[Chapter 422: In the Study]
Shortly after Ben and Matt left, Link also took Jennifer and Cameron away from the club.
"Ben Affleck is such a bastard, always with that smug face and a nasty way of talking," Cameron Diaz sneered in the car.
"Yeah, that guy's so annoying. Link, next time don't cast him in a movie," Jennifer Lopez said, holding Link's arm.
Link chuckled softly. He hadn't realized before, but today, seeing Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez face to face, he suddenly recalled they must have been on-and-off for decades, still loving each other but often annoyed by one another. Some invisible force seemed to flutter its wings and stir their dislike.
"Ben's not that bad. He's just immature, not very calculating -- kind of like a kid who never grew up. Don't be mad at him."
"We're not mad. I just hate hearing him call you a playboy. Whether you are or not has nothing to do with him. We all like you, who cares about his opinion. He insists that everyone dislikes you. Yeah, you're right, that guy is just a childish fool," Jennifer Lopez said.
Link smiled and embraced the two women affectionately. They responded warmly.
The short drive that usually took ten minutes stretched out to over half an hour.
...
Back at the mansion, Jennifer and Cameron went upstairs to shower and change clothes. Link headed to the main living room but overheard laughter and playfulness before entering.
Since Monica and Lily, older girlfriends, had gone to Seattle to rest during pregnancy, only around ten younger girlfriends remained: Sofia Coppola, Milla Jovovich, Renee Zellweger, Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, and others.
It was still early in the new year; most productions hadn't resumed filming, so many spent most days at home, making the house buzz with activity.
"Link, you're back!" Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford rushed up, helping take off his coat and pulling him upstairs for a game.
"What game?"
"What else but adult games," Renee Zellweger chimed in.
"No, it's a fun game," Nicole Kidman rolled her eyes and pushed him toward her bedroom.
...
There, Nicole led him to the bed with a blanket covering someone underneath. She asked him to guess who it was by touch.
Renee joked that maybe using senses other than sight or touch would be better; she volunteered to help.
Link didn't agree. He examined the silhouette -- it was petite with nice curves, slimmer than most of the women at home and with gentler curves on the hips.
The person trembled slightly at his touch, looking nervous.
Link stopped immediately. If the person got nervous instead of laughing when touched, it was probably not one of the girlfriends, so he avoided further contact.
He deliberately guessed it was Liv Tyler; Nicole smiled and said no, encouraging him to feel more.
Then he guessed Winona Ryder, but everyone laughed and said again, no.
Finally, the person under the blanket revealed to be Naomi Watts, a guest visiting.
Naomi smiled shyly as she sat up, her youthful, delicate face and golden hair falling over her shoulders making her seem barely eighteen or nineteen.
Link shook his head at the childish game. Since Lily and Monica left for Seattle, things at the mansion had become chaotic -- guests no longer followed a proper schedule for sleepovers, frequent sneaking, jealousy, and flirtations arose. The girlfriends tried every trick to please Link, with Nicole's game being just one example.
This couldn't continue.
He planned to talk with Sofia Coppola, Jodie Foster, and Renee afterward to ask them to tighten up house management, to keep things orderly.
After greeting Naomi, Link went upstairs to the study to work.
---
The English Patient was in its third week, earning $28.73 million at the box office that week, bringing North American total to $103 million. It became Guess Pictures' sixth film in '96 to pass $100 million domestically.
The other five were The Net, Rush Hour, Final Destination 2, Toy Story, and Scream.
---
In January, Guess Pictures had three films competing at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival: Sofia Coppola's Girl, Interrupted, Ang Lee's The Ice Storm, and Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights.
Girl, Interrupted won Silver Bear for Best Actress; The Ice Storm took Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, and Boogie Nights won the Alfred Bauer Prize.
---
Beyond films, Link was busy preparing Glimmer Capital's early year investment plans, Guess Pictures' annual project summaries, Marvel Entertainment's superhero incubation projects, and Kingsoft Investment's yearly reviews and strategies.
Most of this piled up during film shoots. Now that Saving Private Ryan finished filming, he needed to catch up.
While reviewing files, Nicole Kidman entered quietly with a steaming cup of hot cocoa, set it gently on his desk, and left without disturbing him.
...
After more than half an hour and reviewing ten files, Nicole returned with hot coffee.
