Chapter 252: The Fainting Lucky Girl
Beverly Hills.
In a luxurious bedroom, the sound of Martin's Rolling in the Deep echoed from the speakers.
This single had officially been released and immediately swept through the music charts in Europe and America. It topped the Billboard chart for eight consecutive weeks in 2001 and also led the American pop charts for seven straight weeks.
Amidst the melodious song, Miranda danced gracefully in the bedroom. She wore a pure white dress from Burberry—an outfit that clung to her, showcasing her stunning curves.
Because of the close-fitting nature of the dress and the fact that she was at home, Miranda wasn't wearing much underneath…
The lighting through the windows intensified Martin's gaze.
He stood up, walked toward Miranda, and, with a polite smile, extended his hand in an inviting gesture.
Miranda smiled slightly, placed her fair hand in his, and gazed at him with a slightly dazed expression.
Martin stepped forward and wrapped his arm around her.
He held her, and she leaned against him…
The music flowed gently…
Outside the villa, on the coast, waves crashed against the rocks, and small boats were docked in the harbor.
As November rolled in, Warner Brothers launched their promotional plan for The Lord of the Rings.
"National Elf Month!"
During November, men and women who dyed their hair a light gold in Vidal Sassoon salons could get a discount. At the same time, an online Lord of the Rings cosplay contest was held. Fans could dress up as any character from the movie and post their photos on a designated website, where others would rate them. The top ten in each category would receive a free Lord of the Rings movie poster.
The event was very innovative and attracted many ordinary people, as well as celebrities.
For example, Leonardo DiCaprio's elf costume was widely praised.
Jessica's cross-dressing as Aragorn also earned high marks.
The character of "Legolas" became the most popular to mimic.
Many celebrities, particularly those who were confident about their looks, joined in.
Aside from DiCaprio, other male actors like Jude Law, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, as well as pop stars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Britney Spears, also embraced the elf look.
Among them, one unexpected elf costume gained such praise that its score was nearly equal to DiCaprio's, until his fans flooded in to overtake it.
That unexpected elf was Orlando Bloom, who played Faramir in The Lord of the Rings.
In an apartment's living room, Orlando Bloom sat on the couch, quietly browsing through the online comments.
"Who is this actor? His elf costume is stunning."
"He's Orlando Bloom, one of the actors from The Lord of the Rings—he plays Faramir."
"He's beautiful. He should play an elf."
"No, no one fits the role of the elf prince better than Martin."
"I'm talking about other elves!"
"Isn't Leonardo better than Martin? Didn't you see his portrayal of Legolas online? It was beautiful!"
"Come on, who besides you Leonardo fans would think that?"
"Exactly. Leonardo's portrayal looks good, but in terms of temperament, he's far behind Martin. I actually think Orlando's elf look fits better!"
As online discussions heated up, more trailers for the movie were released. Each version featured a few more shots of Martin.
This "hunger marketing" strategy caused a surge in people watching the trailers.
Many families or groups of friends would gather in front of the TV just to see those brief clips featuring Legolas.
At the movie theaters, staff were surprised to find that any film with a Lord of the Rings trailer had an increase in box office sales.
Many girls would come to watch a movie just to see those few seconds of Legolas in the trailer, and they seemed indifferent to the actual movie itself.
On the eve of Christmas, The Lord of the Rings was about to premiere.
In New York, at the Vidal Sassoon salon...
Several girls were inside, getting their hair dyed a light gold color.
At that moment, two figures dressed as elves entered the store.
One of the girls sneered, commenting that the streets were full of people dressed like elves these days. While it was fine for attractive people to dress as elves, some overly confident individuals weren't suited for the look.
Thus, the streets of New York had been filled with "fat elves," "short elves," "black elves," and "ugly elves"—it was quite an eyesore.
These two, she thought, were probably the same.
"Ah~!"
A scream interrupted her thoughts.
She glanced at the other girls in the salon, who were all screaming, and then looked at the two figures dressed as elves. And then—
"Ah~!" She joined in the scream as well.
It was Martin and Orlando!
Oh my God, they're in the salon! Am I dreaming?
They were too beautiful. Truly, an unparalleled beauty!
"Earlier today, Martin and Orlando suddenly appeared at the Vidal Sassoon store in Manhattan, New York, bringing immense joy to a few girls who were dyeing their hair into elf shades. One girl, named Teresa, fainted from excessive screaming..."
"When Miss Teresa regained consciousness, she was greeted by the admiration of those around her, as it was Martin himself who revived her with a kiss."
"Miss Teresa herself said it was her lucky day, as she got to meet her idols up close. Fainting was nothing..."
"Reports also suggest that Martin and Orlando will be visiting other Vidal Sassoon stores in different locations, so boys and girls, are you ready to bump into them?"
In the following weeks, Orlando traveled with Martin to several Vidal Sassoon locations. It was exhausting, but also very enjoyable.
His fame was visibly rising, and each appearance at Vidal Sassoon came with a hefty appearance fee.
Of course, Martin earned more, but Orlando wasn't envious at all.
He was deeply grateful to Martin.