[Chapter 926: T-X]
Not long after Qusie Gauff brought Eric Williams through the door, the sound of another key turning in a lock quickly followed.
The lights in the living room flickered on to reveal a tall woman dressed in a black gown, standing at nearly six feet tall. With a healthy sun-kissed complexion and lightly dyed red hair, she radiated a sense of untamed wildness.
After tossing her keys into a large bowl on the shoe rack beside the entrance, the woman was about to sit down and slip off her high heels when she sensed something unusual in the apartment.
Several articles of clothing were scattered carelessly in the living room, and she immediately recognized her roommate's white cotton T-shirt and light blue jeans. But that wasn't the main concern. Besides a pink bra that lay about, she had the shocking discovery of a man's jacket draped over the arm of the sofa.
Seriously? How could she do this? They had agreed beforehand that no one was allowed to bring the opposite sex home!
Fuming, she kicked off her high heels and stormed barefoot to Qusie's door. She initially intended to knock, but as she got closer, she noticed the door was ajar.
Leaning in to listen, she caught the sounds of kissing coming from within, punctuated by soft smacking noises.
This was perfect! They clearly weren't yet serious, and she could interrupt, sending that guy packing. There was no chance she wanted an unknown man spending the night in her apartment.
With resolve, she pushed the door open and barged inside, only to freeze in disbelief.
...
A dim yellow bedside lamp was the only light illuminating the room, where a man lounged comfortably on an inflatable couch by the window. Her roommate knelt gracefully on the carpet in front of him, her flawless, fair-skinned figure accentuated in ways that made her appear even more attractive.
While she maintained a fit, muscular physique -- a rarity in the modeling world -- she couldn't help but envy her roommate's model-like figure. But in that moment, any envy vanished in the wake of the awkward scene before her.
She let out an embarrassed scream, quickly covering her eyes as she backed out of the room, and shouted angrily, "Qusie, get out here!"
After glaring at the door for a moment, she heard soft giggles from within, followed by the definitive sound of the door being shut and locked.
So they weren't going to acknowledge her? This was too much!
After glaring at that door for a moment longer, she angrily kicked it, intent on finding a new place to live by the next day.
Feeling dejected, she turned away and tossed the jacket onto the floor before sinking into the sofa, stewing in her anger.
...
After about ten minutes, she gradually calmed down and realized that the man in her roommate's room seemed somewhat familiar.
The feeling of recognition was strong, yet the dim lights and her brief glance previously prevented her from placing him.
Realizing she was hungry, she shrugged off the thought and made her way to the kitchen to prepare herself a bowl of oatmeal, turning on the TV as she did.
Once her late-night snack was finished and two episodes of a sitcom had concluded, she curled up with a pillow on the sofa, casting another glance at her roommate's door -- which remained unresponsive.
She and Qusie Gauff were introduced by a friend a few months ago and started living together, mainly to share the rent. Though modeling looked glamorous, for most, the income was about the same as working a typical office job, but lacking stability. They worked for the same modeling agency, coexisting smoothly but not particularly intimately.
Yet, now it seemed Qusie Gauff had a boyfriend, implying he would often be in the apartment. She couldn't see herself getting used to that.
Sighing, she realized it was time to search for new housing, unsure if she'd find something as cozy as this place again.
...
As she flicked through TV channels, nothing piqued her interest. With the clock already past ten, she intended to rest when Qusie's bedroom door opened.
Expecting her roommate, she was ready to confront her, but instead, a man stepped out of the room.
If she hadn't recognized him earlier, there was no chance she would mistake him now.
Staring with her mouth slightly agape, she took in the sight of the man, hair still damp, dressed in a slightly snug pink bathrobe.
After a moment of shock, she finally managed to speak. "You... You're Eric Williams?"
Eric nodded, sitting down in a nearby armchair.
Noticing his jacket tossed carelessly on the floor, he started to get up to retrieve it. But before he could, she rushed to pick it up and carefully placed it back on the arm of the sofa, feeling a bit awkward as she offered him a shy smile while adjusting herself in the sofa.
Quietly, Eric observed the woman before him. The moment she barged into Qusie's room, he recognized her, having been cleverly briefed on her through Qusie. The woman in front of him was none other than the actress who portrayed the formidable T-X in Terminator 3, Kristanna Loken.
In an interesting turn of events, Eric hadn't planned on being out tonight in the first place.
Feeling a strange mix of electricity coursing through her, Kristanna couldn't help but think about everything she knew about him. The world's richest man, Hollywood mogul, creator of the Victoria's Secret fashion show, and investor in high-tech companies -- each title made her feel further from reach. Yet here he was, sitting right in front of her.
Out of nowhere, she came up with a random thought of a character named Aladdin -- yeah, the genie, what was his name again?
She quickly shook off the thought, realizing she needed to take the initiative. "Mr. Williams, how did you meet Qusie?"
"At a party," Eric replied, "a rather interesting party. Unfortunately, I didn't see you there."
"I just started renting with Qusie not long ago; we're not too familiar." Almost forgetting her introduction, she added, "By the way, Mr. Williams, I'm Kristanna Loken."
Eric chuckled softly. "That's quite a mouthful."
Darting forward, Kristanna exclaimed, "You can call me Kris, that's my nick name. Mr. Williams, are you... dating Qusie?"
Eric honestly shook his head. "Not exactly."
As soon as she asked, Kristanna felt that her question was pretty naive. Everyone knew Eric Williams was a notorious playboy. She felt a bit flustered and glanced at Eric's bathrobe.
Seeing Kristanna, Eric thought of the MGM project Fast and Furious which was in pre-production. In the original series, Michelle Rodriguez played the girlfriend of Vin Diesel.
