The showbiz industry is cutthroat.

That is clear.

There are those who have been trying for years to make it in this business but failed.

While there are those who get spotted and after a few phone calls get the break that I'm not really sure they deserved.

Take Eugenie for instance.

Sure.

She has the face, the appeal and more than enough charm to make it except for one important thing—she doesn't know how to act.

The reason why this movie was created for her because it doesn't really require much from her acting wise.

Agent Alice is a hardened assassin.

She's also a gifted dancer.

Eugenie had no problems with the latter.

She can also wield a gun.  Which I can say is a bonus?

I'm really not sure.

At first, I didn't want to accept the movie.

Neri and I were working on a different script when Mommy Chato called.

She said she has a new project for me and I was the one she had in mind when the concept was pitched to her.

Since the project with Spring Rain hasn't been given the green light and knowing that Mommy Chato wanted me to do this, I rushed to go to the office of RGF to read the script.

Besides, she sounded desperate on the phone.

It's very rare that she's like that.

After reading two pages of it, I was ready to toss it in the wastebasket.

It was garbage.

The story had a lot of nudity and sexy scenes.

When I checked the name of the writer, it was a guy.

Not surprising.

He just wanted to see Eugenie in so many lingerie and skimpy outfits that the script was short of being a porno movie.

"Mommy, tell me this is a joke." I said to her when I went to her office.

She was smoking as usual.

The window was open to allow ventilation.

"Kyle, I trust that you can do this." She smiled.

A really big one.

I never like that kind of smile because when she puts on an extra amount of charm, I know she needs a big favor from me.

"Why are you putting me in this position?" The script is crap and the lead star doesn't know how to act." I complained.

"Did you even do an audition for the role?"

"Nabasa mo iyong part tungkol sa nationality ng assassin?"

She didn't need to elaborate.

"Why are you forcing this project to happen?" I sat across from her.

"Or I guess the question I should be asking is, why are you making a movie with Eugenie as the lead? Ang dami namang magagaling na artista diyan. We can also rewrite the part about her nationality. Hell! We can even rewrite the entire script para hindi naman tayo mukhang gumagawa ng smut. Madali lang iyan and you know that."

"Eugenie is one of the hottest celebrities right now."

"I know that."

"We have to bank on that."

"But why?"

She leaned on the leather swivel chair and took a long drag on her cigarette.

"RGF is not doing well."

"What do you mean?"

"Lumiliit na ang shares natin dahil sa mga movies from other outfits like Megastar Cinema and their new loveteam."

"KimBran." We said at the same time.

Jonathan and Celine broke up.

It was an ugly one.

We all found out that Celine was physically and emotionally abused by her ex who got hooked on drugs.

It was a mess and made headlines for months.

After that, the fans were looking for someone new to root for.

When Kimberly Weston, a British-Filipina singer and dancer, and Brandon Lim, a Chinese-Filipino basketball sensation and rapper were introduced, the fans quickly moved over to Megastar Cinema.

Allegiances in this business is as fickle as your next tweet.

"When we discovered Eugenie, bumabalik na ulit sa atin ang atensiyon ng mga fans. Now, while she's still hot, we have to capitalize on her popularity."

"Kahit pa hindi siya marunong umarte."

"That's why I wanted you to be at the helm of this movie. I can trust you. Alam ko din na hindi mo ako bibiguin."

"This movie is going to death of me."

Those were my final words when I left her office.

The gossip surrounding Eugenie's closeness to me wasn't helping.

We clicked. That much is true.

When I had the chance to talk to her before the table read, we learned that we both like to travel.

She's been to most of the places I've been in at iisa ang destination na gusto naming binabalikan-balikan—California.

She loves to surf and I'm a beachcomber.

Maraming magagandang beaches sa ibang lugar but there was something about The Golden State that always brings me back.

Now, people were quick to catch on at kung anu-anong tsismis ang ginagawa nila.

