Martin furrowed his brows, sensing a hint of hostility from the woman before him.
Determined not to give in to her demands, he decided to act on his own terms.
He picked up the pen and wrote on Anne Hathaway's shoulder: "Dear Miss Anne Hathaway, I hope you continue to support my work – Martin Meyers."
After setting the pen down, he leaned back, a half-smile playing on his lips. "It's done," he said.
Anne Hathaway's face lit up with joy. "Thank you! Thank you!" she exclaimed, rushing off in a hurry.
Martin couldn't help but chuckle, wondering what her reaction would be when she discovered the truth.
Five minutes later, Anne Hathaway stood fuming in front of the glass display window of a coffee shop. "Martin Meyers, you—bastard," she muttered under her breath.
She had hoped to use Martin's message to trick the casting team for The Princess Diaries. After her last audition, she had cleverly obtained the phone number of Director Garry Marshall. If Martin had written something ambiguous on her shoulder, she could snap a photo and send it to him, letting him guess the rest.
Martin's handwriting was distinctive enough that one of the casting team would surely recognize it, right?
If they believed she was close to Martin, maybe she could close the gap with Lindsay Lohan. After all, the director had seemed more interested in her during the audition. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given her the number so easily. If she could get the director on the phone, perhaps she'd land the role…
Anne's plan wasn't without merit.
Garry Marshall did indeed think she was more suitable for the role. As a seasoned director, he had little patience for actors who were only cast due to connections.
If Anne really did send the photo, there was a good chance the director would play along. Even if he caught on to her trick, he might pretend not to know. With decades in Hollywood, Garry Marshall knew how to keep things under wraps if it suited him.
But Martin's unpredictable move ruined everything.
Frustrated, Anne Hathaway stormed off to Times Square, only to be met with a long line and tight security.
Queue again?
She rubbed her aching knees, then shook her head firmly.
Should she just rush in?
Looking at the imposing security guards, she quickly realized it was unlikely she'd get through.
Forget it. This guy has already ruined two of my chances. No way.
Determined to find another way, Anne headed toward a nearby bookstore. Wasn't Martin's lounge inside?
At 5:00 PM, the autograph session finally wrapped up.
Martin entered the break room, feigning exhaustion.
Suddenly, a loud argument broke out outside.
Gordon's voice boomed, "Miss, you can't go in."
"Move out of the way," Anne demanded. "I need to see Martin. I have something to talk to him about. I know him."
Gordon's voice responded with confusion, "Really? I don't know when you met Martin, miss. Please don't cause trouble."
"Martin! Martin!" Anne shouted. "I'm Anne Hathaway, and I need an explanation from you!"
Inside, Jeff exchanged a confused glance with Martin.
Rubbing his temples, Martin sighed. "Don't worry. This is the first time I've met this woman."
Then, raising his voice toward the door, he added, "Gordon, let her in. I want to hear what kind of explanation she thinks I owe her."
Gordon responded, "Please come in, miss."
Anne stormed in with a sharp "Hmph!" and ignored Jeff, who stood off to the side, before turning to Martin.
"Martin, why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Why take my role away? Why can't I be worthy of your support after all the hard work I've put in? Why do people who are clearly less talented than me get roles just because they know you?"
"I've had enough! I just want to act, but it's like this everywhere — first in American Rhapsody, and now in The Princess Diaries..."
Before she could continue, Martin interrupted her, genuinely puzzled. "Wait, I helped Scarlett get American Rhapsody, I'll admit that. But what's going on with The Princess Diaries?"
"Stop pretending!" Anne snapped. "I don't believe that Lindsay Lohan didn't get the role because of you. I'm clearly a better actress than her."
Just as Martin was about to respond, his phone rang.
It was Reed McCas, one of Eisner's trusted allies.
On the call, Reed greeted Martin warmly before asking, "Martin, is Lindsay Lohan one of your friends? Did you recommend her for The Princess Diaries?"
Martin's brow furrowed. Did Lindsay really audition for The Princess Diaries? Why hadn't she mentioned it? Wasn't this a scheduling conflict with Charlie's Angels? Had Lindsay been unhappy with her role and wanted more?
No. Martin knew Lindsay too well. She wouldn't keep something like this from him, and she was certainly not dissatisfied with her part.
A sneer crossed Martin's face. It was probably Lindsay's eccentric parents causing all this drama.
He spoke into the phone: "I didn't recommend Lindsay. I had no idea she even auditioned for this film. Don't base your decision on me. I heard that a girl named Anne Hathaway did really well in her audition."
Reed immediately understood what Martin was implying.
"Got it. Let's leave it there then."
"Alright, take care," Martin replied.
After hanging up, Martin turned to Anne Hathaway, shrugging. "You must've heard that, right? The role's yours now."
Anne, having overheard the conversation, wore a mix of gratitude, embarrassment, and relief.
"Sorry, Martin. I... I misunderstood you," she said, her voice sincere.
Martin waved her off. "It's no big deal. I respect your determination to fight for your role."
Anne's heart softened. She recalled how hard she had worked for the role for two months, but still couldn't get a simple phone call from Martin. Something inside her shifted, and she felt an impulse.
"Martin, would you like to grab a coffee with me?"
Martin was momentarily taken aback. He hadn't thought of flirting with her, his mind preoccupied with Lindsay's situation.
But Anne had already taken the initiative, so Martin didn't hesitate.
"Sure, let's head to the coffee shop next door."
"Sounds great!" Anne replied, clearly excited.