Capítulo 304: Chapter 305: No Expectations
[Chapter 305: No Expectations]
Hearing the question, Drew chuckled and said, "Just curious. Oh, by the way, I brought you a gift, it's in my suitcase. I'll get it for you tonight."
"Sure you're not hiding something from me," Eric said, tapping her lightly on the forehead. "If you're getting into trouble, I'd better not be the last to know, or I won't cover for you."
"Ha! if not you, who else is going to cover for me?" Drew replied as Eric settled into his office chair, finally letting go of his arm.
Eric laughed and picked up the folder on the desk, flipping it open. "Looks like you're still clinging to me."
"That's pretty obvious," she said, glancing at the documents in Eric's hand. "What are these?"
"The short list of actors for the male lead in Ghost," Eric replied. Drew casually pulled out a few sheets of paper and dragged a chair over to him, eliciting sounds like "Wow!" and "So handsome!"
Eric shook his head, unable to speak, and continued browsing through the resumes. The casting for Ghost was significantly different from that of Eric's previous films. Before, casting calls were released, and they held open auditions where actors submitted their materials.
But with Eric's current status, using that kind of casting method would likely overflow Firefly Films' mailroom with resumes, and the selection process would be fraught with issues. Therefore, this time, the casting director for Ghost set specific prerequisites for three major talent agencies to recommend qualified actors. While many small agencies would likely lose opportunities, that was the way Hollywood always operated. No one could change that.
Even so, Eric now had hundreds of resumes for the male lead in hand. As for the original male and female leads in Ghost, Eric hadn't even considered them. Based on his memory, he never liked Demi Moore, and that reason was enough. At his current stature, he didn't have to explain himself to anyone.
As for Patrick Swayze, Eric still felt he was better suited for action films. The character Sam was defined as a department manager at a Wall Street investment bank. But Eric thought Patrick Swayze looked more appropriate for a security guard at the bank.
From what he recalled, Demi Moore's performance in Ghost was barely acceptable, but Patrick Swayze was purely eye candy, and not even the stylish kind.
Eric believed the male lead should first embody the successful aura of a bank manager and secondly possess a hint of artistic flair. In fact, when he initially pondered about the male lead, one name quickly surfaced in his mind.
That's right. Tom Cruise.
Cruise, whether in terms of acting, image, or box office appeal, completely met all of Eric's requirements. Even though there had been a bit of distance between them after their last collaboration on Running Out of Time, Eric still had someone send an invitation to Cruise, who responded but without any specifics -- just a meeting scheduled for the next day.
Since leaving CAA and starting his production company, Cruise hadn't released any films yet, but Eric found out that his production company was in the process of developing a movie with funding from Paramount, with Cruise and his partner Paula Wagner both attached as producers.
Therefore, while Eric agreed to the meeting, he didn't hold high hopes about Cruise participating in Ghost. It was wiser to patiently sift through the actors before him.
...
While in his study, Eric looked over the resumes, occasionally chatting with Drew until he realized it had grown dark outside.
Around seven, Nicole called for everyone to eat dinner.
"Come on, let's hurry for dinner. I'm sure you're hungry too. By the way, tonight is the premiere of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. I made sure to include those questions you were pondering in the trivia bank -- it might show up tonight," Eric said, leading Drew out of the study.
In the dining room, Drew enthusiastically discussed his experiences filming The Silence of the Lambs in Pennsylvania, while Nicole sat next to Eric, occasionally serving him food in a gentle and considerate manner. If the younger Drew spoke were just ten years younger, it'd look a lot like a family of three.
...
After dinner, Drew couldn't wait to get to a small living room, switch on the TV, and tune to Fox. The show hadn't started yet.
Before long, Eric brought his laptop into the living room, plopping down onto the couch, resting the laptop on his knees and typing away. Although it was the latest IBM model, it still felt clunky and unattractive compared to future models with such low specifications that could be shown off. In the market, it was impossible to find anything better. But Eric could only make do since all he needed it for was to write scripts and review documents -- despite its low memory, it was adequate for office tasks.
After washing the dishes, Nicole soon returned with a fruit platter and took a seat next to Eric, fascinated as she watched his fingers dance over the keyboard, and a hint of admiration flickered in her eyes. What else did this man not know how to do?
