Chapter 892: Where's the Spice Girls?

[Chapter 892: Where's the Spice Girls?]

Princess Diana's charity gala started at eight PM. After spending an hour sorting through work emails, Eric grabbed a bite with Christina. They changed into their formal attire and left five minutes early, heading over to Kensington Palace, right off Garden Street.

As night fell, the lights started to glow. The black car made a quick loop around the neighborhood, covering less than a mile before they reached their destination.

Girls often dream of fairy tales involving princes and princesses. Though Christina had matured early, she was no exception. So, she was quite thrilled at the chance to meet Diana in person, and to prepare for it, she'd carefully chosen a white Chanel dress.

As they stepped out of the car, Christina took Eric's arm, suddenly recalling that she had overlooked something important. In a hushed tone, she asked, "Eric, how should I address the Princess later? Is it 'Your Highness'?"

Diana had lost the title of 'Your Highness' when she divorced Prince Charles, but Christina clearly hadn't kept up with that news.

Eric noticed the seriousness on Christina's face and thought about teasing her just a little. However, deciding that this wasn't the right setting for it, he gently reminded her, "You can just call her 'Ma'am.'"

Christina nodded, still insisting, "Oh, but I think 'Your Highness' sounds more polite."

Eric chuckled. "Actually, saying that would be quite rude; it might even offend her."

Christina looked a bit puzzled but quickly stuck out her tongue playfully and gave an affirmative sound.

...

As they chatted, Diana approached them with a middle-aged man in a light gray suit.

"Good evening, Eric. It's great to see you," Diana said, flashing a charming smile and extending her hand.

Eric shook her hand, nodding slightly. "It's great to see you, Ma'am."

"Just call me Diana," she emphasized, then turned to Christina. "And who is this?"

Eric introduced her simply, "This is Christina Aguilera."

"Hello, Tina," Diana greeted Christina warmly before continuing, "Eric, this is Dodi Fayed."

Eric had already been assessing the middle-aged man, who was around forty. Though his Arab heritage wasn't overtly obvious, some typical features were recognizable. Given the recent media buzz surrounding Diana's new romance, Eric had learned a bit about Dodi from the newspapers. Interestingly, Dodi claimed to be a film producer and even had an executive producer credit on Spielberg's movie Hook a few years back.

As Eric reached out to shake Dodi's hand, smiling warmly, he sensed that Dodi's gaze towards him held a hint of wariness, and his demeanor wasn't particularly welcoming. After a brief moment of confusion, Eric couldn't help but chuckle to himself; it seemed Dodi had mistaken him for one of those wealthy billionaires who approached Diana with ulterior motives. Given Eric's wealth, influence, and even his looks, which Dodi couldn't compete with, it was only natural for him to feel a sense of unease.

Diana, however, seemed oblivious to Dodi's hostility towards Eric. Once they had exchanged pleasantries, she led Eric directly to a small donation box, her bright blue eyes sparkling as she looked at him.

Eric smiled, finding this straightforward princess quite charming. Not minding the attention, he pulled out his checkbook and wrote a check for $100,000, dropping it into the donation box.

After Eric deposited the check, Diana smiled at him. "Thank you for your generosity, Eric. There are so many people in need of help in this world."

"It's nothing. It's what I should do," Eric nodded, ignoring Dodi's disapproving glance as he watched him write the check. The invitation had suggested guests donate at least PS5,000. Eric had no intentions of trying to win favor with Diana through grand gestures; in fact, he knew $100,000 was likely the largest donation of the night. Charity events were numerous, and unless someone had a special purpose in mind, no millionaire would casually part with donations in excess of seven figures. Although Eric had the means to do so, he wasn't keen on stealing the spotlight.

"Now, come with me, Eric. I want to introduce you to some guests who are very eager to meet you," Diana said, gesturing for him to follow alongside her. She paused for a moment, then added, "By the way, Eric, I'm a huge fan of yours."

Eric had heard that Diana loved pop music, which seemed to irritate Prince Charles, who highly regarded high-society entertainment events. With a smile, he asked, "Which song is your favorite?"

Diana turned to him, smiling back. "Guess!"

"Hmm, Stronger?"

Diana shook her head. "Nope, guess again."

"New-Divide?"

"That's also a great song, but still not it," she replied before chuckling. "Alright, I'll just tell you -- it's Young and Beautiful. I love how that song expresses such a glamorous yet disillusioning feeling. It's bittersweet, yet enchanting."

Eric looked at the stunning woman beside him, slightly startled. "No, you shouldn't be a fan of that song."

"Ah, why not?" Diana asked, confused.

Eric opened his mouth to explain but then just shook his head. "It's nothing."

Diana hesitated a moment before saying, "By the way, Eric, this might be a bit sudden, but would you sing a song for us later?"

"If it's for you, I wouldn't mind at all," Eric replied, nodding with a compliment. However, if someone else had made such a request, he would've surely declined. He didn't want to turn down this woman's small wish. Seeing the slight blush of delight on Diana's face, he further suggested, "But, I've never had any vocal training, and singing live could turn out poorly. Let's have Christina sing instead; she can do that song you love, um, Young and Beautiful"

Diana hadn't held out much hope when she had made her request, but hearing Eric suggest Christina perform surprised her. She turned to the petite girl who looked so sweetly nestled by Eric's side, her eyes filled with astonishment and doubt. It was hard to believe Christina could deliver a song like Young and Beautiful, which was steeped in such a profound, emotional backdrop.

Eric noticed the surprise in Diana's gaze and explained, "Don't underestimate Christina; she's been performing since she was eight years old. Her singing skills are definitely a hundred times better than mine."

"Oh, okay then," Diana nodded, reassured by Eric's words. She turned to her aide, instructing them to prepare for the performance, then introduced Eric to a few important guests at the gala.

By eight PM, the banquet hall already had around two hundred guests. After introducing a few attendees to Eric, Diana made her way to the small stage in the hall to deliver a brief speech, officially kicking off the gala.

...

These charity events not only raised funds but also provided a social platform for guests to expand their network. Eric navigated the crowd, easily mingling with those who approached him. He initially thought he wouldn't find anything of interest that night, but unexpectedly, he discovered someone who piqued his curiosity: Simon Fuller, the owner of a music and entertainment company.

Some people may not have recognized Simon Fuller's name. However, almost no one had missed the Spice Girls' meteoric rise or the lasting impact of American Idol, both of which were crafted by Simon Fuller himself.

But as he chatted with Simon for a few moments, he recalled something and suddenly wondered -- where were the Spice Girls?

It was already 1997, a time when, according to history, the Spice Girls were reaching dazzling heights. Yet here and now, Eric hadn't seen any mention of them at all. In fact, it was only after the Spice Girls disbanded that Simon Fuller was inspired to create a music reality show format, which exploded in popularity, leading to various iterations of the pop idol model across over seventy countries, most notably American Idol.

*****

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