2. Prologue Part 2

Prologue
Written By Laristopa .

It was almost a full week before Chris heard from Sal. It wasn’t unusual, especially when Chris was demanding a more thought-provoking role. And, even if Sal was sulking about their conversation, Chris knew he would get over it quickly when money was on the line. The only thing Sal would tell Chris when they finally spoke was that he had a prospective role that, “fit his criteria.”. He detected some snark in Sal’s assertion, but he let it slide. A meeting with a representative from the project was scheduled at a coffee shop near Chris’ Los Angeles mansion.

Chris pulled on a black knit sweater and khakis with excitement brewing in his chest. Sal wasn’t usually so ‘hush, hush’ about prospective roles, so the anticipation was palpable, and Chris couldn’t help but get hyped. The coffee shop was closed, so he opted to walk and burn off some nervous energy while taking in a beautiful LA day. He traversed the sidewalk and waved to some fans that recognized him. 

His mood was hampered when a particularly dorky, middle-aged man shouted, “Captain America, woo!” while pointing.

For his part, Chris didn’t allow his annoyance to show, but he felt even more fervent about the upcoming meeting. This was the exact kind of reputation Chris wanted to shake. Minus the dork, he felt on top of the world and relished in the lustful stares of several women who thought he wasn’t looking. That being said, he wasn't exactly hiding his own lustful stares. Chris could appreciate a fine ass or a bouncy pair of tits when he saw them, and if the ladies wanted to reciprocate interest, he wasn't going to be upset about it!

He refocused on the task at hand when the coffee shop came into view. In his head he reiterated to himself that he was handsome, rich, powerful, and talented. A very nervous Sal waited near the entrance. 

Sal was a short, mousy, bald man in his sixties wearing a full business suit. His eyes shifted suspiciously behind his glasses, and he seemed lost in thought. When he noticed Chris walking towards the entrance, however, his behavior changed immediately to friendly and professional. He turned to Chris and greeted him with a smile. 

“Hey kid,” Sal rasped, “How are you feeling?”

They exchanged a hearty handshake while Chris replied, “Good, Sal, good. What, uh—what are we getting into today?”

Sal scratched his forehead and squinted before ignoring Chris’ question, “You know, I have a really lucrative role lined up for you with the folks over at Disney that I think you’ll—”

“Sal.” Chris interrupted, 

Sal took a step forward and pleaded, “Chris, Chris, just hear me out. They want you for a new series with a whole lot of tie-ins. I’m talking games, toys, the works!”

Chris put his hands together like he was praying. “Please, Sal, let’s just do what I want for once.”

Sal’s shoulders drooped, and his eyes shifted back to nervousness as he motioned towards the door. His voice was low and slow, “You got what you wanted, kid. Don’t say I never did anything for you.”

Chris pushed past Sal’s outstretched arm. Why was he making this so difficult? They entered the coffee shop, which was sleek and modern.

There was only one customer seated at a corner table. A skinny, young woman with dark tinted glasses and blonde hair plucked away at a laptop. She noticed Chris and Sal entering and acknowledged them with a friendly smile. 

She hopped to her feet and tottered over to them with an outstretched hand. When she greeted them, her voice was melodic and brimming with excitement, “I’m so glad you could meet me. I’m Molly Thomas; thank you both for giving me your time.”

Sal nodded towards her, though his expression was much less friendly, “Good to finally put a face to a voice, Ms. Thomas. You can call me Sal, and this is my client, Mr. Evans.” 

Chris returned Molly’s friendly smile and shook her tiny hand, careful not to crush her. Her dark glasses hid her eyes, but Chris could see the girl was very pretty. He found her excitement infectious, and any misgivings he had after speaking with Sal evaporated. He felt an immediate and strange kinship with Molly. It was as if they were already on the same side, and the meeting they were about to have was to convince Sal to go along with them.

After releasing Molly’s hand, Chris and Sal placed their respective orders for coffee at the counter. They then brought their cups over to the table where Molly was waiting. 

Sal started the conversation with crossed arms and a gruff rasp, “I’m going to be honest with you, Ms. Thomas, I have refrained from telling Mr. Evans about your upcoming project because I didn’t want to poison the waters, but I have serious concerns related to compensation and general subject matter.”

Chris sipped quietly from his cup, allowing his agent to do his job. It was a ritual he was very familiar with at this point.

Molly nodded, “I completely understand your concerns. It isn’t every day that a small project like this even gets a meeting from an actor of Mr. Evans’ caliber.”

