Taking Chances by Nina Perez Page B

that’s precisely why you’ll get the job. But baby, this does not help.” She wiggled her fingers in front of my face.
     
    I had apologized several times, but what was done was done. If I could have gone back and done things differently, I would have. And not just because of the audition, but because of what it meant for my friendship with Max.
     
    Cat wasn’t interested in any of that. She’d been a successful actress in the seventies: Broadway, films, and a very popular variety television show that ran through most of the eighties. She was now an influential agent in the industry and had been for almost twenty years when we met at the acting school I’d attended. Cat was good friends with the owner and every so often she’d visit to mentor, offer advice and, on occasion, sign an actor or two. I was one of the fortunate few.
     
    One of the great things about Cat was that she worked to develop her clients. She made money when we worked, but she wouldn’t send you out on just any audition. Cat had a knack for knowing what her clients needed and what their capabilities were. I was under no delusions when she signed me that I’d immediately star in the next blockbuster film, and Cat was quick to crush any unrealistic fantasies.
     
    “You will do lots of theatre, local plays; commercials will be your bread and butter. Everyone has to start somewhere, but the most important thing is that you’ll be working.”  And she was right, I had. A few small commercials had been a start and helped pay the bills. Another benefit to having Cat as an agent was her encouragement that her clients continued training.
     
    Always strive to perfect your craft.
     
    It was more than a philosophy. It was on a plaque on her office wall. I stared at the plaque while biting the inside of mouth so as not to laugh out loud. It was weeks after that second audition and Cat had just received a phone call from the casting director of Shining Moments . They were considering me and another actor for the part. They were very impressed with my second audition. I had a feeling they would be. The scene that day had called for the good boy turned bad to have an intense conversation with a police officer who suspected him of illegal activities. I tapped into my frustrations with the Max situation and delivered a great performance.
     
    I watched Cat pace track marks in her office’s carpet. Her blonde hair was cut short, protruding from her head in small spikes in various directions. It looked like a crown and made her look regal. Cat was a tall woman, taller than me at six feet four inches. She was wearing her trademark wire-framed glasses, a coal black pantsuit, and a huge grin. 
     
    “This is so wonderful, Patrick. And to think I doubted you.”
     
    Catching my grin from across the office she added, “Though I could have been right. Lucky for both of us, I wasn’t. A friend of mine over at Moments said that the casting people were very excited over your audition and the bruises only made you more believable.”
     
    Cat seemed downright giddy. In fact, a few times she cast glances at my face to display a bit of regret that it had healed so nicely.  Before she could suggest I find myself in another fight or worse, take a swing at me, I decided to move along.
     
    “So, what next?” 
     
    She took a seat behind her desk facing me and beamed a smile in my direction across the desk’s massive oak top. Its brightness rivaled the shine coming from her office’s fiftieth floor window. It was easy to see why she had graced the cover of many magazines in her day.
     
    “Well, you’re up against Jaden Moore, who was previously on Channels of Love. He was popular—had a nice-sized fan base—but he’s more looks than substance. You have both, and my sources tell me they’re really hoping to go deeper with this character. It’s going to require some serious acting chops, and that’s where I think you have him beat.” Her confidence in me