Chapter 514: Fellow Countryman

[Chapter 514: Fellow Countryman]

Even though he had been careful and even borrowed an ordinary car from an employee in the digital field, it was hard to avoid the limelight at Firefly Studios. Numerous film crews were constantly shooting there, and of course, the stars present were not just Nicole. Eric and Nicole ultimately couldn't escape from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

The bodyguard parked the car outside an Italian seafood restaurant a few kilometers away from Venice Beach. As soon as Eric and Nicole got out, five or six paparazzi jumped out of the following car, excitedly snapping photos of the two.

Eric saw three other bodyguards stepping out of a different vehicle. He quickly moved to block the paparazzi, realizing immediately where the problem lay. The bodyguard sitting in the driver's seat was quite muscular, which made him easily recognizable as a professional security personnel. The sharp-eyed paparazzi at the studio spotted a nondescript car with someone so obvious behind the wheel, leading them to conclude that there must be someone important in the backseat.

Nicole skillfully put on her sunglasses to shield herself from the flashing lights and gave Eric an apologetic smile. She knew he disliked being in the tabloids, and if it weren't for her persistence, they wouldn't have found themselves in this situation.

"Let's go," Eric said, slipping on his sunglasses and wrapping an arm around Nicole's shoulder as they hurried toward the restaurant.

The paparazzi became even more excited when they saw Eric's gesture, snapping pictures while unabashedly shouting questions.

"Eric, are you and Nicole dating?"

"Will Nicole be the star of your next film?"

"Do you guys have marriage plans?"

"..."

Eric and Nicole entered the restaurant without uttering a word, and the paparazzi were blocked at the door by the restaurant's security. Eric could still vaguely hear one of the paparazzi arguing angrily.

"Eric, I'm so sorry," Nicole whispered once they were inside.

Eric released his grip on her shoulder and smiled, saying, "You know I'm the kind of guy who doesn't worry about debts, as long as you don't mind."

Nicole chuckled, shaking her head. "Of course, I don't mind."

A blond waitress with a few adorable freckles on her nose led them to a seated area with a clear view of the sea. Barely containing her excitement, she handed the menu to Eric and Nicole, her gaze fixated on Eric. "Mr. Williams, Ms. Kidman, welcome! What would you like to eat?"

"What do you recommend?" Eric casually asked.

The waitress, gazing at Eric's profile, replied, "Our pan-seared sea bass is great. We just air-freighted it from Peru this morning, plus our cheese-butter baked shrimp and Italian seafood pasta are fantastic."

Eric flipped through the menu briefly before closing it and looking up. "What about wine?"

"Our white wine is excellent! The top-notch Soave dry white wine from Verona pairs best with seafood," the waitress said, maintaining eye contact with Eric as she cheerfully continued.

"Then let's get a bottle of dry white," Eric said, unsure exactly where Verona was but guessing it was somewhere in Italy. He then turned to Nicole, who was intensely studying the menu. "Nicole, what are you going to have?"

After they took some time to finalize their order, Eric finally displayed a 'tilted grin' and said, "I'm genuinely worried that girl might suddenly recommend our deep-fried Williams."

"Come on, don't be silly. She's probably just your fan," Nicole laughed.

While they were talking, the beach outside the floor-to-ceiling windows lit up again with flashes of light. Being a public area, neither Eric's bodyguards nor the restaurant's security could chase them away. Eric looked at the paparazzi holding long lenses and commented, "It's award season, but what's the use of following us two no-nominations nobodies?"

Nicole gestured for the waitress to draw the curtains on the floor-to-ceiling windows next to them to block the distant view before saying, "I saw some articles about you in the newspapers lately, and they had a bitter tone. But really, don't you ever think of shooting an Oscar contender?"

"Not at the moment. You know Woody Allen, right?"

Nicole laughed, "How could I not? It was such a fuss last year."

Instead of chatting with Nicole about Woody Allen's affairs, Eric said, "You should know he never attends the Oscars, even when he won Best Director for Annie Hall. I tend to agree with his attitude toward the Oscars. He mentioned that if a director makes films to win awards, he unconsciously confines himself to the rules and gives up what he genuinely wants to express. Woody Allen is among the few directors who have achieved acclaim in major film festivals in North America and Europe. I believe this is largely due to his freedom from the constraints of convention, which allows him to focus on his vision."

"That's indeed an interesting director," Nicole commented lightly after hearing Eric's thoughts.

"Even though he's in a low period now, Woody Allen will certainly make a comeback in a few years. He has a talent for capturing the beauty of his leading ladies. Would you be interested in collaborating with him?"

"No, I'm focused on commercial films for now. Once I've earned enough money to last a lifetime, I'll consider doing what I really want, like winning an Oscar for Best Actress. After achieving success, I'd just want to have two or three kids and be a good mom."

"By that time, many will surely say, 'Wow, Nicole Kidman has faded and can only stick around in some small indie films now.'"

Eric chuckled, but upon reflecting, he realized that despite the fact that Hollywood stars had eagerly participated in Woody Allen films since the 1970s, Nicole had never collaborated with him. The only time media hinted at a potential collaboration, it was for a project called You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, which Nicole quickly backed out of within a month. That film eventually starred her close friend Naomi Watts.

