Chapter 153: Blame

[Chapter 153: Blame]

As the final credits rolled, the lights in the theater brightened. Amid the nervous anticipation of the film's creators, applause erupted, continuing until Eric, joined by stars like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, made his way to the stage. He smiled and gestured for the audience to settle down, slowly hush falling over the room.

After expressing gratitude to the fans and enjoying a brief interaction, Eric and the others made their way backstage amidst the growing excitement of the audience. Although the fans were reluctant to leave, they did so with a sense of order.

...

"The use of repetitive techniques was just brilliant. You know, Nicole, many directors bring their own unique style to their films. It's not just the auteur filmmakers who possess strong styles; even those who focus on box office success tend to have a signature approach that they unknowingly reuse in many of their films. Yet, oddly enough, this trait doesn't seem to manifest in Eric Williams. Each of his films has a totally different style, which is just bizarre, since the inertia of one's tendencies is usually quite strong, and habits often come out without one realizing it."

As magazine critic George Norse walked side by side with Nicole out of the theater, he animatedly explained his thoughts. He noticed that whenever he brought up Eric, Nicole exhibited a hint of interest, unlike her rather indifferent reactions to other topics. So, he decisively shifted the conversation away from Cruise, Hanks, or Brooke Shields, catering instead to Eric.

Once they reached the parking lot, George tentatively spoke up, "Nicole, there's a nice cafe not far from here; perhaps we could sit for a while? It's still early, and there's nothing for us to do back home, right?"

Nicole coldly replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Norse, but I'm heading back now."

Though she said this, Nicole paused by her car, glancing back toward the theater. George, having been turned down, saw that she did not immediately get in her car and grew even more determined. A cold and beautiful woman like Nicole was a challenge he hadn't yet conquered, and her lukewarm attitude fueled his desire to win her over.

"Nicole, do you really like Eric Williams?" George quickly pivoted to another topic.

Nicole glanced at him, answering honestly, "Not particularly."

George gave a knowing smile, "Come on, don't deny it. I've noticed you seem to be more interested in discussions about Eric Williams. Would you like to meet him in person?"

Nicole raised an eyebrow, growing increasingly impatient with his persistence. Unfortunately, George didn't pick up on her subtle changes in expression due to the lighting in the parking lot and continued with his assumptions. "You know, Eric Williams has been doing a lot of interviews promoting his movie lately. Given his influence now, if we sent him an interview request, he'd likely accept."

"That has nothing to do with me," Nicole replied coldly.

"I have a good relationship with the editor; if he agrees, I can snag this assignment. Then..." George said with a hint of smugness, "if you're willing, you could pretend to be my assistant, giving you the chance to meet Eric Williams face-to-face. Who knows, we might even end up having dinner together."

"Oh," Nicole let out a nonchalant sound, a sarcastic smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Just as she was about to clearly reject this presumptuous guy, a sharply dressed young man approached the parking lot, heading straight for her.

Seeing the young man, George's expression went wary. Nicole was on alert too - she didn't know him, and with George still lingering nearby, she didn't want another clingy situation.

"Excuse me, are you Miss Nicole Kidman?" the young man asked upon reaching her, taking a second to assess her outfit.

Nicole nodded, and George breathed a sigh of relief, noticing the two were unfamiliar with each other.

Once the young man confirmed her identity, he warmly said, "Hello, Miss Kidman. I'm Allen, Allen Fisman." Upon seeing her puzzled look, he quickly added, "I'm Mr. Williams's assistant."

"Oh, hello, Allen. Just call me Nicole," she replied with a smile, shaking his hand while casting a knowing glance at George Norse, who now appeared somewhat uneasy. "This is magazine critic Mr. George Norse."

"Hello, Mr. Norse," Allen greeted him, though his tone was neutral. People in film usually harbored disdain for critics; in those days, critics wielded immense power over a film's reputation, but very few maintained a fair perspective. Therefore, studios often had to shell out hefty public relations fees before each release to guarantee positive reviews.

After acknowledging George, Allen turned back to Nicole. "So, Nicole, Ms. Barrymore asked me to pass along that she will be attending the upcoming party with Mr. Williams, so you don't need to wait for her."

"Thank you, Allen. I understand," Nicole nodded.

Not saying much else, Allen nodded at both of them and walked back toward the theater.

"Excuse me, Mr. Norse, could you move aside?" Nicole said as she prepared to open her car door to leave, only to find George frozen, blocking her path.

"Oh, sorry!" George stammered, hastily stepping aside, watching as Nicole opened the car door. He forced a smile, but it felt stiff, as if his facial muscles were frozen.

Had Allen only mentioned "Mr. Williams," George might have deceived himself, pretending not to understand. After all, the surname Williams was far too common. However, with the mention of "Ms. Barrymore," all pretense evaporated.

Eric's peculiar relationship with Drew was a hot topic in the industry, and George clearly couldn't have missed it. So, it was easy to deduce that Nicole must know both Eric and Drew well.

Realizing his earlier comments now fell flat, a deep sense of embarrassment washed over George. Nicole clearly had a connection with Eric, and how could he use an interview as bait? She must have laughed at him internally a hundred times over.

Watching Nicole drive off like it was nothing, George trudged to his own car feeling like a clown. When faced with such situations, if one refuses to reflect on their mistakes, they often misdirect their frustrations elsewhere.

So, George completely disregarded his own rude persistence and instead felt as if he'd been played by Nicole.

Finding an excuse for himself, George kicked his car tire angrily, his face twisted in rage as he spat, "Bitch, we'll see about this!"

*****

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