Read Online Scene Stealer by Elise Warner - Free Book Online

Couldn’t stand the thought of an unknown beating out her daughter. Guess she’s reliving her days of glory through Willow.”
    â€œShe was upset with you, Mr. Bean?”
    â€œUpset isn’t the word. Haven’t heard that kind of language off-stage in a long time. Told her I just set up the auditions, I don’t do the picking. Maybe Willow had been seen on too many commercials. Maybe they thought a boy would sell more burgers. Who knows? There could be a million and one reasons. Some sponsors just prefer a man to a woman as a spokesperson. Maybe Barton was tired of seeing Lorna and wanted to move on. Dates them and drops them. Could be his way of giving her the heave-ho.”
    â€œLorna?”
    â€œMrs. Leigh, Willow’s mother. Listen. Forget I said that. Only a rumor, who knows if Lorna and Barton were really making it? Show business is a small business, sort of like six degrees of separation, and rumors run wild. Anyway Lorna blamed me. Figures. Knowing Lorna, she had to blame somebody.” Mr. Bean looked at his phone as if expecting it to ring again.
    â€œUngrateful woman,” he continued, sounding aggrieved. “I got Willow top dollar on the picture she’s acting in right now. Kid’s gonna make a fortune and now her mother’s fighting me on the commission. Wants to walk out on her contract with me. No appreciation. Believe me, it’s not the money, it’s the principle of the thing. Though my landlord doesn’t care about principles, he cares about the rent.” Mr. Bean popped a licorice drop in his mouth, then offered me the bowl of candy. “Good for the digestion.”
    â€œI could tell you stories,” he continued. “Actors beg me to be their agent. They’re unknown. I start them off. Get them auditions. A part in this, a part in that. They start getting hot, what do they do? Drop me for one of those big agencies with all the initials. That’s what Willow Leigh did. I got Willow a sweet deal. She doesn’t even have to go on location, they’re filming right here in Central Park. Still, she leaves me for another agency.
    â€œActors.” Mr. Bean passed his hand over his eyes. “I should take ’em to court but the lawyers would make the money.”
    â€œWould Willow’s mother be capable of kidnapping Kevin?” I asked.
    â€œA stage mother is capable of anything and everything. She couldn’t stand Kevin, though, I told you before, most people love the kid. But not Lorna and not Larry Dunn. He’s the actor that read with Kevin at the audition. Submitted him for the part of Cowboy Bob. Kevin got it. Originally, Kevin auditioned for Cowboy Bob’s grandson.”
    â€œWhat does he look like, Mr. Bean?”
    â€œLarry? Larry is a nice-looking, older man. Still thinks he should be playing leads. How do you tell an actor he’s too old? Especially when he doesn’t have a name and can’t afford plastic surgery? Believe me, never tell an actor he’s too old. Anyway, Larry doesn’t get the job and he blames it on Kevin. Is it Kevin’s fault the sponsor prefers cartoons? Animated cartoon characters. With a computer they can make French fries dance and sing, fish sticks play instruments and you name it, Cowboy Bob’s Big, Bad Burger can do it. The sponsor prefers cartoon characters to live actors. There are days I think he’s right. Anyway, Larry blamed Kevin and me because he didn’t get the job playing Cowboy Bob. Said the kid did everything he could to upstage him. I set Dunn up with other auditions. You know, typical American grandpa, commercials for cereal, anti-acid, diapers, life insurance and aspirin. He ended up with a bit on a Cousin Cora’s Chicken Crisps commercial. A buy-out, no residuals. One payment. Screen Actor’s Guild minimum. Still, it was a job.”
    â€œWhat is he doing now, Mr. Bean?”
    â€œNow? Now he’s busy setting up