He Had to Be Upset for Me to Feel Good

"After Christmas, I'm taking a trip to Europe. Make sure you finish editing Phone Booth properly!"

Outside the nightclub, Aaron instructed David Fincher and Quentin Tarantino. The editing for Phone Booth would also be done at Propaganda Films.

"Are you going to the Sundance Film Festival?"

David Fincher asked.

"We'll see. If necessary, I might give it a try."

Aaron certainly had no objection. Going to the Sundance Film Festival could also bring them some attention.

"Okay."

"We'll be heading back first," Aaron said, wrapping an arm around Nicole Kidman as they went to catch a taxi.

"Aaron, Nicole, heading home?" Johnny Depp came out of the nightclub then, with an arm around Winona Ryder.

Judging by Depp's demeanor, he had probably snorted quite a bit of something tonight.

Aaron smiled. "Yeah, we'll get together next time..."

Two days before Christmas, Phone Booth completed all filming in twenty days. David Fincher then began editing it, with Quentin Tarantino assisting him.

Los Angeles, Burbank, Riverside Ranch—on Justin Street between Victory Boulevard and Highway 5, north of the Hollywood Hills—stood the offices of Aurora Film Company.

The old two-story commercial office building was undergoing the necessary renovations.

At a café across the street, Jack Wells sat opposite Aaron. "Recently, Warren Beatty has been getting people to put you and Phone Booth down."

"You know what he's like. It wouldn't cost him much to buy off a few newspapers."

The only real selling point of Phone Booth was Nicolas Cage. Everyone else was basically an unknown.

Aaron smiled. "It's a low-budget thriller that cost less than two million dollars. What's there to smear?"

"He's just talking trash. Looks like he still can't get over me!"

Back when they were at CAA, Aaron had arrogantly wagered that Dick Tracy would not even make half of Pretty Woman's box office. That had indeed made Beatty lose control of himself.

Jack Wells naturally knew it was because of the movies, but he still warned him, "Aaron, don't forget that Dick Tracy has another lead, Dustin Hoffman."

"He doesn't like you either. When the time comes, he might affect your career."

Dustin Hoffman's high standing at CAA could certainly make things difficult for Aaron Anderson when it came to hiring people.

"What about you? How are things going now?"

Aaron looked at Jack Wells. They had always gotten along well. Jack had perseverance, but he had no real eye for planning an actor's career—his judgment was average.

"Me? I'm doing all right. Besides handling some of Steven Soderbergh's work, Ms. Wagner has also assigned me as one of director Tony Scott's Assistant Agents."

"You know Steven Soderbergh hasn't done anything lately. He spends most of his time on vacation, and now he's been stuck in France, so there's nothing much to do."

"The new actors under me really don't have any opportunities."

All right, Aaron understood why Paula Wagner had assigned him to be Tony Scott's assistant.

Looking at him, Aaron reminded him, "You know Kevin Costner, who just signed on? The one filming Dances with Wolves."

"Make time to discuss it with Ms. Paula Wagner. Tell her you want to be Kevin Costner's Assistant Agent."

"Ah, why? Ms. Wagner assigning me to director Scott's side is something plenty of people envy."

Aaron sighed. "Trust me. Kevin Costner is going to make a huge splash with his directorial debut. I've looked into Dances with Wolves. It's a very good project."

"Director Tony Scott is good too, but if you go to him now, there won't be much for you to do. You might as well trade someone else a favor."

"Besides, I want to work with Kevin Costner on a movie too."

"Really?" Jack Wells had always trusted Aaron. After all, he used to follow Aaron around and help with various jobs.

"Of course."

For Aaron's Ghost, Kevin Costner was the man he had in mind for the male lead.

"Understood." Jack Wells nodded.

"You need to watch out for Warren Beatty. Phone Booth is your first movie. If it really fails, things will get difficult."

"That guy holds grudges. I ran into him at CAA, and he humiliated me several times too."

"Because you're close to me?" Aaron laughed.

"That's a minor issue. Taking abuse is normal for an agent. It's just that Warren Beatty goes looking for trouble for no reason!"

Jack Wells tapped the table. "Should we find a chance to beat him up?"

Aaron froze, then considered it for a moment. "That's a simple, brutal suggestion—and satisfying too."

After becoming a millionaire, had Aaron Anderson become more timid?

"He usually has bodyguards and assistants around him. He won't be easy to get at."

Jack Wells pondered.

"Wait for an opportunity," Aaron said with a shrug.

"Hasn't Warren Beatty been getting hot and heavy with Madonna lately? Whether it's for promoting Dick Tracy or whatever, that bastard cuckolded Sean Penn and made them divorce."

"Sean Penn has a fiery temper. Find a few gutsy reporters to corner Sean Penn and provoke him with this."

Sean Penn would hit reporters. They had to be reporters with nerves of steel.

Jack Wells smiled. "I wonder whether Sean Penn, once he gets worked up, will go looking for trouble with Warren Beatty."

Aaron then wrote out a five-thousand-dollar check and handed it to him. "Find an opportunity and do it. The key point is that Warren Beatty slept with Sean Penn's wife. Add some extra material too—think of it yourself."

"No need to mention gossip rags like the National Enquirer and the New York Post. If they get news like this, they'll dig deeper on their own."

"Oh, and that Vanity Fair reporter we worked with before—she loves celebrity gossip too. Get her to write a dedicated article!"

Warren Beatty and Sean Penn were Hollywood stars, and Madonna was a pop queen. All of them made eye-catching news.

Jack Wells accepted the check. "This may affect Warren Beatty, but it won't do much to help your Phone Booth, will it?"

Shouldn't Aaron Anderson be focusing on Phone Booth right now?

"Don't worry. Warren Beatty hates me, and I hate him even more. Only when I see him unhappy do I feel good."

"It'd be even better if we could get some explicit photos of Warren Beatty and completely ruin his reputation!"

Aaron had a bad temper too. There was no way he could let a grudge go unavenged.