"Let them say what they want. By the way, your Jurassic Park should be wrapping up soon, but I haven't heard about your next movie plans," Nicole asked.

"I have no plans," Eric replied honestly, shaking his head. "If Jurassic Park hits expectations, that'll be the completion of a phase. I need to take a breather."

Only a select few, like Stan Winston, Roland Emmerich, and Cameron, knew Eric's expectations for Jurassic Park's box office, so Nicole couldn't possibly know. "I don't really understand what the first phase means."

"It refers to the phase where I was personally involved. Moving forward, I intend to focus more on producing. For Jurassic Park's sequel, I won't direct it myself; I'll also look for other directors for previous disaster film projects. Those films require extensive location shooting worldwide. I can't keep leaving Los Angeles for several months each year. Of course, I will still personally direct films, but it will depend on the situation."

Nicole nodded, suddenly remembering something and preparing to speak when the waitress returned with their dishes. She watched as the waitress eagerly served Eric and asked if he needed anything else. Once they were alone again, she added, "I almost forgot to ask -- Interview with the Vampire should be a project you've personally greenlit, right?"

"Yes, what's up?" Eric asked while picking at the sea bass on his plate.

"Have the roles for the film been settled?" Nicole inquired.

"Interview with the Vampire is a collaboration between Firefly and David Geffen's production company. David took the producer's seat, so he's mainly overseeing this project. Firefly is just supervising the script and budget for now; the film's main creatives haven't submitted their choices for actors yet." As Eric spoke, he remembered the two male leads in the original Interview with the Vampire, glanced at Nicole, and asked, "Has anyone approached you? Tom Cruise, perhaps?"

"No, how could someone as proud as Tom Cruise come to ask me for a role? Paula did mention it to Pat; she hopes he might get the part, but he never asked us to communicate about it. Although Tom's recent few works haven't been stellar, he's still a top leading actor. I heard David Geffen is interested in having him play the male lead," Nicole concluded, a mischievous smile lighting up her face as she winked at Eric.

"Your mind is quite devious," Eric said with a chuckle. Everyone knew that David Geffen was known as one of Hollywood's most powerful gay figures, while Cruise's sexual orientation was buried deeper than Kevin Spacey's notorious status.

"So, if it's not Tom Cruise, why bring this up?"

"It's actually one of Pat's newly signed artists. He's got potential, though she is not expecting him to be the male lead. Pat wants him to try out for the male supporting role."

Eric joked, "The guys playing vampires need to be handsome! You're actually supporting that kind of person?"

Nicole waved her hand with a smile, "You're handsome too! He's my fellow Australian, so of course, I need to lend a hand."

"Fellow Australian? That makes it harder for me to agree," Eric said, squinting playfully.

Nicole laughed softly, picking a decorative red cherry from her plate and placing it on Eric's. She soothed him childishly, "Alright, take this cherry as a token of agreement. I'll have Pat call David Geffen and say you approved."

Eric popped the cherry into his mouth and replied, "Fine, arrange it however you want, as long as he gets through the audition. If he's not suited, I absolutely won't agree."

"Of course," Nicole nodded.

After glancing at their nearly finished lunch, Eric asked, "What do you plan to do this afternoon?"

"I just finished promoting Mr. & Mrs. Smith in Europe a few days ago and have been resting. Can I hang out with you in the studios this afternoon?"

"Sure, I'm about to edit a rough cut of Jurassic Park; you can help me out."

"Mmm, I'd like to learn! Maybe one day I'll even change careers and direct something."

Eric summoned the waitress to hand over the credit card before saying to Nicole, "Just stick to being an actress. Directing isn't for everyone; trying to do too much can be a bad thing."

"Then how come you seem like you can do everything?" Nicole asked, propping her chin on one hand with curiosity.

Eric obviously couldn't tell her that he had diligently spent four years in a directing program, then mingled in the industry for nearly twenty years. Though he never managed to direct a film belonging to himself, the skills he accumulated over that time were very solid.

So, facing Nicole's inquisitive stare, Eric puffed out his chest and confidently replied, "I'm a genius! You small fries could never compare."

"Ha, so arrogant," Nicole laughed, tossing a napkin at him.

...

The next day, the tabloids were buzzing with excitement again. Although Eric and Nicole had been caught in the act, neither party responded to any of the rumors. As long as the media wasn't overstepping, they ignored all the chatter.

Production on Jurassic Park entered its final phase, and Eric spent long hours in the post-production center at the studio. Nicole, using her break as an excuse, stayed with Eric for the next few days, working as his temporary assistant. After work, they both returned to Liberty City Manor together. To avoid complications, Eric took a helicopter to and from work every day.

The paparazzi gathering outside Firefly Studios initially hoped to catch juicier gossip but grew frustrated after seeing the black Bell 230 land repeatedly for days. Ultimately, they cursed under their breath and slowly dispersed.

Daytime was filled with interactions over scripts, while nighttime was spent together. Despite having to work overtime for Jurassic Park's post-production every day, Eric still found his days quite pleasant. Occasionally, thoughts would flicker in his mind about something he felt he had forgotten, but soon it would vanish from his thoughts.

Eric figured that if he had forgotten anything, his assistant Allen would remind him in time, so he didn't worry too much about it.

After more than a week and a call from Kepler, Eric realized he had completely forgotten about his scheduled meeting with Charlize Theron.

*****

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