章 38: Chapter 38 No Need
As Duke walked away from the black Bentley toward Tom Cruise's mansion, he noticed that the road leading to Cruise Manor was lined with various luxury cars. Bentleys, Audis, and Cadillacs were just entry-level vehicles, while the limited-edition supercars were enough to drive car enthusiasts mad.
"Big stars have their rivalries," Naomi Watts, who was linking her arm with his, suddenly said. "But at Tom Cruise's level, they won't go so far as to have a serious falling out. They maintain a facade of friendliness."
"That..." She gestured with her chin toward a Lincoln, "that's Mel Gibson's car. He's famous for his love of Japanese cars, and he doesn't get along well with Tom, but since Nicole Kidman is also Australian, he still came to this party."
Duke shrugged and remained silent, letting Naomi whisper in his ear.
"During the summer season, 'Lethal Weapon 3' was overshadowed by 'Speed.' I heard Mel Gibson has some issues with you. He's got a temper, so you'd better not provoke him."
"I won't stoop to the level of a barbarian."
Naomi chuckled at Duke's response, "So you can joke too. You're not that boring after all."
"Am I really boring?" Duke never saw himself that way.
They reached the mansion, and Naomi handed over the invitation. She took Duke's arm as they walked along the stone path. Following a server's instructions, they bypassed the front yard's lawn and headed toward the back garden.
"Maybe you're not boring or uninteresting," Naomi replied to his earlier comment. "You're just too focused."
Duke understood the petite woman's point and said seriously, "In Hollywood, you need to know what you want first. Once you know your goals, you'll naturally find the way to them. You focus your energy, endure everything, because you desire the goals ahead of you. You know that to achieve them, you must concentrate."
Naomi tilted her head, pondering, "That makes a lot of sense."
As they walked along the marble path, Duke and Naomi turned a corner into the back garden, where bright lights illuminated nearly a hundred people gathered around the pool in various groups. Well-dressed servers moved through the crowd, continuously delivering drinks.
"Hey, Naomi."
"Hey, Mary."
Ahead of Duke, Nicole Kidman, dressed in a short cocktail dress, approached. Naomi released his arm and exchanged a light hug with her, indicating that they seemed to be quite close.
"Hello, Duke."
The tall woman clearly had a good memory; she walked over and shook his hand. Before Duke could say anything, the true host of the party arrived.
"Tom, let me introduce you," Nicole said, pulling Cruise toward them. "This is Duke Rosenberg, the director of 'Speed.'"
"Hello, Mr. Cruise." Duke extended his hand. As the host, Tom Cruise wouldn't be rude. "Duke, can I call you that? Thank you; you've created a miracle at the box office this summer."
It seemed Tom wasn't entirely comfortable speaking while slightly looking up at Duke. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he took Nicole to greet other guests. This famous couple was not only the hosts of the party but also the center of attention.
In such situations, it was natural for Duke to mingle with both familiar and unfamiliar faces. Speaking appropriately to the right people in any context wasn't difficult for him.
"Naomi, is this your boyfriend?"
Just as they reached a table near the pool, Duke heard a slightly rough male voice behind him and noticed Naomi giving him a helpless look.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" The man, holding a drink, boldly sat beside Duke and immediately frowned. "Duke Rosenberg?"
Sensing the alcohol on the man's breath, Duke slightly turned away and nodded to him. "Hello, Mr. Gibson."
Since the other party was unfriendly, Duke wouldn't go out of his way to be friendly either, maintaining only the most basic politeness.
"Boy!" Mel Gibson was obviously a bit drunk. He pointed at the table in front of Duke. "I'm going to regain the face I lost with 'Lethal Weapon 3.'"
"Gladly." Duke didn't even glance at him.
This guy was an alcoholic with a bad temper, hardly distinguishable from a drunkard.
Although Mel was drunk, he remembered where he was. He waved to Naomi and left.
"Remember what I told you?" Naomi said, taking two sweet drinks and handing one to Duke. "Mel Gibson fired his agent because 'Lethal Weapon 3' didn't meet expectations and switched to CAA."
Upon hearing Naomi mention CAA, Duke recalled that many attendees, including the two hosts, were represented by that agency. He briefly scanned the party, noting that not only were there actors, but also some CAA agents, one of whom was the woman who later tarnished Tom Cruise's reputation, Pat Kingsley.
