Chapter 19: A Very Smart Woman

ICM, the International Creative Management agency, while not as prestigious as CAA, is still one of the top five talent agencies in North America. If Duke remembers correctly, both now and for a long time in the future, Julia Roberts will remain one of their signed clients.

No wonder Naomi Watts is doing so well. Unlike him, who was dropped by a big player, she managed to latch onto another powerful one...

"Shall we go together? My car's also in the underground garage."

Seeing Duke open the door to the lounge, Naomi Watts quickly spoke up.

She hurriedly gathered her things and, before Duke could respond, followed him into the elevator. As soon as they entered, Duke noticed a man pacing in the lobby, who glanced over and then walked toward them.

Duke recognized the man—it was Buddy Henry, one of the most famous critics invited by Twentieth Century Fox, writing for the *New York Daily News*.

The professional critic didn't seem interested in talking to Duke, merely nodding at him before moving to Naomi Watts' side. With a seemingly polite demeanor, he said, "Hello, Miss Watts. Have you thought about the suggestion I made this afternoon?"

"Sorry..." Naomi Watts hesitated, stepping closer to Duke. "I... I haven't made up my mind yet."

"Miss Watts..." Henry stepped even closer, "This is a mutual help circle. My suggestion is the best shortcut for you."

He took another step forward, using his height to tower over Naomi Watts, his gaze carrying an implicit threat.

"Please..."

Before Naomi Watts could finish her sentence, he interrupted her, "You haven't been in Hollywood long, so you might not understand how important opportunities are."

At this point, Duke had pretty much figured out what was happening. Seeing Naomi Watts retreat in fear of his cutting pen, Duke took a step forward, putting himself between her and Henry. He also used his superior height to look down on Henry and said, "You are being quite rude, Mr. Henry. This is a public space."

"Did I do anything?" Buddy Henry shrugged indifferently. "I was just inviting Miss Watts for a cup of coffee."

Turning slightly, Duke glanced at Naomi Watts. He wasn't foolish enough to make decisions for her—it was, after all, her personal business.

Aspiring actors were inherently at a disadvantage when dealing with critics who could ruin them with a single bad review. Naomi Watts politely declined, "I'm having dinner with Mr. Rosenberg."

She then shot Duke an apologetic look.

As the elevator bell rang, the doors opened. Naomi Watts quickly stepped inside. When Duke followed, she immediately pressed the close button, leaving the overly confident critic outside the elevator.

The elevator quickly descended to the underground parking garage. Once they stepped out, Duke headed straight toward his parked Chevrolet, and Naomi Watts caught up from behind.

"My car is over there," she pointed to a red Ford in the distance. After a moment of hesitation, she added, "Thank you, Duke."

"It was nothing," Duke replied nonchalantly.

Things like this were all too common in Hollywood. In an era when media was less open, figures like critics, who held sway over the media, were often people actors had to curry favor with. It wasn't uncommon for people to offer something in exchange for a favorable review.

Ultimately, it was Naomi Watts' decision. If she chose not to refuse, Duke wouldn't stop her. Everyone has the right to choose their own path. Once they reached the top of Hollywood, who would care about their past?

"Really, I'm very grateful you helped me out," Naomi Watts said with more sincerity than before. "He's been pestering me since this afternoon."

"Does your agent know about this?" Duke slowed his pace slightly and suggested, "You should probably let her know..."

"I already told her this afternoon," Naomi Watts sighed softly. "She told me it was up to me."

A typical agent's response, Duke thought. It seemed like the atmosphere was getting heavy, so he decided to lighten it with a half-serious, half-joking tone, "Naomi, you made a tough but right choice."

Among aspiring actresses, not many would refuse such an offer. After all, Buddy Henry's column in the *New York Daily News* was one of the top ten in the country.

In Hollywood, actresses have a shelf life, and it's much shorter than that of male actors. The phrase "fame must be seized early" is particularly apt for women. Nancy's thinking was easy to understand—she signed Naomi Watts not for her present, but for her future. If Naomi could become famous earlier and bring in revenue, why stop her?