"Wow, it's starting! Eric, stop working, let's watch TV!"
Eric nodded, shutting his laptop.
...
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire had a very simple set design: a central podium, the host and contestant seated at opposite sides, with a crowd of live audience members and a large screen behind them displaying the questions.
Contestants were divided into groups, with each group undergoing a brief competition; whoever answered enough questions first could get a chance to face the host directly.
"Hey Eric, why does it feel different from the program I saw? A lot of setup has been left out, and the questions aren't categorized. I remember in your outline, there were segments where guests could choose specific types of questions. Ugh, it's disappointing," Drew complained while leaning on Eric.
Eric casually explained, "It's a strategy."
"What strategy?" Drew asked curiously, and Nicole turned to look as well.
"Doing it this way is to facilitate the show's updates and extend its life. If the program is set to be perfect initially, there won't be room for changes later, and once the audience gets bored, the show's life will also wrap up. Right now, with the program not looking too polished, we can reserve some fresh segments to roll out later when audience fatigue sets in and ratings drop. That way, we can regain their interest. It's just like how fashion companies roll out new styles each year. While the changes may not be drastic, as long as there's a buzz, along with the right marketing, customers will be willing to spend."
"Oh, I see," the girl said, understanding. Nicole was also pondering over it.
On television, the first contestant had been selected and stepped onto the stage. After a brief self-introduction, they quickly dove into the tense questioning.
Though some segments of the show had been simplified at the beginning, both Firefly Films and Fox had worked hard to create the right atmosphere.
Every word from the host, each sound cue from the TV, and even the countdown sounds all heightened the excitement among the viewers.
The initial questions were relatively easy, so while the contestant might hesitate, a family sitting together in front of the TV could easily discuss and reach a conclusion. This scenario would foster a sense of superiority for the TV audience and quickly engage them with the show.
"Wow, what is the highest plateau in the world? That's such an easy question! Even I know that. Eric, are you sure these aren't actors you hired to play dumb?" Drew questioned skeptically, watching the middle-aged contestant from Ohio hesitate.
Eric shrugged, "How could that be? This show seeks authenticity; these contestants were selected from across the United States. Besides, other networks and media are closely monitoring this -- hiring plant contestants would ruin the show's reputation if exposed. Yes, it is a simple question, but everyone has knowledge blind spots, and you can never tell when someone might falter."
Drew nodded, reluctantly accepting Eric's explanation as the contestant used a lifeline for help and successfully answered the question.
Eric didn't follow the UK version's format of using fifteen questions -- he opted for twelve, placing two "safety points" after the fifth and tenth questions. Because it was the first episode, the production team specifically selected outstanding contestants, not minding that the initial show could feature a millionaire as it would further pique viewer interest.
...
Still recovering from her recent trip back from the East Coast, Drew insisted on watching most of the episode before dozing off on Eric's lap. Toward the end of the show, the phone in the living room rang, prompting Nicole to get up and grab the cordless phone reflexively.
Eric pressed the answer button and exchanged a few words before hanging up.
"What's up?" Nicole asked curiously, having overheard part of the conversation.
"Just the preliminary ratings have come in," Eric said, glancing at Nicole, "Peak viewership hit 33 million; the average was 28 million, not quite as high as Friends."
Nicole slightly gasped; an average of 28 million meant it could stabilize to be a show exceeding 20 million in ratings.
Such a show would pull in no less than $5 million in ad revenue each episode, comparable to her current pay for films. After all, it was great if she landed one to two movies a year with her pay fluctuating a lot, but this show could yield $5 million every week. If her film salary remained consistent at its current level, the income from this show would be equivalent to a lifetime's worth of acting in movies.
"Eric, how much does Firefly get from the show?" Nicole couldn't help but ask.
Eric cast a look at her; while it wasn't a particularly sensitive matter, it wasn't something to broadly disclose. "We share rights with Fox, so ad revenue is split evenly. The production company and the network also share it half-and-half. However, shows of this kind have very few associated profits from merchandise, so even if the ratings were equivalent to Friends, the final profit would be far less. However, this format builds a broader audience. Every drama has a viewing age limit, but this show has few restrictions. I believe people from eight to eighty will find it interesting."
