Chapter 55 – Love, Romance, and Action

Michael Sheen had walked around the Red Penguin car service company a few times but couldn't find any sign of Matthew Horner. So he gave up and headed to a nearby bar. He remembered Matthew mentioning before that whenever the Red Penguin drivers had no jobs at night, they'd hang out there. The place was also a regular haunt for many struggling Hollywood dreamers.

Michael stood in line, entered the bar, and sat at the wide counter on a high stool. He ordered a large beer, took a sip, and let his eyes quickly scan the crowd. The place was packed with young men and women, but none of them were the familiar figure he was looking for.

The bar was stuffy, poorly ventilated. Michael put down his glass and undid two buttons on his shirt, revealing part of his muscular chest.

He had made it to the second round of auditions for Britney Spears' music video. That was proof enough—he had something to offer.

"Check, please!"

The guy next to him tossed some cash on the counter and left. Michael glanced over and noticed he'd left his newspaper behind.

The guy didn't seem to care about the paper, walking straight out the door without a glance back.

Under the warm glow of the bar lights, the paper's photo caught Michael's eye. He reached over, pulled it closer, and took a look. His backside suddenly throbbed like it had been slapped with fire.

The photo was of Matthew Horner.

Matthew was hugging a girl—and not just any girl. Britney Spears.

"Pop Princess Britney falls for a broke boy from Texas…"

The bold headline made Michael's heart sink. Was Matthew famous now? Was he really dating Britney Spears?

A sharp stab of rage shot through him. It felt like someone had just stolen what was supposed to be his.

He was the one who should've gotten that role. He was the one who should've made the headlines. He was the one who should be with Britney. All of it—it should've been his!

"Matthew Horner…" he growled, fists tightening around the newspaper until it crumpled. "You backstabbing bastard!"

He crushed the paper into a ball and tossed it under the bar, then chugged his beer in one long, angry gulp.

Slamming the glass down, Michael stood there, his chest heaving. All that emotion boiled over into words.

"I will become a star!"

The bald white guy sitting beside him turned his head, intrigued. His eyes lingered on Michael's handsome face and solid physique.

"Hey there, good-looking."

A deep voice suddenly spoke from behind. "Buy me a drink?"

Michael turned and saw a tall, muscular man with long hair walking toward him. There was something off about the guy, and Michael felt it right away.

The man pulled over a stool and sat next to him, eyes deliberately drifting to Michael's chest. "You up for some fun tonight?"

Michael's face twisted in disgust. "Wrong guy. I'm not gay."

"Not gay?" The man clearly didn't believe him. He leaned in and slapped Michael's butt. "I saw you when you walked in. Trust me, someone's already been through your back door."

That hit Michael's rawest nerve.

He shot up like a spring. "Watch your mouth!"

Though he sounded angry, he also looked uncomfortable. He slapped a bill on the bar and stormed off.

The muscular guy didn't push it—but the bald man at the bar followed him outside.

Michael walked quickly, trying to shake the filthy feeling clinging to his skin. Every few steps, he glanced back at his rear end like it had a target painted on it.

"Sir! Wait up!" someone called out.

Michael turned again. It was the bald man.

He scowled. Great, another creep?

The man seemed to read his mind. He jogged over and introduced himself. "Name's Morris. I'm a talent agent."

"A talent agent?" Michael's expression flipped instantly.

After his long-term contract with Angel Agency had been terminated, he hadn't found a new agent yet.

He immediately reached out his hand. "Michael Sheen. I'm an actor."

"I know," Morris said, shaking it. "I've seen you on set before. You've got a lot of potential. Honestly, I wanted to sign you back then. Regret not doing it. Can't believe I ran into you tonight."

He handed over his agency ID, issued by a legit industry association. Michael checked it carefully—it looked real.

"You… got something for me?" Michael asked, handing it back.

Morris circled around him, inspecting. "You've got a great look. Perfect for a role we're casting right now."

Michael's heart, still stung from rejection and humiliation, flickered with hope. "What kind of role?"

Morris smiled. "Here's the deal. My agency is working with a production company—we're doing a full-package deal. From director to actors, we supply everything."

"What company? What project?" Michael asked.

Morris didn't answer directly. "Can't say too much. NDA stuff. But I can tell you this—we need a sunny, good-looking supporting actor."

He circled Michael again. Michael puffed out his chest, trying to look impressive… though his awkwardly raised butt kind of ruined the image.

"Your appearance is fantastic," Morris said.

Michael, remembering something Matthew used to say all the time, replied confidently, "I think so too."

"Perfect fit for the role I mentioned." Morris paused. "You got an agent right now? Signed with anyone?"

Michael shook his head quickly. "No."

Morris clapped once. "That's great!" He looked Michael in the eye. "It's not a huge role. Just one major scene."

Michael's rising hopes dipped slightly. One scene meant low screen time—barely any spotlight.

Still, Morris added, "But it's an intense scene—with the female lead."

"The female lead?" Michael's interest perked back up. "Is this… an action film?"

"Kind of," Morris said after a beat. "It's a mix of love, romance, and action."

"Sounds good." Michael could feel the spark coming back. This might be his chance.

"It's late, and I've got work tomorrow," Morris said, slipping him a business card. "If you're interested, call this number. Come by my agency and we'll talk more."

Michael accepted the card solemnly. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Morris."

"See you then."

With that, Morris left.

Michael stood alone under the streetlight, gripping the business card like it was his ticket to salvation. After all the setbacks, he could finally see hope on the horizon again.

And this time—there would be no Matthew Horner to steal it from him.

Since the MV screen test, Matthew had stopped thinking about Michael entirely. Michael had tried calling a few times, but Matthew ignored them. Not out of guilt or fear—Michael was simply irrelevant now. Matthew had his eyes on the road ahead. There were far bigger players he still had to surpass.

The tabloid gossip about him and Britney had exploded over the last three days. He was hounded by paparazzi and even landed on the front page of several entertainment rags. A few mainstream papers mentioned his name too.

Compared to being a total nobody before, this was a massive leap in visibility.

On the third day, Helen Herman returned to L.A. and immediately contacted Britney's manager and label. Within half an hour, the three sides agreed to hold a joint press conference on the day MV filming resumed to officially deny the made-up relationship.

For Matthew, it was the best-case scenario. He hadn't done much but gained a bunch of exposure. According to Helen, that kind of name recognition was priceless—it could help him land more roles down the line.

After all, fame brought attention. And attention could eventually mean profits for investors.

Over those three days, Matthew even visited Britney in the hospital. She was recovering quickly, and by the fourth day, the MV shoot was back on track.