Penny Marshall meaningfully winked at the people she was with, who were tactfully enough to leave. "Still the same, I've been getting a lot of script offers, but none that could satisfy me, 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 me fail, I figured I'd give them something 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 time before it pa.s.ses the 100 million mark. I don't think another female director will be breaking your record any time soon."

Penny was used to the compliment, but still said: "Ha, speak for yourself ! Home Alone is still running and made 24 million $ last week alone."

"Alright, if you guys keep complimenting each other like this, I'll get nauseous." James Brooks suddenly interrupted: "Eric, I need to speak with Penny for a bit…."

"Sure, no problem." Eric nodded and headed somewhere else.

The get-together came to an end and Eric stopped Kapoor who was about to leave: "Kapoor, come with me for a bit please, there's something I need to discuss with you."

Kapoor nodded his head and followed Eric to his study on the second floor. The room was messy, and the newspapers clippings on the cork board were replaced by the handwritten storyboard of Pretty Woman.

Kapoor was somewhat startled by the messiness 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 some times."

"Sigh, you're too good to her."

Eric shrugged without answering, he put a tape into the tape recorder and pressed the play b.u.t.ton: "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 become 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 mean…." Kapoor looked at the tape recorder: "Singers ?"

Eric nodded: "All the movie and television actors have basically already been s.n.a.t.c.hed 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 America, 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 me 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 me you haven't finished writing Resident Evil by now ? I pegged you as a fast one !"

His last words were unintentionally heard by a pa.s.sing 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, G.o.d knows what those tabloids will say about me 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 ma.n.u.script over to him, "The contract needs to be the same as the prior one, just bring it to me and I'll sign it."

Drew suddenly came barging in at this moment, 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 la.s.s' outstretched paws before hastily putting the ma.n.u.script away in his bag. Ignoring Drew, he said: "I'll go first, Eric. See ya."

Done, Michael quickly left, leaving behind a fl.u.s.tered little goblin.

"Alright, knock it off." Eric said as he flicked the girl's forehead, "Care to tell me about you skipping cla.s.ses ? And the princ.i.p.al's phone messages getting erased ?"

The girl instantly lost her momentum, 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 game 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 b.u.t.t: "No wonder the princ.i.p.al sounded so angry, not only did you ditch cla.s.ses, you've even managed to drag your obedient cla.s.smates with you."

Drew moaned a little before looking up at him and whispering: "Do you want me 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 s.e.xual innuendos.