Chapter 142: Chapter 142: The Doorstep Surprise
[Chapter 142: The Doorstep Surprise]
"Yeah, I get it. So when is the movie expected to start filming?"
"I'm not sure," Eric explained, taking a sip of champagne. "You see, next up I've got post-production to handle. After the movie comes out in July, I still need to produce a TV series for Fox; Barry Diller asked me to direct the first two episodes myself. So, I'm not quite sure when we can start filming the movie. Tom, didn't you just film two movies this year? It might be a good time for you to take a break. Being an actor is exhausting. What's the point of making all that money if you can't enjoy life?"
"Ha, according to you, you're going to shoot four movies this year. I heard you're also producing three others. Isn't a guy making seven movies in a year a bit jaded?"
"No, it's not the same," Eric calmly shook his head, repeating, "I'm nothing like you guys."
Hanks couldn't help but roll his eyes, teasing, "Are you an alien or something?"
"Yeah, my mission is the stars and the sea!"
The two laughed, and the party continued until midnight. Although Eric started off with a few beers, he hadn't drunk much after that. He refused a ride home and slowly drove back himself.
...
To avoid paparazzi, there were no street lights in front of many Hollywood celebrities' mansions in Beverly Hills, and Eric's house was no different. So when he got out of the car and opened the door, the sound of a woman's voice nearby startled him.
The woman called out his name and then stepped into the light from the car. Eric recognized the tall figure as Nicole Kidman, who had been out of touch for several days. After he had proposed that rather risque condition, he had put the matter out of his mind and didn't expect her to show up here so suddenly.
"Nicole, what are you doing here?" Eric instinctively asked, eyeing her outfit. At that moment, Nicole was wearing a fitted black long coat and black thigh-high heels, accentuating her tall figure. If one overlooked the messy curls that Eric thought looked rather dated, she did have a certain icy queen vibe reminiscent of a bygone era.
Under Eric's scrutiny, the woman stepped back a bit, stammering, "I... I've figured it out; I... I'm willing."
"Willing for what, to marry me?" Eric couldn't help but tease, noticing that even in the dim light, her pale face flushed quickly. He stopped joking and took out his keys to open the door, saying, "Alright then, let's go inside."
Nicole stepped back to where she had been standing, pulled out a small suitcase, and ducked into Eric's car.
After parking, Eric took Nicole to the villa, pointing to the sofa, "Nicole, you can sit here."
Nicole placed her suitcase beside the couch, took off her coat, hung it on a rack, and sat down a bit awkwardly. As Eric turned to head into the kitchen, she relaxed a little, surveying the room. Although the villa was designed with a modern minimalist style, it exuded elegance everywhere. Despite coming from a decent middle-class background, Nicole couldn't help but envy the luxurious Beverly Hills homes she had always heard of. Perhaps, if what this man promised was true, she could buy a villa like this in a few years. With that thought, her initial anxiety lessened and was replaced with anticipation.
Eric quickly returned from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee. Nicole stood up hastily, wanting to approach him.
"Sit down; you're still a guest," Eric said, pushing a cup of coffee toward her.
Nicole sat back down, picked up the coffee, felt its scorching heat, and set it back on the coffee table. She gently rubbed her fingers against her knee and then looked up, meeting Eric's gaze. "Mr. Williams..."
"Call me Eric."
"Sure, Eric. Can we first... uh, confirm something? I don't want to..."
Her fingers twisted nervously on her knee. She was afraid that appearing too eager might annoy him, but she also hoped to hear some solid promises from Eric. The last thing Nicole wanted was to spend months playing maid and toy to end up being dismissed without anything to show for it. She didn't believe Eric's previous claim about just being a servant, which was part of the reason for her hesitation over the past few days. However, her yearning for fame and fortune eventually led her to give in and approach him.
Eric took an interest in watching her awkwardness for a moment before getting up. "Give me a second," he said, heading toward the stairs.
