Reeling in the net

"I am sorry," Marvin continued not batting an eye. "Are you new to Los Angeles? It's just that I wouldn't have forgotten such beauty if I had seen you somewhere. But, this is the first time I am seeing you at a party."

"Yes, I recently shifted to Los Angeles."

Marvin congratulated himself on guessing right. So, she was a French woman who had recently come to Los Angeles. But, her English sounded very authentic. Almost as if she was brought up here.

"Is it related to your work?" Marvin asked trying to gain more information.

"Yes, I am planning to enter the film industry. I thought Los Angeles would be the right place to live in if I want to pursue my career."

Hmmm, it is as I thought. This woman wanted to develop in the film industry. It was natural to come to Los Angeles. But, how did she get in line with Kid Z? Does she have any important connections I need to be aware of?

"Ah, that's very fortunate. Have you participated in any work recently? It's just that I am curious to know if I can see your charm on the big screen soon."

"No, I haven't done any work that can be on the big screen. I have only been here for a month. I have acted in Kid Z's new MV though," Natasha said smoothly.

Just a month! She already got a role in Kid Z's MV! This woman looked like she had good prospects. And it didn't look like she has any agent. If there is any agent they would have already come to head him off. After all, he was pretty good at dealing with newcomers.

So, a new face from France. Impeccable American accent. Looks beautiful and has some temperament. This looks like an ideal template for low-budget commercial films. Most importantly, she didn't have an agent yet.

To Marvin, this sounded like a plump fish waiting to be reeled in. His years of experience as an agent kicked in at this moment. Now, it was time to see if he could reel in this fish.

Determination flashed through Marvin's eyes as the frustration in his heart was swept away.

*****

Bluffing was an art that every street kid should have. And Natasha wasn't an exception to that rule. Concealing information and boasting about achievements was truly part and parcel of growing up in the streets. Natasha was well-versed in this.

Rather than saying that she is looking for opportunities all over, it is better to emphasize that she hasn't been here for long. And pull in Kid Z's MV to add some bonus points. This way, it might look like she isn't short of opportunities.

Marvin looked suitably impressed hearing her words. It wasn't easy for a newcomer to star in Kid Z's MV. Kid Z wasn't a newbie. He had been in the industry for years. And he is very hot currently. So, it was actually pretty good to star in his MV.

Natasha didn't know that Marvin had begun to imagine a hefty background for Natasha in his mind. She was only putting out her strongest points and hoping to gain some benefits. She didn't want to deceive Marvin. And she definitely didn't know that Marvin was an agent.

But, who knew Marvin's imagination was running so wild?

"That's impressive," Marvin nodded genially. "But, I don't see your agent anywhere near. It is kind of irresponsible of him to leave someone so beautiful alone in this party."

"Oh, I don't have any agent yet. Several agents have approached me, but I still haven't made a decision," Natasha said without batting her eyes.

And it was true. Several agents have indeed approached her. But, their quality can't be spoken out aloud. So, Natasha merely twisted her words to make her look like a very good prospect.

"Ah, that's a shame," Marvin chuckled. "Maybe, I can put my name in the hat as well. Marvin Grey, a famous agent in the entertainment circle. I am really optimistic about your development. I would be glad to cooperate with you."

Natasha blinked in surprise. She wasn't expecting Marvin to be an agent. She was hoping for some gains while bluffing Marvin, but this was really incredible, to be honest. An agent was exactly what she needed now.

Well, she must not let this bird fly off. It was time to throw the net.

"How about that?" Natasha smiled sweetly. "I didn't expect you to be an agent. And to come to this party, you must really be well connected."

Natasha shamelessly buttered Martin up.

"Indeed, I am very famous in this circle. I am especially very good at developing newbies. I have a large network of contacts. Whether it is in the film or TV industry, my operating power is really good. I am also well-versed in operating singers as well. Your voice is very sweet. If you have singing talent, I can help you with that as well," Marvin wasn't being a slouch either.

"You are indeed really capable," Natasha smiled very sweetly, while inwardly jumping in joy.

This was exactly what she needed. An agent with a large number of connections. He even said he was good at developing newbies. Isn't this set tailor-made for her? How can she let this guy go? But, she must not be hasty. She needed to maintain her demeanor.

Seeing Marvin's pleased smile, Natasha knew that he was already interested in her. So, all she had to do now was not to tip this guy off. She should maintain an elegant demeanor and keep calm.

"If it isn't much trouble for you, can you leave me your contact details? I will contact you within the next two days and let you know if cooperation between us is possible," Natasha said sweetly.

"Sure, why not?" Marvin beamed. "Here, this is my card."

"Oh, you belong to CAM? That is a top company in the brokerage field," Natasha said sounding impressed.

Hearing her praise, Marvin could only puff up a little. Creative Artist Management is a ten-year-old brokerage company that has been rising fast in the brokerage field. They have a strong upward momentum and have several A-listers under them. They also have a lot of directors whom they serve.

What this meant was that they have a huge potential to move forward in the next decade. Each and every one of their agents was sought after by newbies entering the industry. So, Marvin knew that he was a tempting option for Natasha. And it showed in his confident demeanor.

"Indeed, I am an important member of CAM," Marvin said nodding along. "Anyways, you have my number. Take some time and make the right decision. An agent is a very important factor in shaping your career. You can ask around. Everyone will tell that I am the best at shaping newcomers. I will wait for your call."

Seeing Marvin rise up, Natasha was surprised. Was this the demeanor of top agents? He just gave me his contact number and was ready to leave. Is he that confident?

"This is a beautiful party. I will not take any more of your time. There must be several people waiting to talk to a beautiful lady like you. Let me not hold them any longer. I will take my leave," Marvin said grandly and left.

Natasha watched him go with a surprised expression on her face. Looking down, she saw his card in her hand. Struggling to contain her excitement, Natasha secured the card in her purse immediately.

*****

Marvin's words came true in the next few minutes.

There were indeed several people willing to talk to her. Natasha sat near the bar and conversed with quite a few of them. Their topics of discussion always felt a bit esoteric to her.

Whether it was financial bankers talking about the economy or some industry bigwigs talking about some obscure book they have read, Natasha felt like that there was some miscommunication between her and the people who talked to them.

They all treated her as if she was highly educated and waxed poetic about stuff that went over her head. As time passed, this feeling only intensified. Luckily, none of them stayed with her for too long.

She had to struggle very hard not to doze off when they were talking to her. Everything felt very boring to her. At one point, she even thought about changing her place just to get away from these people who kept talking nonsense.

But, she refrained.

By then, she was slightly drunk. Drinking was the only solace she had when these people kept talking nonsense to her. So, she pretended to understand their babbles by nodding along and drinking frequently.

She was worried that she would make an ass out of herself if she got up from the stool she was sitting in. So, she endured their boredom hoping that the bastard Tony would come to her rescue soon.

Luckily, Tony did come before she lost her patience completely. He informed her that Kid Z was looking for her and gave her a very good exit strategy. Still, Tony suffered a few beatings for taking so long.

Fortunately, the party in the isolated region wasn't over yet. The moment she entered the closed room, she let go of all her concerns and indulged herself to her heart's content.

She didn't even know how she made her way back to her apartment that night…

*****

A/N: Check out my other stories and let me know your thoughts...

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