JOA: Damon's Chronicles Ch. 03

This story is a spin off of the successful and wildly popular “Journal of an Agent” by Carnage Jackson. At the end of Carnage’s story, the main character, Dean Simonds, faces a major dilemma, where he has to choose between staying in Hollywood with Alyssa Milano, or heading back east with Natalie Portman. Please note that this might not necessarily have been the ending Carnage had in mind, but is my own interpretation.

I hope you all like this series, and all feedback is welcome at the link below. To the readers of my other series, “Dangerously in Love”, I have no intention of ending that series anytime soon. I would like to thank Carnage Jackson for not only letting me use his characters and set-up, but for his constructive suggestions and criticism.

If you are over 18, please refrain from reading this. To the rest of you, note that this story is completely fictional, and all similarities to real life people and occurrences are strictly coincidental.

JOA: DAMON’S CHRONICLES 3: Andie MacDowell

It was bloody Christmas Eve, and instead of being with my family, I was stuck at the offices doing work. It was the end of the year, and possibly the busiest time of the year. The way things looked, it was very probable that I might be in the office until New Year’s Eve. At least things were looking good. Profits for the firm looked like they would be up at least 10% up, and that was without counting the shitload of money I was sure movies like The Two Towers, Catch me if you can, and possibly Chicago, were going to gross at the box office in the coming weeks. Thanks to some good negotiation by Dean, we were guaranteed a rather sizeable percentage of those movies’ grosses, as several of our clients were involved.

I couldn’t believe so many months had passed since I took over the firm. I seemed to be doing a good job at least, and Dean was always commending me whenever we had the chance to talk on the phone. I had buried myself in work ever since ending things with Halle. I had not even been with a woman for over a month, and it was not because I did not get any opportunities. My firm represented some of the most beautiful women in the world, and several of them had flirted with me or even gone as far as to throw themselves at me at some point in time, but I always managed to resist their advances.

Turning down gorgeous beauties was no mean feat, but I was determined more than ever not to let sex derail me from my goal of giving my best shot at running the agency. Nothing other than utmost trust could have let Dean leave the agency in my charge, and I was determined not to betray that trust. I was also not going to sleep with any woman simply because I was her agent. It seemed to be a tradition for women to sleep with the boss of Shooting Star, and I was determined that if I got involved with anyone in the industry, it was because I genuinely liked her, and not because she felt it was her agent’s duties to satisfy her sexually.

But I had to admit, there was one reason why I had turned down all those women, and that reason was on the other side of the country, in far away Massachusetts. Ever since Halle and I had ended things, I had been unable to stop thinking about Natalie. It was not like I was in love with her, but I just craved the passion I knew I could have shared with her. Even though our encounter had lasted merely a few minutes, it was the closest thing I had ever come to genuine emotion, and I craved that more than anything. I knew I was never going to be with her, and it was useless to pine over her, but I could not help myself.

I tore myself away from my thoughts, and went back to concentrating on Leonardo DiCaprio’s proposed contract for “Alexander the Great”, when Ashley walked into the office. She had been another of Dean’s impulsive hires, and that choice had proven to be very inspired. She had been a shy and inexperienced greenhorn when she began to work as a receptionist here, but I had seen her develop into a confident and rather hot woman, and one of the first things I had done as head of the agency was to promote her to the position of my personal assistant, the role I had once performed for Dean, and I had to admit that I did not know what I would have done without her. She worked even longer than I did, and could possibly recite the contracts, phone numbers, and personal details of each of our clients off hand. I suspected she had a slight crush on me, and even though I knew she would have been a perfect girlfriend, I knew that I would never cross that line. She was like a little sister to me, and it was going to stay that way.

“Phone call for you Damon”, she said, before adding “on line two”

“But I told you that I was to receive absolutely no calls today. Do you think I like working on Christmas Eve?” I responded, sounding pissed

“I told everyone that you were not in, including P. Diddy when he called to invite you to his party on New Years’ Eve”, she said, smiling as my eyes widened at the last bit.

