Chapter 70: Can You Spit?
[Chapter 70: Can You Spit?]
Kepler timed his arrival perfectly, reaching the Hilton at 4:20 p.m. With twenty minutes left before the guests were set to enter, the Golden Globe Awards ceremony was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
The guest waiting area was packed, with clusters of people chatting animatedly. Eric took a casual glance around and spotted Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, and Sigourney Weaver -- big names he had once only dreamed of seeing up close.
As the young hotshot of Hollywood over the past six months, there were few in the room who didn't recognize Eric. It didn't matter whether they had met before; once their eyes met, they would nod amicably in acknowledgment.
Making his way through the crowd, he quickly found himself at the waiting area for Home Alone. Perhaps it was a deliberate arrangement by the event organizers, but the crews for Home Alone and 17 Again were right next to each other.
Eric thought it best to head over to the 17 Again team first, where he greeted Penny Marshall, Susan Sarandon, and others. Drew understood that Eric had some mingling to do next and willingly stepped back, staying with the 17 Again crew.
Compared to other groups, the Home Alone crew seemed a bit sparse. Jeffrey was in New York, and the two actors playing the bumbling robbers were off filming. Since neither of them was nominated, they didn't rush back to Los Angeles.
By the way, Matthew Perry had been signed by WMA ahead of time. Though young, Matthew managed social situations far better than the Ronkels. During Christmas, Eric hosted a party at his home, and Matthew made a special trip back just to attend, even expressing his willingness to reprise his role as Marvin the robber, saying he was open to negotiating the pay.
In contrast, the Ronkels' performance had left Eric feeling disappointed.
...
"Hi, Charlie, Mary, good afternoon," he said, turning to the Home Alone table, where he smiled and shook hands with the Ronkel couple. They looked radiant, basking in the media attention that had recently focused on their son. This was the first time the couple had stepped into the spotlight themselves.
"Hello, Eric," they chimed, shaking his hand with smiles, but their eyes betrayed a mix of emotions. Lately, there had been whispers that had soured their perception of Eric.
Eric didn't let that bother him. He bent down to greet the beaming Stuart Ronkel, who stood beside his parents, when an abrupt voice cut in. "Mr. Williams, we meet again."
Eric turned to see the middle-aged man who had been standing beside the Ronkel couple -- Horner Wylie, the CAA's top agent, with whom he had crossed paths before.
Remembering how CAA operated, Eric figured Horner was here as one of Stuart's agents. However, he frowned slightly; their previous meeting had not ended on friendly terms, and Horner had clearly come to assert his presence.
Glancing coldly at Horner's outstretched hand, Eric replied flatly, "Hello, Mr. Wylie. I'm glad to see you."
Despite his words, there was little warmth in his tone. Horner was pleased by Eric's reaction, grinning as he withdrew his hand, showing no signs of awkwardness.
This was the kind of situation that didn't typically require an agent of his caliber to intervene, but he made a personal appearance nonetheless. Eric's previous dismissal had embarrassed him, and he just wanted to make the young man aware that Stuart Ronkel was now a CAA client. To get involved in Home Alone 2, he'd have to bow to CAA.
However, Horner mistook Eric's annoyance for insecurity, stepping forward as Eric gathered Stuart in his arms. "Mr. Williams, Stuart is my client now. If you need anything, you should speak with me. Cozying up to a child won't get you anywhere."
Eric looked Horner up and down -- his meticulous hairstyle, neat clothes -- and chuckled softly to Stuart, "Stu, you don't like him either, right? Can you spit?"
Stuart's clever, bright eyes darted around before he quickly turned to Horner Wylie and, with a swift motion, spat.
"Ugh--"
"Aah!" Horner shrieked, glaring furiously at Eric and Stuart, incredulity flashing across his face as he looked down at the saliva now adorning his suit. He quickly pulled out a handkerchief but stared in horror at his chest, unsure of what to do next.
Charlie Ronkel hurriedly approached, trying to wipe it off for Horner, "I'm so sorry, Mr. Wylie."
Mary Ronkel shot a displeased look at Eric but didn't dare reprimand him, instead urging Stuart, "Stuart, say sorry to Mr. Wylie."
Held in Eric's arms, Stuart appeared emboldened, ignoring his mother and turning his head away, pouting.
"Alright, Stu, want to meet some big stars? I'll take you to meet Mr. Tom Hanks."
Eric chose to ignore the three behind him, carrying Stuart toward the Big team.
Stuart, with a hint of pride in his voice, said, "Eric, I'm a big star now too."
"What's it feel like to be a big star?" Eric asked, laughing.
Stuart's expression fell, shaking his head, "Not good at all. I thought if I made a lot of money, my mom and dad would get back together, but they fight more than ever. My dad even found another woman."
Eric stopped, looking at the astute seven-year-old in his arms. "Stuart, how do you know all this? Didn't your parents hide it from you?"
Stuart shook his head, "If it weren't for me, they would've divorced long ago. The only reason they're still together is because neither of them believes they could win custody over me."
"Stu, do you know what those terms really mean?" Eric asked carefully.
"I figured it out after hearing it a few times. Eric, my dad took me to get tested for my IQ recently," Stuart leaned in and whispered, "I scored 177. Dad was excited -- he wanted to tell the press. But Horner Wylie said to keep it under wraps so there wouldn't be any news. So, Dad didn't say anything."
Eric sighed quietly, realizing he was holding an exceptionally gifted child while silently mocking Horner Wylie for trying to manipulate the situation. He knew Wylie only wanted to keep any buzz from Home Alone going strong to boost ticket sales. But at this point, the film's popularity meant such antics were unnecessary.
Arriving at the Big team, Eric set Stuart down and shared a hug with Tom Hanks.
Tom glanced at Horner, who was hurrying away. With a smirk, he said, "Eric, that was pretty ruthless. Horner has a serious phobia about germs; that little spit of Stuart's might haunt him for a week."
Eric chuckled to himself; he had figured Horner's sensitive side would provoke such a reaction. It was a bit juvenile but certainly satisfying. Horner would likely be restless over the next few days, possibly even carrying some mental scar from this encounter.
"Tom, do you know Horner Wylie?"
Tom nodded, "Of course, Eric. I'm also with CAA. But a lot of people aren't fond of him. He used to be alright, but since CAA has grown so much in recent years..." Tom trailed off, shaking his head.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. Tom, my relationship with CAA isn't great right now. If I invite you for my next movie, you wouldn't refuse, would you?"
Tom laughed, "Of course not, as long as the script is good enough."
Eric understood well that someone of Tom's stature didn't have much leverage to control what he could choose to do. His previous comment was just a playful jab.
After chatting for a bit, Eric noticed Stuart innocently tugging at his hand, pulling out a small notebook to ask for autographs from the stars he recognized.
Even though many had seen Stuart's earlier stunt, no one seemed to care; outwardly, at least. When it came to star power, though Stuart was the youngest by far, he easily overshadowed at least eighty percent of the stars present. Thus, with smiles all around, everyone eagerly signed Stuart's little book.
Several overly maternal actresses even picked up the boy and showered him with kisses, leaving bright red lipstick marks on his cheeks.
After a round of introductions, a staff member reminded the guests that it was time to enter. Eric handed Stuart back to the Ronkel couple and found Drew, eagerly awaiting the staff's announcement to head into the awards hall.
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