"Although I lost one, uh no, eight small goals, it's still good news."
Feeling pleased, Wayne suddenly found Kate Winslet, who had come over to greet him as soon as she checked into the hotel, to be even more beautiful than before.
"Kate, I've heard the night view in Paris is quite beautiful. How about we take a walk together?" Wayne suggested.
Honestly, he didn't think Kate Winslet in front of him was that stunning. At least, by his standards, Kate's looks and aura couldn't compare to Jessica or Annie, and she was far from the league of top beauties like Charlize Theron or Nicole Kidman.
However, Kate's allure still made him interested in getting to know her better.
Kate, perhaps drawn by Wayne's good looks, or maybe his status and influence, clearly had a favorable view of Wayne as well. Her lips curved into an elegant and charming smile, and she accepted his offer without hesitation.
Of course, while today's Paris wasn't yet overrun by the African immigrants like it would be 20 years later, there were already some areas that had become quite chaotic because of their presence.
Earlier that day, when Wayne had been out sightseeing with Jessica and the others, he had even witnessed two motorbike-riding thieves snatching a pedestrian's wallet on the famous Alexander III Bridge. This had soured his view of Paris. Because of this, he had Hannah arrange for the production crew to hire additional security personnel from a local PMC.
Since going out with just Kate meant they couldn't bring bodyguards, Wayne decided to keep it simple. They strolled along the bustling Champs-Élysées, visited the Arc de Triomphe, and returned to the hotel after less than an hour.
As expected, when he walked Kate back to her room, she invited him in for coffee. This, naturally, led to a deeper interaction between them.
What surprised Wayne, though, was that Kate's stamina wasn't as high as he had imagined. After just over an hour, she was already begging for mercy.
Seeing this, Wayne didn't stay the night. He took a shower and returned to his own room.
In the days that followed, he didn't actively seek out Kate again. This left Hannah and the others baffled, thinking he must have been sick.
Left with no choice, Wayne had to spend a few hours proving through action that he had no issues in that department. The reason he didn't go back to Kate was simple—after exhausting the allure of her character, she no longer held much appeal for someone as accustomed to indulgence as Wayne.
"Such strange taste!" Hannah couldn't help but comment, earning a firm slap from Wayne on her behind, leaving a clear red mark.
Annoyed, Hannah sprang up, ready to teach Wayne a lesson. But after just five minutes, the little energy she had regained was drained, and Wayne once again put her in her place.
Despite Wayne's lack of interest in Kate's appearance, he did appreciate her acting skills and professionalism.
Though her role didn't involve much screen time or give her many chances to shine, in the scene where her character learned that assassins were targeting Bourne and Marie—and that her own family might be caught in the crossfire—Kate's performance was impressive. The way she clutched her child tightly, gently patting the child's back while whispering, "It's okay," all the while glancing at Bourne and Marie with a mix of fear, anxiety, and frustration, almost made Wayne lose his focus.
"As expected, anyone who can win an Oscar, even if with a little external help, must have real talent," Wayne mused.
On the day of Kate's final scene, Julia Roberts, who was playing the second assassin, arrived on set.
Wayne couldn't figure out why, but Julia Roberts seemed noticeably more enthusiastic toward him this time.
Curious, Wayne tentatively asked Julia if she wanted to grab a drink that evening, and to his surprise, she agreed readily. This raised his guard—was there something she needed his help with?
Hesitating for a moment, Wayne asked, "Julia, are you dealing with something stressful? You don't look quite yourself lately."
"Do I?" Julia Roberts instinctively touched her face, then quickly realized Wayne's intent.
"It's not really stressful," she explained with a wry smile. "Danny—my new boyfriend—proposed to me. But I'm hesitant to accept. I mean, we've only known each other for a few months."
Wayne immediately understood.
He thought it might have been something serious, but it was just this!
He sympathized with Julia's dilemma. After all, being carefree before marriage and being carefree after marriage are two very different things.
In the U.S., it's common for people to be carefree before marriage, but once married, the importance placed on family makes any post-marriage affairs a bigger issue. If caught by the paparazzi, it could spark backlash from fans.
Even someone at her level sometimes had to make sacrifices to secure top opportunities.
Marriage would certainly complicate things.
Wayne could also guess why Julia had been so forward with him recently.
According to what he remembered from his past life, Julia Roberts would win her Oscar next January, further boosting her popularity and status. It wouldn't be long before she accepted her boyfriend's proposal and got married in 2002.
Her enthusiasm toward Wayne now was likely because she wanted to enjoy herself as much as possible before settling down.
Once he realized this wasn't some kind of trap, Wayne relaxed and reciprocated Julia's warmth.
After a two-hour session of intimate "discussion," a completely exhausted Julia Roberts lay in Wayne's arms, feeling even more conflicted.
Giving up the entire forest for just one tree seemed like a bad deal!
Perhaps feeling that time was running out, Julia Roberts became even more proactive over the next two days.
During the day, she worked hard filming, and once the day wrapped, she would immediately pull Wayne out for dinner and another round of "discussion," refusing to waste a single moment.
This left Wayne feeling quite helpless.
(End of this chapter)