After her failed invitation, this was their first contact in a while. Truth be told, Jenny felt a wave of relief when she heard Dave's voice. Even though she now had Cesare, his temperament was what it was, and since signing Jenny, he'd been constantly on the road—first in Europe, then flying back to China after 9/11 to coordinate overseas shoots for his major clients. With American citizens now on edge, many production teams were highly reluctant to shoot abroad. Jenny had heard from Lillian that Cesare might accompany his top-tier leading man, Christopher Hanks, to Israel for location filming.
Though he clearly hadn't forgotten Jenny—he'd arranged her Chicago audition—they'd likely have no chance to meet anytime soon. Jenny didn't expect him to sit down and explain Hollywood's unwritten rules to her. As for Jim, while he acted somewhat like Cesare's assistant, he was ultimately an agent with several TV stars under his wing and rarely had free time. Besides, between him and Dave, Jenny was undoubtedly closer to Dave.
In short, as a newcomer to the industry, having a friend like Dave by her side made Jenny genuinely happy. She wasn't particularly interested in the "many people calling Lynch" situation; she was more concerned about Dave's family and friends in New York. "Are your family and friends okay after the accident? I wanted to call you, but..."
"They're all fine. You know my parents live in Colorado—a million miles from New York," Dave said. "My friends are okay too—we were really lucky."
None of Jenny's acquaintances had significant ties to New York either. Only Lilian had a distant relative who happened to be in the Twin Towers that day, but they'd escaped. Yet the sheer magnitude of this event's impact on America could only be felt by those living through it. Back in her previous life, around this time, 9/11 had been just another news story for Chen Zhen—at most, it touched on a small part of her husband's family business. Now living in America, she could feel 9/11's comprehensive impact on national sentiment and even the economy.
After discussing industry trends post-9/11, Jenny extended an invitation again. "Seriously, we should grab lunch sometime. Dave, are you free tomorrow?"
"No problem. I have plans tomorrow evening, so we could grab lunch instead," Dave replied readily.
"Lunch?" Jenny paused. It seemed Dave had moved on quickly, likely finding a new romantic interest to lean on emotionally.
She couldn't help but feel relieved—this meant they could truly return to being friends. "Sounds great. Where should we meet?"
This time, Dave chose a spot far removed from the cheap eatery they'd last visited—a mid-range Italian restaurant popular with office workers for business lunches. Jenny found parking across the street and hurried over to join him. He was already seated by the window. As soon as she sat down, Dave pointed dramatically at a luxury car parked outside, raising his eyebrows exaggeratedly.
"Vijay lent me this to drive," Jenny said. "He's out of town right now, and since I'm basically his slave, he just handed it over."
In Los Angeles, not having a car was rare. Public transportation was underdeveloped locally, and without a vehicle, getting anywhere was inconvenient. But Jenny's previous financial situation hadn't allowed her to buy one. Since her workplace was close to home, the lack of a car hadn't been much of an inconvenience. The real Jenny had always planned to buy herself a car as a gift the moment she got her first interview invitation, but... over a year had passed without even one.
Dave knew this too. He smiled and said, "No worries. This time next year, you'll be driving your very own luxury car."
"I'll take your word for it. Right now, I'm still fighting for supporting roles," Jenny replied.
"That's because the show just aired yesterday," Dave reassured her, more confident in her future than she was herself. "Seriously, trust me—your big break is just around the corner. Meeting you when you were a waitress was my lucky break."
"No, meeting you when I was a waitress was my lucky break," Jenny corrected him. "When I'm a big star and get interviewed about how I got into the business, I'll say it's because I was lucky enough to meet a great friend, Dave Jensen. Without him, I'd still be a waitress."
"Jenny." Dave's eyes softened with emotion. He joked, "Then I'll tell my future grandchildren: Listen up, kids, don't doubt this—back when Jennifer Jefferson was still a waitress, we even tried dating a few times!"
They both laughed.
This meeting went smoothly, almost without a hitch. They effortlessly slipped into the comfortable rhythm of friends. Dave shared some gossip about Rob Marshall, the director of Chicago. "I've met him a few times. You know, this was his first film. Before that, he was in theater, occasionally doing choreography for TV shows. I have several friends on Broadway, and he's a friend of a friend. Rob's a dance maniac, and his grasp of color and lighting aesthetics is second to none in the industry. But I'm curious—how did he even agree to let you audition? Given his Broadway background, I assumed the supporting roles would be filled with familiar Broadway faces—actors who can sing, dance, and act."
