.
"It's my agency now," Justin hissed back, as he tried to claw Tony's grip from his arm. He staggered a bit, and Tony had to hold him up. Maybe he was a bit more drunk than he had thought. Glancing around nervously again, paranoid that everyone was laughing at him, Justin finally was able to pull his arm away. "Tell me," Tony said mockingly as Justin tried to regain his composure, "what was you tactic tonight? Try to flirt your way into a number, or bribe someone?"
Justin shook his head, which only made his vision swim. "I don't play dirty."
These words only seemed to make Tony angry. He scoffed, and took a last sip of his drink. "Fine Justin, let your father's agency go up in flames, it shouldn't really matter since he's dead." As soon as Tony said this, his anger seemed to dissipate, and his model-handsome features melted back into a pleasant, but distant smile. "Well, it was nice talking to an old friend," he said casually, and walked off without a goodbye, back into the crowd of his adoring fans.
Justin watched him with a blurry gaze, and then turned back to the bar, only to come face to face with the bartender. "You an actor?" Justin mumbled, "Need representation?" He pushed a shaking hand into his pocket, and pulled out a crumpled business card. "We represent every kind of talent."
The bartender looked down on him blankly. "Even if I were an actor, I don't think I would sign with you," he said, "Maybe that guy… but not you."
Justin let out a choked laugh, and nodded his head as he tried to flatten the business card on the bar. More people converged towards them, taking up the bartender's attention. Justin listened in as they all gossiped about what brand Tony was wearing (Armani!), and whom he was dating (she's only twenty!). Tony Toroda… he was the king, and he had a cool name. Justin had a name that rhymed with 'spank', which did not go over well on the elementary school yard. Now that he was an adult, he had managed to grow up in the city of angels with a fashion sense that one could only label as 'government auditor chic'.
As he was spacing out again, Justin noticed a young and glamorous woman trying to get his attention. He shook his head again, and looked at her. "Yes?"
She giggled at his slurring. "How do you know Tony?" she shouted over the din. Justin smiled ruefully at her questio
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