Capítulo 514: Chapter 515: This Isn't For You to See
[Chapter 515: This Isn't For You to See]
After auditioning for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there had been no news. Following her agent Michelle Simmons' arrangement, Charlize Theron stayed at a motel in West Hollywood. The motel charged only ten bucks a night, which was manageable. However, since January, she'd run through all her savings to prepare for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer audition. If it weren't for Michelle hinting that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity awaited her, she would have booked a flight back to New York by now. Even in the last few days, she had been spending the five hundred dollars that Michelle had lent her.
She waited for more than a week. Following Michelle's repeated instructions, she rarely ventured more than two kilometers from the motel. Luckily, a mile north was the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, where she occasionally walked, lowering her head like many tourists to admire the stars embedded in the pavement. While most people viewed it with curiosity or admiration, she often vowed that one day, she'd leave her own star there.
Eric Williams wanted to meet her; this was her biggest opportunity.
During the Buffy the Vampire Slayer audition, that guy's abrupt laughter had interrupted her performance, and she had loathed him for a while. However, that feeling was swiftly extinguished by her agent's stern reprimand. She only knew him as a big shot in Hollywood, recently hailed as one of the hottest directors and producers, the owner of Firefly Films. Oh, he also had a sprawling mansion in Malibu that many affectionately called "Shell Villa" or "Liberty City." Yet, as she learned more over the past days, she began to grasp what Eric Williams really meant in Hollywood. Her motel room still held that well-thumbed Premiere magazine.
He was at the top of the Hollywood power list for 1992. He was the big boss of Firefly Films, which had absorbed Disney. His personal fortune exceeded seven billion dollars, and the films he directed in just five years had grossed over two billion worldwide. More importantly, he had launched a slew of previously unknown Hollywood actors, including Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, Nicole Kidman, and Pierce Brosnan.
Then he said he would make time to see her.
While she didn't know how Michelle secured this opportunity for her, after learning all this, Charlize had spent the next few days bursting with excitement and unable to sleep well. Day or night, she found herself endlessly contemplating how to engage him when they met, what to say or do that would capture his attention.
Days passed, a week went by, and she was nearing ten days since they last communicated. Recently, she had even begun to worry that Eric had forgotten about their meeting. Anxiety drove her to muster the courage to call Michelle for the first time, but the only reply she received was to be patient a little longer. However, she could sense uncertainty in Michelle's tone, which only heightened her worry and disappointment.
The motel owner, a kind-hearted, rotund white guy, expressed concern seeing the young girl lounging around aimlessly for so many days without doing anything at all, yet being so careful with her spending. He kindly offered to help her find a job, and she was tempted but ultimately declined.
Being a model contest champion, she couldn't help but catch the attention of others as well. A group of young men and women drifting around Hollywood invited her to some wild parties. Naturally, she didn't dare go, so during chance encounters, she overheard some bizarre comments from them, and some men looked at her with blatant disdain.
Eventually, after a minor spat, she couldn't hold back her fierce nature and got into a heated argument. Fortunately, the motel owner intervened just in time to prevent it from escalating into a fight. Afterward, she felt a rush of panic. If it had come to blows and she got hurt, particularly on her face, her chance would be ruined completely.
For the rest of the day, her mood plummeted. She pulled the curtains shut and lay on the hard bed in her dim room all day, venting her frustration by scribbling all over the face of some guy on the cover of Premiere with her lip gloss. She even felt too lazy to eat dinner, deciding to starve for a night to save a few dollars.
...
As twilight fell, someone suddenly knocked on her motel room door, something that had never happened before. Cautiously, she asked who it was, and she recognized Michelle's voice from outside, a sudden intuition stirring within her. In a panic, she jumped off the bed and ran barefoot to open the door.
"Charlie..." Michelle's face was lit with obvious excitement, but after calling her name, she took in the sight of Charlize in the dim orange hallway light and immediately furrowed her brow. "Look at what you've become."
Turning on the lights, feeling sheepish as she invited her agent in, Charlize explained, "Sorry, Michelle. I was just...sleeping."
Michelle surveyed the disarray of the room and immediately spotted that messily painted Premiere magazine lying by the bed. However, this time she said nothing, merely sighed and said, "Charlie, gather your things. We're leaving now."
Charlize instinctively adjusted the strap of her light-blue nightgown that had slipped off her shoulder and nervously ran her fingers through her messy hair. She rubbed her cold feet on the floor a few times and asked timidly, "Now...we're going to see...him?"
Michelle didn't respond directly but instead sniffed and asked, "Haven't you showered in days?"
Seeing the awkward expression on Charlize's face, Michelle eventually said, "Forget it. Just hurry up and pack your stuff. We'll stay at my place tonight; the meeting is set for tomorrow noon."
Once she packed her simple belongings and checked out, Charlize hopped into the white car that Michelle drove. They cruised through the streets of Los Angeles before entering a dense residential area at the foot of Beverly Hills. Michelle quickly drove into a lavish estate's yard.
As they stepped out of the car, Charlize noticed a tall bald man with a broad smile coming out of the living room.
