Chapter 239: Saving the Flower
Chapter 239: Saving the Flower
After returning to the inn where the crew was staying, Eric took a shower and was lying on the bed chatting on the phone with Aniston back in Los Angeles when knocking sounds rang out at the door.
Eric answered, then hurriedly said to Aniston on the other end, “Baby, someone’s knocking, I’ll hang up first… Of course not, it’s probably someone from the crew wanting to discuss work… You silly girl, don’t think I don’t know you asked Nicole to help keep an eye on me, alright? … Haha, she’s staying right next door to me now. This lousy inn is so poorly soundproofed that people next door can hear if you speak a little louder. How would I dare… Alright, alright, kiss kiss, bye.”
Putting down the receiver, Eric slipped on his slippers, got out of bed, and opened the door.
Standing gracefully outside was Kelly LeBrock, wearing a khaki trench coat. The woman’s exquisite face had clearly been carefully made up. Compared to when she played Sam’s wife Maggie earlier on set, she now carried several more degrees of icy glamour. Not a single button of the high-collared trench coat was fastened, and the faint glimpse of snowy-white skin beneath it stirred an urge to pull it open and investigate further. Beneath the knee-length coat were slender legs wrapped in black stockings, while the black ankle boots on her feet added a touch of youthful vitality.
The woman was also carrying a blue folder. Seeing the brief flash of amazement on Eric’s face, a trace of satisfaction flickered through Kelly LeBrock’s eyes.
“Mr. Williams, may I come in?”
“Oh, of course.”
Eric finally reacted, smiling as he stepped aside to let Kelly LeBrock into the room before casually shutting the door.
“The conditions here are limited. I only have milk and orange juice. Miss Lowell, which would you like?”
Eric walked toward the cabinet holding the old television and casually opened a small compartment as he asked.
Kelly LeBrock sat down at the chair by the round table and placed the blue folder on it. Hearing Eric’s question, her expression shifted slightly before she replied, “If possible, I’d like a glass of milk.”
Eric did not think much about it. He poured her a glass of milk and placed it before her, then sat down across from her at the small round table.
Kelly LeBrock softly thanked him. She lifted the milk to her lips as if casually, but her sapphire-blue eyes remained fixed on Eric with a hint of seduction. After taking a small sip, the woman extended her rosy tongue and lightly licked away the milky residue at the corner of her lips. The tiny motion, full of implication, was mesmerizing.
In the quiet little room late at night, seeing the provocative gesture from the woman, Eric could not help touching his nose before asking, “Miss Lowell, shouldn’t you have gone back to the city already? You don’t have any scenes left here.”
The woman looked at Eric with faint grievance in her eyes.
“Do you want me to leave? It’s already this late. Even if I returned to the city, I probably couldn’t find a hotel. Besides, I’m just a woman. I wouldn’t dare wander around alone late at night.”
Kelly LeBrock was obviously making things up. Eric had personally seen that she had an assistant accompanying her. However, he did not expose the lie. The moment he first saw Kelly LeBrock, he had already more or less guessed why she had come.
“Alright then, what do you need?” Eric asked bluntly.
Kelly LeBrock opened the blue folder before her.
“Actually, Mr. Williams, I wanted to talk with you about my role.”
Eric accepted the stapled A4 papers she handed over and glanced through them. They contained analyses and thoughts regarding Maggie’s character. Many actors did similar work after taking on a role.
Eric simply had not expected her to do this much analysis for such a small character.
After reading through most of it, Eric discovered that the woman’s understanding of Maggie was even more thorough than his own. There were details in the analysis that he himself had not considered.
Surprised, he looked up and asked, “Miss Lowell, did you write these yourself?”
Kelly LeBrock moved her lips. After hesitating briefly, she answered honestly, “My agent and… I discussed them together. Eric, what do you think?”
“Your agent is pretty good.”
Eric smiled as he spoke. Seeing the embarrassed flicker in the woman’s eyes, he did not pursue the issue further and continued, “The analysis of Maggie here is extremely accurate. To be honest, there are details even I hadn’t thought of. And Maggie really is the fuse that ignites the entire story. Without this character, there would be no foundation for the story’s development.”
“Then…”
Hearing Eric’s approval, Kelly LeBrock leaned forward slightly in delight.
“Mr. Williams, don’t you think Maggie has too few scenes? Since the role is this important, adding a few more scenes should be perfectly reasonable, right?”
“Miss Lowell, you need to understand that the focus of this story is Sam and Annie. I want audiences, after the film releases, to feel a strong resonance with the miraculous fate between the male and female leads. Only then can the movie succeed.”
