[Chapter 529: Friends]
When the box office numbers for Jurassic Park hit the charts on its opening day, Eric and the crew were still in London. Everyone felt quite exhausted after flying across the Atlantic for two back-to-back premieres. However, all fatigue vanished the moment they learned of Jurassic Park's record-breaking box office. The crew members understood what it meant for the midnight screenings to double and the film to pull in $21 million on its first day. This excitement permeated the team, and that night, Eric rented out a banquet hall at the Hyde Park Hotel where they were staying, inviting everyone to celebrate all night long.
Although the London premiere was over, the film was set to roll out in other European countries over the next month. Smaller places like Belgium and Luxembourg wouldn't even have premieres; they only needed one or two actors to make appearances on some talk shows. However, Eric felt he still had to put on a show in major markets like France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. Thus, he decided to stay in London for a little longer after the premiere.
More than five years had passed since that summer morning in 1988 when he woke up in this strange timeline. Eric barely remembered the details of the life he had come from. However, the British media hadn't forgotten the story of "the boy from Woolworths." As soon as Eric and his entourage's plane landed at Heathrow Airport, this nickname appeared in a London newspaper. Woolworths referred to an area in southeast London, and as Eric racked his memories, he could only conjure up some vague images of winding streets. If anyone truly dropped him in Woolworths, he wouldn't have found north from south.
Nevertheless, the tabloids were kind enough to publish photos and stories about the streets where he had lived for eight years, rather sentimentally hoping that he'd return for a visit. Eric, despite having some private doubts, remained respectful at events like the premiere. When faced with media questions, he didn't hesitate to express heartfelt messages about missing his hometown. After all, gaining favor with the British benefitted the distribution of his films in the future.
After the premiere, energizing box office news came in from North America. The crew's other key players scattered across Europe for promotional tours. However, Eric didn't rest. He attended a succession of lively parties, and it wasn't until a full week had passed that his schedule finally opened up. While he continued to receive plenty of party invitations, most he could now decline with confidence. Although Eric wasn't particularly interested in the British, he still found London itself quite intriguing. So, he enlisted the help of his agency to find a tour guide, allowing himself to wander through London's nooks and crannies.
...
The guide was a true West End girl named Caroline Wilson, said to be of noble descent. Short and petite, she was young yet knowledgeable, effortlessly sharing fascinating tales about every landmark in London, even more so than professional tour guides. According to the agency's manager, she was a top student from Cambridge University taking this job as a summer gig. However, Caroline had a certain British unique stubbornness: despite their employer-employee relationship, she showed no awareness that she was working for Eric. Whenever she disagreed with a viewpoint he expressed, she would bluntly state her dissent, often prefacing her remarks with the proudly defiant, "I beg your pardon!" It was rather charming.
On a slowly moving yacht along the Thames, Eric stood on the deck with Caroline, gazing at the scenery that glided by.
"That over there is the Houses of Parliament, also known as the Palace of Westminster," Caroline explained. "This building was rebuilt after the Great Fire of 1834. Originally, there were two design proposals: one in the ancient Roman round-dome style proposed by Mr. William Kent, who felt that this style represented harmony and order. The other design was in the Gothic style by Sir Charles Barry, which seemed more appropriate for the Parliament's serious and mysterious atmosphere compared to the somewhat religious air of the Roman style, so it was chosen in the end."
Unlike Caroline, who stood all serious while explaining, Eric leaned casually against the railing and, with a smile, asked, "Caroline, I have a different viewpoint. I read that during the mid-19th century, London grew increasingly dark and chaotic. Those conservative, yet slightly bohemian nobles thought that the mysterious and eerie Gothic style better suited the cultural environment of London at that time. So, they went with the Gothic style for the reconstruction."
Caroline paused, clearly startled by Eric's perspective, before taking a deep breath. "I beg your pardon, Mr. Williams. I cannot agree with your viewpoint. While it is indeed said that, the Houses of Parliament, being such an important building, could never come from such a ridiculous selection process. This is a very serious matter."
Eric smiled as he observed Caroline's earnestness. As soon as she finished her point, she tilted her head back, looking straight into his eyes, her gaze wide and expectant, as if hoping he would counter her argument.
Just as Eric was about to engage with the spirited girl, the overcast sky began to drizzle unexpectedly.
London's overall rainfall was not exceedingly high, but because of its unique climate, it often had a gloomy, drizzling feel. A bodyguard, who had been hiding in the cabin, quickly spotted the rain and brought over an umbrella.
Eric took the umbrella and said, "Since it's raining, let's dock at a pier. We'll call it a day here." The bodyguard nodded and disappeared back into the cabin.
Eric opened the umbrella, holding it over both of them.
"Thank you, Mr. Williams," Caroline murmured shyly, pulling her neck in slightly, but then just as quickly added, "But I still can't agree with your earlier point."
"Alright, I concede," Eric immediately replied.
From a distance on the river, onlookers noted Eric holding the umbrella for the girl next to him, and a nearby boat quickly lit up with flashes from paparazzi. Since the moment Eric stepped off the plane, he had been followed relentlessly by the paparazzi. Over a week had passed, and he had grown accustomed to their presence.
However, glancing at Caroline, Eric suddenly asked, "Have you read any newspapers lately?"