“So who is this person that is more important than a party by the one and only Puffy?”, I joked

“Actually, its David E. Kelly”, she said

“Really?” I asked, my mood perking up

“Yeah” she replied, “he says it’s quite urgent”

David Kelley was one of the most respected guys in TV and had created such memorable shows as Ally McBeal, The Practice, and Boston Public. I figured he wanted one of my clients for a guest spot or recurring role on one of his shows, and I did not want to pass that up. I immediately got on the phone, and my suspicion proved to be correct. He needed to cast a woman to play a deranged client on an upcoming episode, and needed a fairly popular actress to play that role. After explaining to me what he was looking for, there was only one client who came to mind.

Andie MacDowell was, in my opinion, one of the most talented actresses in Hollywood, and I thought it was strange that she had not become a major player after being in the game so long. Sure, she was a respected actress, who had starred in several good movies, but she had yet to receive the breakthrough role that would launch her into Julia Roberts territory. Of course, it was not like she was getting any younger, and Hollywood is notorious for discriminating against actresses above the age of 40, with the exception of the few Susan Sarandons and Meryl Streeps. What was the job of an agent if not to look out for his clients, and I was determined that this role could work wonders for Andie’s career. I decided to call her on the phone

“Hello” I heard her say, her voice somewhat muffled

“Hi, is this Andie?” I asked

“Yeah, who’s this?” she asked, as though she did not really want to be interrupted from whatever it was she was doing

“It’s Damon Brill, your new agent” I introduced myself

“What happened to Dean?” she asked

“He left”, I explained, “I’ve been your agent for several months now”

“I think I heard something to that effect” I heard her say, “so why are you calling me on Christmas Eve. Dean never called me directly, he always did business with my people”

“I just got an offer for a TV guest spot, and you were the first person that popped into my mind” I said

“Well, that’s a first”, she said”, what happened to Meg Ryan?”

“Well, Meg Ryan is not a client of mine, and that’s not the point. I’m a really big fan of yours, and I think it will be the perfect role for you”

“Great” she grumbled, “my career has fallen so much that the only thing that can save me is a TV guest spot”

“Why don’t we set up a time we can discuss this, maybe sometime in the New Year”, I offered

“That sounds good” she said, “but I have an even better idea”

“And what might that be?”, I asked

“Why don’t you come over now? It’s Christmas Eve, and I’m all alone, I sure could use some company” she said

“OK, I have your address in our database here” I said, “I’ll be right over in about an hour and a half”

“Couldn’t you make it any sooner?” she asked, “there’s so much stuff I want us to do, and we want to have time to discuss the stupid show you want me to be on”

“I’ll try and come as soon as I can, though it might be hard with the last minute Christmas shoppers"

I eventually managed to get off the phone, and after taking care of a few things that needed to be done immediately, I gave Ashley a peck on the cheek and was on my way.

“Hey Damon”, she called as I was at the door, “we haven’t exchanged presents yet”

“We’ll do that when I get back, won’t we?”, I said

“I just thought I might be gone by the time you get back”, she said with a twinkle in her eye

“I’m just going to tell her about some TV show, I’ll be back in two hours, tops” I said

“You are going to the house of an older and horny female actress. Of course you won’t be back for several hours, and I don’t intend to spend my Christmas Eve waiting on you”, she said

“Come on Ashley”, I said, “give me a little credit, I’ve been able to resist some of the hottest actresses, what makes you think this will be very different?”

“Well, you have more control than Dean, but you are still a man”, she said”, Merry Christmas anyways”

She handed me a package that looked like a book, and gave me a hug. She seemed to hold on quite tight, and I obliged, caressing her blonde hair. I thanked her and went into my office, bringing out the bag I had purchased for her from some trendy store on Beverly Hills. I only hoped she liked it, as I was terrible when it came to buying things for women. Ashley took care of most things for me in that area, but I could not ask her to buy a gift for herself, so I only hoped my discretion was good enough for her. I suggested that we open it right there and then, but with a mild look of terror on her face, she declined, and said that we should wait till the next morning.

