A/N Again the disclaimer. I do not know personally anyone mentioned. This is purely a fiction exercise. Also because English is not my native language you may have to excuse some mistakes I may write. That being said I hope you enjoy it. :)
Meanwhile, you're already installed in your new office. You spend some minutes savoring your coffee, your feet over your desk, like you're the boss in charge. You smile looking around. Even the decor pleases you. Modern and sober. It's like it was meant for you. After finishing your coffee you take a deep breath. "Ok, time to get started on this Grant Gustin. Jeez, even his name is a bit weird."
You turn your computer on and while you plug in the USB pen you immediately run a google search for his name. In no time you are learning a lot from him, visualizing a lot of information about him, including a whole bunch of photographs to look at. Because you don't usually watch Glee, and since Grant is no regular member of the cast you have no idea of what he looks like. You raise your eyebrows as you look at the pictures. "Ok, fast rising star... Right. More like pretty boy. I bet if it wasn't for his looks he wouldn't even get to where he is now..."
You carry on with your search and the first thing you do is to get your hands on everything possible he's appeared on. All of his Glee episodes, his CSI Miami participation, his tv movie 'a mother's nightmare', his appearances in the Glee project, anything. While you wait for that you start reading all the available interviews he's done. Magazines, youtube videos, blogs, everything. You spend much time going through his twitter, his friends' and family twitter accounts and even visiting fan sites and tumblrs. By lunch time, and after spending four hours immersed on the world and life of Grant Gustin, you almost feel like you know him.
You lean back on your comfortable leather chair and you sigh deeply, putting your hands on your head. "What a fucking mess. This is gonna take me the rest of the day and probably all night..." You look at enormous amount of notes you took during your research. "This boy is a mess."
You pick up the phone and you call Joan. "Jo, sorry, I can't go out with you for lunch. Too much stuff to do here... Yeah, I'd love that. Turkey is fine. Thank you so much." Ten minutes later Joan is bringing you a turkey sandwich and an orange juice.
"Ah, thanks! Sorry I bailed on our lunch but you have no idea the work I have here..."
She smiles. "I can imagine... After all it's a promotion, the strange thing would be not having too much work..." She chuckles. "Anyway, Stella instructed me to make sure you have everything you need, so don't hesitate to call me, ok?"
"Ok, thanks."
"So, can you at least tell me who he is?" She asks curiously.
"Uh?"
"The dumb insignificant actor!"
"Ha! Grant Gustin." You shrug your shoulders.
"Oh!" Joan exclaims.
"Ring any bells?" You ask surprised with her reaction.
"He played the badass in Glee last season. He was quite successful considering he was only in four episodes."
"Oh, you know stuff." You chuckle amused.
Joan shrugs, "Annie is obsessed with him. She even forced me to watch his tv movie." She rolls her eyes. Annie was her teenager sister. "Anyway, I was quite surprised with his acting. Totally different from Glee."
You burst into laughter. "Hahahah! You watched a Lifetime movie? HAHAH!" You keep laughing histerically. "Oh my god!"
Joan giggles. "Yeah, I thought the same. The movie is wicked and crazy but the performances are great."
"Ok, I have it here. Watching it is included in my tasks for the afternoon. Oh, the things I do for a living. A fucking Lifetime movie!" You laugh again.
"You'll love it." She grins teasing you. "Ok, I'll let you work. Anything, just call me." She winks at you and leaves.
While you take a bite on your sandwich you start reading your notes again. You see the word 'disaster' written all over the sheets of paper.
"Really? Tweeting his own phone number? Fucking disaster. And all these pictures he posts himself of his private life... Overexposure disaster! Does he want to be a Kardashian or what?"