"Kepler, good evening," Michelle greeted him with a smile as she walked over.
"Good evening, Michelle. You're here so soon," the bald man embraced Michelle, then looked over at Charlize, who was standing next to her with a small suitcase.
Their eyes met, and Charlize smiled at the man while he nodded back to her. But soon, he turned back to Michelle. "I'm really sorry, Michelle. I called this afternoon, and it seems Eric did forget. The post-production for Jurassic Park has entered its final stages, and he's been working at least twelve hours a day. I hope you understand. He asked me to convey his apologies."
"It's fine. As long as Mr. Williams can make time," Michelle replied, shaking her head dismissively.
Standing behind Michelle, Charlize couldn't help but scoff at the bald man's words. She recalled seeing a newspaper photo just days ago of him having a leisurely lunch with Nicole Kidman, and the two appeared cozy together. There was no sign of someone who was busy.
After Kepler finished explaining to Michelle, he turned to Charlize. "So, you must be Miss Theron. I'm Kepler Hyde; I've looked over your file."
Charlize suddenly realized who he was, one of the big bosses at ICM. She quickly set down her roller bag and stepped closer to shake his enormous hand. "Hello, Mr. Hyde. You can call me Charlie."
Kepler nodded, released her hand, and took a half step back to look her over. He gently nodded again and added, "You really should smile more; it makes you even more charming."
Charlize felt a bit taken aback. A few years before, at a modeling contest, a well-respected judge in the fashion industry had said something similar to her. Many actresses only became more captivating when maintaining a serious demeanor, often losing their charm when they smiled. But she was the opposite -- when she was expressionless, she barely looked pretty. Yet when a smile graced her lips, she radiated allure. She hadn't expected this middle-aged man to notice such subtleties on their first meeting.
"I will, Mr. Hyde," Charlize promised with a nod.
The three of them entered the living room. Kepler had them sit down and personally brought coffee before speaking. "You can stay here temporarily until things are settled."
"Thank you, Kepler," Michelle replied, nodding. Then her tone rose slightly, with a hint of underlying meaning, she added, "When we leave, I'll personally return the keys to Mary."
"Oh, you're still bringing that up after all this time, huh?" Kepler said with an exasperated shake of his head. He pulled a document from a briefcase resting on the couch, placing it on the coffee table. "Here's the information you wanted. Just take a look, and please try not to share it. You know, while such matters are common in the industry, it's still not good if the involved parties know about them."
"I understand," Michelle nodded, then asked, "What else?"
Kepler produced a business card. "This is the contact information for Eric's assistant. You can go straight to Firefly Studios in Playa Vista tomorrow around noon and reach out to him. Although the scheduled time is noon, it's best to arrive a little earlier."
Michelle nodded again.
Having relayed all this, Kepler paused and said, "The last time I spoke to Eric, he mentioned he had come up with a great idea for a female-led action movie. After the success of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, everyone saw the potential for pure female action films. ICM has recently looked at many similar projects, but nothing major from big film studios, just some low-budget tries from independent producers. Since Eric wants to take on such material, you can be sure it won't be a small venture." He glanced at Charlize, who looked a bit stiff as she held her coffee cup: "I saw in your file that you switched careers due to a knee injury. Are you still able to perform intense fight scenes?"
"Absolutely, Mr. Hyde. I only considered changing jobs because of the injury, but it didn't leave any lasting effects," Charlize replied confidently.
"Good to hear," Kepler nodded and chatted with Michelle for a few moments. After finishing his coffee, he bid them farewell and left.
...
In no time, only the two of them remained in the villa. Charlize recalled Kepler's earlier comments and felt a small thrill. Stealing a glance at Michelle, she saw her reading through the document that Kepler had left behind. Subtly, Charlize straightened her back, allowing her eyes to wander over to the paper. Just as she noted Eric Williams' prominent name, she heard Michelle say, "This isn't for you to see. Go take a shower. There's a bathroom upstairs, and we'll talk more later."
Caught in the act, Charlize's cheeks flushed as she grabbed her small suitcase and slipped upstairs.
After her shower, the two discussed various things. Wanting to ensure she wouldn't feel sluggish the next day, Charlize forced herself to sleep, even though she couldn't shake off a series of jumbled dreams.
...
By early morning, Michelle Simmons woke her up. After having breakfast at a diner, Michelle took Charlize to a famous shopping street in Beverly Hills.
As Charlize gazed at the familiar luxury brands along the sides of the road, she nervously looked at her agent.
Michelle, usually serious, surprisingly cracked a joke. "You've got to have a standout outfit. Think of today's shopping as my investment in you. If you become a big star, don't forget this little investment, alright?"
"Of course not, I... wouldn't do that," Charlize hurriedly shook her head.
Michelle nodded lightly, well aware of Charlize's character. She knew her to be a strong-willed yet pragmatic woman. If a better opportunity arose, Michelle was certain that Charlize would not hesitate to leave her behind. Still, Michelle was just as confident that she could keep a firm hold on Charlize.
*****
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