Chapter 168: Freddy's House

[Chapter 168: Freddy's House]

While Chandler and the others were chatting, Ross suddenly appeared like a ghost behind the sofa in the cafe, holding an umbrella, and shyly looking down while fiddling with his fingers. He weakly greeted them, saying, "Hi..."

The previously cheerful atmosphere rapidly dissipated, and Chandler and the others' expressions sank immediately.

"Oh man, the moment he opens his mouth, I get this urge to off myself," Chandler quipped from his adjacent chair, just as the director called for a cut.

...

"No, Ross, that little action you did was great, but the emotion in the lines just isn't there yet. You need to be more wilted -- really let it simmer. I told you before how crucial this shot is for you; I want the audience to laugh as soon as they hear your first line, and I want them to remember you," Eric patiently explained to the actor portraying Ross, even addressing him by his character's name.

Nobody found it odd; they quietly watched Eric as he demonstrated, and even Jennifer Aniston, who was waiting nearby in her wedding dress, gazed up at her serious boyfriend with a look of admiration. Though young, Eric had already grossed over a billion at the box office as a director, so everyone present showed him great respect.

"All right, everyone ready? Let's do it again," Eric concluded, waving to everyone before settling back into the director's chair.

Due to the stringent requirements for Ross's entrance, this little scene had been shot over ten times, and by the end, the actor playing Ross seemed noticeably anxious. But finally, they managed to get it right.

"Jen, it's your turn now," Eric said after a few more setups, turning to Aniston, who had been waiting patiently by the sidelines. The young woman quickly lifted her wedding dress and headed outside the Central Perk cafe.

...

Since it was the first day of filming, the crew hadn't shot many scenes, mainly focusing on getting the actors in sync. Although there were no canned laughter tracks in the studio, the atmosphere overall was remarkably pleasant. At first, most of the crew was on edge because Eric was personally directing, but as time went on and they got to know him better, they eased up, even sharing light-hearted jokes with him.

After days of practice, the shooting pace picked up, and Eric had allocated a generous two weeks to prepare the first two episodes he directed. That was quite relaxed, considering that after that, they would be shooting and airing simultaneously, which meant the crew would need to produce two episodes each week.

...

"Eric, how about we go out for dinner tonight?" Aniston asked sweetly, snuggling up to Eric's arm after a long day of filming. Since everyone around knew about their relationship, the young woman had no intention of hiding it.

"I actually have plans with someone, but if you don't mind, you can come along." Eric replied as he scribbled on a document.

Aniston raised her eyebrows slightly but couldn't help asking, "Is it a guy or a girl?"

"Um... definitely a guy."

"I knew it," she pouted. "If it were a girl, you wouldn't bring me along."

"Besides you, I don't think I've ever gone out to dinner with any other woman," Eric said, capping his pen and placing it in his folder, then gently pinching her cheek.

Aniston shrugged off Eric's hand. "I don't believe you. Who knows what you've done behind my back? What's up with Nicole Kidman?"

"What's up with her?" Eric feigned misunderstanding.

You could tell Aniston wanted to directly ask if he had slept with her, but she swallowed the question. What could it change? Even if they hadn't, she felt that it was possible for Eric to end up in bed with her in the future. And if they had, what could she do about it? Break up with him?

After quickly finishing another document, Eric signed it and handed it to his assistant, Allen, before wrapping his arm around Aniston's waist. "Okay, let's go. We should head back and get ready. I'm meeting them at seven, which is in two hours. How about we stop by my place? Drew has missed you."

"Hum, I've missed her too," Aniston replied, immediately brightening at the mention of Drew's name. The last time the two girls had clashed over Eric's hospital bed, they hadn't seen each other since. Aniston hadn't been to Eric's house in months; meanwhile, he usually spent the night at her place. Because of that, she had remained oblivious to the situation with Nicole. It wasn't until the newspapers reported that Nicole was cast as the lead in Eric's new film that Aniston even learned of her existence.