You finally go through the USB contents. The contract is nothing new to you. Then you check Michael's notes curiously. "Ok, let me see what you have to say...Mmmm, ok, like I thought, you think Grant exposes himself and sometime his friends and family too much. Check. Sometimes it's his friends and family's fault... Check. Overexposure of his relationship. Check. So, he should tone it down. I agree. He should appear in some public events but not too much and they should be carefully chosen. I agree. He should do some interviews in large audience programs. Ok, now that's a bit more difficult, do you think he's Robert Pattinson or what? Hahah! Ok, finally Michael says here that he wants Grant to become a respectable actor, he wants to start to pull him away from the teen shows and get him more into serious stuff, so his behavior and public image should reflect that. Ok, I can do that. Oh, and Grant is potentially getting a role in the next Martin Scorsese movie? Great. I can help him. But it would also help if the guy has any acting talent. Let's see... Time for some tv shows and movies."
You start watching some videos of Grant from his time in Elon University and even some other ones when he was just a kid. Eventually you end up spending the entire afternoon watching all his episodes of Glee, the CSI episode and then his Lifetime movie. You are halfway through 'A mother's nightmare' when someone knocks on your door.
"Come in!" You shout as you press pause.
Stella enters the office with a smile on her face. "How's it going?"
You sigh. "Well, I'm now an expert in all that is Grant Gustin. Try me." You giggle.
Stella chuckles. "Ha, good! I trust you. So, things running smoothly?"
"Sure. This is however a piece of work. But worry not. I love a challenge."
"I know. And that's why I gave it to you. Ok, I'm leaving now to that awards thing but I'll be at reach. Just call me on my phone if you need anything, ok?"
"Ok, thanks, but don't worry. I'm probably gonna stay here till late. Too much mess to solve. Ha!" You giggle.
"Hahah! Ok, but don't forget to sleep, I want that pretty face looking good tomorrow!" She winks at you and leaves.
"Yeah, I know, I know, 'you can't sell anything if you can't sell yourself', and 'your image is your brand' and all that stuff." You mumble to yourself as you resume the movie.
It's already over 8 PM when you finish the episodes of the Glee Project Grant appeared on.
You take a deep sigh. Again. "And the worst part is that you do have some talent, Grant Gustin... Talent that is completely wasted in these dumb shows and psycho movies. I sincerely hope Affluenza will be better than this... Well, let's start with your plan..."
Based on Grant's agent notes you start writing your own notes, your ideas, your plans and questions to ask Grant. You are so absorbed in your work that you lose track of time. It's over midnight when your phone starts ringing. You look at your watch. "Jeez, so late..." You yawn and pick up your phone. "Hey, Nate! Yeah, still working. But you have no idea... Sit down and hold your breath. You're talking to a senior publicist now! Yeah, I know, sorry I didn't tell you before... Been so busy preparing all this stuff for the new client... I'm just gonna finish this here and then go home. No, you don't have to stay up and wait for me, sweetie. Ok, thanks. I know, love you too!"
After hanging up you finish your preparation for tomorrow's meeting and at one AM you finally go home.
Grant, on the other hand, has spent his day hanging around the house, watching tv, replying to fans on twitter, playing with his dog Jett.
"Hey, man, what are you doing?" Doug, Grant's roomate, asks when he arrives home at night.
Grant shrugs. "Not much."
Doug smirks. "You spent the day locked in here?"
"I had a meeting with Michael and then yeah, I came home. Why?"
"No shootings today?"
"No. That's tomorrow afternoon. And in the morning a meeting with a fucking publicist." Grant rolls his eyes.
"About time you get one..."
"Even you?"
"Yeah, it will make your life easier, believe me. Not to mention help you with all the public stuff, get you the right interviews..."
"Yeah, so I've been told." Grant replies bored.
"Who's yours?"
Grant shrugs, "I don't know, I haven't met her yet." He adds your name and the agency's name.
"Uh, Michael is setting the bar high. I don't know specifically about that publicist but the agency is probably the best around."
"Guess we'll see..."
"Yeah, good luck tomorrow. I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed. In the meantime try to cheer up a bit, ok?"
Grant shrugs yet again. "Whatever."
