Chapter Text
"Pretend to be her fucking girlfriend? Are you out of your fucking mind?"
I am Maya Bishop, Hollywood's resident bad girl on and off cam, and I was having a bad day, I Maya Bishop, had to dance to someone's else's tune, a woman's tune, for that matter, but not in the way i want it.
ME, was about to be HER 'girl toy' against my will, not that i hadn't been a 'girl toy' once or twice in the past, but they were all on my terms.
I’d called the shots, when to start it, when to end it and all the encores had depended on my whims. This time, however, was a different story, i won't be calling the shots, I would be following orders. HER orders.
And i wouldn't even get to enjoy some pussy for my troubles. I would just be acting!
Acting as Carina DeLuca's girlfriend, meaning I would be her pretend girlfriend!
Fuck, no!
I’d never even had a real girlfriend to begin with, I had been involved in several semi-steady flings with women in the past but 'girlfriend' was a higher level of engagement for me, i didn't take this girlfriend thing lightly.
"No, that's bullshit, Vic. No. End of discussion."
As Vic started to speak I raised my hand to make my manager shut up. But Vic was all business today, “This is a sure ticket to land the role Maya and you know it!"
"I don't need to resort to that cheap trick to land this role, my resume will speak for me! I have a fucking oscar, for crying out loud!”
I wasn't the type to flaunt my acting awards but this was called for, yeah granted it was only best supporting actress, - but an oscar was an oscar, right?
My manager didn't even bat an eye.
"Yeah, oscar girl, but this role you want is the holy fucking grail in Hollywood right now! You’re not the only one in the running for the lead, every A-list actor is after it, i heard Brianne wants it." That got me definitely worried, Brianne or also known as Brie Larson was arguably favorable than me, she already starred in a superhero movies, and she is also the lead of that movie, while I was starred in many superhero movies, but not as a lead or a superhero, but an anti-hero or a villain.
"Why would she wanna be super M? She already got the Captain Marvel franchise."
"Who knows what Brie’s thinking nowadays? She's got the box-office records to back her up and the producers are her pals. She might even co-produce. She has the perfect look too."
"I have the perfect look! Super M is me! I know it! I feel it here!" I thumped my chest.
"Of course dude, but you know the big bosses, they want the biggest box-office draw for this movie, the budget's sky high. They wanna create a new franchise that will rival the established ones. They're even courting James Cameron to direct the first installment. It's gonna be the ultimate superhero movie, they wanna make sure of the returns."
“My superhero movies broke box-office records this decade."
"But you're not the lead.” Vic pointed out, I sighed knowing i am losing the argument.
According to my publicist, my official Instagram was hitting 30 million mark, and my twitter account hitting 12 million and my facebook now hitting 10 million, i was a businesswoman as well as an artist, to survive Hollywood you got to sacrifice to make money.
"Set up another meeting with the big boss."
"Maya, listen to me, i believe in you. I know you're perfect as super M, it's just that..."
"It's just that I'm not popular enough.” I finished for Vic.
"It's not that. If popularity alone then you'd get that hands down."
"Then what is it?"
"You need a reboot of sorts?“
"Reboot? I already had a strong, bankable image."
"As a villain."
I went to pour myself a glass of whiskey from the bar, "okay...talk."
“You need a transition from a villain to a good guy, but the public has to be conditioned, they have to believe, and the big boss need to be convinced more of your box-office appeal as a lead. You have to come out there and claim the role like it was made just for you!"
”Ive been the lead in my other movies."
“Indie movies." i gave Vic a look. “An oscar appeals to the adults, Maya, but not the kids, teenagers and young adults who will be majority of super M's demographic. We're talking about 12 to 27 years old bracket here, you have to appeal to younger fan base."
I am getting Vic's idea, - alright, it hurts, i admit, "you mean, Carina DeLuca’s fan base." I said with a frown.
Vic shrugged, "yeah, her 300-million fan base to be exact.”
There's your number. I sneered at myself.
300-million was staggering. Mind blowing. Her oscar was like an ant.
“And that is her Instagram only, she is the most followed woman celebrity on twitter, mind you she had a staggering 80 million followers, and she is also the most subscribed solo artist on YouTube right now with 60 million subscribers. And with a trend of tiktok right now, she opened her newly account and for 24 hours since she created that account she now have 30 million, and after a month she is now the second with most following on tiktok, 90 million is her followers right now, imagine those numbers! Think, Maya!” Vic exclaimed as she pointed her finger at me.
I sighed, she couldn't believe she needed some shady publicity stunt to land a role. My followers are only a speck of what Carina DeLuca had. The younger audience didn't care for her golden statues and plaques, they want a Captain Marvel type, the good girl, the protector, and she'd been playing the evil for far too long she was already cast of it.
"Please Maya, just do this once. The big boss wants this."
“If i do this, can they guarantee me the role?“
“What they told me is if you can break the internet, then it is good as yours."
“Break the internet? I can just walk naked in the hollywood walk of fame and ejaculate on Carina DeLuca's star. That will make us both the talk of the century."
Vic shook her head, "I'm serious here,Maya.”
I sighed, "does she know already?"
"Yeah, in fact it's her idea."
"What?!"
“It was Carina's management company who actually proposed the idea to the big boss and they approved, you see, they do want you as super M, Maya.."
"Whoa...wait. you lost me there. This!...insanity...is her idea..?!"
Vic shrugged, "Hollywood's a small world and Carina is a master strategist, you gotta give it to her, the girl knows how to market herself, she's any producers dream talent, the cool thing here is Carina actually chose you for this job. Her next album is due for worldwide release on August. She has 3 months or so to pre-sell it."