...

After saying goodbye to the crew, Eric drove Aniston back to his Beverly Hills mansion. Though he said all that, he felt a sigh of relief seeing Drew still absent from home. After the incident with Nicole, the girl had only given him the cold shoulder for a day; once Nicole left, she was back to snuggling up to Eric at night.

Although this was Aniston's second time visiting Eric's mansion, her first experience had been slightly terrible, and she hardly remembered what his home looked like. Discovering that Drew wasn't home, Aniston took on the role of hostess, exploring the spacious house inside and out, even flopping onto Eric's big bed for a moment.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" In Eric's bedroom, while hugging a pillow, Aniston looked up when she caught Eric staring at her with an amused expression.

Eric shook his head. "Nothing, I'm just curious if you're marking your territory or something."

"Hum," Aniston seemed slighted by his teasing and turned her back to Eric.

Shrugging, Eric walked into the closet to pick out some clothes. Since Aniston was wearing a long dress that resembled an elegant gown, she could easily go to dinner without needing to change.

"All right, let's go," Eric said after changing his clothes, turning to Aniston, who was still lounging on the bed.

"Hmm," Aniston replied and didn't get up right away; instead, she tilted on the bed and waved a long strand of hair at Eric, looking like she wanted an explanation.

Eric shrugged. "That must have been one of yours that fell out just now."

"..." Aniston struck, throwing the hair at Eric, clearly annoyed, and then buried her head in the pillow while laying face down.

Eric approached her and playfully slapped her on her raised backside. "Come on, don't be sulking. We need to go."

"Hmm..." Aniston wiggled a bit but didn't budge. Eric smirked mischievously and suddenly said, "Jen, there might be Drew's drool on that pillow."

"Ugh... Ew, that's gross." Hearing Eric's words, Aniston sprang up like a spring, and the pillow flew at Eric as she dashed into the bathroom.

...

"All right, don't be mad," Eric said after getting out of the car, handing his keys to the valet while walking with the girl linked to his arm. "I told you, there's absolutely nothing going on. That's my pillow; even if there was, it would just be my drool."

"Hum, your drool is worse," Aniston couldn't resist touching her lips, rolling her eyes as she said that.

They entered the restaurant and were led to a table nearby where a middle-aged man was already waiting. Upon seeing Eric, the man smiled, stood, and stepped forward to shake Eric's hand.

"Hello, Mr. Shea," Eric said as he shook hands with him, then introduced, "This is my girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston."

Aniston politely shook hands with him before sitting quietly beside Eric.

"Just call me Robert," the man said as he took his seat.

Eric didn't see much in the man's expression nor did he care. He understood that this dinner wouldn't seal any deals; it was merely a test on both sides, and they likely wouldn't reach any consensus. After ordering, Eric started to chat casually with Robert Shea.

"It's definitely a classic in the horror genre; the concept of dream killing is quite innovative, and as a master of horror, Wes Craven has a unique understanding of building that frightful atmosphere. To be honest, Firefly just finished shooting a horror film recently, and I considered Mr. Craven during the directorial selection. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, we could not collaborate."

As they chatted, the conversation flowed naturally to New Line's classic series, noting that while the company had begun independent production back in 1979, it wasn't until 1984 that they had their first successful hit, allowing New Line's status to rise significantly. Because of that, the series became of utmost importance to New Line, even earning it the nickname 'Freddy's House,' referring to the film's main character.

Hearing Eric's light praise, Robert Shea couldn't help but beam with pride. "Still, it can't compare that to your film. Production cost of only a million made five hundred million at the box office, returning profits over 500 times the cost. That kind of return on investment may never be matched by any film again."

"There will definitely be others," Eric said with a smile, recalling a certain film from the past that achieved great success by sheer chance. Still, the undeniable miracle it created lingered fresh in his mind.

*****

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