Chris butted in with a playful tone, “Please, call me Chris. Mr. Evans is reserved for people on my payroll.”

Molly’s cheeks reddened, and she smiled shyly, “O-okay, Chris.’ She took an awkward second to collect herself and drink her coffee nervously before continuing, “I represent a production for an upcoming film titled ‘A Woman’s Soul.’ We would love for Mr. Ev-Chris to play the lead. The character is essentially a transgender person struggling with a world that won’t accept them.”

Chris nearly choked on his coffee and sat forward in his chair. “A transgender character? Me? Have you seen me? I’m a little bulky to be trans, don’t you think?” An awkward moment of silence passed before Chris sputtered, “Not that—not that I have any problems with the trans community, or think they can’t— they can’t be bulky or anything.” Another awkward silence hung in the air, and Chris tried to fill it. “I am a big supporter of trans people and donated to—”

Sal put his hand up to silence Chris as he responded, “What Mr. Evans is trying to say, I think, is that he doesn’t have the correct body type for this role even if he does champion marginalized communities. I agreed to this meeting so Mr. Evans could see what kind of roles there were available to him outside his...normal scope. He has expressed interest in branching out despite my misgivings.”

The snark was back in force. Had Sal really set up this meeting to prove some sort of point to Chris? His agent was treating him like a misbehaving child! Chris sat back in his chair and folded his arms, calculating his response.

Undeterred, Molly retorted, “Yes, I understand that Chris has a very...muscular physique, but the project doesn’t begin production for over three months, and we would be providing the best in-house diet and supplementary coaching available to get his body where it needs to be.”

Sal fired back; his voice was louder and more aggressive. “Let me get this straight: You want Mr. Evans to spend three months of hard work to lose his physique, which is one of his best assets for other roles? He’d need to spend twice as long gaining everything back! And for what? Peanuts!”

Chris, with his arms folded, coldly ordered, “Calm down, Sal. Let’s hear her out.” 

Molly turned to Chris and removed her dark glasses. Her green eyes shined in the light, brimming with hope. She spoke directly to Chris for the first time, “I get it. We can’t offer you Disney money. But this project is so much more important than that. The trans movement of today is like the gay movement was in the 60s. You could be a trailblazer. Imagine the Oscar buzz! ‘Captain America’ sheds his muscles to become this...this voice to the voiceless! Think of Matthew McConaughey in ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ or Anne Hathaway in ‘Les Miserables,’ fully devoting your body to a character. That type of dedication is rewarded with critical acclaim more often than not.”

Her speech was impassioned and enthusiastic. Chris was already buying in before Molly spoke, so he was inclined to believe her and feel inspired himself. This was just the thing he was looking for: a hot-button issue, art-house production, Oscar implications, a role he could really sink his teeth into, spearheading a worthwhile cause, being as far away from superheroes as possible. This was perfect! Sal, however, saw her words for what they really were. 

Rehearsed.

Sal jumped to his feet and rasped, “I don’t know where all this BS was when I spoke to you on the phone, but there’s no way that Mr. Evans is going to—”

“I’m in.” Chris interrupted while staring at Molly.

Sal turned to Chris and spoke down at him, “Kid, you don’t even know what you’re agreeing to right now. You aren’t about to commit to this. Let’s head to your place and talk it over because—”

Chris turned to Sal, “I already decided. I don’t care what the pay is. I’m. in.”

Molly clapped her hands together excitedly. “That’s amazing, Chris! Thank you! We’ll send the wellness coach to your place this afternoon to get started. Sal, the paperwork will be hand-delivered to your office sometime today as well.”

Sal sunk back to his seat. He tapped his hands on the table nervously and contemplated what had just occurred. He then pushed himself to his feet and nodded briskly before stomping towards the entrance.

Chris shook his head slowly while watching Sal stomp away. He was zealously prepared to prove Sal wrong and follow through with this project. He was going to go way outside the box and prove he was a serious actor with an impressive range. An Oscar wouldn’t hurt either.

Molly procured a glittery blue gel pen and a scrap of paper. She scribbled on the paper and pushed it towards Chris. 

Her plucky voice had softened and turned to a sexy coo, “My number in case you ever need anything.”

Chris grinned and stood from the table, not even trying to hide the erection tenting his khakis. He took the paper and turned towards the door. He puffed out his chest and walked with a little more machismo, knowing Molly’s green eyes were following him. When Chris was back onto the street, he glanced around for Sal but didn’t see him.

Chris shrugged and pocketed Molly’s number before making the trek in the sunshine back to his mansion. Sal would just have to deal with it.

Laristopa .
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