[Chapter 239: Saving the Flowers]
Back at the hotel where the film crew was staying, Eric was lying in bed after taking a shower, chatting on the phone with Jennifer Aniston, who was far away in Los Angeles, when a loud knock echoed through the room.
Eric responded quickly and said to Aniston, "Honey, soone's at the door, so I'll have to hang up... No way, it's probably soone from the crew wanting to discuss sothing with ... Oh co on, don't think I don't know, you had Nicole keep an eye on , didn't you?... Haha, she's living right next door, and this crummy hotel has paper-thin walls, I can't even... Okay, okay, love you, bye."
After hanging up the phone, Eric slipped into his slippers, got out of bed, opened the door, and found Carey Lowell standing there in a khaki trench coat.
The actress's flawless face, ticulously made up, looked even more striking than when she had portrayed Sam's wife, Maggie, just hours before on set. With one button of her high-neck coat undone, an enticing glimpse of white was visible, provoking a desire to unravel her ensemble. The knee-length coat revealed a slender leg clad in black stockings, and her black ankle boots added a touch of youthful vitality.
Carey held a blue folder and, noticing Eric's montary awe, her eyes sparkled with pride. "Mr. Williams, may I co in?"
"Oh, of course," Eric finally regained his senses. He smiled and welcod Carey inside, shutting the door behind her.
"The conditions here are limited -- there's just milk and orange juice. Miss Lowell, which would you like?" he asked casually while walking toward a cabinet that housed an old television, opening a small compartnt.
Carey took a seat at the round table and placed the blue folder on top before responding to Eric's inquiry, "If it's alright, I'd love a glass of milk."
Without a second thought, Eric poured her a glass of milk and brought it to her, taking a seat across from her at the small round table.
"Thank you," Carey said softly, lifting the glass as if casually bringing it to her lips while her striking blue eyes fixed on Eric, shimring with allure. After taking a small sip, she leisurely licked the milk off her lips, creating a suggestive contrast to her innocent action.
In the quiet room, observing Carey's flirtatious gestures, Eric couldn't help but touch his nose and asked, "Miss Lowell, shouldn't you have returned to the city? You have no more scenes here."
Carey looked at Eric with a hint of sorrow and replied, "Do you want to leave? It's so late, and even if I went to the city, I wouldn't find a hotel. Besides, I'm a woman not wanting to roam about at this hour."
This was clearly a flimsy excuse; Eric had seen the assistant who had accompanied her. Nevertheless, he didn't call her out on it. From the mont he first laid eyes on Carey, he had a good idea of her intentions.
"Well then, what do you want?" Eric asked directly.
Carey opened the blue folder and said, "Actually, Mr. Williams, I wanted to discuss my role with you."
Eric accepted the neatly stapled A4 pages she handed him, scanning through them. He quickly realized they contained her understanding and concepts for the character of Maggie -- a level of analysis many actors undertook after landing a role. Yet, he hadn't anticipated her going to such lengths for a small part.
After reading a bit, Eric found that Carey's interpretation of Maggie was even more profound than his own, with so details he hadn't considered. Surprised, he looked up and asked, "Miss Lowell, did you co up with this on your own?"
Carey hesitated before admitting, "It was my manager and... I who ca up with this, Eric. What do you think?"
"Your manager seems quite good," Eric joked, noting the slight flicker of embarrassnt in Carey's eyes; he decided not to linger on the issue. Instead, he continued, "The analysis of Maggie is spot-on. To be honest, there are details I hadn't even thought about. Maggie truly is the spark for the entire story. Without her, the narrative foundation wouldn't exist."
"Then," Carey leaned forward, encouraged by Eric's approval, "Mr. Williams, don't you think Maggie's role is a bit too small? Since this character is so essential, wouldn't it make sense to add a few more scenes?"
"Miss Lowell, you need to understand that the focus of this story is on Sam and Annie. I want audiences to deeply resonate with the enchanting connection between the lead characters once the film is released. Only then can this movie truly succeed."