I was a little bit shocked at her reaction, but I ignored it, and giving her another peck on the cheek, I walked outside and hopped into my Cadillac Escalade, which I had only recently bought it. I was not really into big and flashy cars, but I had run into Bernie Mac in traffic one day, and he had ridiculed me good-naturedly, joking that he did not want an agent with a beat-up car. He eventually hooked me up with his Cadillac dealership, with whom he had a good relationship, and I had dumped my 1998 Toyota Camry for the new car. It had set me back almost $100,000 too, but with the money I was making now, it was no problem.

I tuned the radio to KIIS FM 102.7, and in no time I was on the freeway, rapping along to the Mystikal song that was playing on the radio

“You keep bumping me against the wall”, I screamed, feeling like an 18 year old, “Yeah I know I let you down before”.

I pulled up at a traffic light, my car next to an elderly looking white woman, who looked at me with bewilderment, obviously frightened for some reason or another. I shook my head and laughed, mouthing “Merry Christmas” to the lady before continuing to sing alongside the song, thinking about how some people would always consider me a thug, irrespective of my accomplishments. Here I was, armed with two college degrees and making more money a year than that woman had probably ever seen, but I did not let the look of condescension bother me. Life was good, I was the head of a successful agency, and people such as Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas, and Samuel L. Jackson considered me among their close friends. As I continued to yell along with Mystikal

“But until you see me, trust me, You ain’t seen bouncing back”, I suddenly heard my cell phone ring.

I picked it up, wondering who it was, since I did not recognize the number displayed on the caller ID. Lowering the volume, I answered in my most polite voice

“Hello, Damon speaking”

“Hi Damon”, came a voice that I had been hearing non-stop in my daydreams for four months

“Oh my God, Natalie, what a surprise?” I gushed, earnestly surprised, unsure of how to act

“Yeah, good to hear your voice once more, how are you doing?”

“Not bad”, I replied, “things are OK, how are you and Dean?”

“We’re fine, it’s really cold out here, but we are surviving” she said pleasantly

“It’s so good to hear from you”, I said, “so to what do I owe this honor of a call from the beautiful Queen Amidala?”

“Am I no longer allowed to wish an old friend a Merry Christmas?” she teased

“Are you sure that is the only reason you’re calling”, I teased back.

Natalie caught me by surprise when she said, “No actually, I really needed to talk to you”

“What’s the problem?” I asked

“I’ve been hearing tales about you”, she said

“Tales?”, I inquired, absolutely puzzled, “From whom?”

“I still work in Hollywood, remember?” she said

“I know that, I’m just wondering what tales you might have heard. I’ve been a good boy and have not gotten into any trouble”, I said, bursting into laughter

“I know that”, she replied, “that is what I wanted to talk to you about”

“What do you mean?”

“Damon, let’s not kid ourselves”, she said seriously, “you are a young and attractive man, and I happen to know that so many actresses have thrown themselves at you, but you have kept rejecting them. And it’s not like you have a girlfriend to be faithful to”

“Well, I don’t like to mix business with pleasure”, I said defensively

“Now”, she said, “I wouldn’t want to be so conceited as to claim that you are rejecting all those advances because you are fixated on a certain someone”

“Um…I…It’s not…” I stammered, causing her to snicker on the other side of the phone

“Look Damon”, she continued, “I think you are a great guy, and you deserve to be happy. I know there is a great woman out there for you, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on that just by pining for something that is not available”

“Look Nat”, I said, “I don’t want to sound all sensitive, but that brief moment we shared, there was more passion there than all my previous encounters combined, of which there were a lot, and I just want to find that”

“I understand Damon”, she said solemnly, “I was just concerned for you and wanted to make sure you had properly moved on”

We were silent for a few moments before I asked something that had been boggling my mind for months

“Natalie, why?”, I asked

“Why what?, she asked back

“That night, why me? It’s not like I am so special or anything, if you are in love with him so much, why would you risk what you had with Dean just for me?”

“There are some things we cannot explain, Damon”, she said, “I don’t know why, but I just felt this attraction to you. At first I tried to tell myself that I was nervous about settling with Dean, and needed one last fling, but I realized it was much more than that. Don’t you know how sexy you are?”

