"hmnn, yeah, that side kick is spot on!" Dunn's pupils shrank slightly, and his throat felt a little dry. He casually asked Deborah Johnson for a glass of water.
Deborah Johnson couldn't help but laugh and sigh at the same time. This Dunn guy—he was really into it, wasn't he?
He was clearly parched and flushed from watching, so why not just get to the point already?
This whole act was getting a bit awkward.
Deborah poured him a glass of water and handed it over, only to notice his eyes never once left Milla Jovovich, who was dancing in front of him. He gulped it down in a few big swallows. "Another one—make it cold this time!"
Deborah was on the verge of losing it. This big-shot boss might've achieved incredible things in business, but at the end of the day, he was just a young guy—full of energy and leaving her both amused and exasperated.
"That kick's no good! Do it again—higher this time. That's it, it's gotta look graceful! Stunning! Impactful!"
Hearing Dunn's critique, Deborah instinctively glanced back, curious to see what kind of move Milla had pulled off to earn that kind of praise.
But one look, and Deborah's face turned red all the way to her ears. As a woman, she could barely handle it and quickly averted her eyes.
This was ridiculous!
"Doesn't Milla realize her moves are totally feeding into some guy's voyeuristic fantasies?" Deborah frowned and stole a glance at Milla, only to be shocked. The initial shyness and nerves on Milla's face were gone, replaced by a careful, almost eager-to-please expression.
And those eyes—they seemed to see right through everything.
Deborah blinked, momentarily stunned, before it clicked.
So, Milla had figured out what was really going on too? She was playing along with Dunn, putting on this weird "audition" charade?
"These two are something else," Deborah muttered, almost ready to cry. She suddenly felt like an idiot. Here they were, clearly enjoying some quirky little game, while she was stuck playing the servant, fetching water for the "master."
"I've gotta get out of here!"
The thought hit her hard. She grabbed a chilled beer from the fridge and plunked it down on the small table next to Dunn. "Alright, Dunn, you guys keep 'auditioning.' I'm heading out—I'll wait for you downstairs."
"Huh? Oh, sure."
Dunn didn't even glance her way.
Deborah sighed helplessly and got up to leave. The air in the room felt like a volcano about to erupt, buzzing with barely contained excitement.
At the door, she hesitated, then looked back one last time—and her eyes went wide.
Milla was doing a perfect splits on the floor, and the bath towel she'd been wearing finally gave up, slipping off completely.
Deborah let out a breath. Well, the last shred of modesty was gone—time to get straight to it, right?
But no—Milla stood up calmly, ignoring the towel on the floor, and stood there confidently in front of Dunn. "Director, I've got a few more moves. Want to see them?"
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
Dunn's voice was deep and steady, sounding all authoritative.
But to Deborah's ears, it was absurd—like something out of a wild comedy.
"Oh my God, this boss knows how to have fun!"
"Zack, you done with the storyboards yet? Ugh, I'm down in the hotel lobby. The boss? Where else—he's up in the room. Yeah, auditioning. Ha, it's been almost two hours. I'm bored out of my mind. How should I know what they're up to? Maybe our big boss has some serious stamina!"
Deborah, bored out of her skull, was lounging in the lobby's rest area, chatting with Zack Snyder on the phone. Then, finally, Dunn appeared in her line of sight.
"Alright, Dunn's here—gotta go!"
She hung up quickly and rushed over with a smile.
Up close, she noticed something different about Dunn. The usual exhaustion and tension he carried from work were gone. He looked relaxed, confident—practically glowing.
"Youth really is something," Deborah murmured to herself, lost in thought.
"What'd you say?" Dunn was in a great mood, feeling like every pore in his body was breathing freely. He glanced at Deborah with an even more approving look.
Nice setup!
"Oh, uh, nothing!" Deborah snapped back to reality, scrambling for something to say. "Audition's done?"
"Yeah, all wrapped up."
"And she's good?"
"She's fine."
Dunn's robotic reply felt off, so he added, "Let her play the lead in Resident Evil. It's gonna be a series—this is her shot."
Deborah grinned, her tone teasing with a double meaning. "Sounds like Milla nailed the audition."
Dunn spotted a few paparazzi snapping photos in the distance. Couldn't avoid it—this was a hot Hollywood hotel. He kept his expression neutral. "Yeah, her flexibility—I mean, her move flexibility—is great. With the right choreographer, we could design some gorgeous fight scenes."
Deborah bit back a laugh. Her peripheral vision caught the paparazzi too, and her face shifted. "Someone's taking pictures!"
"Just a few paps, no big deal."
Dunn waved it off casually.
"But Milla's still upstairs—"
Deborah was still new to the entertainment game, not quite used to its rhythm.
Dunn chuckled. "So what? I'm here to cast a role. What's wrong with that?"
His blatant nonsense made Deborah pause.
Did he think people were that dumb? Squatting here for hours, and he thought he could brush it off that easily?
Dunn didn't care. This was Hollywood—no pics, no video, no proof, no problem! He waved a hand. "Alright, go help Milla tidy up. I'm heading out."
"Wait!" Deborah stopped him, hesitating before continuing. "Uh, Dunn, Zack and I are still pretty new to this industry. Especially me—I used to know nothing about movies or casting. If it's possible, for future films, could we trouble you to handle the casting?"
Dunn raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.
Worried he'd misunderstand, she quickly added, "The lead actress and key supporting roles are so crucial to a film. It'd be best if you oversaw it personally."
"Like today?"
"Exactly, like today."
Dunn let out a long sigh. "Fine, I'll take on the extra work. Since we're friends, even if I'm swamped, I'll make time to help out. Deal—it's settled!"
Deborah's face twisted into an odd, strained smile. "Right, right, the capable ones do more! Zack and I are counting on you to help us grow our careers."
Dunn nodded. "That's what friends are for—beyond regular work, it's all about helping each other out."
"Totally, Dunn, you're so right!"