"She would go to the lengths to sell a fucking album?!"
Vic looked exasperated, "sometimes i don't know if you're just too self entitled you think you can win anything in this business by your acting genius alone, dude, every management agency does this for their talents, welcome to the land of shrewd mother fuckers! If you wanna remain A-list, embrace the game, Maya..play hard. Harder than you can!"
Play the game..she was practical, even it's against her moral code.
"Look, time is huge factor here, if you won't take it, Carina will easily find a replacement, you are her first choice but not the only choice. Take this and you'll surely 50% make the REYNAs believe in this love affair, and you'll be flying with those super sonic red cape early this year. Guaranteed 30 million per pictures from then on, plus the option to co-produce, you with me, Maya..?"
"Alright, then set up a meeting with Carina DeLuca."
*
*
*
*
*
*
"How dare that bitch play the victim here? She's been doing all the talking in that hideous reality TV show of hers, capitalizing on a past issue at my expense!" I am seething as i paced the vast expanse of my living room in my mansion here in Beverly hills.
"I already talked to the lawyers. We can definitely sue her ass for defamation, we have witness to testify she's been inventing stories to make you look like you're destroying her and Owen."
Gabriella, my manager informed me.
The mention of my good for nothing ex, made my temper escalate, but i inhaled deeply, calm is always the key to this situations, I would never let my emotions beat me, even at my worst and lowest, since I ventured from being a local pop-star to now world pop star empress decade ago at the age of 17, I was at a tender age of 15 when I came to America to start my career as a singer and a dancer, I shaped my career like a military, thanks to my doctor dad and my lawyer mom. I wasn't about to loose it now.
Regroup. Strategize. Fight back engaging the enemy directly.
I had enough of this triangle drama with Owen and Teddy, it had been years since i broke up with Owen, for God's sake!
Teddy and Owen had been a distress to me since that bastard cheated on me with Teddy almost four years ago, it was the talk of the entertainment industry for almost a year.
Carina DeLuca, Empress of Pop dumped by her band mate, best-friend, boyfriend, first love, Owen Hunt for Teddy Altman, Carina’s own friend and bandmate too.
Dumped. How i hated that word.
They’d ignored my numerous accomplishments after that painful breakup. It was a bitter taste in my mouth that that wouldn't leave because Teddy had made it her mission over the years to make me bad at every turn.
I have always minded my own business, i have my own career to take care of, after my breakup with Owen, i became a tireless working machine, my name became a multimillion dollar brand in the music and fashion industry, and Teddy and her petty antics were like annoying trying to ruin my career, I want Teddy to stop this shit and endless drama with Owen, i didn't give a shit in their marriage, i’ve heard that Teddy's pregnant with Owen's baby, - what was her fucking problem still?
My new album launching three months from now, Owen and Teddy were the least of my concerns but they just won't leave me alone and my career is affecting it, people were calling me names all over the internet, it wasn't my fault Owen wanted to get back last month, it was him who came to me, begging me on his knees to take him back, i turned him down of course, but the bastard probably hired a paparazzi to take pictures of them while he attempted to kiss me and viola!
I am now the talk of the world, Owen implied that i was trying to seduce him back to my life! - The nerve!
Instead of engaging another round of interviews to defend myself, i devised a counter measure—have a new relationship, someone big in the industry that would effectively divert the public’s attention, except i didn't want a real one, it was better to pay them, god forbid if they saw the content of my bank accounts, that way there would be no expectations and drama, just an exchange of benefits.
Gabriella's like a virgin ringtone disrupted my thoughts.
"Oh my god! It's Vic!" Gabriella exclaimed excitedly and took the call, turning her phone on speaker.
"Gabriella, Maya wants a meeting with Carina. Set it up."
"Really Vic, did she agree?"
"Kind of, yeah."
"Great! I'll talk to Carina, I'll call you right back!" Gabriella jumped from the sofa, screaming like a fan girl, "we got her! We got her, Carina!"
I frowned my face at my manager, Gabriella had been a BISHes, Maya Bishop’s fandom name, since i can remember, - well, who can blame her?
Maya Bishop is good looking in this rugged, badass way, complete with her shoulder length blonde hair, and exude masculine aura and sexy body, don't get Gabriella started on Maya Bishop’s Muscular frame package with enough ripped muscles, she also possessed the sexiest accent, which she can easily switch to a british twang-depends on a character she's playing, she'd been starring in a superhero franchise as the most evil antihero the movie world had ever known, but also had a reputation of taking serious roles.
Though, the woman’s dating repertoire was interracial and international and well-covered by paparazzi.
Maya Bishop, by all accounts, was a bonafide bad girl, she was not only jaw dropping beautiful but a compelling character on and off the screen and Hollywood loved her brand of bad assery. – Yeah, she is really perfect to be my heartbreaker. Maya Bishop is going to help me sell album and make it no. 1 for an entire year.
I had seen the most good looking men and women in this business, had contracted them to appear in my music videos.
Maya Bishop was just one of those people my fans would fantasize about while listening to my songs, my next album was full of angst and Bishop better deliver the pain in the end, i had no doubt she would, with a best actress flourish.
"Carina, did you hear what i said?"
Gabriella was still freaking out. "Carina!" Gabriella tugged at my arm.
I rolled my eyes at my manager slash best-friend , "yeah, yeah, i heard you, anyway, when's the launching of DeLucxe perfume line?"
"Next week, i think? Why?" I smiled in anticipation. Perfect. There was no meaner bitch than payback.