[Chapter 140: I Need a Maid]
In the bright office, Eric admired the pretty, slightly baby-faced woman for a moment, his gaze gradually becoming unfocused. He couldn't help but recall his past life, specifically the divorce case around 2001. Back then, Eric hadn't paid much attention to the entertainment gossip, but Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were simply too famous. Being in the business, it was impossible for him not to overhear discussions about them.
However, until the couple officially filed for divorce, the specific reasons remained under wraps, and a multitude of wild speculations abounded. Among the theories Eric heard, the most intriguing one suggested that their divorce stemmed from a Stanley Kubrick film where Kubrick forced Nicole Kidman to perform intimate scenes with male model Gary Cuban, who was cast as a Navy officer. It was rumored that she even underwent ovarian surgery after the intense filming. Given Kubrick's personality, Eric thought this theory held some weight. Yet, while Kubrick was indeed a jerk, he wasn't insane; he wouldn't have shared such details with Tom, and that information only surfaced after their divorce.
Two years prior to their split, a maid from the Cruise household accidentally leaked to the media that the couple's atmosphere at home was cold and that they barely spoke to each other. After winning the lawsuit against the maid, the couple went on to publicly display affection for a time, but then two years later, they inexplicably divorced.
At that time, the media listed various speculative reasons behind the divorce, with the most prominent being that Nicole had been unfaithful, claiming she was three months pregnant with a child that wasn't Tom's. Eric personally found this rumor the most plausible, as Nicole nearly walked away with nothing. If it weren't for a significant moral failing on her part, a woman simply wouldn't agree to sign a divorce settlement days before their ten-year anniversary, especially given how George Lucas had lost half his fortune in his divorce and even had to sell Pixar. Later, billionaire Sumner Redstone faced turmoil when his wife sought a divorce from him. California law stipulated that without a prenuptial agreement, all marital property was divided equally after ten years. In 2001, Tom Cruise was reported to have amassed over $360 million in wealth, while Nicole allegedly walked away with only a piece of artwork after the divorce.
...
At this moment in the office, Nicole Kidman noticed Eric staring off into space and felt a tinge of dissatisfaction. Did she lack that much allure? This man, three years younger than her, had gotten lost in thought.
The silence stretched on for several minutes before Nicole finally broke the tension. "Mr. Williams?"
"Uh, sorry, Nicole, I just remembered something," Eric said, coming back to reality, offering her an apologetic smile. "Nicole, the file says you've been doing well in Australia. What brought you to Hollywood?"
"Every actor dreams of proving themselves in Hollywood, and I'm no exception. I hope to build a better career here," she responded.
"That's no easy feat. You haven't even starred in a Hollywood movie yet, and if you want to prove yourself here, you shouldn't be auditioning for television roles."
"It's just... I haven't found the right role," she said, searching for an excuse. "I thought this TV series might be a good fit, so I wanted to give it a try."
Of course, she wanted to act in movies, but in this timeline, her luck wasn't as good as in his previous life. She had come to Hollywood earlier that year, just like all the ambitious actors, filled with unrealistic hopes. Months passed, and though she attended many auditions, she only snagged a minor part in a film, barely worthy of the term "supporting role." Eventually, she had to shift her focus to television, as many Hollywood stars rose from the small screen to film stardom.
Curiosity struck Eric, prompting him to ask, "Nicole, did you come to Hollywood alone?"
"Yes," she replied, a bit perplexed.
Eric simply nodded without further comment.
The office fell silent again, and Nicole couldn't resist asking her most pressing question. "So, Mr. Director, did I get the role of Phoebe Buffay?"
"Sorry, no. The role was already offered to someone else," Eric said, shaking his head honestly.
Nicole was taken aback. What did that mean? If he had said "still under consideration" or something similar, she'd know how to proceed. But instead, he outright told her someone was already cast.
"Can you tell me why?" Nicole asked, her thoughts swirling.
Eric shifted to a more comfortable position and explained, "Myself and a few other producers unanimously agreed that you, uh, were too beautiful."
"Uh?" Nicole was left speechless.
