Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Sweet Surprises ❯ Chapter One - Judy ( Chapter 1 )

If there was anything K could say that he loved, it was his job. Finding young and raw talent where no one else saw it then refining it, honing it until a rising star emerged out . . . that's what he enjoyed best. Especially when the nay-sayers gaped in shock and kicked themselves for not noticing in the first place . . . like with Judy Winchester. She was going to be a big star and soon. He knew it, especially with her looks and raw talent. All she needed was someone to help her refine what she had and to fight for her. K intended to do just that.

 

'Definitely the life for me,' he smirked as he pulled into the driveway of his Manhattan home. 'God, I love my job!'

 

Unlike most bachelors, K lived in an actual house and preferred it over the usual “bachelor's pad: most single males liked to adopt. A small, rinky dinky apartment with no place for him to work or place his guns was no place for him. The people in apartment complexes were also noisy. Very noisy and the last thing he wanted was to get arrested for telling some neighbor to shut the hell up. At least with having a house in a nice neighbourhood, the noise level was minimal and he had plenty of space for himself, his work, and his gun collection.

 

“Here we go, sweetie,” he grinned, killing the engine inside the garage. The dark-haired beauty's eyes were wide.

 

“This is where you live, Claude?” she breathed.

 

“Yep,” he winked. “Not exactly what you were expecting, was it, Judy?”

 

“Not at all . . . I thought you'd have a bachelor's pad or something.”

 

They climbed out of his car at that moment, and K chuckled.

 

“Not me, sweetie. Not enough room in one of those . . . neighbours are too noisy . . .”

 

“That's true,” Judy conceded as he escorted her into the house. “I know my neighbours are noisy. I can't wait until I get a house of my own. That way I can do my laundry without having to go to the laundromat!”

 

“Well, that's why you're here, Judy,” K grinned. “I'm going to tell you how I'm going to make you a star.”

 

“Really, Claude?” she gazed at him with hopeful eyes. K felt his heart warm a little as his eyes met hers.

 

“Really, Judy,” he assured. “I promise you. Your name will be in lights. Now let's get inside before my neighbours start wondering. I don't want them to see my new secret weapon, after all.”

 

Judy giggled, and he escorted her into the house. They had a lot of work ahead of them and even the best of planning would only go so far.

 

* * *

 

Several weeks went since K had signed Judy on as his client and things were looking good for the young woman. He'd gotten her on a couple of game shows and several auditions for commercials. Nothing too glamourous but it got her foot in the door.

 

'Now's the hard part,' he thought as he started dialing. 'Getting her onto something that last more than thirty seconds.'

 

The game shows hadn't been too big of a deal. Judy happened to be a very intelligent woman and had made some rather good money by being on trivia shows like Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. But her ambition wouldn't let her be content with game show appearances and commercials. And if she wasn't content, he wasn't content. That was part of his job as her manager and agent.

 

“Claude!” came the fuming tone from the outside of his office. Judy stormed in as the phone started ringing on the other hand. He held up a hand for silence. If any producer heard a rising star arguing with her manger and agent, she could forget about an audition.

 

She paused in front of his desk and huffed a little, her arms folded and her eyes glinting dangerously. As soon as the other person picked up, her stance changed almost immediately as he began to negotiate an audition for her. Once the phone conversation ended, Judy sat on the edge of his desk, her eyes wide.

 

“Claude? What was that all about?” she whispered.

 

“That, Judy my dear,” he smirked, “was the executive producer to an up and coming TV show called Death Roses. They're holding auditions here in New York.”

 

“When?” she breathed, her eyes lighting up.

 

“Day after tomorrow,” K replied.

 

“What does this mean?”

 

“Nothing . . . at this moment. It's an audition, Judy.”

 

“I know,” she grumbled some. “There's no guarantee that I'll even get casted.”

 

“Exactly,” he nodded. “But if you do get cast . . . if you do . . . you'll have to pack. While the auditions are here in New York, the show is being filmed in Los Angeles.”

 

“Really?” Her eyes shone with hope and excitement.

 

“Really. In the meantime,” he leaned to one side and reached in one of the drawers of his desk then handed her a small booklet, “here's the script. Take a look at it.”

 

“Will this help me with the audition?”

 

“Only parts of it,” K stated. “Like with the commercials, you'll be asked to act a scene that will have nothing to do with the script.”

 

“Uh-huh,” Judy nodded, thumbing through the pages. Then her eyes snapped to him and she smiled. “Thanks, Claude.”

 

Without warning, she leaned over his desk and planted a kiss on his cheek. She then rose and left his office, the same warm smile on her face. Idly, K lifted a hand to his cheek and touched where she had kissed him. Something, somewhere deep inside him, sparked and made him feel light. Feeling her smile becoming slightly infectious, K's lips stretched across his face and he set about to setting up some more auditions for the rising young starlet. After all, one audition was one audition, and it didn't hurt to be prepared in case the first audition fell through.