The first time Maria came on the set at dinalhan ako ng grande blond roast from Starbucks, my God!

Hindi iyon nakaligtas sa mga gossipmongers.

Ang sabi ng resident tsismosa sa TV channel ng Megastar Cinema na MCB-7 na si Luli Aguilar, binabantanyan daw ako ni Maria kaya malimit itong makita sa studio.

None of this was true.

Una, hindi siya malimit pumunta sa studio.

She has her own nine-to-five job.

Before I met Maria, I have never been involved with anyone in any movie I was making.

What happened to us was a quirk of the universe.

But people have ideas and wild imaginations.

Maganda si Eugenie—that's a fact.

Tall with dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes, she's like a siren who is truly captivating not only because of her striking features but also because she had a feline grace that's unmistakable.

People are attracted to her unique appeal.

I witnessed how she can actually stop traffic when we went out to get coffee and had to cross the street.

I thought sa movies lang iyon nangyayari but she cause quite a bottleneck dahil the driver's were checking her out.

There were also those who pause what they're doing when they hear her on the phone talking in French.

Big deal.

That's her mother tongue.

Although even I have to admit that it sounds very sexy.

I was put in a dilemma that wasn't easy to solve.

Bukod sa hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin sa big problem when it comes to her acting, I really don't like the plot of the movie.

Mommy Chato said I could tweak it.

Gawin ko daw ang lahat.

Ako na daw ang bahala.

Basta gawin ko ang pelikula.

Maria sensed my predicament when I came home late one night.

She asked if someone died.

Sa itsura ko daw kasi, para akong namatayan.

"It's Eugenie."

She frowned.

"Patay na si Eugenie?"

Kahit ang init ng ulo ko, bigla akong natawa.

"No. She's very much alive."

"Buhay naman pala. Anong problema?"

She noticed I was pressing on my right shoulder with my hand.

Pati shoulder and neck muscles ko, stiff na sa stress.

Maria told me to sit down.

She stood behind me and began massaging my sore and tensed muscles.

"Hindi siya makaiyak."

Maria stopped kneading my shoulders.

"It took us 48 takes before I was finally able to get the shot I need."

"Dapat nilagyan mo ng Vick's o di kaya Visine."

"I should have thought of that. It would have made all our lives easier."

"Pero hindi mo ginawa kasi gusto mong maging perfect di ba?"

"You know me so well, bae." I took her hand and kissed the top of it.

"Alam mo, minsan dapat marunong ka din ng diskarte. Hindi naman lahat ng nanonood ng pelikula eh pumupunta sa sinehan para mag-isip sila. Malimit, gusto lang naming maentertain at makalimot ng problema." She kissed the top of my head before joining me on the sofa.

"But there are viewers who are really smart. Besides, there are already rumors that Eugenie doesn't know how to act."

"Hindi lang rumors. Totoo di ba?"

"Yeah. It makes me uneasy because this movie also has my name on it."

"Bae, lahat naman ng direktor eh may mga panget na pelikula di ba?"

"I don't want to be one of them."

"Oo nga." She patted my thigh.

"Pero ang ibig kong sabihin, huwag kang masyadong mahigpit sa sarili mo. Tao ka, Kyle. Hindi ka si Wonder Woman."

"I just feel like there's so much at stake with this movie. Also, I didn't want to disappoint Mommy Chato."

"Pero kung nai-stress ka sa movie na 'to, bakit hindi mo i-give-up?"

What she said was like a bomb that exploded inside my head.

"I can't do that."

"Iyon naman pala eh. Kung ayaw mong sumuko, eh di mag-isip ka ng paraan kung paanong hindi ka mai-stress. Bata pa tayo, Kyle. Ayokong mabiyuda dahil bigla ka na lang naheart attack sa kakaisip kung anong gagawin mo kay Eugenie."

I pulled her close to me.

"I'm not going to die. I promise."

That night while I lay in bed, an idea popped in my head.