Rushing out of her office, Clair had only one thing on her mind — arriving at the movie theatre on time. Well, it was just another day for regular residents, but for Clair, it was more of a win or bust.
Antoine, a French actor and singer, was having an interview at a movie theatre, and of course, everyone waited in line to capture that moment.
On getting to the theatre, Clair couldn't help her restless stance. "Excuse me," she said, as she made her way through the glut of people only to get stopped by Antoine's entourage.
"Sorry, mademoiselle, this area is off limits," one of Antoine's bodyguards said.
"I know, but I'm not just anyone, I'm Clair. Anna Clair, from Whitestand Newspapers," she replied.
"No can do, ma'am. No one is allowed here," the bodyguard replied, attempting to escort Clair out.
Antoine, in particular, had been intrigued by this resplendent, young lady.
"That's no way to treat a lady, Lucas," he said, talking to the bodyguard.
"Um...Good day, sir. I'm Anna Clair, and I was wondering if I could get a few words," she said, stammering.
"By all means, lead the way," he said, pulling her into a confined space.
Clair was particularly interested in the role Antoined had previously played in a movie that topped the charts, at the time. She was a huge fan, but had to contain the excitement and only relate it with a warm smile.
"So, um, how did you feel playing Vincent in the movie "Witchcraft," she asked, nervously.
"Well, like any other movie, I put in my all to not only play a character but feel what he feels," said Antoine.
"And can you describe how the cast helped in your role?" she asked.
"Well, they were wonderful. It's simple," he said with a grin.
"And how about you?" he asked.
"Excuse me? Me? What about me?" she said, confused.
"You don't particularly have the face and the body of a journalist. Is this what you want to be?" He asked, curiously.
Clair was in silence. She never expected that especially coming from someone who wasn't really known for being interested in a conversation.
"Um, um, no, sir. I actually wanted to be a model," she said, hesitantly.
"That's cool, but, please stop with the formalities. Call me Antoine," he said with a smile.
"What's stopping you, then? You look the right fit," he added.
"Um, well, I've not actually had the opportunity to model for any brand, and I got to make ends meet, so, I had to go into what was available — journalism," she replied.
Lucas whispered to Antoine, telling him that they had other engagements to be in.
"Well, Clair, it was an honour to be interviewed by you, but I gotta run now. Here's my card. Be sure to give me a call, and we'll see what we can do about that modelling dream you have there," he said.
"Thank you, sir. I mean, Antoine. The honour's all mine. I'll definitely ring you up," she said, excitedly.
After Antoine left, a rejuvenated Clair was filled with a verve that could be felt all around as she made her way out of the theatre. She got in a cab and headed home, reminiscing on all that had just happened.
On getting home, Clair wasted no time in calling Antoine's agency.
She was trying so hard to contain her emotions, but she just couldn't.
"Hello, you've reached Lucas from Power Inc. How may I help you?"
"Um, this is Clair. Anna Clair, from Whitestand Newspapers. Your boss, Antoine, told me to call this number."
"Oh, I remember you. We have an interview scheduled at 10 am. tomorrow scheduled for you. I'll email you our offer, so carefully review it and get back to me," he said.
"Sure. Thank you so much," she said.
Clair was eager to see what the offer was, but it wasn't what she expected.
"They offered €10,000 per month? That's a little below my expectations. It won't even be enough to cater to all my needs, talk less of my wants," she said, nonchalantly.
She immediately called Lucas and told him she wouldn't be able to accept the offer. Lucas obliged as he had other clients to tend to.
Clair hoped that Antoine would reach out to her, perhaps offering better terms, but he didn't. One week passed, one month, and she gradually gave up on him.
She was off to a site to cover a story when she received a call from her boss.
"Hello, Sir. Good day," she said, curiously.
The secretary picked up instead of the boss.
"Miss Clair. I've called to inform you that your services will no longer be needed starting now due to a cut in our annual budget," he said.
"Wait, what? You can't just do that. I've worked so hard and now you just fired me within seconds?" She said, angrily.
"I'm sorry, ma. You'll receive an email and compensation for all your hard work. Have a nice day," the secretary said, hanging up.
Clair was starstruck. She was thrown into oblivion. Everything she had worked for, vanished into thin air in just a matter of seconds.
On arriving home, she couldn't help but think about all that's happened.
She didn't know what to do next. She thought hard and decided to call Antoine's agency to see if the offer they gave her was still available, but no one picked up. A sudden burst of the power of hindsight overwhelmed her as she soon realised that she had made the wrong decision to reject the offer.
"What have I done?" She said, hysterically.
Well, she hoped to pick up the pieces and start somewhere, as she had to make ends meet.
Thanks for reading!
The images were generated from Meta AI.