"Why are you so diligent today?"
Link pulled her close by the waist; she tilted into his arms, hips resting lightly on his lap. Though 5'11" tall, she still moved gracefully compared to most men's expectations.
"Are you done working?"
Nicole rested her head on his shoulder, blinking her blue eyes flirtatiously.
"Just taking a break."
Link stretched his stiff fingers, sliding his hand into her nightgown to ease tension.
Nicole rolled her eyes, "You're teasing me again! Better keep working, or they'll complain I'm disturbing you."
Link smiled and didn't stop; his touch grew bolder.
She blushed, clinging to his neck and whispered carefully, "Were you mad at me just now?"
"Mad? When?"
"I hid Naomi under the blanket for you to guess. Do you like these games?"
"Fun game, but Naomi isn't one of us. Using her like that isn't right."
He withdrew his hand, smoothing her soft hair.
"It's okay. Naomi and I are friends. She won't mind."
"Precisely because she's your friend, you should respect her. No matter her star level or status, treat her as a friend, not as a toy. If we get too arrogant or reckless, ignoring others' feelings, even success won't bring real friends."
Nicole looked quietly at him, then happily hugged and kissed him.
"Darling, I was wrong. Thanks for reminding me. I promise I won't embarrass anyone like that again."
"Good to admit it. Punishment later tonight."
Link patted her buttocks.
Nicole rolled her eyes seductively, then crouched under the desk. After he finished five files, she stood up, her delicate face more enticing.
"Darling, do you think Naomi is pretty?"
"Not bad. Like a Barbie doll."
"Actually, Naomi likes you too but never got a chance to meet you properly. She asked me to help -- should we give her a chance?"
Nicole asked cautiously.
"I heard she's doing well at UTA, not short on roles. Why would she need this?"
"No, she wants to be yours because she admires you, not for resources."
"Really?" Link smiled. "Sounds good. If she's still around, let her stay for dinner."
"Great! She'll be thrilled."
Regardless of whether Nicole's words were true, and whatever Naomi's reasons to join his group, Link wouldn't turn down a promising beauty.
...
After Nicole left, Link resumed reviewing files. Soon, Jodie Foster came in with a red apple -- not for him -- but eating it herself.
"Do all these files need to be done today? Why not save some for later?"
She leaned against the desk, pointing at two stacks over a foot tall.
"I have time today to get through most. Tomorrow might be busy. How's your script coming?"
"Good. We had a great script meeting, and everyone's eager to start shooting."
Jodie smiled brightly.
After finishing her part for Contact last year, she had started prepping a new film. After careful selection, she chose three scripts and asked Link to help pick one. He chose a script named One True Thing.
...
It told the story of Ellen Gulden, who graduated from Harvard and worked at a New York magazine. One day her father informed her her mother was seriously ill and needed surgery. Forced to leave work, Ellen returned home to care for her mother but found dealing with everyday life's trivialities frustrating, making it hard to maintain her independent woman status.
Thanksgiving and Christmas approached, and everyone knew it might be her mother's last holiday. Through caring for her family, Ellen gradually realized deeper emotions and developed profound love for her mother and family.
...
The script was greenlit with $18 million budget. Renee Zellweger was cast as the lead, Meryl Streep as the mother, and veteran William Hurt as the father, with other strong actors involved.
The new project progressed well, keeping Jodie in high spirits.
"Should I produce this film?"
"No! You did too much on Hachi: A Dog's Tale. Many say they saw your shadow in the movie. This time I want to direct independently, 100% me."
Jodie waved her hand but added, "But after shooting, you help me edit -- review shots and structure to see if improvements are possible."
Link laughed, "Editors shape the story's flow, control pacing and style. If you make me editor, it's hard not to add my style."
Jodie hesitated about hiring a different editor but trusted Link -- the best in Hollywood. Films edited by him rose a level, so she preferred no one else.
"No! You're the world's best editor. I trust you can try a different style on this one."
She offered him half the apple with a charming smile.
Link looked at her, pulled her to the desk, and playfully punished her as his editor's fee.
Jodie left feeling like she was walking on clouds, clutching the door and yelling for friends like Brooke Shields, Diane Lane, and Cameron to help her get revenge.
Link pointed at the mess she left on the desk.
Flushing, she spat at him and walked off without looking back.
*****
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