Emotions were running high after the cert, and Avril couldn’t stop moving her hands in a pletely strange way—curious, almost magic. It was as if something ulling her in, and Billy surrendered. He couldn’t deny her anything, it was difficult, almost like an unusual problem, unlike what occasionally happened betweehey kissed, and it was filled with such love—it was the first time he had ever been so giving. She’d had three boyfriends before, but none of them had ever e close to the tenderness Billy showed. It was wonderful, unfettable. He gently bed her hair, leading her into her femininity in a way that, for the first time, made her feel the purest essence of being a woman. Every touch was like a sonata, every kiss made her hear the Vienna Boys' Choir, and every part of her skin was marked with future promises, takio a pce she couldn’t have imagined.

  They didn’t speak all night, silent with nothing much to say, embraced like lovers. Their eyes spoke, and something was borween them, so intimate that, for a moment, their hearts beat in unison.

  The m, they were still lying naked, ed in each other’s arms.

  -I think you should know I’m in a retionship with Leighton, - he whispered after a long silenow, he had many things to say, many words that o be carefully chosen—words that couldn’t be said right, but had to be said heless.

  -So… - the young oke in an almost inaudible voice.

  -You know what I mean, and you probably already know it, just as I do. I’m a man who will always love you, a man who will always be there for you. But we’ve crossed a line, in a way that’s uhy. You know that staying together would only hurt you. I’m no saint, and even if you accept that… what terrifies me the most is losing you. I’m afraid of not being part of your life, of failing you. That’s why I’d rather not start anything. I tend to ruin things, - Billy said.

  She moved closer, almost ironically, embraced him, and whispered so many promises and words that there was no denying how the night ehey made love a sed time, with an unspoken uanding that her cared about the future—a choice that would ter cost them, leading to a state of plete heartbreak. She would hold him atable for his mistakes, one by one. But for now, he had a model waiting for him for her birthday, and he couldn’t miss it. He hat model, with her fiery curves, and the yacht trip was all he wanted for the moment. Avril aon could wait—damn the women who keep asking for things… like itment.

  -You're mine now, - Avril said.

  -Wrong. You’ve got it pletely wrong, darling. I’m dation. In that sense, you’re the sed girl, the one ing into a retionship. You could be my mistress, - Billy whispered, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer as she squealed.

  -What’s wrong with you, idiot? I’m nobody’s mistress, - she replied.

  -Billy, they turned you down for the role of Peter in Narnia. They said you don’t look like a 17-year-old, too mature for ye, and other things I sider plete nonsense, - Michael Ockrs said in desperation, feeling personally affronted by the reje. As Billy’s now-primary agent, he had a lot to handle, but he was a man of siderable influence.

  Michael resembled Jerry, with thinning hair at the front and rge dark circles under his round gsses, but his features were sharper, more refined. Wearing a bck suit, he knew seg auditions for projects like these was no easy task, but all he could do was keep trying. He didn’t believe Billy’s performance was g, nor did he think those other actors outdid him. Perhaps it was Billy’s fame that wasn’t quite the right fit.

  -Well, let’s not worry about trivial things like that, - Billy said. - First, let’s focus on the schedule ahead. -

  He sighed deeply, envisioning himself in armor, carrying a sword in his hands, striking a magnifit pose like a knight of old, a warrior from a bygone era, imbued with a sense of timeless nobility.

  -It doesn’t matter if you’re not part of that or if you end up somewhere else. What you o focus on is your interview. You’ll make the films you want, or take the audition as you see fit. You’re young, and the time you have to tinue improving your craft will pay off—your ce will e sooner or ter, - Michael Ockrs said, refleg on the mistakes that had characterized his career.

  Billy nodded. His role as an actor felt distant—his previous involvement was mostly luck, being part of Warner’s projects. But now he could demand something from Warner, even if it were just small cameos. He could begin to carve a pce for himself ielevision industry, maybe in films that aligned with Warner’s is.

  -You’re right, Michael… Let’s go. We o get back to that captain who seems like a man who doesn’t tolerate teness, - Billy said.

  He hadn’t yet decided on which songs to use, but he could learn from the mistakes he kept making—errors that seemed to define him. It felt like a fw that misled people, causing him to stray from the right path.

  Well, let’s keep searg and attendiings. It doesn’t matter, as long as between those gaps, I choose the right songs for these kinds of events, something that will resonate. Music is and always will be an important part of any audiovisual produ. Songs that st and songs that bee part of a single—like creating a song for a movie is a beautiful thing.

  -You o do what’s best for you. And of course, we also have an iing proposal. They want your cover of ‘Feeling Good’ as a theme, along with an inal song for a finished film, though the film itself hasn’t started shooti, - Michael Ockrs added.

  -What film? - Billy asked.

  -They haven’t reported anything. It’s a big series, and they want to keep everything under s. Jerry accepted the tract, and we’re set to fulfill it by June of year. These produs nowadays have an iy that seems to go beyond the usual expectations, - Michael Ockrs replied.

  ...