Despite Eric's lengthy explanation, Nicole was quickly calculating in her head. She realized Eric personally was likely pulling in about $1 million each week from the show -- a million a week! Considering it like that, her current pay seemed trivial in comparison. Truly, what a competition in earnings!
Unbeknownst to them, the show on-air had finished airing. Eric glanced at Nicole, still lost in thought on the couch, and picked up the sleeping Drew. "It's late. You should get some rest too. I'll take Drew back to her room."
"Oh... okay," Nicole nodded quickly.
...
Eric gently placed Drew back in her big bed, then returned to his own room to wash up. Once he turned off the light and crawled into bed, not long after, he heard the bedroom door gently push open.
"Drew, is that you?" Eric assumed Drew had come back for a cuddle and asked.
"It's me," Nicole softly said in the dim light.
As Eric reached for the bedside lamp to turn on the light at the sound of her voice, he stopped.
Nicole floated over and soon climbed onto the big bed, curling into his embrace.
Truth be told, Eric genuinely enjoyed falling asleep with a fragrant lady in his arms. He pulled her close and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, whispering, "Sleep tight."
"Okay," Nicole softly responded, though her restless little hand began exploring Eric.
"Nicole, I'm a bit tired today," Eric rubbed her back gently.
Nicole breathed softly, "Don't move, I'll take care of it."
With that, she slipped off her clothes, lifted the covers, and positioned herself on Eric, swiftly bringing him inside her.
Eric grabbed her waist, slowly enjoying the motions of Nicole's hips.
Time felt like it passed slowly. Eventually, both let out satisfied sighs, and Nicole, feeling spent, lay on Eric's chest. After a brief moment of rest, she extended her small tongue, teasingly playing along Eric's chest, sliding downward slowly, carefully cleaning him off, before quickly disappearing into the bathroom.
A short while later, Nicole returned, curling back into Eric's arms.
"Didn't you use safety measures? Is everything alright?" Eric caressed her smooth bare back and softly asked.
Nicole hesitated a moment but quickly replied, "Don't worry, it's all good."
Eric paused for a second; at this moment, he didn't know what heavy words to say. He simply reiterated, "I don't want to have kids this early."
"I understand," Nicole nodded in the dark, her gaze flickering, soon dimming. Although she had her own intentions in mind, she recognized Eric's words meant something, and if she ignored them, it wouldn't turn out well.
Eric seemed to pick up on Nicole's lost emotions and quickly added, "By the way, I have a meeting tomorrow with Tom Cruise. I could use a female companion. Would you come with me?"
"Tom Cruise?" Nicole asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah, he's the leading man for Ghost. To be honest, I'm not a big fan of his, but he is indeed perfect for this role. Still, I don't hold high hopes; just trying to see how it goes. Besides, with Cruise's own production company, I'm sure his asking price won't be low. The chances of closing the deal are slim."
"Oh," Nicole nodded, uncertain.
...
The next day at noon, Eric took Nicole along to a well-known restaurant in Beverly Hills.
After chatting briefly with the waiter, a server guided them to their reserved table. Glancing at the time, it was nearly noon, just minutes away from their appointment. Eric had expected Cruise to be there already, but to his surprise, he had yet to arrive. Thus, he had even lower expectations for this meeting.
Nicole flipped through the menu and curiously asked Eric, "This should be the right spot, right?"
Eric awkwardly chuckled, "Don't worry, it's right. But in Hollywood, there are people worth waiting for."
Nicole inclining her head in a non-committal manner. Clearly, she could see that Eric was starting to lose focus and that this meeting likely wouldn't go smoothly.
Noon arrived quickly, but Cruise's arrival remained absent. Eric was fiddling with the utensils, ready to ask the waiter for two cups of coffee or something, when he heard Cruise's voice behind him.
"My sincere apologies, Eric -- traffic was terrible," Cruise said, though he showed little genuine remorse on his face.
"That's fine, we just got here not too long ago," Eric replied, shaking hands with him before shifting to Paula Wagner, who was accompanying Cruise.
*****
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