"Hey, Penny, how's it going ?" After chatting with Jeffrey and Jas for a while, Eric started mingling with the other guests.
Penny Marshall aningfully winked at the people she was with, who were tactfully enough to leave. "Still the sa, I've been getting a lot of script offers, but none that could satisfy , so I'm taking a break. Not everyone can be like you, shooting a second movie so soon after the first one."
Eric laughed: "It's not like I have a choice, so many people are eager to see fail, I figured I'd give them sothing to shut them up. 17 Again has made 70 million $ at the box office so far, right ? Looks like it's only a matter of ti before it passes the 100 million mark. I don't think another female director will be breaking your record any ti soon."
Penny was used to the complint, but still said: "Ha, speak for yourself ! Ho Alone is still running and made 24 million $ last week alone."
"Alright, if you guys keep complinting each other like this, I'll get nauseous." Jas Brooks suddenly interrupted: "Eric, I need to speak with Penny for a bit…."
"Sure, no problem." Eric nodded and headed sowhere else.
The get-together ca to an end and Eric stopped Kapoor who was about to leave: "Kapoor, co with for a bit please, there's sothing I need to discuss with you."
Kapoor nodded his head and followed Eric to his study on the second floor. The room was ssy, and the newspapers clippings on the cork board were replaced by the handwritten storyboard of Pretty Woman.
Kapoor was sowhat startled by the ssiness of the room. The entire mansion was neat and clean, which strangely contrasted with the scene he was now faced with.
Eric put away several files into a folder then back on a shelf before explaining: "This is where I work, the help isn't allowed here, thus the chaos."
"Doesn't Drew live here ? She could help."
Eric gave a chair to Kapoor and chuckled: "You're kidding, right ? Besides, I clean up so tis."
"Sigh, you're too good to her."
Eric shrugged without answering, he put a tape into the tape recorder and pressed the play button: "Kapoor, listen to this."
It started with a fast-beat, and soon the singing started:
* It must have been love
* But it's over now
* Lay a whisper on my pillow,
* Leave the winter on the ground
* I wake up lonely, there's air of silence
* In the bedroom and all around
* …… [1]
After a few minutes, the song finished playing and Eric asked: "What do you think ?"
Kapoor said: "I honestly don't know much about music, but I liked it, it has a lot of appeal. Why did we listening to this ?"
"I intend to use it as one of the songs in Pretty Woman, but that's not all there is to it. Kapoor, have you thought about UTA's future ?"
Kapoor nodded: "Of course I have. Since we've signed Al Pacino and if Pretty Woman succeeds, both he and Julia Roberts will beco our backbone, thereby granting the agency with a stable foothold in the industry."
Eric asked: "Have you ever thought about signing other types of artists ?"
"You an…." Kapoor looked at the tape recorder: "Singers ?"
Eric nodded: "All the movie and television actors have basically already been snatched by other agencies. If we want to expand, we can only do it by being patient or by poaching. But the music industry is different, even the CAA has paid little attention to it, which I feel is a great opportunity for us."
The 90' were the music industry's golden age, and Eric had been researching songs for the OST, only to found out that Roxette had yet to go international.
In the past, the Swedish group had been active for a full ten years after their debut in North Arica, and "It Must Have Been Love" had been listed by Billboard as the most successful single of 1990, behind Wilson Philips' "Hold On".
"Kapoor, the song you just heard is from a Swedish pop-duo, and although they have a lot of potential, not many people know them yet. Do you understand where I'm going ?"
Kapoor said: "Seems to that a trip to Sweden is necessary."
"Right, and the sooner the better. If I could find the song, record companies will soon notice it too, and their vision of things is probably better than mine since I'm no professional in this particular domain, so we should make our move fast."
"Are you planning on getting into the music business ?"
Eric shook his head: "It's too early to establish a record company, right now I'll be focusing on movies. After we sign Roxette, you'll need to handle those matters."
Kapoor nodded in understanding and the two of them chattered for a while before the middle-aged man got up and left.
Once he was out, Michael Klaus hurriedly scrambled in: "It's been so long, Eric, don't tell you haven't finished writing Resident Evil by now ? I pegged you as a fast one !"
His last words were unintentionally heard by a passing waitress who subconsciously glanced at Eric. She held back her laughter and hastily walked towards the kitchen.[2]
Eric morosely said: "Michael, I'd appreciate you paying attention when you speak, God knows what those tabloids will say about if that girl decides to blabber."
Michael grinned, not the least bit sorry as he kept pestering him about the book.
"Alright, alright, take it, jeez." Eric handed the manuscript over to him, "The contract needs to be the sa as the prior one, just bring it to and I'll sign it."
Drew suddenly ca barging in at this mont, and seeing Michael leafing through the book's pages, she rushed over shouting: "Hey Eric ! I haven't read it yet !"
Michael lifted his arm over his head and fended off the lass' outstretched paws before hastily putting the manuscript away in his bag. Ignoring Drew, he said: "I'll go first, Eric. See ya."
Done, Michael quickly left, leaving behind a flustered little goblin.
"Alright, knock it off." Eric said as he flicked the girl's forehead, "Care to tell about you skipping classes ? And the principal's phone ssages getting erased ?"
The girl instantly lost her montum, and turned into a well-behaved young lady as she grabbed the youth's hand and batted her eyelashes: "I'm sorry, Eric, it won't happen again."
Eric sharply looked at her, "Drew, are you using again ?"
Drew hurriedly shook her head: "No, definitely not, I just took a few students to watch a ga at the Rose Bowl stadium. I've sworn to you before, Eric, I will absolutely never touch those things again."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Eric took the girl in his embrace. Thinking back to her words, he couldn't help but smile and slap her little butt: "No wonder the principal sounded so angry, not only did you ditch classes, you've even managed to drag your obedient classmates with you."
Drew moaned a little before looking up at him and whispering: "Do you want to introduce you to them ? They're all virgins you know, I checked."
"You…"
Eric's imagination actually drifted for a bit, but he quickly shook his head and said: "Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep. And you're not allowed to go out until school starts."
"Wow, so overbearing, I'll tell the girls on you."
_ _ _ _
[1] From Pretty Woman's Original Soundtrack, "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette.
[2] For those who didn't get it, what Michael said has sexual innuendos.
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