บท 102: Chapter 102: You're Quite the Traditionalist
"Simon, you must be flattering me. In 'Once Upon a Time in America,' the most memorable female character should be Deborah in her youth."
"That's not flattery, Ms. Frug. For some reason, I'm often drawn to the casual remarks made by women in films. Maybe it's a uniquely intoned 'I'm sorry,' or perhaps a 'beg for mercy.' Then, I feel like they're incredibly charming in that moment."
In the Coldwater Canyon community at the western edge of Beverly Hills.
At Jonathan Friedman's party, aimed at impressing Robert De Niro, the agent had clearly put effort into the details of the party, specifically inviting stars from WMA who had previously worked with De Niro.
Simon was currently chatting with Hollywood actress Darlanne Frug, who played De Niro's girlfriend Eve in 'Once Upon a Time in America.'
Darlanne Frug, around thirty, blonde and blue-eyed, bore the classic Germanic looks but also reminded one somewhat of Naomi Watts.
Hearing Simon's words, Darlanne Frug looked at him with interest and said, "And what about me, Simon? Which line of mine drew you in?"
Simon played coy, "Guess."
Darlanne Frug didn't have many lines in 'Once Upon a Time in America,' and after thinking a while, she shook her head, "I don't know."
Simon smiled at her response, "Exactly that, 'I don't know.' At the start of the movie, when thugs burst into Eve's home to press her about Noodles' whereabouts, Eve says, 'I don't know,' twice. Since the first time I saw 'Once Upon a Time in America,' those two 'I don't knows' convinced me that Eve was the most enchanting woman in the film."
"Oh, Simon, you really are attentive, and quite the charmer," Darlanne Frug's bright blue eyes sparkled, "So, do you think I could try for the role of Mia in 'Pulp Fiction'? I submitted my resume, but unfortunately, I was rejected."
Westerners aren't shy about being direct, and hearing her pitch herself, Simon simply smiled and shook his head, "It's a pity, but Mia's role requires a height of about 180 cm."
Darlanne Frug found Simon's use of the metric system to measure height a bit odd but didn't give up easily, "Can't I just wear high heels?"
"Mia spends most of the film barefoot," Simon continued, then added, "However, I think there will definitely be opportunities for us to work together. Maybe you could leave me a contact number."
Darlanne Frug looked at the harmless smiling young man before her, hesitating slightly.
After a moment's silence, just as she was about to speak, another white man in his thirties ran over from the villa. Approaching, he wrapped his arm around Darlanne Frug's waist and looked at Simon uncertainly, asking the woman beside him, "Dear, what are you two talking about?"
Feeling Simon's gaze shift, Darlanne Frug forced a smile and introduced them, "Simon, this is my husband, Michael Smo. Mike, this is Simon, Simon Westeros."
With two major film successes under his belt, Simon had gained considerable fame. However, he wasn't the type to seek public attention, so it wasn't surprising that Michael Smo didn't recognize him at first.
After his wife's introduction, Michael Smo's face lit up with realization, and he warmly extended his hand to greet Simon.
After a few more exchanges, Michael Smo led Darlanne Frug away.
Simon picked up his cocktail from the table, took a sip, and then moved towards Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, who had been standing nearby.
Seeing Simon approach, Keanu Reeves just nodded a greeting and then walked away.
Simon watched as Keanu left, visibly holding back some emotion, and turned to Sandra, noticing her amused expression, "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Sandra shook her head, her smile deepening, "I just heard a particularly memorable line."
Simon feigned exasperation, "I didn't know you enjoyed eavesdropping on conversations."
Sandra rolled her eyes, countering, "You were flirting with that woman long before Keanu and I stood here. I'm not deaf, you know."
"Alright," Simon shrugged, "my bad."
Sandra made a face that clearly said 'it's indeed your fault,' her smile still lingering, "Aren't you going to guess which line it was?"
Simon quipped, "Is there a reward if I guess right?"
"What reward would you like?" Sandra asked nonchalantly.
Simon didn't reply but purposefully squinted, sizing up Sandra from top to bottom.
