Chapter 196: Chapter 196 “Lolita”. Lolita
Kirsten had left for a while, yet Adrian was still savoring the encounter. Especially when he escorted her out, the moment he opened the door, she affectionately embraced her mother, Inez, waiting outside, appearing every bit the obedient daughter—mind you, merely moments ago, this girl was still seething at her mother’s control over her life.
“You have a remarkable daughter, Ms. Inez,” Adrian sincerely said to Kirsten’s mother. As for whether the other party understood what he really meant, that didn’t matter.
But for someone so young to be so crafty and unscrupulous, was that good or bad? Adrian pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. Of course, it was a good thing. It was easier to control someone with ambition. If everyone was like Sarah, willing to sacrifice everything for her family, they wouldn’t be so easily mastered. However, on the other hand, girls like Sarah deserved to be cherished—with even just a little care—whereas Kirsten… he would wait and see.
What kind of expression would she have if she knew he had already considered her for a role in “Interview with the Vampire”? The thought suddenly sprang to Adrian’s mind, and he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
As soon as he saw Kirsten’s name on the audition list, Adrian had already begun to scheme. The rights to adapt Anne Rice’s novel were firmly in his grasp, and he had just secured a promise from Cruise at the “Vanity Fair” party. The movie was already in preliminary preparations, but casting hadn’t begun yet.
This time, Adrian was intent on keeping the original production team. Naturally, the director would still be Neil Jordan, his rival at this year’s Oscars. Adrian planned to rest well this year, so producing one movie would be enough. Lester was a given, having received Cruise’s promise—he likely wouldn’t refuse. The role of Louis would definitely still be Brad Pitt, who had garnered much attention last year with “A River Runs through It.” Adrian had thought of having Dennis try out, but considering not letting him go too far on looks alone, he gave up on that idea. So the main role missing was Claudia.
He hadn’t expected Kirsten Dunst to audition for “The Professional,” much less that she would be such a girl, leaving him profoundly shaken after only two meetings. Therefore, as a reward, he finally offered her a choice between two movies: “Interview with the Vampire” and Jane Campion’s “The Piano Lesson,” which received eight nominations at next year’s Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress!
Thanks to Adrian, Bossworth Film Company had quite a reputation in the indie film scene, so Campion sought them out hoping to secure funding for her new movie. Always keeping an eye on independent cinema and aware of “The Piano Lesson’s” achievements, Adrian naturally didn’t refuse, and the movie quickly got scheduled.
Although he wouldn’t be competing in the Oscars this year, it didn’t mean he wouldn’t link himself with some important awards, such as being the producer behind “Schindler’s List,” “Philadelphia Story,” and “The Piano Lesson”—even if he was just a namesake in the last one. The aura brought by the Miracle Director was quite impressive and should be maintained; otherwise, Kirsten, who had moved from New Jersey to Los Angeles, how would she have come all the way to New York to audition? And she wagered quite a bet.
“I suddenly think this girl is quite remarkable,” Adrian murmured, leaning back in his chair, the image of her innocent yet tempting face seemingly reappearing before him.
In all honesty, this was only the second time a woman had teased him during their first meeting, apart from Barrymore. Whether it was Kate, Monica, Julia, or Charlize, it was always he who teased them. Kirsten’s teasing might have been immature, but it left a deeper impression on Adrian than Barrymore—she was still a little girl! Although Adrian wasn’t into lolitas, he still felt the forbidden thrill and impulse in the face of such Lolita-esque temptation.
“Vladimir, you’re damn right a bastard,” he muttered to himself, standing up to stretch and wait until his emotions settled before looking at the door, eyes gleaming, and then calling his assistant to let the other girls continue to come in one by one.
Adrian only spoke superficially with the remaining girls, as there was only one thing left to do. However, he concealed it well, not showing any signs of distraction, and soon it was down to the last one.
“I hope I haven’t neglected you, Miss Natalie,” he said with a smile to the young girl sitting in front of him. Compared to their encounter in the apartment lobby, today’s Natalie had on a light blue t-shirt topped with a silk jacket, dark-colored pants, and canvas shoes, her brown hair lightly curled and draping neatly over her shoulders, her youthful face still sporting a confident smile, instantly highlighting her delicate, innocent charm.
