[Chapter 469: Everyday with the girls]
After seeing Jodie Foster off, Link went back to working on storyboards in his office.
Late in the afternoon, Sofia Coppola, Jennifer Connelly, and Winona Ryder arrived at the office, carrying shopping bags and radiating the warm scent of Los Angeles sunshine and perfume.
"Link, it's quitting time."
Sofia Coppola walked confidently into the room.
Jennifer and Winona wore long, flowy skirts and comfortable flats. They had recently been pregnant, so their bellies weren't very noticeable, but they walked cautiously, often resting their hands on their lower stomachs. They smiled warmly when they heard Sofia's cheerful call.
Link sighed and put down his pen. "It's just a little past four. It's way too early to call it a day."
He'd planned to work late until around seven, aiming to finish the Pirates of the Caribbean storyboard script today, but seeing these three beautiful women made that goal tougher.
"It's after four and you're still at your desk? When are you heading out? I've heard plenty of guys stick around after hours just to avoid family drama. Are you one of those?" Sofia teased.
"No way. I actually have stuff to do here," Link assured them.
He stood up to give Sofia a hug, then kissed Jennifer and Winona on the cheeks, asking about their well-being.
Jennifer and Winona were accompanied by bodyguards and nannies when out. They had been taking great care of their kids and themselves.
"Link, are these the storyboards for Pirates of the Caribbean?" Sofia asked, eyeing the scripts.
"Yeah."
"That many?" Sofia sat on the edge of the desk, flipping through a storyboard page, her expression growing more amazed.
There were eight scripts spread out on the desk, each containing over a hundred pages. Every page featured multiple shots, in total, about six to seven thousand individual shots.
Link had completed all of these by himself, a workload bigger than many Japanese animated series that ran for years.
Sofia felt a bit overwhelmed looking at the pile. She rarely drew storyboards in her directing career. The last time was for Girl, Interrupted, about 30 pages, and she usually kept everything in her head and improvised on set.
Link always prepared storyboards before filming. For Pirates of the Caribbean, the thousands of illustrations were meticulously planned.
This was not just a brain job, but physically demanding too.
Naturally gifted as a director and incredibly hardworking, it made sense that he was behind such blockbuster movies.
Sofia thought to herself.
Link explained, "This is my first fantasy film, so there's a lot I still need to learn about, like special effects, costumes, lighting. I wanted to prepare the storyboard carefully ahead of shooting to avoid any on-set surprises. Maybe it's a bit overkill."
"Not at all. Other directors wish they could plan every shot before filming but can't. Some lack imagination or skills to transform words into imagery; others are just lazy and undisciplined. People like you, talented and disciplined, are better than 99.99% of directors out there."
"That's an overstatement. Every director works differently. Some go with just an A4 sheet as their script and figure it out on the fly, and their movies turn out great," Link mused.
"That's just because they lack the creative ability to finish scripts beforehand. If they could, they wouldn't waste time figuring it out mid-shoot," Sofia laughed, flipping through the pages.
"Can you send me these storyboards after filming? I want to study them closely."
"I actually have a ton more at home in my study. You're welcome to check them out anytime."
"Perfect. The ones at home will do." Sofia set the script aside and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Honey, I just wrapped my short film and am prepping for a new project. You've read tons of scripts. Know any that fit me?"
"Sofia, you just said many directors are too lazy to be as good as Link. Were you including yourself?" Jennifer Connelly playfully jabbed.
"No way. I read scripts a lot, but I don't have Link's knack. I thought he could help point out some good ones and save time," Sofia rolled her eyes.
"You were a bit lazy when filming - if you applied yourself more, you'd have snagged Best Director long ago," Winona Ryder laughed.
"Don't rat me out, or I'll give you a spanking," Sofia teased.
Link shook his head and looked through the folder. "Two scripts I've read recently might suit you. Both centered on women. One, a script the company got, is called Riding in Cars with Boys, based on the novel by Beverly Donofrio. It's a coming-of-age story about a woman's journey.
The other is an MGM script, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story, an inspirational story about a girl from the projects who makes it to Harvard through grit."
"Skip the second. Sounds inspiring but kinda basic and cliche. Too mainstream. The first sounds great. I'll swing by the office tomorrow to read it."
"Deal!"
---
After chatting with Sofia a bit and letting Jennifer and Winona rest, Link took the three ladies and Lily to his home.
With so many family members, he'd bought two manor-style villas next door.
Girlfriends with kids lived in the main villa, Villa 1, with their children; pregnant girlfriends stayed in Villa 2 or sometimes in Seattle or Hawaii to care for themselves; girlfriends not pregnant lived in the Villa 3 or their own homes.
When he had free time, Link dined with his girlfriends and kids at home, resting on the first or third floors at night.
...
Sofia was particularly lively today, so Link accompanied her back to Villa 3, where they hung out with Milla Jovovich, Angelina Jolie, Liv Tyler, and Cameron Diaz.
...
After the kids fell asleep, he returned to Villa 1 and continued writing and drawing in his study. Around 10 p.m., he finally finished Pirates of the Caribbean storyboard.
...
Coming out of the study and downstairs, the crystal chandelier sparkled, casting luxurious light all over the living room.
Monica Bellucci and Michelle Pfeiffer were still awake, dressed in white slip nightgowns with bare legs, sipping red wine and chatting on the sofa.
Monica originally had modest career ambitions, and after amassing tens of millions, she became more laid-back at work, now only taking a film she loved each year. She'd spend the rest of her time on fitness, beauty, caring for her two young kids, and occasionally visiting family in Italy.
She was the most relaxed and carefree woman in the family.
Since she focused on her looks and figure, she'd grown even more beautiful, sexy, and elegant in recent years. Some media dubbed her the "Flower of the Earth."
Michelle Pfeiffer had been very career-driven and a workaholic in the past, shooting four films in 1995 alone.
But after having children, she slowed down, cut her workload dramatically, now doing just one film per year, dedicating the rest of her time to beauty, fitness, and childcare.
Because they shared similar interests, their bond was stronger than with others.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" Link kissed both on the cheeks.
"Waiting for you!"
"We made some late-night snacks. Want some?"
They both stood and linked their arms with his. Monica was fuller and curvier than Michelle, who was more refined and graceful.
"Sure, I'm a bit hungry too."
As Link's physical strength grew, so did his appetite; he could easily digest ten pounds of steak daily.
The seafood porridge and Italian pizza Monica and Michelle prepared tasted amazing. He finished it all in under five minutes, feeling just a bit full.
Seeing him enjoy the food, the two smiled contentedly, saying he looked delicious when he ate.
After the snack, the night grew darker.
Link showered, changed into pajamas, and went back to the bedroom with Monica and Michelle to rest.
Outside, the moon shyly hid behind the curtains once again.
*****
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