บท 434: Chapter 435: A Personal Matter
[Chapter 435: A Personal Matter]
Eric noticed the woman's expression looked a bit confused, so he kindly refrained from discussing the movie's plot further and asked, "By the way, do you know what Brigitte Bardot's most seductive pose was?"
Claudia, however, was aware of this. Though she had never seen any of Brigitte Bardot's films, she had seen some related photographs. There was no doubt that Bardot's most seductive pose featured her curvaceously lying on a couch, swaying her slender, sexy legs while propping her chin with one hand and revealing a wild, captivating smile.
It was said that Bardot had struck that pose in many of her movies.
"Yeah, I know," Claudia nodded with a smile, looking at Eric as if waiting for something.
Eric opened his mouth, realizing it was inappropriate to continue along that line of conversation, especially since there were two other women at home today. He decided to change the topic, asking, "When did you get into the industry?"
Claudia remembered, "In 1987, I was dancing at a disco with a couple of friends when a talent scout gave me a business card, and that's how it all started."
"Do you like this job?"
Claudia thought for a moment and replied, "I guess I do like it, because due to my height, I feel this profession suits me best. I was always taller than the other kids around me growing up, and it felt awkward to be stared at wherever I went. I felt a bit insecure until I became a model, which helped me find my purpose. But my dad was never really comfortable with it; he always wanted me to take over his law firm."
"How did Drew manage to charm you yesterday? I think you're a clever girl and shouldn't fall for any tricks that easily," Eric inquired.
Claudia recalled her day from yesterday and offered an awkward smile. She bravely gazed at Eric and said, "Honestly, I only thought that if I was with you, even if nothing happened, it would still be a wonderful experience."
"Well... that's quite an honor."
Now that she had gathered courage, Claudia didn't hold back, expressing, "Actually, when I came to Los Angeles, one of my friends said, 'It would be amazing if you bumped into Eric Williams.' I never expected to actually meet you."
Eric asked with a smile, "Now that you've met him in person, what do you think?"
"Oh, he's so much of a gentleman and very charming..." Claudia chuckled while saying this, then added, "I just wonder if there will be another chance to go out with him."
"Maybe," Eric chuckled noncommittally as he checked the display on the treadmill, gradually slowing down before stepping off and heading toward the bathroom.
...
After breakfast, Eric drove Claudia back to her hotel on his way to work. The two had an enjoyable conversation along the way. Claudia never brought up the previous night's events, nor did she show any sign of wanting to ask for anything. It seemed she really regarded this experience as a purely enjoyable outing. Moreover, her refined demeanor and conversation skills further impressed Eric.
The car stopped in front of a hotel in Beverly Hills. Claudia boldly leaned over and kissed Eric, but just as she was about to exit the car, Eric stopped her.
"If you're looking to make it in Hollywood, I might have an opportunity for you."
"Ah, really?" Claudia's eyes lit up with surprise. She had thought that this would be the last time she saw Eric and hadn't dared to entertain any hopes.
The disparity in their status was too great. Unless he took the initiative, she wouldn't be foolish enough to indulge in any dreams of rags to riches, nor would she be naive enough to ask Eric for anything.
Eric signaled for her to sit back down and said, "Of course it's real, but this is just an opportunity. Whether you can seize it hinges entirely on you. However, if you perform well, I'll certainly make sure the production team considers you first."
"What should I do?" Claudia asked.
Eric recalled, if all went smoothly with acquiring the comic adaptation rights, production would begin early next year, aiming for a summer release. Time was not on Claudia's side.
But the role was merely a pretty face requiring little acting skill; she simply needed to exhibit her own sexiness. And since Claudia was already a model, showcasing sexiness was essentially her forte. Although time was short, it would suffice for her to prepare.
"You have no acting experience. If you want this opportunity, you need to drop everything you're currently doing immediately and enroll in an acting class for at least three months. In early next year, I'll have someone notify you about auditions."
Claudia was about to respond when Eric waved his hand, "This isn't just a small matter for you. I think it would be best for you to consider this carefully. Three months or even longer without work could affect your modeling career's progress, and I can't provide you any guarantees; ultimately, it all depends on your efforts."
