Dive

Ava

-5 753 645$ after tax and commission! That is how much you make by accepting the Ausmedia deal. It is their final offer and it came with a contract stipulating 40 hours of on set filming and 5 hours for different clips promoting the show. If you are interested we can proceed to signing. Our financial team has analyzed the data and you have their approval.

-What about their gimmicks to spice up the show? Is it all in the contract? I want absolutely no surprises!

- In the contract there is a complete section dedicated to costumes, makeup / hairstyle, desired interaction with certain participants! Nothing you haven’t done before in similar setups. The management gave it the go, you have the last word here and we’re set!

-Let’s do it, Jack! My only concern with this was linked to the proximity with our album launch event but if everyone is on board I am sure we’ll make it! Thanks again for your diligence!

- Thank you Ava, this also works as a great endorsement for your up-coming concert, the more you are in the spotlight the better! See you soon at the headquarters! I’ll contact your PA to establish the meeting.

- See you Jack, take care, bye!

In the silence that follows, I scrutinize my face on the rose gold iPhone screen, the latest model. I received it yesterday in a sponsorship package.

I was never a fan of the “rich get richer and the poor get poorer” turn of phrase but I can see why some of my followers could feel that way. I receive a ton of stuff just for brands to see me wear, play with or show off. Everyday is Christmas in my world but there is also a side many choose to ignore in order to make attaining the dream feasible.

The glossy surface mirrors my expertly highlighted, almond shaped green eyes, a button nose that I blame for my sometimes perceived childish appearances and my favorite feature, plump cupid's bow lips. They are currently stuck in a look of determination, sweetened only by the shade Burnt Spice from MAC.

Light brown hair with caramel highlights frames an oval, symmetrical face that brought me a lucrative contract this year for the most popular plastic surgery clinic in Austria. What can I say? I am living the hashtag blessed life and I am close to killing myself doing it.  

Daily gym training sessions with a fanatical trainer, weekly affairs at an elite SPA center, a brilliant nutritionist on speed dial mixed with a hard ball personal chef and an inconspicuous therapist, everyone working hard for Ava Steiner to deliver excellence, like a well-oiled machine.

It's only for the best that I only measure 5.1ft and 105lbs otherwise some on my team might think they have too much to handle and pop a vein or something and the last thing I need is to extinguish some trivial drama.

I am a workaholic with a passion for micromanaging, expecting a lot from those around me but giving 100% of myself. That is why I was a popstar sensation 20 years ago, freshly hitting puberty, with millions of albums sold, multiple no1 hits, numerous platinum and gold distinctions. I guess you could stay I paved the road for nowadays Austrian music aristocracy and put the star in superstar. And now, at 35, I am ready to get it all back and resume the proper place in the charts.

I lack modesty, you say?

Well, I never declared I was perfect. I leave this to the countless media sources who flatter and compliment me like I were a pampered b***h breed, waiting for the right moment to take their muzzle on my back, via a juicy scandal, and until then being satisfied with the generous clicks coming from my fans.

Elegantly, with perfectly manicured French nails I dial my PA and let the wheels set in motion:

-Hello Liam, hope you have 5 minutes to add some points to my following days agenda!

-Hey Ava, always here for you! Congratulations on the partnership with Aus, I knew you’d make it work!

-Thanks baby, words travel fast I see, drinks on me next time we’re gathering at Das LOFT! Now listen please find me a spot with Galena at Sacher for a complete body treatment, hair removal, manicure, pedicure, she knows...my emergency pre-apocalyptic go to! Did you get Katja Hofer for my make-up on Vogue next week? She gets me fully and without much grabble...

-Noted for Galena, I will confirm within the hour, Katja is in and expects you at the shooting place, the magazine keeps in touch with her and they will organize the details...

- Please contact Lukas for an extra session of EMS Training, ask him to add it on top of my weekly fitness routine, move my dance rehearsal for the launch concert in the morning, midday tops, confirm with Chloe and the team for availability, and last, please send David Lackner and the production team for Dive a dozen bottles of Armand de Brignac Rosé, NV and the finest selection from Gerstner to sweeten them up. That’s it I guess for now..

- All written down and I’ll get to it right away!

- Thanks Liam, you’re the best!

- I bet you say that to everyone! says my PA in a funny flirting tone.

-Not really, don't get it in your head but you’re in my top favorites! I joke while bursting into a resonant laughter. Bye Li, keep me posted.

- Sure Ava, don’t forget to choose a photo for the social awareness piece to support the children with leukemia at Saint Anna’s hospital. It's due next Wednesday!

-Already sent to their PR person, bye love! I close the call quickly, not wanting to prolong the moment and already thinking about my next move.

I allow myself half a second to breathe in my surroundings: I am lucky to live in an extravagant penthouse in the magnificent building of Schottenring Palace, located on the cosmopolitan Ringstrasse. I am within walking distance to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the State Opera House, the Imperial Palace and the Old Court Theater. I never walk but it has a nice ring to it, the possibility I mean.

The richly structured facades with their decorations and royal air, opulent entrance and staircase raises expectations enough that only the divine touch of internationally renowned architect Juan Pablo Molyneux could create a tailored interior in the penthouse. Generous spaces, dreamy bedrooms, state of the art kitchen and bar area, a walk-in closet to die for, and some ridiculous bathrooms make even the most reserved real estate agent salivate.

My favorites? The large entrance area with endless white walls, decorated with impeccable paneling in the same tone hosting my all time prized possession the immaculate Fazioli piano. It is the most precious gift I have from my late father. It’s competitor? The floor to ceiling windows that show off the city’s finest views, from the kitchen to the dining room bar and sitting area. In the middle of this glass display, straight from the dining, a massive door opens to a delightful outdoor sitting area where you will find me sipping my morning coffee, every time I get the chance.

The cheerful ringtone abruptly interrupts my reverie and one look at the screen is enough to make my face fall.

-Hello Dean! I say cautiously, while nervously pacing the living room's plush carpet.

-Ava, people can hardly get in touch with you these days! I thought we were supposed to co-parent last time I checked and how can we do that since we hardly speak? says my ex-husband in a clipped voice.

-I was just about to call you but things have really piled up this morning!

I smile, hating to feel cornered and looking for a way out..

It is the epitome of our marriage- a step forward, 2 steps back, in an insane dance that so many times left me feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally and that finally squeezed all the creative energy out of me and brought me to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

-I need confirmation that Noah is coming to Las Vegas this summer so that I can make the necessary arrangements; I want him to finally meet Danna!

-Dean, I do not want to have him confused or attached to a person that you are not really seeing a future with..it is not my place but are you sure you are in that point where you are ready to commit to a serious thing with..

-Jesus Ava, always the drama queen! I do not have to explain myself! He is my son too and I have the right to be a part of his life. Whether Danna stays or not is none of your business, and not that I owe you an explanation but since last night we are engaged, maybe that should settle your hysteria..

-Dean please measure your words- I only have Noah’s best interest in mind, I will talk to him and if he wants to come I will make it happen.. I only wish you would show a bit more caution when it comes to introducing new people in his life..

-Like you do? With your frivolous entourage and late night shows?

-Again, this is not about me..I..

-Don’t like it so much when you are cornered yourself, huh? Anyway, this conversation has already taken precious time that I don’t have, some of us really have to work! Make it happen!

I stare in disbelief at the black screen, hating that once more my ex managed to get through my armor and chip straight out of my soul. I hate that he can still make me feel insignificant, scared and ready to be compliant just not to scale things up..

There’s only a place where I can ditch all this and push through as if my life depended on it- and it actually does. I pick up the discarded Lululemon training bag and scoot to the gym.