The usually serious girl turned crimson, hesitating before she spoke honestly, "Yes, Mr. Williams, but I don't take that stuff seriously."
"That's good," Eric wasn't keen on diving into the tabloids' fabrications. Watching the yacht slow down as it approached the pier, he and Caroline disembarked.
A black Bentley was already parked at the roadside by the pier.
"Caroline, can I give you a ride home?"
"Thank you, Mr. Williams, but that's alright. I can take a taxi. Just lend me an umbrella if you could."
Eric looked at the steadily falling rain and stepped forward to open the car door for her. "Let me take you back instead. There probably won't be any taxis around here. Don't refuse -- consider it a perk for my staff."
Caroline hesitated. Although she knew Eric was staying at the Hyde Park Hotel and that she lived nearby, she realized it would indeed be hard to find a taxi here. So, she thanked him again and carefully climbed into the car.
...
As Eric closed the door behind her and settled in on the opposite side, he instructed the driver to start the car.
"Where do you live?" Eric asked after they had pulled away.
"Knightsbridge," she replied.
Eric nodded and gave a few more instructions to the driver.
As the Bentley snaked its way through London's winding streets, a silence fell in the car. Perhaps feeling like she owed it to keep the atmosphere lively since she was getting a free ride, Caroline quickly initiated a topic. "Mr. Williams, you've been touring London these past few days. Are you considering making a movie related to London?"
"Finding the right material is essential, but if I do decide to make such a film in the future, I'll definitely get in touch with you for advice."
"I... I can't do that," Caroline quickly shook her head. "But I could introduce you to my mentor. He's incredibly knowledgeable."
Eric chuckled, noticing how serious she looked. "I heard you went to Cambridge."
"Um, yes, I studied English Literature. I just graduated and got into graduate school. I'll continue after the summer break."
Eric nodded. "My latest film has a female lead who is a top student at Oxford. What about you? Interested in acting?"
"No, I'm not interested at all. I can't act," Caroline shook her head again but suddenly added, "But one of my good friends is exceptional at acting. She also studied literature but created a drama club back in school. She's really talented."
Eric had merely brought it up casually, and though he wasn't especially interested in Caroline's classmate, with still a distance to their destination, he went along conversationally. "Really impressive! Just how talented?"
Caroline sensed Eric wasn't particularly invested in the topic but felt the need to respond due to her upbringing. "She can write her own scripts, and during her sophomore year, she won the Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Festival with her own play." At this point, something seemed to strike her as funny, and she chuckled softly.
"What is it?" Eric asked, looking down at his own clothes, unsure if something went amiss.
"Oh, it's just that her play, titled Slight Possession, required her to fall off a ladder that was seven feet high during performances. After winning the award, she decided to get a tattoo of a tiny ladder on her body."
Eric felt a bit puzzled; that didn't sound especially humorous. Then he thought to ask, "Where did she get it?"
Caroline's face turned rosy, and she fidgeted slightly in her seat, finally managing to say, "On... on her behind." As she pronounced this, she pointed her finger near Eric's thigh root, then immediately withdrew, as if she had touched something scalding, her face reddening further.
Eric suddenly found himself intrigued by the story of Caroline's friend, someone who had tattooed a ladder on her backside -- a new one for him.
"Your friend sounds quite amusing; perhaps there'll be a chance for me to meet her," Eric suggested.
Caroline nodded, wanting to say more but ultimately feeling it was too forward, so she kept quiet.
...
Half an hour later, the car pulled up near a building on Knightsbridge, south of Hyde Park. By then, the rain had ceased, and Eric let Caroline out at the curb with a goodbye, before instructing the driver to leave.
As Caroline watched the Bentley disappear around the corner, just about to head into her apartment, she heard a familiar engine roar from around the corner. A large displacement 1970s Jaguar King appeared in her view.
The Jaguar stopped beside Caroline, and a girl decked in waves and dressed in a Bohemian style jumped from the driver's seat. "Hey, Caroline, what are you doing standing here?"
"Oh, nothing, Rachel. I just got back," Caroline replied, shaking her head.
Rachel scrutinized Caroline's face for a few moments before bursting out laughing. "Was that director gentleman the one who drove you home?"
Caroline's cheeks flushed with embarrassment; she wanted to deny it but ended up subtly nodding.
The girl named Rachel lightly pinched Caroline's cheek and chuckled, "I can't believe you! All these years, you still can't tell a lie! You're hopeless."
"I don't lie!" Caroline retorted.
"Okay, okay," Rachel said, shaking her head in resignation. Then teasingly asked, "So, do you like that director?"
"I... I won't tell you," Caroline's face flushed crimson, and reflexively, she reached up to cover her face, but Rachel pulled her into an embrace. "Come here! Let your sister give you a hug!"
Though Rachel wore small leather boots and stood over five-foot-seven, petite Caroline was just over five-foot-one, making them look like a couple as she hugged Rachel.
"Rachel, don't! Stop that!" Caroline protested, pushing Rachel away, flustered as she hurried into the apartment.
Rachel followed closely behind, continuing her teasing, "I read in the newspaper that you and that director make a good match!"
"Stop it!" Caroline pulled out her keys to open the door, avoiding eye contact as she awkwardly attempted to change the subject. "I... I even mentioned you to him!"
*****
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