Of course, by another standard, that woman could be viewed as a typical cult leader.
"Naomi..."
At that moment, Nicole Kidman approached. "May I borrow Duke for a moment?"
"Excuse me..."
Before Naomi could respond, Duke turned to Nicole, puzzled since he didn't have any particular connection with this couple.
"Could I invite you for a moment?" Nicole asked politely. "A friend wants to meet you."
With the host requesting, and without any unreasonable demands, refusing would be quite rude. Duke lightly nodded to Naomi, stood up, and followed Nicole to the quieter corner of the party.
As they approached, Duke could see the figure seated at a white round table chatting with Tom Cruise. Despite the dim lighting, he recognized him instantly; it was Martin Bober, one of CAA's superstars!
Interesting!
Since they were almost there, Duke wouldn't turn back. With a faint smile, he walked over confidently.
The other man clearly saw him but merely turned his head to stare. Duke nodded slightly in acknowledgment, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"I've read your new script," Martin Bob said, getting straight to the point. "If you hand it to CAA for packaging, I guarantee the crew will start preparations within two weeks, and you will be the director!"
P
"What are the terms?" Duke asked plainly.
"Change the character Gus to a young, handsome, agile chemistry expert."
Hearing Martin's words, a slight smile appeared on Duke's lips. He glanced at Tom Cruise's face, then stood up.
"Thank you, but no need."
This was one of the reasons he despised CAA's packaging policy. Under their packaging service, directors and actors were merely pawns, often subjected to unreasonable demands to accommodate A-list clients.
Duke needed an agent but didn't want to be a puppet.
Even though he was at a disadvantage against movie studios now, they were different from CAA. Studios didn't have as much control over directors and actors; they engaged in commercial collaboration.
If one aimed for major fame and prestigious awards, they could seek out CAA. This wasn't mere talk; as long as you didn't mind them interfering in your life on all fronts.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. Kidman."
As someone with good family upbringing, Duke naturally wouldn't forget to bid farewell to the host. "Thank you, Mr. Cruise."
Although Tom Cruise's face retained a polite smile, it was somewhat stiff.
After leaving Tom Cruise's mansion, Duke found his Bentley. Once Naomi fastened her seatbelt in the passenger seat, he started the car and slowly drove toward the outskirts of Beverly Hills.
"You really don't have to leave with me."
Turning a corner, Duke glanced at Naomi through the rearview mirror. "I'm just not used to staying up late."
"We came together," Naomi adjusted her position. "Of course, we should leave early together."
She could tell something unpleasant had occurred but didn't inquire further; that was her attitude, not wanting to get involved.
"Are you going back to West Hollywood..."
As they reached the outskirts of Beverly Hills, Duke asked, "or to my place?"
Naomi Watts turned her head, staring at Duke's profile for a moment. "To your place."
The black Bentley suddenly accelerated, swiftly overtaking car after car, like a ghost heading to North Hollywood, finally stopping in front of a new apartment building. A tall figure and a petite girl quickly entered the building.
"I thought you had a lot of patience."
Once inside the room, Duke pushed Naomi against the door. She tugged at Duke's belt with both hands. "Or are you just pretending to be something you're not?"
Duke didn't respond; he grasped Naomi's wrist with one hand while the other slightly pushed, flipping her petite body over and raising her skirt.
"Dammit!" Naomi leaned against the door, turning to plead, "Not here..."
In response came a torrential rush, followed by her rolling her eyes back, completely forgetting her earlier objections.
The long night had just begun, and they gradually moved into the bathroom. By the time Duke carried her into the bedroom, Naomi lazily lay on the somewhat firm mattress, one hand unconsciously stroking his strong body next to her.
Suddenly, Duke's fingers traced over her visible ribs, prompting her to let out a series of giggles.
Turning her body, Duke propped up on one hand, gazing at Naomi's smooth body. Many actresses pursued the on-screen effect, leaving themselves too thin.
"I'm out of energy."
Seeing Duke's gaze, Naomi instinctively shrank back.
"Sleep."
A crisp sound rang out as Duke gave her a light slap on her pert bottom
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