Model to Holywood

"Hey, Ed, what's going on with Tony?"

Luca asked after stepping out of the office, making a phone call.

"You can ask him yourself. He's got quite the story," Ed laughed over the phone.

"Alright."

"Wait, don't hang up!"

Just as Luca was about to end the call, Ed interrupted, "I signed the contract with the crew this morning. Based on the pay scale for a C-list actor, you're getting $200,000 for this film."

"Only 200k for a C-list?" 

Luca asked curiously, "What about B-list?"

"Let me break it down for you: C-list actors make anywhere from $200k to $1 million, B-listers get between $1 million and $10 million, and anything above that is A-list. S-listers even get a cut of the box office."

"So I'm barely C-list?" 

Luca asked, sounding a bit down.

"What did you expect?" 

Ed chuckled, "Don't forget, other than a brief nude scene in *Sex and the City*, none of your other work has been released yet. If you weren't already somewhat famous, you wouldn't even qualify for a D-list contract."

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about it anymore."

Luca felt frustrated. He had thought he was a B-lister, but it turned out he was just a C-. The gap between his ideal and reality was glaringly obvious.

He set aside thoughts about the contract and started considering who to hire as his assistant.

The first two candidates seemed great. The first had strength, the second had experience, but the third? Way too attractive—too much trouble. He could pass on that one. But Tony? 

Luca looked at Tony's file and decided to give him a call.

"Hey, Tony, it's Luca. Got a minute to chat?"

"No, I'm sleeping."

A drowsy, almost feminine voice answered.

Click.

Luca hung up. It was 2:30 in the afternoon, and this guy was still sleeping. Definitely not assistant material.

Ring, ring~

Just as he was about to call the second candidate, his phone rang urgently.

Luca hesitated when he saw the number but answered anyway.

"Sorry, Luca. I was drunk yesterday and still haven't fully sobered up. My bad," Tony explained over the phone.

Luca shook his head silently. Drunk yesterday, still hungover this afternoon—this excuse wasn't helping.

"Tony, it's fine," 

Luca said, trying not to sound too cold since they were acquaintances. "But you're a makeup artist, right? Why do you want to switch to being an assistant? And I heard you worked on a Hollywood film set recently."

"Ah, it's a long story," 

Tony sighed.

"I've got time; I'm not working today."

At a café outside Highland Park in Brooklyn, Luca stirred half a sugar cube into his coffee while sitting across from a man with an effeminate vibe.

Twenty-nine years old, slender, pale skin, a pink vest paired with yellow skinny pants, making his body look like a stick.

This was Tony—full name Tony Lopez, a white guy with Italian heritage.

Tony sighed deeply, "Luca, I think I might be cursed."

"Cursed?"

Luca raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah."

Tony kissed the silver cross on his chest and began to tell his sad story.

Last December, he did Luca's makeup, and then Luca had an accident on set, landing him in the hospital.

Not long after, a model Tony had worked with was in a car accident after a runway show and ended up in the emergency room. Then in February, another model he worked with developed depression and committed suicide, also ending up in the hospital.

Luca's eyelid twitched, "Those two were your clients too?"

Tony grimaced, "Yeah, I did their makeup before their accidents, and then rumors started that I used to do makeup for corpses and that I'm cursed. People began saying anyone I do makeup for will have bad luck."

"Rumors?" 

Luca thought it might be more than that.

"Yeah, started by Nick Edwards and a few others."

Tony bit his lip and waved his fist in frustration. "They're jealous of my makeup skills, jealous of how many clients I had, so they used these dirty tricks against me. 

In the end, they succeeded.

The rumor spread from the makeup industry to the modeling world. With examples like you and those two models, people started to believe it and stopped hiring me."

Luca gave a wry smile. Another person hurt by rumors. "So then you went to Hollywood?"

"Yeah, I lost all my work, but a film crew was hiring makeup artists. The movie was called *Underworld*."

"*Underworld*?"

Luca was a bit surprised.

"Yeah, it's a vampire movie, and their makeup had a dark, eerie style, which I'm great at, so I joined the crew without a hitch."

Tony smirked a bit proudly, but then his face fell again.

On set, he mainly did makeup for two supporting actors. Coincidentally, both of them got injured while filming, and soon enough, word of the curse spread to the movie set.

Luca sighed, "Getting injured during filming is common; it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"No, no, I'm definitely cursed. I didn't believe it before, but ever since I converted to Christianity, I've found peace. Nothing bad has happened to me recently, so I believe God is protecting me, this sinner."

Tony gazed at the cross on his chest with a devout expression. With a robe, he'd look like a priest.

"Praise the Lord!"

Luca made a quick gesture of blessing. "So why do you want to be my assistant?"

"I'm out of work, and I'm starving."

Tony said helplessly.

"Really?"

Luca glanced at the Mercedes parked nearby, worth at least $80,000. His own Ford only cost $20,000.

"The car's on a payment plan. If I don't get a job soon, the bank will take it back. So please, Luca, give me a job!"

Tony tugged at Luca's sleeve, looking pitiful.

"Stop pulling!"

Luca's sleeve was nearly torn off.

"Tony, don't mess around. You're a makeup artist, not really cut out to be an assistant."

This guy was skinny as a stick—definitely not someone who could handle tough work.

"Luca, I can do it! I can be an assistant, a makeup artist, and a driver. I'm a great deal! Please, give me a chance. I really need this job. Plus, I've thought about it—other people might get hurt, but you didn't. The curse clearly doesn't affect you. So please reconsider!"

Tony tugged on his sleeve even harder, looking genuinely desperate.

Luca pondered for a moment. Hiring someone he knew would be easier than hiring a stranger. Plus, Tony's makeup skills were top-notch.

"Alright, you've got a one-month trial. If it doesn't work out, I'll hire someone else."

"OK! Thank you, Luca. I'll do my best!"

Tony vigorously shook Luca's hand, then hugged his cross, kissing it repeatedly while muttering thanks to God for blessing him with this job.

"Tony, I've got a party tonight. Wanna come?"

Luca paid the bill and stood up.

"Of course! I'm your assistant now. Wherever you go, I follow."

"It's not work time yet. No need to push yourself."

"No, I love parties. Take me with you!"

"Alright, let's go."

(End of chapter)