Hearing Eric’s words, Kelly LeBrock showed no discouragement at all. Her cat’s-eye-like blue eyes sparkled brightly as she leaned forward a little more and said softly, “Mr. Williams, I’m not trying to steal the female lead’s spotlight. Besides, with your talent, you certainly wouldn’t allow something like that to happen, right? I just hope you can add a few more scenes for Maggie.”
A faint smile curled at Eric’s lips.
Under the table, he spread his legs and trapped the restless leg rubbing against him, preventing it from continuing its teasing movements. Although fabric separated them, Eric could still clearly feel the smoothness of the leg he had pinned.
Kelly LeBrock’s body stiffened briefly when she sensed Eric’s movement, but her expression soon became even more alluring. She believed Eric’s action was a disguised form of agreement to her request.
“Mr. Williams, does that mean you agree?”
Eric looked at the enticing red lips fluttering as she spoke and asked teasingly, “Agree to what?”
Kelly LeBrock froze for a moment but did not dare show irritation.
“Adding a few scenes for Maggie. Actually, there’s no need to add too many. As long as audiences can remember… remember Maggie as a character, that’s enough. You can definitely do it, right?”
“Of course. That’s easy. Just like Brooke Shields in Running Out of Time.”
Eric nodded. Before the woman could reveal a delighted expression, however, he shook his head again, his tone firm.
“But I can’t do that. If Sam and Maggie’s relationship is portrayed as too beautiful, not only will it distract the audience’s attention, it may even cause audiences to prefer Sam remaining single forever while growing resistant toward the fate between Sam and Annie. For the film, that would be a disaster.”
Kelly LeBrock stared at Eric. Hearing him finish speaking without showing the slightest sign of relenting, she disappointedly tried to withdraw the leg trapped between his. But after tugging several times, she found it still tightly restrained.
Biting her red lips lightly, the woman blushed as she said timidly, “Mr. Williams, since… since that’s the case, could you let me go now?”
“Why should I? I think this feels pretty comfortable,” Eric said with a grin.
Kelly LeBrock’s face flushed even redder. Seeing the aggressiveness in Eric’s gaze, the woman lowered her head. Bracing her hands against the edge of the table, she exerted force a few more times but still failed to free herself.
She did not dare make too much noise and attract others, nor did she dare lose her temper at Eric, so she could only plead weakly, “Mr. Williams, please… please don’t do this, alright? I should go back.”
Eric lowered his voice and coaxed, “What’s the point of going back so late? Besides, let me remind you, this little inn has mice. These little things are quite bold. In the middle of the night, they even crawl onto people’s beds.”
Kelly LeBrock shrank back slightly but still immediately replied, “I’m not afraid of mice, Mr. Williams.”
“Then you’re afraid of me. That really hurts my feelings.”
Eric made a disappointed expression.
“No, no, that’s not it.”
The woman quickly shook her head, then seemed to think of something.
“Right, I… I already have someone I’m seeing. So, Mr. Williams, we can’t do this.”
Eric pressed a hand to his chest dramatically.
“Wow, what a pity. Another beautiful woman already taken. I’m sure every man who knows you must feel heartbroken. May I know who the lucky guy is?”
Kelly LeBrock replied, “His name is Griffin Dunne. He’s also an actor. He… already proposed to me.”
Eric thought for a moment and quickly recalled some images of Griffin Dunne from movies in his memory. A man who looked somewhat like Robin Williams, only much shorter and more wretched-looking. The man had played supporting roles in many films and directed a few movies as well, though he had never become particularly famous.
After thinking for a moment, Eric asked, “Did you accept?”
Kelly LeBrock shook her head.
“I’m still considering it. He… he has quite a lot of connections in Hollywood.”
Eric understood that the woman meant marrying Griffin Dunne could bring more opportunities to her career.
Looking at the glamorous woman before him, standing around 175 centimeters tall, then thinking about that sleazy little guy barely over 160 centimeters, Eric suddenly felt an urge to save a flower from misery and blurted out, “He can’t help you.”
Kelly LeBrock said somewhat flusteredly, “Mr. Williams, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“You do.”
Eric smiled meaningfully.
“And I can tell you, he can’t help you.”
Unable to keep pretending, the woman could only raise her head and ask, “What makes you so certain?”
What made him certain? His memories, of course.
Eric muttered inwardly. In his memories, aside from making one major appearance in the sixteenth 007 film, Kelly LeBrock never had any other representative works afterward.