Chapter 69: Elizabeth McGovern

With the release of the second teaser for Home Alone, more and more viewers became interested. It wasn't just the kids clamoring to see it; even some adults found it quite entertaining. The little guy in the movie was just too adorable; he could charm anyone. And those two funny burglars? They were quite unlucky as well. You didn't see many lighthearted family comedies like this. It was either Westerns or anti-war films, which were getting quite dull to be honest. This movie seemed really good, perfect for family viewing, and most importantly, the kids seemed to love it. If you released a family-friendly movie during the Christmas holiday, buying a ticket was practically a must -- it's just a part of life. The film opened on over a thousand screens across America, a treatment usually reserved for blockbuster films. Christmas season screens were already tight, and without such a big advertising push, theater owners wouldn't have given it such consideration. Of course, if your box office numbers weren't ideal, they would have no qualms about pulling the film. Even European theater owners weren't holding back; they didn't want to wait until after Christmas to screen it. With the success of the previous attempt, they didn't mind trying again -- what if it succeeded? In a way, this was like a global simultaneous release, quite an innovation for that era. What about other languages? Back then, dubbing wasn't easy. If you really wanted a simultaneous release, you'd need a slew of voice actors. Not a good idea, as the foreign box office might not support it. ... Today, William White dressed up formally because he had a date. Elizabeth McGovern had asked him out twice now to express her apologies, and this time he couldn't decline. The busiest time had passed, and he really needed to relax. William White had grown tired of the suits of today; they didn't feel like clothes -- they felt like armor. Elizabeth's outfit was similar, and William White pondered how to take it off. He wasn't familiar with the formal wear of the time, and without help, he probably couldn't take it off himself. "Is there something wrong with my clothes?" Seeing him stare, Elizabeth asked with confusion. "I was just thinking, uh, how this style looks so familiar. The design is just fantastic," William White almost slipped up and had to come up with an awkward excuse. The woman was quite interested in the young man before her. She'd flirted a few times before, and this time it seemed she was finally winning him over. William White understood a simple truth: letting a girl chase after you had a higher success rate, much better than being overly pushy yourself. Sure, with his current status, he didn't need to go to such lengths; any star would probably find it hard to refuse his invitation. But using rules and power to bed someone wasn't William White's pursuit. Although he benefited from the rules, he didn't like the transactional nature of it. Yeah, call him pretentious if you want. Getting women to pursue you is an art. If you're just aloof all the time, there's no chance. You have to display your talent and charm, while making them feel you're interested. Only then will there be more to the story. Honestly, at this time, just agreeing to dinner was almost a promise to have breakfast together unless you messed it up by dinner. Otherwise, it would be a good night. Of course, some clear signals were necessary. Like for dinner, if there was a strong attraction, sea urchins and oysters would definitely be on the menu. If you ate too lightly, you might end up eating alone. "Ha, William, you still prefer wine from your own vineyard?" the beautiful lady teased with a smile. "Sigh, you have no idea, this year's grape harvest was great, but the economy is rough. My vineyard tripled in size, and it's still not enough to store it all," William White said with a bitter smile. By now, he had some fame, and many restaurants had to accommodate him. "Yes, the situation is quite dire now." The topic of the economy was clearly heavy, so they quickly changed the subject. The beautiful lady was most curious about his husky. The dog was quite famous in Hollywood for its less-than-graceful habits around women, leading people to wonder how it matured so quickly -- it wasn't even the right age yet! William White acted quite naive all night, reminding the lady of embarrassing auditions, and leaving her face flushed, while the immaculate gentleman swallowed nervously. When she was finally exhausted by his antics, the beautiful lady couldn't help but smile wryly. She thought it was an older woman with a younger man scenario, but it turned out she was defeated by halftime. It seemed not only beautiful women could pretend; handsome young men weren't as innocent as they appeared. Alright, maybe innocent wasn't the right word. Naive? It seemed she was the naive one; this little rascal had so many moves, he could write a textbook. To William White, this wasn't much, just a friendly encounter. If the need arose, another round could be scheduled. ... The next day at school, William White seemed quite spirited. Staying cooped up was not good, and it was necessary to release some pressure lest he end up warped from lack of normal metabolism. By November, all silver futures in the American market had been traded. The price had long surpassed twenty dollars, turning the market into chaos. "Fulton, don't bother waiting for London. Notify them to sell everything by January 10th." After some thought, William White decided not to chase the last penny. "Alright, sir, I'll take care of it. What about the funds?" Fulton was quite pleased, as knowing when to stop was good. The dramatic price rise had been scary enough. "Talk to me again when it's back in Switzerland. Open more accounts, don't keep it all in one bank." The earnings from London were his fallback; he had no intention of returning to America. The U.S. couldn't touch him with global taxation, as the funds weren't out of the U.S., and with current technology, they could never trace the ownership. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.