Nicole watched as his figure disappeared around the corner of the staircase and then instinctively glanced at the coat hanging on a nearby rack. Eric soon returned, and she quickly pretended to be calm, taking a small sip of the coffee.
Eric came in front of the couch and laid a few printed documents before Nicole. "Here's the script, and the two papers underneath are the actor contracts. After you read them and sign, keep one for yourself and give one back to me."
Nicole hadn't expected things to be this straightforward. She picked up the top script, feeling a rush of excitement as she looked at the title.
As she flipped through the pages, Eric explained while holding his coffee, "The lead actor has already been cast, with Tom Hanks starring. If you followed entertainment news a little, you'd know who Hanks is. The female lead was originally going to go to Julia Roberts, but she has another movie coming out at the end of the year, which would make her too big for a romantic comedy right now. I hadn't had the chance to invite other actresses when you showed up. I have to say, Nicole, you're quite lucky."
Nicole listened intently to Eric's explanation, but her eyes didn't leave the script. She quickly flipped through it once more and then returned it, her mind spinning. "Eric, is this... really for me?"
"Of course, but your qualifications from Australia won't carry weight in Hollywood, so you'll just be considered a newcomer. Your pay is the same as Julia's when she first took the role: thirty thousand dollars, no royalties."
After hearing Eric's account, Nicole reached for the two contracts again, but he stopped her. "It's too late; we should get some rest. You have plenty of time. Take your time reading it, and once you're done, just sign one and give it back to me."
Nicole lowered her head slightly at Eric's words. "Okay, fine."
"Follow me," Eric said, standing up. She clutched the documents, took her coat and suitcase, and followed Eric up the stairs.
Eric took her to the second floor and opened an empty bedroom. "This will be your room. The bedding is in the closet, all new. Just manage for tonight; if it's not to your liking, you can change it tomorrow."
"Thanks," Nicole murmured quietly, and Eric quickly went over the room's basics before saying, "You should get some rest. I'm heading back to my room."
He turned to leave, closing the bedroom door behind him. As soon as Nicole was about to move, the door swung open again. Instinctively, she crossed her arms over her chest but soon let them drop, biting her lip and anxiously awaiting something to happen.
Eric saw her sitting there like a lamb to the slaughter and chuckled as he waved a hand in the air. "Nicole, I just forgot one important thing to remind you. Starting tomorrow, you'll need to start fulfilling your responsibilities. I usually wake up at seven, so I'd prefer you not to be up later than that. Breakfast needs to be ready by eight. I'm not picky; use whatever ingredients you find in the kitchen to make whatever you do best for both breakfast and dinner. Cleaning the villa and surrounding areas is part of your duties too. You can decide how to clean as long as it stays tidy."
The young woman nodded nervously. "Eric, I understand."
"Alright then, good night. Get some sleep," Eric said, pulling the door shut once again.
...
When Nicole heard the click of the door lock, she collapsed onto the big bed behind her, breathing heavily for a few moments, staring blankly at the door. After a few minutes, convinced he wouldn't come back in, she pulled her black coat from the bed, took out the recorder from her pocket, pressed the stop button, and shifted her gaze to the documents on the bedside table. The corner of her mouth quirked as if she wanted to smile but couldn't gather the strength to do so.
After giving it some thought, Nicole rewound the tape, lowered the volume, and pressed play. The recorder transmitted sounds that weren't loud but clear enough to make out every word.
Click--
The door was suddenly pushed open again, and Eric appeared holding a pillow. "Sorry, I think you might need this..."
With a thud, the recorder fell to the floor, bouncing a few times but stubbornly continuing to play.
"...with Tom Hanks starring. If you've followed entertainment news a little, you'd know who Hanks is. The female lead was originally going to go to Julia Roberts..."
Eric's soft but distinct voice echoed in the silent bedroom at midnight. He stared at the tiny recorder in shock while Nicole sat there, frozen, unsure how to respond. Her limbs felt cold while her body shook slightly, and an expression of despair and fear filled her eyes.
*****
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