"This decision might disappoint Nancy," Naomi Watts said, clearly no fool.

By now, it was late. After a quick goodbye, Duke drove his Chevrolet out of the parking garage, avoiding a few congested streets as he gradually left the Beverly Hills area.

Rolling down the driver's side window, the cool evening breeze instantly refreshed Duke, clearing his mind after the drowsy afternoon screening. His thoughts turned to Naomi Watts. After turning it over in his head, he realized he had been the fool.

Indeed, there aren't many simple women in Hollywood.

According to his guess, Nancy Josephson left the decision up to Naomi Watts after receiving her call, likely with a clear inclination. As for Miss Watts, she probably knew Buddy Henry would be waiting in the elevator for her answer. From the moment she saw him in the lounge, she had likely planned her strategy, hastily packing her things and using "Duke invited me to dinner" as a shield.

The benefits of doing this were obvious—she managed to avoid offending Buddy Henry while deflecting most of his displeasure onto her "shield."

A very smart woman who knows how to protect herself...

Duke couldn't help but shake his head and smile. In another world, people often tarnished female stars with accusations of being scheming. But in Hollywood, how could any woman rise to the top without a little scheming?

Though it was all speculation, Duke felt confident he hadn't guessed wrong.

By the time Duke got home, it was fully dark. After parking his car, he walked into the brightly lit living room where his mother, wearing glasses, was intently reading something. A thick stack of documents lay on the coffee table in front of her.

"Mom..." Duke greeted her and sat across from her.

"How was the screening?" Mrs. Leah asked, looking up briefly at him.

"The audience response was very positive. Robin said the overall feedback should be above an A."

Duke casually picked up one of the documents from the coffee table. As he flipped through it, he asked, "Is this a new project for Santa Fia?"

"Not yet for Santa Fia," Mrs. Leah replied, her attention still on the document. "It's a new project we're competing for."

"Cosmetics? Estée Lauder?" Duke quickly recognized the logo. "Oh, it's for Youth Dew perfume."

Though Duke wasn't very knowledgeable about cosmetics, he knew that while Youth Dew wasn't quite on the level of Chanel No. 5, it was still one of the world's top perfumes and a flagship product of Estée Lauder.

Since Duke rarely showed interest in Saint Fia's business, his mother, who had once hoped he would take over, briefly introduced it. "Youth Dew just changed its spokesperson and needs a new ad campaign. Santa Fia is competing for it, and we have a good chance of winning the project."

Though Duke wanted to help, he quickly abandoned the idea. He knew nothing about the advertising industry, and with *Speed* set to premiere soon, if the film did well, he'd have to travel with the crew for promotion, leaving little time for anything else.

"If we secure the project next month..."

As Duke prepared to head upstairs, his mother reminded him, "I might have to stay in New York for a while until the shoot wraps."

"I understand, Mom," Duke replied, turning on the stairs. "I'll visit the set when I can."

Seeing his mother wave lightly in acknowledgment, Duke headed upstairs. After showering, he went to his studio, moved the typewriter to the small round table on the balcony, and started typing as he thought.

Based on the current situation, *Speed* was steadily progressing. If the film succeeded, plans for a sequel would naturally follow, and the sooner the script was completed, the better.

Duke also had other ideas. Once *Speed* was released, he'd have the leverage to join the Writers Guild. Then, he could officially register his scripts with both the Copyright Office and the Guild, giving him a clear advantage in terms of timing and minimizing the risk of overlaps with future projects.

He'd already set out a rough post-*Speed* shooting plan after his last visit to the Writers Guild. Getting the scripts done in advance would undoubtedly lower the risks.

However, this wasn't something to rush. Like finding a personal assistant, it all required money. Right now, Duke didn't have enough funds. These plans would have to wait until he received the rest of his fee for *Speed*. While his $100,000 was just one-hundred-fiftieth of the $15 million total investment, if the film was a hit, he expected to see a decent cut.