"It's like this," Eric straightened up to clarify, "the character Phoebe has a very tragic backstory. She was abandoned by her biological parents, and when her stepmother committed suicide, this fourteen-year-old girl ended up homeless on the streets of New York, struggling at the bottom until she finally became a massage therapist."
"What does that have to do with looks?"
"A lot," Eric replied. "Do you think a stunning fourteen-year-old girl wandering the streets of New York would just live a normal life until her twenties, making loads of friends?"
Certainly not! While Nicole came from a well-off middle-class family, she was not blind to society's dark sides. If Phoebe were beautiful, she might happen upon a decent man to marry and settle down, as beauty isn't scarce anywhere. However, if luck ran out, the outcome could be tragic.
"Eric, if that's the case, why did you ask me to come here and wait?"
"Because... I was curious. I wanted to talk to you."
"That's it?" Nicole said incredulously, finding his reasoning rather flimsy.
"Yep, that's it," Eric shrugged, standing up. "I just wanted to chat for a bit. It's late, Nicole. Sorry for making you wait. Let me take you to dinner."
"Fine," Nicole said, disappointed, as she stood up, slipping into her high heels and walking alongside Eric out of the office, the security guard casting them a smirk as they descended the stairs together.
...
At a nearby restaurant, the tall Nicole Kidman looked troubled, lost in her thoughts, while Eric happily munched away, chatting with her easily.
After dinner, Eric climbed into his car, and as Nicole watched him prepare to say goodbye, she couldn't hold back and opened the door to the passenger seat, sitting beside him. She knew if she let this chance slip away, she might just have to return to Australia in disgrace.
In her few months in Hollywood, Nicole had witnessed the cutthroat competition. The highest-profile person she'd interacted with was an unknown independent director, and though she'd won several small awards in Australia, they meant nothing here.
"Nicole..." Eric glanced curiously at the woman who had just entered his car, aware that her own vehicle was parked nearby.
"Alright, Mr. Williams, what do I need to do to land the role? Please just tell me directly," she said, her breath quickening as her blue eyes fixed intensely on him, carrying a sense of determination.
"The character has already been cast," Eric replied seriously.
"Then why go through all this needless effort, giving me hope only to crush it so quickly? Don't you think that's... a bit harsh?"
"Okay, I apologize. I really wanted to talk to you... out of curiosity."
"Just to make a woman wait in the office for hours and then talk about nonsense? It's absurd; do you think anyone would believe that?"
"Well, what else was I supposed to do?" Eric replied, somewhat impatiently.
Nicole hesitated for a moment, reaching out to take Eric's arm, pressing it against her thigh. "Mr. Williams, I'm well aware of your reputation -- Hollywood's most promising young director. I've heard about Julia Roberts, so please, give me a chance."
Eric glanced at her hand resting on his thigh. Despite the fabric of his pants, he felt an unexpected warmth.
"Actually, there's a film you can audition for, a romantic comedy," Eric finally mentioned.
Nicole squeezed Eric's hand a little tighter, a spark of excitement lighting up her face.
"You know, I've been pretty busy lately. The film won't start shooting until July or August, maybe even later," he warned her.
"No problem, I can wait," Nicole replied without hesitation.
Eric shook his head. "Not like that. I mean, I'm busy at home and need a maid."
"Uh," Nicole said, her mouth slightly agape in surprise.
Eric grinned mischievously. "I need someone to help me with meals; I'm usually not home for lunch, so just two meals a day would do. I don't want a cleaner bothering me either, especially since I need someone to tidy up. If you're willing, you can come be my maid from May to September."
"Uh!" Nicole's mind took a moment to wrap around this unexpected proposition. After a moment, she tentatively asked, "Am I... am I the leading lady?"
Eric wore a satisfied smile. "Of course! If you perform well, you might shot to A-list status like Julia in just one movie. Such an opportunity rarely comes by for most actresses throughout their careers."
"I need to think it over," Nicole said as she lifted her head.
"Of course! When you've made your decision, get back to me ASAP. Oh, and if you agree, you'll be staying at my mansion for the next few months."
"Why?" Nicole asked, feeling a bit frightened, conjuring up embarrassing thoughts.