He hadn't felt anything toward Michelle Rodriguez at all; her onscreen chemistry with Vin was completely off. It felt so out of place when the storyline turned into a desperate plot of Vin's character crying over Michelle's death in sixth movie, and then resurrected later.
Having previously watched Fast and Furious with a vision of Michelle Rodriguez as an action star, he kept an eye on choices for casting, and he hadn't intended to bring Michelle back. The actresses MGM selected left him unsatisfied as the character Letty called for a more daring, wild woman. Kristanna, with her impressive role as T-X, fit the bill perfectly.
Noticing Eric's gaze lingering on her, Kristanna started to feel an odd sense of discomfort. As this renowned playboy, could Eric have just hooked up with her roommate? Did he want her too?
After a while, Eric shook his head and said, "You know what? You really don't suit wearing dresses."
"Um," Kristanna nodded instinctively, then explained, "Actually, I attended a party, that's why I'm dressed like this."
With a teasing smirk, he replied, "Qusie mentioned you were attending a party -- didn't think you'd be back so soon."
Caught off guard by the awkwardness of the moment, Kristanna instinctively averted her eyes from Eric.
She didn't explain why she was back early; hesitating, she finally asked Eric, "Mr. Williams, is Qusie going to participate in this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show?"
"Yeah," Eric nodded, his smile mischievous. "And conveniently, I have a role that would suit you perfectly. Would you be interested?"
Kristanna blinked in surprise, recalling the earlier thoughts without being able to remember the name of the genie. However, perhaps being called Eric Williams wasn't so bad either.
Lost in these mixed thoughts, Kristanna fiddled nervously with her skirt, determined to ask, "So, Mr. Williams, what do I need to do?"
As she spoke, her eyes flicked down to the wooden floor below.
Why do men always prefer that look?
There was no carpet here, which likely meant she wouldn't be able to wear short skirts for the coming days; hot pants clearly wouldn't cut it either. But since it was autumn, going without such clothing wasn't a big deal. Maybe she could use a pillow for a cushion.
Kristanna had been considering entering show business increasingly, observing that in recent years, there were countless aspiring young men and women vying for the same roles. Finding promotion in this field was no easy task. Now, an opportunity presented itself directly in front of her -- it was unfathomable to turn it down. Besides, Eric Williams surely wasn't one of those old men in their fifties or sixties. Engaging with an attention-grabbing man like him hardly felt inappropriate.
Observing Kristanna's wandering eyes, Eric said with a smile, "No jokes. Just call me Eric. By the way, can you drive?"
"Of course," Kristanna replied, nodding. "I got my license when I was sixteen."
"Great. This role is for a street racer." Eric looked over Kristanna and suddenly changed the subject. "Never mind, you really don't suit wearing a dress, especially not a loose-fitting one. Why don't you go change?"
"Sure!" Kristanna jumped up, then curiously asked, "Eric, what kind of outfit do you like?"
"You've seen Terminator 2, right? The shot of Linda Hamilton holding an AK while smoking a cigarette. Try to replicate her black sleeveless top with leggings look. The character I have in mind probably resembles that."
Kristanna listened intently, nodding, then turned to walk back to her room.
...
Eric switched the TV channel to ABC, landing on The Late Show with David Letterman, which was airing after prime time.
Noticing the current guests included leads from the new fall lineup, Eric recalled that the upcoming series, Dark Angel, would soon air on Fox, replacing The X-Files. Although this apocalyptic sci-fi series hadn't gained much attention, the timing of its launch, coinciding with Cameron's peak fame, coupled with Fox's marketing strategy, would surely garner more viewers compared to its predecessors.
Kristanna emerged from her room quickly, already transformed into a cropped top and black pants, completed with stylish high-heeled boots. While she didn't exude Linda Hamilton's intense aura, there was a new, alluring vibe to her presence.
"Let your ponytail down. I suggest you never tie it up again or put your hair up; your face shape just doesn't suit it. Also, you should go pick up a pair of men's combat boots tomorrow. Change into those during the audition. That'll align with my vision of a street racer."
Following Eric's suggestion, Kristanna let her ponytail down. Under his guidance, she posed a few times until Eric nodded in approval, prompting her to sit back down on the sofa and cautiously ask, "Eric, I just realized -- you must be referring to the Fast and Furious project MGM is working on?"
"Exactly. And I want you to play the lead female role, the main character's girlfriend," he asserted.
While Kristanna didn't lack screen experience, it had mostly been with lower-budget indie films. Hearing Eric mention her possibly playing the lead role in an MGM film left her seemingly in disbelief. "Eric, are you really going to let me be the lead?"
"The script is mine; I think you perfectly embody the image I envision for the lead character. But there's a caveat: you need to pass the audition. I won't shoehorn someone entirely new to movie acting into my film."
"Eric, I have experience in acting. I've even taken training classes."
"Then that's even better! You need to come to LA tomorrow. I'll arrange for your audition," he stated, standing up, sensing there was nothing else to discuss. "It's late, I'm going to bed."
As Kristanna watched him get up to the room where Kristanna would be, she bit her lip and took a couple of steps forward, gently grasping at his bathrobe. When he turned to her, asking with a quizzical expression, she lowered her voice and said, "Mr. Williams, I actually have one of those inflatable couches in my room too."
Surveying her outfit, Eric felt a tinge of concern for his taste aligning with Cameron's.
However, sensing Kristanna's daring glance which held an invitation, he nodded, glanced around the living room, and said, "I think the living room is just fine. Just, turn off the light."
Kristanna eyed the wood floor once more but obediently headed toward the door, and with a soft click, the room was plunged into dimness, with only a few streaks of light filtering in from the balcony.
*****
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