A really interesting, exciting, and slightly improbable thing happened to me today.

So I'm sitting at work, folding napkins (because there's no one in the place at all).

And this guy walks in.

First impression: Clean cut, neat haircut (though a little close around the sides), stern face, leather jackets, fashionably small dark glasses. Possible trouble customer. Bleagh.

But then he smiled, and took off his glasses, and I knew I wouldn't have any problems with him. He had a nice face.

I guessed his age to be mid-late thirties. I'm probably right.

So he orders his food and beer and we get to talking a little.

And he was in town for a funeral for one of the high up women in the Maglio family that just died. And client this, client that, so I just had to asked what his job was.

"Oh, I'm in the movies," he said.

"That's not very clear. What do you do? Do you produce, direct--"

"Yeah, that kind of thing."

"--costume, etc?...Well, what films have you done, and would I have heard of them?" Me, thinking of small time indie films.

"Oh yes," says he between bites of cheap Chinese food, "probably. I just finished this stupid three year contract working on this tv series, First Wave? You heard of it?"

*blinkblink*

"Yeah, I've heard of it. Never really watched it."

"It's a sci-fi."

"I don't watch sci-fi much."

The conversation kind of sifted around for a while longer, then back to movies.

"So what actual movies have you done?"

"Oh, you know. A lot. Let's see...well, we did all the Van Dam movies, all the Look Who's Talking Movies--" at which point he gave a little grimace and shuddered. I don't think he was particularely fond of them. He went on to name a few more, but honestly, I don't remember which ones.

I was a little stunned.

I couldn't help thinking, "What the hell are you doing in this dinky little town, much less the ugliest, cheapest restaurant in town?"

We talked about money for a while, and he mentioned that "--I get paid $8000 a week while I'm in Canada. It's like Mexican pay. It's really nothing. I'd much rather work in the US or in Britain."

And I almost choked. I only make about $200 a week. And I said so.

He just shrugged. "Most of it gets eaten up in maintaining the image," he told me. "Between morgages, and travelling, and functions and taxes, there's really not a lot left."

I could believe him.

Maybe that was why he was eating in a cheap Chinese restaurant.

Another regular who kind of knows me came in and joined the conversation and mentioned that I was an actress, so when he paid his bill he gave me his name and number and told me to phone him if I were ever in the Vancouver area and he'd try to hook me up with a job.

"But you don't even know my name. How should I introduce myself?"

He just laughed. "Just say 'that waitress from that Chinese restaurant'. I'll remember."

I shrugged and pocketed the note.

Could it be?

Well, every bit helps.

"It's not what you know in this business," he told me before he left, "It's who you know."

I'm going to go rent one of his supposed movies and see if there's any validation in his story. It'll be one of the first times I actually pay attention to the credits.

Weird how life happens, huh?

.

Rosie.

Before&After