The theme of today's party was
casual; formal attire wasn't necessary.
Sandra was dressed in a black fitted wool sweater and white casual pants. The high-neck sweater revealed her rounded shoulders, adding an unexpectedly sexy touch.
Noticing Simon's gaze drifting towards her shoulders, Sandra suddenly felt a bit self-conscious, quickly suppressing her smile and feigning an angry look, "What are you staring at?"
After saying this, Sandra immediately regretted it.
That was far from ladylike.
"Just remembered a joke," Simon pointed at Sandra's off-the-shoulder sweater, "and felt the urge to sew up the shoulders of your clothes."
Sew them up?
Sandra paused, drawing a square in the air with her hand, "You really are traditional."
Simon laughed at Sandra's gesture, "Have you read the script for 'Pulp Fiction'?"
Sandra's hand movement was precisely what Mia did in 'Pulp Fiction' to mock Vincent for not wanting to go to Jack Rabbit Slim's. In old cartoons, characters often used the motion of drawing a square to mock someone as old-fashioned.
"Yes," Sandra nodded, a touch of resentment in her eyes, "Even though you didn't invite me, I wanted to see if there was a role for me in the script."
"I was thinking of giving you the role of Bunny. But then I thought it might not be good for your career moving forward after 'Run Lola Run,' and it could damage the image you've built, so I decided against it," Simon expressed regretfully, then added, "By the way, I heard that the 'Back to the Future Part II' project has also been paused. How did your audition for the female lead go?"
Sandra had indeed considered the role of Bunny.
She wouldn't mind any repercussions if it meant being in Simon's new movie.
However, hearing that Simon had thought about it too and had her best interests at heart made her minor grievances disappear.
Hearing Simon's final question, Sandra nodded, "Universal is very eager. They've provided several production plans, but Robert Zemeckis found he couldn't manage between 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and 'Back to the Future Part II.' So, it's been postponed to next year. However, Universal has already offered me the female lead contract; they plan to shoot two sequels back-to-back, and Jonathan is still negotiating the salary."
Simon smiled, "Then congratulations."
After 'Run Lola Run,' with the addition of two surefire hits like the 'Back to the Future' series, Sandra's position in Hollywood would be solidly secured. As long as she didn't make consecutive poor choices, maintaining her status as a leading actress for ten or twenty years wouldn't be an issue.
Sandra clearly understood the implications, and she too smiled joyfully, but then she suddenly remembered the previous matter, her discontent returning as she stared at Simon, "Almost got distracted there, the line, are you guessing?"
Simon resignedly replied, "'This is my husband,' satisfied?"
Watching Simon's dismayed expression and recalling the scene, Sandra couldn't help but burst into laughter, covering her mouth and chuckling until tears came out.
After a while, Sandra teasingly asked Simon, "How does it feel now?"
Simon reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a business card, and waved it in front of Sandra, "Not too bad, got slipped a business card secretly. I'm still undecided."
Sandra eyed the card in Simon's hand for a couple of seconds before reaching for it.
Simon easily dodged Sandra's attempt and leisurely tucked the card back into his pocket, "Can't give this to you. If there's a case of a woman stealing from another woman, it would be embarrassing for us men."
Sandra watched the card disappear into Simon's pocket and then said, "You're not really going to call her, are you?"
"You heard it yourself. If there's a suitable movie, I really would like to work with 'Eve,' in a very professional way."
Sandra listened to Simon's righteous tone and scoffed, "You think I would believe that?"
"That's why I say, there's no point explaining these things to women; you never believe us anyway," Simon laughed, noticing Jonathan and De Niro walking out of the villa towards them. He said to Sandra, "I'm going to talk to them. By the way, do you want me to take you home later?"
Simon pointed to the drink in Sandra's hand.
Sandra initially wanted to decline, her assistant Gina was at the party and would drive her home.
But after a pause, Sandra replied, "Sure."
"Then it's settled."
Simon didn't think much of it, nodded, and walked towards Jonathan and De Niro who were approaching.
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