Chapter 243: Quite a Hustle

[Chapter 243: Quite a Hustle]

Although the main character Annie worked in Baltimore, aside from a few exterior shots taken outside the Baltimore Sun building and in other locations around the city, all of Annie's scenes were filmed in Manhattan, New York.

Eric did this to simultaneously manage the preparations for Home Alone 2, which had most of its scenes set near Central Park in Manhattan.

In a renovated apartment, Eric called for another take and said to a plump thirty-something white woman, "Ms. O'Donnell, when you say those lines about the character's ex-husband, try to sound a bit more bitter. Remember, you need to feel that resentment; it's all your ex's fault, and none of it has anything to do with you."

Rosie O'Donnell, who was playing Annie's roommate, shrugged. "You know, director, I'm completely numb to this sort of thing, so I might need more tries."

The crew chuckled lightly at this. Rosie O'Donnell said this because the thirty-six-year-old rapper and actress was not only an extreme feminist but also openly gay. More importantly, she never concealed this fact like some other public figures; she had a steady same-sex partner, and they had been living together.

Even though things got chaotic once they arrived in New York, with more shots needed than in Seattle, the filming schedule remained on track. Eric felt no urgency and chuckled at Rosie's remark. "No rush, we'll take our time. I believe you'll get the hang of it after a few more tries."

Rosie nodded, and Eric signaled to start the shoot once more.

This particular scene required lengthy takes, which put high demands on Nicole and Rosie's performances. They had already called for several takes without success.

...

As the clapperboard clapped crisply, Rosie's character, Becky, began her lines. Following the dialogue from An Affair to Remember, she prompted Annie to write a letter.

Annie furiously typed on the typewriter, realizing she had lost her mind, brainstorming about meeting another man at the top of the Empire State Building for Valentine's Day, knowing full well that day was supposed to be a big date with her fiance Walter.

Then she takes the piece of paper out of the typewriter, smashes it into a ball and tosses it up in the air and into Becky's lap. 

Becky picked up the crumpled paper and glanced at it. Then, with a look of exasperation, she said, "You want to hear about destiny? If my husband hadn't gone on a diet, which caused me to leave him, I would never have been on that flight to Miami, and met Rick, and ended up having sex in the bathroom of a 727 with that nob you slide that says 'vacant-occupied'."

When Becky said this, her tone showed no self-reflection, instead, it was filled with hatred. Eric nodded slightly behind the monitor but thought Rosie's expression was a bit over the top. However, he did not call for a cut and allowed their dialogue to continue.

Annie joined Becky with a bowl of popcorn, and upon hearing her friend's complaint, curiously asked, "You never told me you left your husband because he went on a diet."

Becky nods, and replied after a beat, "He lost all the weight... there."

Annie pressed on, "That's impossible. A guy can't..."

"Can too."

"No."

"Yes."

"And then you left him? He lost weight there and you left him?"

"Plus he fell in love with a temp." After saying that, Becky showed a brief panic, then quickly changed the subject, directing Annie's attention to the television showing An Affair to Remember.

Soon enough, Annie and Becky began reciting the classic lines from the film, becoming so moved that they cried together, disregarding their appearance. Their expressions, however, appeared exaggerated, making it hard to feel sadness or emotion, instead, it became quite humorous.

...

Eric heard a stifled laugh and, from his position peering at the monitor, quickly scanned the area for the source of the chuckle, glaring at the lighting technician who made the sound. The technician quickly apologized with a sheepish look.

Initially, Eric thought the scene of the two women acting foolishly in front of a romantic comedy could be edited into the film, but that laugh ruined it.

After calling for a cut, Eric rubbed his forehead and said, "Alright, I know two women crying over a romantic comedy might seem hilarious to many men, but remember, you're at work. If anyone can't hold it in, just step out, and if I catch you messing around again, regardless of whether you meant it or not, I won't let it slide. Everyone ready? Let's go again!"

...

After several more tries, they finally got the scene right, and it was time for lunch.

As Eric announced a break in filming and was about to grab lunch, Elisabeth rushed in.

"Eric, Donald Trump has been waiting outside for you for two hours. I didn't inform you earlier because you were busy filming. Do you want to meet him?"

Eric asked, puzzled, "Donald Trump? Do you know him well?"

Elisabeth explained, "Not too well, just acquainted. He's a real estate mogul in New York and has buildings named after him all over the country, a pretty big deal. I've only seen him a few times at parties."

Though he knew of this future president, Eric had little interest in meeting Donald Trump since he was a filmmaker, and Trump was in real estate. Eric asked, "What does Donald Trump want with me? We don't know each other."

Elisabeth shrugged, "Who knows? I just wanted to let you know. If you don't want to meet him, I can tell him you're busy."

Eric glanced at his watch. "Since Mr. Trump has waited two hours, I might as well meet him; it's lunchtime anyway."

"Then follow me," Elisabeth said, leading Eric out of the set.

...

Soon, Eric met a man in his forties wearing a gray wool coat, stepping out of a luxurious car.

"Hello, Mr. Williams," upon seeing Eric, the middle-aged man hurriedly stepped out of the car, warmly shaking Eric's hand.

Feeling taken aback by his familiarity, Eric responded politely, "Hello, Mr. Trump. How can I help you?"

Donald Trump seemed to appreciate Eric's directness and smiled, "I figured it was about time for lunch. I had Miss Murdoch pass a message along. Eric, I hope you don't mind if I call you that. There's a nice restaurant nearby, and I've reserved a table. Would you like to join me for lunch?"

Eric wasn't overly concerned with titles and nodded but shook his head in refusal. "Mr. Trump, I only have an hour, so I'm afraid..."

"I promise I won't take up your work time; the restaurant is just around the corner," Trump gestured towards a nearby street.

Faced with Donald Trump's enthusiastic invitation, Eric was momentarily unsure how to decline. He glanced back at Elisabeth, hoping she would come up with an excuse. But Trump misunderstood and added, "Miss Murdoch can join us, too."

Elisabeth, who was ready to find a reason to help Eric, immediately shook her head. "No, thank you, Mr. Trump. I have other matters."

"That's unfortunate," Trump said, shaking his head, then kindly opened the door to his luxury car. "Eric, let's go."

'I don't think I ever agreed,' Eric thought to himself, but seeing Trump's insistence made it feel impolite to refuse him again. He climbed into the car, with Trump following and instructing the driver to head to their destination.

...

Upon reaching the restaurant, Eric and Donald were led by the waiter to a quiet corner table.

As they sat down, Trump immediately ordered the waiter to start bringing the food, and once the waiter walked away, he took a moment to size up Eric.

The two had really been from completely different worlds, but Trump's sudden personal invitation had to do with his current circumstances.

Having entered the real estate game in the mid-seventies, Trump had built an impressive fortune of $1.7 billion in just over a decade, thanks to his talent and assistance from the previous generation.

But starting in 1987, the stock market crash also impacted the real estate industry, leading to a severe downturn in the property market.

*****

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