Chapter 164: Finale

[Chapter 164: Finale]

"Are you feeling okay? You look a little thinner," Monica remarked, noticing the state of Link as he leaned over the table, devouring the lunch she brought him.

The production had catered meals, so there was no need for her to bring food. But since Link had returned to Los Angeles to continue filming, Monica had taken it upon herself to deliver homemade Italian meals to the set.

Today, lunch consisted of a mouth-watering grilled steak, white bean soup, two steaming slices of Florentine chicken pizza, and a small portion of seafood pasta. Link was enjoying the spread immensely.

"Have I lost weight? My muscles haven't shrunk," he replied with a grin.

"What do you want for dinner? I'll cook for you," she replied, resting her chin on her hand, batting her long lashes as she watched him eat from across the table.

"Anything's fine, but I want to eat you more," Link flirted back.

"Alright then, you can have me," Monica laughed, extending her pale arm playfully towards him. He gave her a light kiss.

Monica was a stunning woman, and her beauty showed no signs of fading even in her fifties and sixties. This was truly the peak of her attractiveness, and in the film industry, few could rival her looks and figure.

Moreover, her personality was pleasant. Since last year, gossip columns had been filled with stories about Link, implying flings with stars like Sofia Coppola, Jennifer Connelly, and Brooke Shields. Yet, Monica had taken all that in stride, without any jealousy.

Link appreciated her trust.

...

After Monica left, he returned to the chaos of the set. Just then, Lily arrived with her own homemade meal, asking if he'd eaten and mentioning that she had specially prepared a stew.

Feeling unable to dismiss her kindness, he paused his work to enjoy a bowl of savory chicken soup.

...

"Look!" Joaquin Phoenix nudged Ben Affleck's arm. "Being a player isn't easy. You need money, good looks, talent, and a strong stomach, otherwise, you might just burst."

"Link is impressive. Not only is he a skilled actor, but he also has a knack for charming the ladies. I need to take notes," Ben remarked, shoveling his food.

"Wait, do you want to learn how to be a player?" Joaquin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, no! It's not that! Link is just exceptionally kind and talented. Numerous women pursue him, and he simply can't say no without breaking their hearts. If he were a player, he'd hide his affairs and pretend to be a good guy. But he doesn't do that. He allows everyone to know he's a free spirit, which gives women a chance to back off. Unfortunately, they don't. They still flock to him. In this case, no one's a victim, so Link isn't a bad guy."

"Really? Is that angle even valid?" Joaquin scratched his head, considering Ben's argument, surprised to find it made sense -- Link seemed genuinely not to be a bad guy after all.

"Look over there! More women are falling for him. They know he has a girlfriend, yet they're still getting close. Can we really blame Link for being a player?" Ben pointed toward the director's area.

A blonde girl approached, sitting directly across from Link with her lunch.

Upon seeing the girl, Joaquin scowled. "What the heck! Is this girl brainless? She knows Link can't be trusted; why get close to him? Doesn't Hollywood have any other good guys?"

"Hey, don't be too envious. Work hard, and when you're a big star, a lot of girls will be drawn to you too," Ben encouraged him with a pat on the shoulder as he walked away.

Joaquin watched Jennifer Aniston, his heart sinking. She was exactly his type. The first time he saw her on set, he was captivated. He had planned to ask her out, but here she was, smiling sweetly at Link instead.

It was a real bummer.

...

Once lunch concluded, the crew resumed filming. For some unknown reason, Joaquin wasn't on his game that afternoon. A simple scene took five retakes to get right. Link had to film the other characters' parts to give Joaquin time to regroup.

"Cut!"

"That one's a wrap!"

"Alright, crew, prepare for the next scene!"

...

The male lead suddenly woke from a dream, dashing to the front to verify something, only to find that the little table in front of the seat was broken, just like in his dream.

"Is there a a problem, sir?" a flight attendant asked.

"What's your fuckin' problem?" Carter shouted at Alex, clearly frustrated.

"Alex? Qu'est-ce se?" the teacher, Larry Murnau, queried.

"Qu'est-ce se?! The plane's gonna explode!" Alex shouted, standing on his chair.

...

"Cut!"

"Alex, be more intense!" Link called out.

"The plane's gonna EXPLODE!!" Alex yelled at the top of his lungs, veins bulging from his neck.

"More intensity!" Link urged him.

"The plane's GONNA EXPLODE!!!"

"Okay! Keep going!"

...

"Shut up, Browning!" Carter stood up and yelled.

"You're not funny," Angelina Jolie, playing Terry, said.

"We have to get out! We have to get off this plane! Now! NOW!!" Alex said, drenched in perspiration.

"Sit! DOWN! Browning!" Carter said, undoing his seatbelt and throwing a punch at Alex.

"Alex. Alex! Easy, man. Take it easy," Tod urged.

...

"Cut!"

"Carter, hit harder. You're the star here; if Alex doesn't listen, it's disrespectful. You've got to teach him a lesson," Link instructed.

"Got it, Director!" Carter said, furiously leaving his seat, throwing a punch toward Alex.

Alex retaliated, lifting his foot to kick Carter.

People rushed in to separate them, turning the cabin into chaos.

The crew pulled a few people aside, telling others to exit the plane.

...

"Cut!"

"That one's a wrap."

By late June, after over two months of filming, Final Destination officially wrapped up.

...

While working on Final Destination, Link had also found time to appear as a cop in the Pulp Fiction set. Quentin, eager to poke fun at him, had deliberately chosen an absurd role.

He played a deranged cop who assaulted a black gangster named Mars in a basement. Eventually, he met his end at the hands of Bruce Willis's character, Butch, who shot him down.

The character was drastically different from Link. Playing it was a challenge, but to honor Quentin, he put aside any and all reluctance, delivering a solid performance.

Afterward, Quentin teased him, saying he was perfect for twisted roles and that he'd definitely cast him in such a part again.

...

Once filming wrapped, Link and Monica jetted off to Hawaii for a vacation.

They basked in the Hawaiian sun, and once he felt completely relaxed, he returned to work on editing Final Destination.

*****

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