already noticed him, but I bet you can’t tell me where you’ve seen him before, can you?’
Mia shrugged again, but Sammy noted that there was far less aggression in her expression now.
‘Well, you might be surprised to hear that he’s been in lots of TV ads. He was the Jelly-Tot tot, for example; and the Rainbow-Lite boy; and the kid who cut his knee falling over his dog and had to get plastered – pardon the pun – in those new padded Elastoplast strips.’
‘Oh, I remember that one,’ Kim exclaimed excitedly. ‘But are you sure that was the same boy, ’cos he was an odd-looking little thing, and the lad in the shaving one is lovely.’
‘My point exactly.’ Sammy grinned. ‘See, this is what I’m talking about, Mia. Jon’s mum thought he was a superstar from the start but nobody else could see it back then. It takes time and experience to blossom, but they were willing to work their way up. And now it’s beginning to pay off, because Jon could be in Hollywood this time next week. But where will you be?’ Pausing for effect, he gazed at her steadily before adding, ‘You can ignore my advice and stay exactly where you are, or admit that you’re not as ready as you think you are and let me guide you. Your choice, but I know what I’d go for if I were you.’
Tilting her head to one side, Mia gave him a coy smile. ‘Will I get to meet Jonathon?’
Laughing out loud, Sammy’s fat belly wobbled. ‘I’m sure it could be arranged. Although I’m not sure it’ll get you anywhere, because he’s just come out.’
‘Out of what?’
‘Never mind.’ Sammy chuckled, shaking his head at Kim. He took a swig of his now-cold tea and glanced at his watch. ‘Right, well, I think I’ve given you enough to ponder over for the time being, so why don’t you go home and discuss it? Then your mum can ring when you know what you want to do. Okay?’
‘We’ll do it,’ Kim blurted out without hesitation. ‘And thank you so much, you don’t know how much this means to me – us .’
Sammy extended his hand across the desk and said, ‘My pleasure.’ Then, turning to Mia, he gave her a questioning look. ‘And what about you, young lady? Are you going to be a star?’
Mia shrugged again, but she was still smiling.
‘The word you’re looking for is yes ,’ Sammy told her, slapping his hand down on the desktop. Your mum believes you can do it; I believe you can do it. But do you believe you can do it?’
Caught up in his excitement at last, Mia grinned. ‘I know I can do it.’
‘Good girl!’ Beaming, Sammy reached into a drawer and pulled out a pack of baby-wipes. ‘Now go and wipe that muck off your face, because it looks ridiculous.’
Giving her mum a smug look, because the stupid make-up had been her idea, Mia got up and trotted obediently out to the toilet.
5
Sammy Martin was taking Mia and Kim out to a posh restaurant. It was Mia’s first audition tomorrow and he wanted to have a good long talk with her in a more informal setting than his office; to make sure that she knew exactly what to do, and, more importantly, what not to do – like backchat the photographer, or start complaining.
More nervous about the audition than Mia was, Kim had been running around all day, bouncing from one task to another, and barking orders at Mia to hurry up and get in the bath, hurry up and get out again, hurry up and dry her hair, hurry up and set it . . .
Sick of listening to her mother, Mia was lounging on the chair by the window with her iPod earphones stuffed deep into her ears. She’d been ready for ages, and now she just wanted to go. Not that she was looking forward to seeing Sammy, because she knew she’d only get another brain-numbing lecture off him to top the ones she’d been getting off her mum all day. But it was the first time she’d ever been to a proper restaurant, and she wanted to see what it was like for when she was famous and eating out at posh places every night.
Feeling
Mia shrugged again, but Sammy noted that there was far less aggression in her expression now.
‘Well, you might be surprised to hear that he’s been in lots of TV ads. He was the Jelly-Tot tot, for example; and the Rainbow-Lite boy; and the kid who cut his knee falling over his dog and had to get plastered – pardon the pun – in those new padded Elastoplast strips.’
‘Oh, I remember that one,’ Kim exclaimed excitedly. ‘But are you sure that was the same boy, ’cos he was an odd-looking little thing, and the lad in the shaving one is lovely.’
‘My point exactly.’ Sammy grinned. ‘See, this is what I’m talking about, Mia. Jon’s mum thought he was a superstar from the start but nobody else could see it back then. It takes time and experience to blossom, but they were willing to work their way up. And now it’s beginning to pay off, because Jon could be in Hollywood this time next week. But where will you be?’ Pausing for effect, he gazed at her steadily before adding, ‘You can ignore my advice and stay exactly where you are, or admit that you’re not as ready as you think you are and let me guide you. Your choice, but I know what I’d go for if I were you.’
Tilting her head to one side, Mia gave him a coy smile. ‘Will I get to meet Jonathon?’
Laughing out loud, Sammy’s fat belly wobbled. ‘I’m sure it could be arranged. Although I’m not sure it’ll get you anywhere, because he’s just come out.’
‘Out of what?’
‘Never mind.’ Sammy chuckled, shaking his head at Kim. He took a swig of his now-cold tea and glanced at his watch. ‘Right, well, I think I’ve given you enough to ponder over for the time being, so why don’t you go home and discuss it? Then your mum can ring when you know what you want to do. Okay?’
‘We’ll do it,’ Kim blurted out without hesitation. ‘And thank you so much, you don’t know how much this means to me – us .’
Sammy extended his hand across the desk and said, ‘My pleasure.’ Then, turning to Mia, he gave her a questioning look. ‘And what about you, young lady? Are you going to be a star?’
Mia shrugged again, but she was still smiling.
‘The word you’re looking for is yes ,’ Sammy told her, slapping his hand down on the desktop. Your mum believes you can do it; I believe you can do it. But do you believe you can do it?’
Caught up in his excitement at last, Mia grinned. ‘I know I can do it.’
‘Good girl!’ Beaming, Sammy reached into a drawer and pulled out a pack of baby-wipes. ‘Now go and wipe that muck off your face, because it looks ridiculous.’
Giving her mum a smug look, because the stupid make-up had been her idea, Mia got up and trotted obediently out to the toilet.
5
Sammy Martin was taking Mia and Kim out to a posh restaurant. It was Mia’s first audition tomorrow and he wanted to have a good long talk with her in a more informal setting than his office; to make sure that she knew exactly what to do, and, more importantly, what not to do – like backchat the photographer, or start complaining.
More nervous about the audition than Mia was, Kim had been running around all day, bouncing from one task to another, and barking orders at Mia to hurry up and get in the bath, hurry up and get out again, hurry up and dry her hair, hurry up and set it . . .
Sick of listening to her mother, Mia was lounging on the chair by the window with her iPod earphones stuffed deep into her ears. She’d been ready for ages, and now she just wanted to go. Not that she was looking forward to seeing Sammy, because she knew she’d only get another brain-numbing lecture off him to top the ones she’d been getting off her mum all day. But it was the first time she’d ever been to a proper restaurant, and she wanted to see what it was like for when she was famous and eating out at posh places every night.
Feeling
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