Chapter 145: Chapter 145 Agreed
“I don’t understand, Rebecca, why do you think this script is a good fit for me?” Julie, who had been looking at the streetscape outside the car window, suddenly turned to ask her agent, “I don’t think the story is particularly outstanding.”
“Because what Mr. Adrian said is right, you really do need a romantic comedy with a decent box office performance right now,” Rebecca lifted her head to answer, “Although those people aren’t as mean as before, there’s still a lot of unkind words floating around. You should fight back instead of burying your head in the sand. Of course, that requires an opportunity, and there’s a good one right now. You’ve read the script; it’s almost a continuation of the roles you’ve played before. British-style romantic comedies are also very popular in the United States. Why not give it a try? You know, although Adrian is quite controversial now, the scripts he picks almost never fail.”
“I know, I certainly know, it’s just…” Julie made a few gestures but didn’t continue.
She couldn’t help but look out the window again, and a few minutes later, she noticed her own reflection, fuzzy through the glass with paper stuck to it, that looked somewhat off, prompting Julie to reach out and straighten her hair by her temples.
Damn it! She sighed internally, having thought that after several months she had adjusted her mindset well, only to find a simple invitation stirring up her emotions once more.
“I have a role I’d like to invite you to play, Julia. If you have time, can we talk?” Although he had said it so simply on the phone, his voice was as gentle and cheerful as ever, inducing an involuntary fondness and a desire to chat with him more.
...
Suddenly, Julie remembered a few lines from a note that was tucked into the last page of the script that came in the mail: “I’ve developed a role based on the characters you’ve played, hoping you’ll like it.”
Well, to be honest, although she wasn’t very keen on British humor, she quite liked the story and the character. If it had been another director who had invited her, she might already have accepted.
Julie chuckled ruefully to herself, thinking about her conflicted feelings. The girlfriend issue was no longer the point. In the past few months, she had also learned a bit about matters related to Adrian, although not in great detail. Still, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened. This was Hollywood, after all; he was not only a talented director but also a movie studio boss, and such occurrences were all too common.
Julie didn’t want to get tangled up in it all, but… no matter how many times she had told herself to act normal, today when she left the house, she still took great care in dressing up and even deliberately sprayed Chanel No. 19 perfume.
Forget it, let’s not dwell on that. If the talk goes well, just go home, and whether to take the role or not can be decided later. Julie consoled herself inwardly.
The car quickly arrived at the private club in the Pasadena area of Los Angeles. After getting out and entering the club, guided by the waiter, Julie and her agent Rebecca quickly made their way to the bright, transparent reception hall.
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“Hi, Julie.” Adrian, sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling glass, spotted them immediately and stood up to greet them.
“Hi, Ed.” Julie walked over, maintaining her composure as she modestly extended her hand.
“It’s been a while. You’ve become even more beautiful,” Adrian exclaimed with admiration, his eyes full of appreciation.
Today, Julie wore a beige midi skirt suit, her curly hair pinned up at the back of her head, revealing her pale neck, giving off an impression of efficiency and professional charm.
He never hides his feelings for me. This thought suddenly bubbled up in Julie’s mind, but she immediately suppressed it, offering Adrian a slight smile, “It’s been a while. You’ve also become more notable.”
“As a director, getting this much attention isn’t necessarily a good thing,” Adrian shrugged his shoulders and shook hands with Rebecca, then made a gesture, “Let’s sit down and talk.”
After ordering drinks and snacks, the three of them exchanged pleasantries and quickly started discussing the main topic. At this time, the conversation was mostly between Rebecca and Adrian. From Julie’s perspective, she raised some questions about the script and the film, a good and diligent agent always put her client’s interests first. Adrian, well-prepared, answered each question, and although not all responses satisfied Rebecca, she didn’t dwell on them. Once they established an intention to work together, professionals would naturally handle these matters in detail.
Julie listened somewhat absently to their conversation, stirring her coffee aimlessly with a spoon, her mind elsewhere. Occasionally, she would focus her attention on Adrian, only to quickly shift it away.
“Okay, I don’t really have any more questions for now,” Rebecca finally finished her chat with Adrian, then turned to look at Julie beside her, “Julie?”
“Huh? Oh, that…” An inattentive Julie finally snapped back to reality, the situation somewhat awkward. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Why did you want to invite me to play the lead actress, Ed?”