Carey didn't show any signs of disappointnt upon hearing Eric's words. Her ethereal blue eyes shone brightly as she leaned forward even more, softly saying, "Mr. Williams, I'm not trying to steal the thunder of the leading lady. With your talent, you'll never let that happen, right? I rely wish for you to add a few more scenes for Maggie."
A gentle smile curled at the corners of Eric's mouth. He spread his legs beneath the table just enough to trap her fidgeting leg, preventing her from squirming around. Despite the fabric between them, he felt the softness of her limb clearly.
Feeling the shift, Carey stiffened for a mont but soon regained her seductive deanor, believing Eric's action was an implicit agreent to her request.
"So, Mr. Williams, does this an you agree?" Carey asked, her eyes sparkling.
Eric glanced at her alluring lips that continuously fluttered as she spoke, teasingly replying, "Agree to what?"
Carey blinked in surprise for a fleeting second, quickly suppressing her impatience. "To add more scenes for Maggie's character! It doesn't need to be too much -- just enough to ensure audiences rember... rember Maggie. You can definitely manage that, right?"
"Of course, that's easy -- like the role of Brooke Shields in Running Out of Ti," Eric acknowledged, and before the joy could appear on her face, he decisively shook his head again, asserting, "However, I cannot do that. If Sam and Maggie's relationship is portrayed as too perfect, it'll detract from the audience's attention. It might even persuade viewers to think of Sam as perpetually single and create a dislike for the bond between Sam and Annie, which would spell disaster for the film."
Carey watched Eric, who remained steadfast through her plea. Disappointed, she tried to retract her trapped leg. After struggling a few tis and feeling the vice grip of his hold, she hesitated, blushing as she said, "Mr. Williams, since... since that's the case, can you please let
go?"
"Why should I let you go? I find this quite comfortable," Eric teased.
Carey's cheeks flushed deeper, and sensing the assertive glint in Eric's eyes, she looked down, bracing her hands on the edge of the round table. She exerted a bit more pressure to free herself, but to no avail. Not wanting to attract attention or anger Eric, she weakly pleaded, "Mr. Williams, please... don't do this. I should be heading back."
Lowering his voice coaxingly, Eric urged, "What's the rush? And might I remind you, this little inn has mice -- quite bold little creatures that dare to climb into beds at night." Carey shivered at the ntion of mice but imdiately asserted, "I'm not afraid of mice, Mr.
Williams."
"So you're afraid of ? That's rather disheartening," Eric feigned disappointnt.
"No, it's not," she quickly shook her head, then seed to think of sothing and added, "By the way, I... I have a boyfriend, so we can't do this, Mr. Williams."
Eric clutched his chest, "Wow, that's such a sha -- another beautiful lady already taken. I bet every man who knows you feels heartbroken. Can I know who the lucky guy is?" "He's Griffin Dunne; he's also an actor, and... he's already proposed to ," Carey replied.
Eric recalled Griffin Dunne from mory -- a man resembling Robin Williams, though considerably shorter. He had played supporting roles in various films and directed a few but had never gained much fa.
After a mont, Eric inquired, "Have you accepted?"
Carey shook her head, "I'm still considering. He... he has considerable connections in
Hollywood."
Eric understood she ant marrying Griffin could bring her more opportunities in her career.
Looking at the striking woman standing at about five foot seven and picturing that five foot, awkward guy, Eric felt an impulse to rescue this flower from a grim fate, exclaiming, "He
can't help you."
Carey looked flustered. "Mr. Williams, I don't understand what you an."
"You know exactly what I an," Eric said with a knowing smile. "And I can tell you, he can't
help you."
Feeling cornered, Carey raised her brows and asked, "On what grounds do you say that?"
On what grounds? On the grounds of his mories, Eric mused internally. In his mory, Carey Lowell had only made a notable appearance in the 16th Bond film and didn't have any
standout works afterward.
*****
spatreon/Sayonara816.
User Comments
0 comments from readers