16
JENSEN
Jensen looked around his home studio and couldn’t help but smile.
He’d started working from home with a decent microphone, camera, and laptop back when he first moved out here. But after his recent bit of success, he now had a pro-level mic, and he had just finished adding soundproofing panels to the walls. His desk was currently covered in scripts and his phone had started buzzing the moment he turned it back on after recording his last spot.
The respectable amount of work he’d been getting up until this point hadn’t prepared him for the flood of offers he was getting now. Jensen had never been so busy since going into freelancing. And he’d never felt so good about it.
Maybe things weren’t going to work out with Willow, but after just one date, her good influence seemed to be coloring every aspect of his life.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and wasn’tsurprised to see fourteen notifications from his agent, Sadie. Most were emails with offers attached.
He even had a silly single dad meme in his text chain with Ransom. The two of them had been dropping the other a line here and there since they bumped into each other at the library.
Jensen had been keeping it light for now, but he was planning to have a heart-to-heart with his friend on Christmas when they got together in person.
And as nice as the work offers and messages were, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed that there wasn’t anything from Willow.
He pushed those thoughts aside and opened his text chain with Sadie.
Sadie
amazing work on the paper company ad
and the folks at the community center are over the moon about the free spot you did for them
He smiled again, and felt warmth spread in his chest as he tapped out a response.
glad they’re all happy
Sadie
are you still committed to doing more pro bono slots?
When Willow told Jensen he had a gift, and that he’d brought his friends and neighbors a moment of happiness,his whole feeling about doing voiceover work had turned around completely.
And as soon as his perspective changed, his imagination took over.
He had taken most of the pay from the Co-op Grocer’s slot and used it to buy the new microphone and the soundproofing he’d installed in the office. It was an investment, but it meant that he wouldn’t have to go to the radio station to record, and that made a world of difference.
He had also let Sadie know to start sending him bookings. She knew his goal was to earn a comfortable living for himself and Henry, and maybe give something back as well by offering his work for free to non-profits in the community. Amazingly, she had agreed to coordinate the non-profit work without taking a fee herself.
of course, a free slot for every paid booking
Sadie
well, then, we have a waitlist, sweetheart
i emailed it to you but my guess is that you’ll jump on the trinity falls community food drive and the homecoming heroes center once you get paid for the next two gigs
i’ll do all the non-profits now, just send them over
There was a pause, and he worried that maybe she was rethinking helping out with so many free spots.
Sadie
you’re a good kid, you know that?