He added, "Uh, of course, I'm not saying you can't—"
"It's fine," Jenny said. "I understand the gap between me and Broadway regulars."
It was true. Jenny wasn't entirely confident about landing this role. Although Rob ultimately chose Lucy Liu, who wasn't a professional musical theater actress either, she had both fame and acting chops. This wasn't like Vanita's role—just a minor one-off cameo with no serious competition.
"I heard Lucy Liu auditioned too," she volunteered. "So I didn't have high hopes for this one."
"Oh, she's gorgeous too," Dave mused. "Don't worry, Jenny. I won't lie and say you'll definitely get it. In Hollywood, every good role faces fierce competition. Even A-list actresses miss out on roles they want. But I can tell you this: in Hollywood, great opportunities are never limited to just one. Even if you don't land this part, if you make a strong impression at the audition, better opportunities might be waiting for you."
"Yeah, don't worry, Dave. I won't be intimidated." Jenny smiled back. "It's just a supporting role for now. If I get scared off by this, how would I ever land a lead?"
Dave raised his glass to her. "For that line alone, lunch is on me today."
"I was planning to make you pay even without that," Jenny clinked glasses with him. "The CBS check hasn't arrived yet, Viglieri's not back, and I haven't been paid. I'm poorer now than when I was a waitress."
Their conversation shifted to Cesare Viglieri.
"Hardly anyone in the business doesn't know him," Dave remarked. "Not that his deals are insanely good, but he's just ridiculously handsome. Rumor has it Jennifer Bell 'broke up' with him because her boyfriend finally couldn't stand that her agent was better-looking than he was." Of course, his business isn't bad either. Many call him CAA's crown prince, and he's said to be a strong candidate for CAA's next CEO. When Ino Martin decides to step down, he'll pass the torch to him. So getting signed by him is a rare opportunity. Aside from Jennifer Bell, the talent he represents all hold at least a spot on the C-list."
Hollywood's ultra-A-list and A-list ranks are extremely sparse, and many of them run their own agencies, like Jennifer Bell. She was previously a B-list star; had she not starred in two major blockbusters back-to-back last year, she wouldn't have ascended to A-list status. But due to the box office disaster of Pearl Harbor, her A-list status is now precarious, with the possibility of falling back to B-list. Of course, even B-listers in the film industry are super-rich by ordinary standards.
"Vijayri discovered Bell when she was still a college student and made her an A-lister within five years," Dave solemnly told Jenny. Back then, he was just an intern working in the mailroom, not even a college graduate. In Beverly Hills, it was once a fairy tale—he discovered her, and she made him, propelling him to become a senior agent at CAA within five years. Their breakup once made the industry think Vigerie's position at CAA would be in jeopardy. Now he's signed you, a complete unknown, and you happen to be named Jennifer too... So all this should tell you to be extra careful when you meet Bell."
Dave never shied away from warning her about Hollywood's dark underbelly. Perhaps he'd once intended to deter her from pursuing acting, but now it was purely concern for a friend. Jenny suspected it was because he knew she couldn't and wouldn't turn back. "Yeah, Jim mentioned a few things about Bell too. But I don't think we'll have many chances to meet. I heard Bell's heading to England next month to shoot a film."
"Hmm." That was all Dave knew about Cesare's situation. He shifted the topic back to Chicago. "It's Rob's first time directing a feature film. The cast is top-notch, and the budget is substantial. I suspect he won't have much say on set. During the audition, remember that besides the director, the producer is someone else you'll need to win over—oh, But I'm probably worrying for nothing. If Vijay made an exception to sign you, he must have a comprehensive plan for your future. At the very least, you don't need to fear someone else taking the producer route and pushing you aside."
Jenny couldn't help but make a face. "Honestly, I should trust his professional judgment, but..."
Recalling Cesare Viglieri's cold expression and strictly business demeanor, Jenny concluded with a wry smile, "Maybe building trust takes time."
...
"What are you doing here?"
Cesare's opening line did little to foster trust between them.
"Is your next question going to be, 'Why do I have your car keys?'" Jenny rolled her eyes. "Mr. Viglieri, you hired me to walk your dog. Remember?"