"No, there's no need to think it over. I'll do exactly as you say," Claudia insisted.
Come on, Eric Williams personally offering an opportunity? It would be foolish to hesitate. Over just a few years, Eric had already propelled several Hollywood A-listers into the spotlight.
Eric looked at Claudia with excitement and said seriously, "I've said this is just an opportunity. A movie can involve investments in the tens of millions of dollars, so the chance I'm offering you is only viable if you have the capability. If you can't even make it through the audition, all I can say is 'too bad.'"
"I know this for sure," Claudia replied.
Seeing that she had already made her decision, Eric took out a business card, found a pen, and wrote a phone number on the back: "This is the number for Mr. Kepler Hyde from ICM. Just reach out to him, tell him I referred you, and he'll arrange a suitable agent for you. Of course, if you think your current agent can adapt to Hollywood well enough, you don't need to change."
Claudia accepted the card carefully and said, "Well... I'll take my leave now."
"Mm, you still have a contract with Elite, right? Do you need me to help with anything?" he asked.
"No, I can handle it myself," Claudia declined. During their brief interaction, she realized Eric preferred intelligent and independent women, and she instinctively tried to project that image.
After saying goodbye to Claudia, Eric instructed the driver to head to Burbank.
...
At the Firefly office, when Allen saw Eric walk in, he picked up a thick stack of prepared documents and followed Eric into the office.
"Eric, the blue folder contains the latest developments from our negotiations with Disney; I've marked the important parts. The red folder includes the second batch of producer profiles collected by HR, all of whom are possible candidates for signing with Firefly. The gray folder consists of high-quality film project documents filtered by the production department."
Currently, Summer Redstone was frantically raising funds, and Firefly insisted on maintaining their strategy of complete acquisition, so negotiations with Disney weren't going to make significant progress in the short term. Eric set aside the blue folder and opened the red one.
After Robert Shea's departure, after nearly six months of integration and growth, the roles and responsibilities of Eric, Michael Lynn, and Jeffrey had become increasingly clear.
Although Michael Lynn served as CEO, he had a realistic understanding of his role; he wasn't like Robert Shea who had so many ideas, so he completely followed Eric's arrangements and focused his energy on expanding Firefly's distribution channels, even delegating many administrative tasks to Jeffrey.
Following his work on Twister, Jeffrey as Firefly's president had shifted his focus towards company management, and he wouldn't be producing films personally any longer.
Eric held no specific title at Firefly; he could oversee anything or nothing. However, every film project required his approval which no one in the company disputed.
Firefly's plans for the upcoming year included the production of eight films. So, just like the major studios, they had to sign a group of qualified producers, and Eric's recent work involved selecting producers and determining next year's film projects.
"Allen, how are negotiations going regarding the adaptation rights for The Mask with Dark Horse Comics?" Just as Allen was about to leave, Eric, recalling Claudia, asked. Ever since signing Jim Carrey, Eric had been planning to secure the film adaptation rights of The Mask to hand over for production.
With Cutthroat Island's dismal box office, even if others wanted to fight Firefly for the rights, they had to consider if the production would flop; sellers would also likely become more cautious. If it went to other studios and got messed up, the valuable rights would turn into worthless scraps. So, Eric wasn't overly concerned and had people start reaching out to Dark Horse Comics.
The opportunity he had just offered Claudia was the same role that had catapulted Cameron Diaz to fame as the female lead in The Mask. In the original timeline, before The Mask, Cameron Diaz was just an unknown model, but after it, she shot to stardom, rapidly becoming the new darling of Hollywood.
Thinking over Eric's inquiry, Allen replied, "After negotiations, Dark Horse has given up on the joint development plan. They should now be discussing detailed contract specifics; I'm not too clear on the details since Russell is in charge. Do you want me to call him over?"
"Have him come to my office, and also, arrange meetings with the managers of a few jewelry brands for me tonight."
"What?" Allen asked, confused.
"I mean the managers of well-known jewelry brands like Cartier, Bulgari, Tiffany, etc., who are based in Los Angeles. Just say I have a business deal to discuss," Eric explained, noticing Allen still looking puzzled, so he added, "It's a personal matter -- not company-related; just help me set it up."
With that, Allen nodded and left the office.
*****
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