“You can call me Natalie, Mr. Director, then I can call you Adrian,” Natalie said in a cheery tone, not taking his teasing to heart.
“Alright then, Natalie,” Adrian agreed with a nod, complimenting her as one of the few girls he had met who was cute, straightforward, and mature all at once. All the while, Kirsten’s earlier teasing flickered uncontrollably through his mind; what would the scene be like if it had been this girl doing it?
Realizing his thoughts were straying, Adrian was slightly startled and quickly adjusted himself. Fortunately, Natalie was curiously surveying the surroundings and hadn’t noticed his shifting mood.
“Isn’t there a camera ready here?” she asked with wide eyes, the inquiry in her gaze like that of an elf.
“You already went through your second audition. This space is mainly for me to have a brief conversation with the auditioning girls, and then use that impression to decide on the selection by watching the tapes of the second auditions. That’s also why I wasn’t present during your auditions,” Adrian explained simply.
Natalie listened intently, her head propped up in her hand, and then nodded earnestly, puffing out her chest like a grown-up, “Alright, ask away then. I will surely satisfy you!”
Satisfy? Adrian raised his eyebrows slightly, but then took a deep breath and started to ask questions earnestly.
“The first question, what kind of girl do you think Matilda is?”
“What do you think her feelings for Louis are like?”
“If it were you, what would you do in her situation?”
These questions had been asked of all the girls, not to save time, but because Adrian wanted to observe their reactions. Although he had already made up his mind about the casting, it didn’t stop him from pondering the girls’ characters from their responses.
To be honest, of the ten girls at the second audition, besides Kirsten, only Natalie had given the best answers. She not only summed up Matilda’s character but also analyzed the characters of Louis and the arch-villain Stan. Even if the script she received was incomplete and her young age made her analysis somewhat superficial, she didn’t care at all. She was intent on expressing herself in this way.
“I have to say, compared to your peers, you have much more on your mind, Natalie.” Adrian said after some thought, applauding with a smile, “I don’t think I need to watch the videos of the second audition anymore.”
“Thank you.” The little girl, who had maintained a confident and calm smile, couldn’t help but show a hint of excitement upon hearing these words.
“Alright then, would you mind if I asked two more questions?” Adrian said at this moment.
“Of course.” Natalie promptly gestured for him to go on.
“Firstly, why do you want this role?” He crossed his hands, his eyes unblinkingly fixed on her, “Prior to this, you don’t seem to have had any acting experience.”
“I have had some, Adrian. I’ve done some plays at school,” Natalie protested immediately.
“Is that so?” Adrian looked at her with a smile, his tone noncommittal.
Natalie’s cheeks flushed red. She knew her acting experience was negligible, but she quickly composed herself. After a moment of reflection, she answered, “I really like the image of a girl who’s mature inside but not quite mature, a little rebellious and a little naive. I want to try playing this type of role.”
Even though the girl stopped there, Adrian still caught a glimpse into her mind – after all, this was his specialty – a hint of brightness flickering through his eyes.
“It seems you’ve read quite a few, profound books,” he remarked with a smile.
“Yes, like ‘Lolita’…” Natalie answered without thinking, and by the time she realized what she had said, it was too late to take it back. After glancing at Adrian, her cheeks flushed again, and she lowered her head in a panic, covering her mouth and shifting her eyes before cautiously saying to Adrian, “Please don’t tell my parents, especially my father, okay? I read the book secretly.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Adrian nodded seriously, using the opportunity to compose himself.
Again, Lolita, that demure look when she lowered her head, compared to her prior confidence and self-expression, turned out to have a seductive power several times stronger than Kirsten’s earlier flirtation. Although these feelings arose partly because of Kirsten’s previous actions, what of it?
I want her! Adrian emphatically thought. Even though he had thought this about meeting Kate, Monica, Julia, and Charlize before, never had he felt such an intense desire as now.
“Well, let’s call it a day for today, Natalie,” Adrian said, standing up.
“Weren’t you going to ask another question?” Natalie asked, blinking.
“No need. I think we’re going to work very well together.” Adrian gave a slight smile. He had intended to ask her about her perception of him, but it seemed unnecessary now because he had already shared her little secret. (To be continued. For the continuation of this story, please visit . More chapters are available there to support the author and for legally-licensed reading!)