Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Dinner Together?

“Very well, Miss Marchette, that will do. Next, you’ll try reading a script line. Please interpret it according to your understanding,” Adrian said after the woman in front of him had finished her performance based on the script excerpt. He made a gesture, and an employee promptly brought over the prepared script. The woman called Marchette appeared slightly nervous, took a few deep breaths after sitting down, and reached out to pick up the script.

“What kind of place is this?”

“Bunny Restaurant. Elvis likes to come here too.”

“It’s no steakhouse.”

“They have steak here too, please, don’t be so rigid.”

“Alright, you go ahead, kitty cat.”

…

After a brief dialogue, Adrian stroked his chin thoughtfully, then nodded at the woman, “Thank you, Miss Marchette, not bad at all. Let’s leave it there for now.”

“Okay, sir.” Marchette seemed like she wanted to say something, but ultimately she turned and walked out.

“Next, please.” Adrian picked up the last portfolio on the table, then looked at the young woman entering through the door.

She was a young woman of about 28 or 29 years old, roughly 5 feet 6 inches tall, dressed in a simple long-sleeve white shirt and a dark knee-length skirt, with lush, shiny black hair that gracefully touched her shoulders. At first glance, she may not seem very beautiful, but she exuded a kind of allure from within her bones, coupled with her voluptuous figure, she was exceedingly tempting.

Indeed, with a little coaching, she would certainly not lose to Uma Thurman. Adrian narrowed his eyes, suppressing his emotions, and asked in a calm voice, “Please, have a seat, Monica Bellucci.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cowell,” Monica said with a smile. She sat down straightforwardly, then turned her head and brushed the hair off her shoulders to the back, very alluringly.

“If you don’t mind, may I ask a few questions before we start?” Adrian asked, without betraying any emotion.

“Of course, I’m here to do as you say,” Monica said, her legs tightly together and angled, with her hands resting on her thighs appearing quite proper. Yet, the sheer nude stockings she wore on her long legs made her propriety subtly intriguing, a contradiction that was unified, easily catching the eye.

“You’re Italian, and you’ve been modeling for a few years. Starting from the ’90s, you began to delve into film and television. Why did you choose to make your way to the United States first? Also, your English is quite good,” Adrian commented, having surveyed Monica thoroughly from top to bottom without letting his gaze linger too long on her.

“Thank you for the compliment. I don’t know if you’re referring to the American or British accent,” Monica joked.

“Both,” Adrian raised an eyebrow, still maintaining a composed expression.

“I’ve heard from friends many times that Hollywood is the biggest film industry base in the world, so I came to the United States to see for myself, maybe to carve out a piece of the sky,” Monica steered the conversation back, “I came here at the end of 1990 and to be frank, Hollywood is not much different from other places, the same exclusivity and…”

She shrugged and didn’t continue, Adrian couldn’t help but laugh, “It seems you have a certain understanding of Hollywood, Miss Bellucci–I heard that the audition opportunity was secured for you by your agent, and you were initially reluctant to come. Can you share why?”

“At that time, I had just missed an opportunity and was feeling quite disheartened, so I didn’t want to go to another audition, but my agent persuaded me,” Monica said with a smile, “At first, I just wanted to try it out and didn’t expect to make it through to the callbacks. After reading part of the script, I found it very interesting, and only then did I belatedly realize that Mr. Adrian Cowell is that surprisingly genius director. So now I’m really fighting for this role.”

“You’re very candid,” Adrian nodded with a smile, “Well then, let’s get started.”

Like the other auditionees, it was still a matter of performing a piece with body language first and then reading a line, and whether by accident or design, Adrian had Monica do the classic swing dance. Although there was no one dancing with her and she seemed to have never danced this way before, she still performed as best as she could. It was undeniable, once that devilish figure started moving, it indeed had a deadly allure, especially the ample bosom, which when swayed from side to side could truly be described as tumultuous, catching not only the glances of a few assistants but also Adrian couldn’t help but sneak a few peeks.

She was truly a stunning beauty. He praised her inwardly. Although Monica’s looks weren’t much at first glance, the more one looked, the more attractive she became, especially those seductive, luscious red lips, combined with a sultry figure, no wonder men would be tempted.

Adrian unconsciously rubbed his fingers, recalling how he had, deliberately or otherwise, brushed them across the palm of her hand when guiding Monica on how to dance after she had changed clothes. Although Monica hadn’t reacted at that time, when Adrian was eyeing her chest, she deliberately turned to face him squarely and thrust herself forward.

The movement was subtle, missed entirely by the two assistants–if Adrian hadn’t been facing Monica directly, he probably wouldn’t have noticed either. Considering her nationality, her career before acting, and the many risque films she was in later, it showed Monica understood the rules of Hollywood and was not resistant.

Now that’s a true sex symbol, Drew Barrymore doesn’t even come close. Adrian couldn’t help but admire her again in his mind. Marina from “Malena” had turned many heads indeed.

Monica Bellucci auditioning for the lead role in “Pulp Fiction” was quite the surprise, so when Adrian first saw her file, he was astonished for several seconds. But now that she was here, he definitely couldn’t let her slip away, especially since she didn’t mind it herself. What was more important was that Monica completely had the potential to replace Uma Thurman; in terms of aura and appearance, they both had similarities and differences, at least that was not a problem. As for the accent, acting skills, and so forth, those were solvable issues.

What followed need not be mentioned, though as protocol demanded, there were still two callbacks, Adrian had already made up his mind. However, there was something that needed to be done before announcing it.

“So, what do you think of the character Mia?” Adrian asked the beautiful woman in front of him, both now seated in the room where the initial audition took place, facing each other alone for the final interaction just like with the other auditionees.

“A playful, spoiled woman,” Monica considered her answer, “who only cares about her own happiness and never thinks about others.”

The response didn’t satisfy Adrian, but he didn’t say anything, just nodded, “Well then, that’ll be all, Miss Monica. You’ll be notified if there’s news.”

A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Monica’s eyes, then she stood up, “Thank you, Mr. Adrian.”

“You’re welcome,” Adrian stood up and extended his hand with a smile, “By the way, Miss Monica, would I have the honor of having dinner with you tonight?”

As he spoke, his thumb lightly grazed the base of her thumb.

Monica paused for about two or three seconds, her beautiful face then revealing an enigmatic smile, “Of course.”