“Don’t change the topic by flattering me, Miss Portman”, I joked, “of course I know how sexy I am”

“Well Damon”, she continued, “promise me that you will move on and find someone, or I’ll feel guilty forever”

“Alright Natalie”, I said honestly, “I promise to find a girl, in fact, I promise to sleep with the next woman who throws herself at me”

“I wouldn’t go that far”, she laughed, “but make sure you have fun”

“OK Nat”, I said, “Say hello and Merry Christmas to Dean”

“I will, have a great Christmas yourself”.

We eventually hung up, and I continued my journey. My thoughts seemed to be a lot clearer as I drove, humming along to the Avril Lavigne song which was playing. The phone call seemed to have given me the closure I needed, and I was so certain that the future looked so much brighter.

I was at Andie’s house, and I drove into the rather large compound, properly parking my car before getting out and walking to the front door. I only hoped this meeting would go well. I happened to know that Andie was not one of the Hollywood types, and in fact, she lived on a ranch in Montana most of the year. I pressed the doorbell twice and waited for a response. About a minute passed, and nothing happened, so I decided to try just once more before giving up and going home. I vigorously pressed the bell about five times, and suddenly, the door right in front of me flew open.

Andie was standing there dressed in a flowery silk robe, which was tied around her waist, but left most of her breasts visible. Her thick hair was rather scattered, and she was barefoot, and it was obvious she was not dressed for company, and I wondered why she had not made any effort to dress up after she had invited me. But that was not to say she looked bad, in fact the opposite was the case. She looked really pretty, and as she flashed that smile that had entranced millions of moviegoers in “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, I marveled at her beauty which seemed to refuse to be wane. It was rather hard to believe that she was 44 years old, as she could have easily passed for 30.

“Hi”, she said, welcoming me, ‘you’re not the agent, are you?”

“Yes I am”, I said, “Damon Brill, good to finally meet you, Miss MacDowell”

“Oh please call me Andie, and sorry, but you were not what I was expecting”, she smiled

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”, I asked, smiling

“It’s just that you look really…I would have thought you were an NBA player or something”, she said

“Well, if you don’t feel comfortable with me, I could leave and we could do this over the phone”, I said, my smile not necessarily reflecting the way I was feeling.

“I’m sorry honey”, she said, signaling for me to come on in, “sorry I sounded like a bitch, it’s just been a rough day for me”

She ushered me to the living room, and I admired the house as I walked in. It was a rather small house with only one story, and was definitely quite humble for a Hollywood star, but I guessed that was because she hardly lived there all year long. The living room was quite dark, with a modest Christmas tree lit up in the corner. There was a big screen TV, which was showing some Western movie, but it was muted, so I could not hear anything. I took a seat on a couch and she sat right across from me, her robe hiked up so that I could see most of her legs.

“I’m sorry, would you like something to drink?”, she asked

“No, I’m fine thank you”, I replied

I was feeling a little bit uncomfortable, as Andie began eyeing me like a piece of meat, and I hoped to finish discussing the offer with her and get the hell out of there

“I hope I didn’t disturb any of your plans”, I said, “you sounded busy over the phone”

“Nope”, she said, “as you can see I’m all alone on Christmas Eve”

“What about your kids?”, I inquired

“They are with their dad this Christmas”, she said, “I was to spend this Christmas with my boyfriend before…”. Andie had burst into tears and I did not know what to do next. I could not just sit there staring at her, so I did the only sensible thing – I walked over and sat next to her.

“Andie, it’s OK”, I said, ‘I’m your agent and I’m here for you if you need me. It’s my job to make you feel better”.

I realized the absurdity of that statement when Andie’s tear-filled eyes flew open and stared at me. I wondered if she had taken my words in a sexual context. I was definitely not going to be a gigolo to soothe some older woman. She seemed to think otherwise, as she moved even closer to me and placed my hands on her bare thighs.

“In that case then, I guess there are plenty of ways you could make me feel better”, she cooed into my ears.

I began to fidget, wondering how to get out of this precarious situation. I would be lying if I said I was not turned on. Andie was a beautiful woman, and the fact that she was so skimpily dressed in a robe, which seemed to be mysteriously coming off her body more and more, did not do anything to help matters. However, I was determined to resist doing anything. I had, after all, overcome advances by several other pretty actresses, and this should be a piece of cake.