"I have a serious girlfriend, so I prefer not having a young, beautiful woman coming and going from my villa. Plus, you wouldn't want those tales to surface about how you landed this role once you hit it big, right?"
"I understand," Nicole nodded, processing everything.
After a few more exchanges, they parted ways. By the time Eric got home, he felt a thrill over his mischievous idea. He was sure Nicole wouldn't refuse such an offer. In fact, he thought perhaps this "arrangement" could continue indefinitely. This way, he wouldn't need to hire any strange cleaners, and he could finally stop worrying about meals. More importantly, what could be more satisfying than having a former A-list star as his maid?
...
A new week kicked off with final shooting preparations. The larger scenes had been wrapped up, leaving just a few odds and ends for location shoots. Five days later, on a street in downtown Los Angeles, the crew kicked off the last scene, all members sporting relaxed smiles despite the previous month and a half of hard work.
...
On a bus, Sean tucked a newspaper under his arm, clutching a bucket of popcorn as he sat down, catching a glimpse of the sapphire necklace hanging from a woman behind him. Hesitating, he turned back to her, staring at the necklace for several seconds. When the woman raised an eyebrow in suspicion, he spoke up. "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else."
"No problem," Yoyo replied, her tone casual as she absentmindedly gazed out of the window.
"That's a beautiful necklace; where did you get it?" Sean couldn't resist asking.
"A friend gave it to me. It's fake; very cheap," Yoyo lifted her spirits slightly when he mentioned the necklace.
Sean chuckled. "Boyfriend?"
Yoyo shook her head. "Haven't seen him in ages."
"Hold on to it," he said, turning slightly. "He might just show up one day and surprise you."
Yoyo smiled expectantly, perhaps aware that such hope was scant, yet she stubbornly took the bus daily, wishing to see Andy again.
...
As the bus gradually came to a stop, Eric satisfiedly called, "Cut! This shot's in the bag! Just one left, everyone prepare! Yoyo--uh, I mean Brooke, we're up for the scene I had you perform in the audition room. Even with several hours to go, I'm eager for you to nail this. We have the wrap party tonight."
"I'll do my best, Eric," Brooke Shields smiled in reply.
The final shot began, and though a day passed without Yoyo encountering Andy, she disembarked from the bus with disappointment, while multiple cameras trained on Brooke Shields from across the street captured this moment.
Even after many practice runs in the audition room, she only managed to complete the shot after a few NGs. As Eric called "good!" with satisfaction, applause erupted from everyone around.
Eric lifted a megaphone, announcing, "I declare the shoot officially wrapped! Everybody tidy up; we're meeting at the Hilton tonight. Everyone must be there, no exceptions!"
Cheers erupted, with many crew members tossing their hats into the air.
...
After concluding his instructions with a smile, Eric headed toward an armored transport vehicle. Four brawny bodyguards stood guard beside it, while a middle-aged man in his forties loaded the sapphire necklace used in Brooke Shields' shoot into a safe.
"Mr. Derek, thank you for your generous sponsorship," Eric said warmly as the man handed over the secure diamond-laden safe into the truck.
"Oh, it's my pleasure, Mr. Williams. It's a mutually beneficial situation," the man named Derek said courteously, shaking Eric's hand. "Now, I must be off; I can't have the necklace lingering outside for even a minute without feeling uneasy."
"No worries, I understand," Eric smiled, aware that along with the sponsorship brands, an important prop -- the sapphire seized by the bald monk -- was also involved.
Some had suggested using a stand-in prop for the shoot, merely needing to source a fake blue crystal worth a few hundred dollars. But Eric decided to film with the actual necklace. Lacking connections, he reached out to Columbia, and after consulting with Amy Pascal, they quickly secured a $10 million blue diamond from a British collector, who had planned to auction it through Christie's the following autumn. Luckily, the higher-ups at Columbia had a decent rapport with the collector, so after much negotiation, he reluctantly agreed to let the necklace be loaned.
However, making this arrangement wasn't easy; whenever the diamond was filmed, four armed bodyguards were stationed five meters away, making everyone on set rather jumpy. Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch throughout the filming.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.