Hollywood Zenith

" Ma, you have wonderful skin. I have been working in the industry for years now but I have never seen such exquisite deposition. Do you use any products?" The lady gently massaged his face with admiration.

" Thank you. No, you could say that I was born with it." Samuel replied.

The lady who was responsible for cosmetics was Lauren Brown. The studio paid a huge sum of money to invite her to the UK for today\'s shoot.

She was an industry leader when it came to makeovers as well as costume design. She was a highly sought-after individual with an experience of two decades under her belt.

The production company first thought of hiring her for the film, but they soon realised they had to shell out millions to retain her for a few months.

There would also be other expenses which led them to scrape the idea. They were already over their budget limit, and with promotion and marketing still left, spending this much money on production would be foolish.

" People would certainly be envious. But It might change in the future, you still have to go through puberty which changes things."

" Don\'t worry I have faith in my genes. It will not be that bad."

" I like your confidence. I notice that your hair is different at the base, did you dye it?"

" Ah, yes. My character has black hair, is it already fading?"

" Yes, but who ever did the work looks to have done a good job to making it look natural. Even, I couldn\'t notice it at first glance."

" Lily Thompson, she works for my Aunt\'s agency. It has been quite a while but I was due a visit by her."

" I think I have heard of her. Isn\'t she a rising star in the industry? Others say she is quite talented for her age."

" She would definitely be happy if she heard you say it. It is not everyday that you received a compliment from leader of the industry."

" Ma, you sure have a way with words. You will make this old woman blush."

" Nonsense, you should look into the mirror more often instead of tending to your customer."

Ella and Columbus, who were listening to the conversation, were stunned by Samuel\'s quick-witted responses. They knew that he was exceptional, but seeing him thrive in an unknown environment was still new.

" A natural charmer. The boy has potential." Columbus commented.

" Right, can\'t disagree with you there. He is an excellent actor with a great personality; you found a gold mine. I heard there were talks about renewing for the second movie." Ella inquired about the rumour.

" Well, I couldn\'t take all the credit for it. You helped a lot with talent selection right? even we have a solid main character it is the rest of the cast that makes the movie intriguing. And about the second movie that you mentioned, I guess only future will tell us the answer to that." Columbus was definitely hiding something.

" I don\'t care about it. Just tell this \'future\' that I want to be a part of it too. I thought it would be a hassle to work with children but I have grown to like this crew." Ella demanded. She knew that as the director of the movie, Columbus had some say in the matter of hiring.

As people say, \'the early bird gets the worm\'; she wanted to be that bird so badly. Besides the pay is excellent, a longer contract means stable income.

" Looks like they are done." Columbus changed the subject. Ella couldn\'t push further; at least she conveyed her intentions.

" Perfect, as expected of Lady Lauren\'s work." Columbus praised.

There was not only Samuel, but Emma, as well as Rupert were also dressed up for the shoot. They were in their full wizard uniform with all the props included.

Samuel had his scar and the glasses while Emma was carrying some books, while Rupert carried his magic wand. These were the things which would tell a little bit about their character\'s background.

" I didn\'t do much which makes me feel that I am getting paid for nothing." Lauren said to Columbus.

She was somewhat right; the costumes were already decided. She only had to do some touch up in the end. She could add some flair, but that would be against the source material.

" Just having you here is fine. I understand your concerns but just know that it was worth it." Columbus said seriously.

" That\'s good to hear. I was afraid that you would ask for a refund." Lauren said with a smile.

" I would never! Please don\'t say such things."

" I would not blame you. I am already too old for this because of it; I have been considering retiring and opening a small business." There was a sudden hint of sadness in her eyes. She had given too much for her career, and now that she was about to have a grandchild, she was thinking about making time for her family.

" T-thats bad. You are still young, it would be devastating news for the industry if you withdraw suddenly."

The reason Columbus insisted on having her was because of her fame. He knew that mentioning her name during promotion would bring a positive response from the public and critics. Over the years she had worked in countless hit movies, with her name being well known in the community.

She also had an occult following, and if Columbus made a good impression, he hoped that she could be more hands-on with future movie sequels. But now she was considering retirement, which would thwart his plans.

" Ma, not you too director. It\'s bad to flatter a someone so much, especially someone like me."

" That\'s right. At least act like your age; remember you are no longer young." Ella said, mocking him. She was already dissatisfied by his earlier accord.

" I am still in my golden years."

" Golden years? that is a made up concept to make someone feel better about their age."

" Heh, at least I am not desperate. Tell me how is your search for the husband going? I heard your family is putting quite a lot of pressure on you."

They began to argue, but Lauren stopped it; it was unbecoming for them to argue in front of children. Besides, they were already late for the shoot.