Rebecca rolled her eyes beside her, bringing a hand up to her forehead. Julie quickly realized her faux pas and chuckled apologetically, about to say something to rectify the situation when Adrian gestured for her to stop.
“Although I told Rebecca that I’m inviting you because I think the role suits you,” Adrian spoke in an even tone, bringing Julie a sense of relief and yet a hint of something unusual.
“But at this moment, what I really want to say is that I created this character specifically for you,” he said earnestly, looking into her eyes without blinking.
Julia was stunned for a few minutes. She opened her mouth as if to say something but ended up saying nothing. Rebecca, who was nearby, clearly sensed something, glanced at them both, and then stood up, “Sorry, I will leave you two to talk.”
Saying this with a smile to Julia, she grabbed her handbag, left the living room and vanished from the doorway. Julia watched her until she disappeared before turning back, her eyes reflecting a hint of resignation.
“Created just for me?” Julia repeated with a teasing tone, trying to maintain her composure.
“I’m not lying,” Adrian spread his hands wide, appearing utterly sincere, “The character was initially designed to be a woman who didn’t live very virtuously, casually flirting among wealthy men, to make the story more conflicted. But I didn’t really like that character, and after making several alterations, I don’t know why, but I suddenly thought of the characters you have played before. So, I asked myself, why can’t I shape an independent woman? And the conflict in the story wouldn’t be much diminished. After further revisions with this idea, I brazenly incorporated your movie persona completely, and suddenly, I was filled with inspiration, and eventually, this character was created.”
Hearing this, Julia could not help but lower her head and pinched the bridge of her nose to hide her nervousness.
“Although I wasn’t responsible for writing the detailed story, I always supervised it, and the character was always shaped according to my intentions,” Adrian said, taking hold of Julia’s other hand that was on the table, “If you refuse, I would be very heartbroken. You know, I specifically snuck back from London to Los Angeles just to ask you out.”
Julia gave her hand a slight tug but not with much force, glanced at Adrian reproachfully, and nonchalantly asked, “Snuck back?”
“Yes, you know, I’ve been followed by journalists recently, and it was irritating enough in London. I didn’t want to come back to Los Angeles and have it remain the same,” Adrian said with a sigh, frustration all over his face.
Julia couldn’t help but let out a light laugh. For some reason, even though she knew what Adrian was talking about, her mind couldn’t help but wander when he said “snuck back.”
“Julie?” Adrian called her, seeming to remind her.
“Ah? Oh, sorry, I spaced out again.” Julia gave a self-conscious laugh and finally pulled her hand back, “Since you put it that way, obviously I can’t refuse.”
“That’s fantastic,” Adrian said, radiating joy, “So, may I invite you to dinner tonight?”
“Well…” An sudden tightening seized Julia’s heart, and she reflexively declined: “Sorry, I have a date tonight.”
“Is that so? That’s a shame,” Adrian didn’t hide his look of disappointment.
“Maybe, I’ll be free tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” Julia couldn’t help but add, immediately regretting her words, but before she could speak again, Adrian’s elated voice responded, “That’s great, the day after tomorrow, there’s a match at Andha Ice Hockey Arena, Los Angeles Kings versus Detroit Red Wings. Perhaps you’ll join me to watch it live?”
Julia was taken aback. Seeing his somewhat playful expression, she realized she had been had. She felt a bit annoyed, but there was also another indescribable feeling.
“Fine, if you can get the tickets,” she said provocatively, knowing that getting tickets close to the match would be difficult. Besides, weren’t you supposed to have sneaked back to Los Angeles?
But Julia was quickly disappointed. Adrian waved his hand dismissively, “Don’t worry, getting a couple of hockey tickets isn’t hard. A phone call will suffice; I’ll have them delivered directly to your house.”
Julia felt a biting irritation; Adrian’s premeditation was evident.
“Then it’s settled,” she nodded and stood up. “I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”
“I’ll pick you up the day after tomorrow if you are willing to give me your address,” Adrian said, standing up with a smile.
Julia was about to say it, but after a moment’s thought, she swallowed the words: “Give me your number; you have my number, don’t you?”
“I thought it would be better if you told me in person,” Adrian shook his head, with a hint of complaint in his voice.
Julia turned a deaf ear and hurried to the living room’s main door. It’s just a game; there shouldn’t be any problems.
(To be continued. If you would like to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com for more chapters. Support the author, support genuine reading!)