America 1982-Chapter 315 - 19: Seven Hundred Thousand as Consultancy Fee_3
"Nothing much, just like you saw, I splashed him with a glass of red wine, he responded with a salad, and then we apologized to each other," Diane turned around, walking into the dining room with Laura Dunn, "Fancy something to eat to fill your stomach?"
Laura Dunn seemed to know better than Diane how to deal with guests, she carefully took the seat next to Diane and then gently but seriously said to Tommy, "Sir, whatever Diane did, it was unintentional. She’s a bit nervous, and I hope you could..."
"If I remember correctly, Stephen mentioned you to me, Miss Dunn. Your parents are both Hollywood stars. You should be at ease in Hollywood. I’m curious why you would also show up here?" Tommy picked up an empty glass, poured a glass of red wine for her and passed it over, inquiring with a curious expression.
"...Thank you." Laura Dunn did not expect that the other party completely ignored her apology for Diane and instead asked about her own experiences; she took the wine glass hesitantly and said,
"Because I’m short of money, sir. Hollywood has countless actresses, but there are only so many movie projects in a year. Not everyone has constant film offers. For most women, the money earned from acting is nowhere near enough to cover expenses. Many women attend premieres and dinners looking glamorous and beautiful, but it’s all an illusion. The income gap between men and women in Hollywood is completely unequal. If you’re lucky enough, girls like us, to get a lead role, the salary is at most three hundred thousand, less frequently around a hundred thousand. Some low-budget productions even offer as little as fifty thousand, which is nowhere near enough to support a female star’s dignified expenses. You need to hire assistants, makeup artists, drivers, and even pay rent... Landing a movie once a year is already considered good fortune. Like Diane, due to her last two movies being box office failures, no film company has dared to offer her a job opportunity for two years. People like us are replaceable in Hollywood. What if Diane is the dream girl of American teens? There are three others to choose from, so why pick box office poison? Therefore, sir, if she has any emotional issues, it’s all because of the past..."
Laura tried hard to steer the conversation back to Diane. She hoped to offer an apology to Tommy on Diane’s behalf and to explain that Diane did not intend to offend him.
That was because the phone call she got from Stephen was somewhat frightening, saying that Diane had splashed a guest with red wine, that the guest was furious and wanted to ruin her reputation.
This was Diane Linn’s first time in this kind of business, but it wasn’t Laura’s first. She had accompanied Stephen before and knew his background. A person that even Stephen had to be wary of was naturally a high-ranking big shot. Therefore, Laura immediately apologized to her client Frank for the temporary leave and rushed over, hoping to offer an apology on behalf of her friend Diane to the other party.
"So your parents’ connections are completely useless?" Tommy completely ignored Laura’s attempts to bring the conversation back to Diane and, lifting his glass, gestured to her to continue as he curiously pressed on about her experiences.
"Of course, they’re useful. For example, other girls have to graduate from high school before they get the chance to step into Hollywood, by selling their bodies to those producers, to those directors in exchange for opportunities. As for me, whose parents are in the industry, I didn’t need to. I completed the transaction with the producer very early," Laura Dunn lightly clinked her glass with Tommy’s and then took a sip of red wine, looking at Tommy with a self-deprecating smile and said.
(PS: As for the transaction she mentioned, Laura herself said it, which shows that even those whose parents are in the industry, unless they are real big shots, cannot escape the claws of those people in Hollywood.)
Tommy frowned, looking somewhat shocked. He had heard many tabloid stories about Hollywood before, but he did not expect the place to be so deeply corrupted, that the two actresses in his room had been violated by those scumbags in Hollywood under the pretext of filming and fame.
Is this still the America that respects women? Is there no king’s law? Are there no laws? How could a righteous person like himself turn a blind eye to such evil?
He, Tommy Hawk, would never share the sky with evil.
He stood up, picked up his pants, and rummaged out a cigarette. He lit one and sat back down, looking at Laura and Diane across from him, "After hearing about your experiences, I... lost my excitement. Sorry, Laura, I’m truly sorry that my curiosity made you revisit those painful memories."
"The price of fame," Laura breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that Tommy held no grudge against Diane and continued in Tommy’s tone, "In this male-dominated place of Hollywood, for women who want to be famous, there is no other choice unless she is lucky enough to be born as the daughter of one of those movie moguls."
"One day, the holy light of God will cleanse Hollywood entirely," Tommy’s mood seemed to dampen due to Laura’s words, as he leaned back on the chair with a cigarette, saying sorrowfully.
"That kind of talk is of no use to actresses like us," Diane, seeing Tommy’s expression, reminded him indifferently.
Mainly because during the bubble bath, she had already seen just how good this man’s acting was. This bastard was able to keep pushing her head down without letting her stop, while passionately making phone calls, urging women to be independent and to find their self-worth.
This man was a born actor.
Tommy didn’t pay attention to Diane’s teasing, but instead restated his position seriously, "I am truly angry about this. I know I now look like I have no place to criticize those people. However, if you wait until one day I get properly dressed, you will see that I am vastly different from those people. I truly respect women from the bottom of my heart, and am willing to speak up for them."
