America 1982-Chapter 638 - 146: Press Conference

Diane Linen felt that Tommy wouldn’t just be joking around. Halfway through the premiere party, she quietly called her own father, hinting that she might need to look for another job since the theatre’s backstage owner was an asshole, and she didn’t want to be coerced into anything, even for pay.

To her surprise, from her father’s mouth she learned a shocking piece of news: her father actually owned a 5% share of the theater. Even more astonishingly, when Tommy had previously brought Odelia to live in New York, he had made a special trip to visit him to thank him for raising such a beautiful daughter who could play his girlfriend Odelia in the movie. Those shares were given as a token of gratitude, and he had asked her father to keep this a secret from her. The reason was to make sure his precious daughter remained convinced that there wasn’t a single good man in Hollywood, and that she should keep her guard up around them.

After hanging up with her father, Diane Linen looked for Tommy Hawk amidst the dwindling crowd of the party but to no avail, until she got word from Stephen and Susan that after saying goodbye to some familiar friends, Tommy had hurried back to Stanford University with Jason and Susy to attend to their work.

"Hey... uh... my father told me... you and Odelia visited him," Diane Linen said after getting Tommy’s number from Stephen and making the call.

She didn’t really know what to say, but she felt that she should at least greet him.

Tommy laughed over the phone and said, "Unless you’re offering seven hundred thousand for a night, don’t expect me to have Page turn the car around and head back to Los Angeles to join you in a hotel room, Miss Diane Linen."

"You sound like a completely different person on the phone with my father; maybe he got it wrong," Diane Linen replied, unable to help laughing as she heard Tommy’s still-irritating tone. This was the Tommy she knew, the kind and gentlemanly guy existed only in other people’s descriptions—not in the flesh.

"Actually, before I went to Los Angeles, I was drained dry by an old woman, harmless as livestock. You really don’t have anything to worry about, I..." Tommy continued speaking with a laugh on the phone, but before he could finish, Jason loudly interjected, "Don’t believe his bullsh*t! He’s got delayed-action pills in his pocket, I saw him sneak into the pharmacy to buy them just before we left, and he even took off the wrapping paper! That was definitely for you!"

"F***!" The phone then erupted into a string of expletives. Even as Diane held the phone away from her ear, she could still hear Tommy yelling at Jason on the other side, "One million fifty thousand! Do you understand? One million fifty thousand, I gave Diane Linen one million fifty thousand! I didn’t even touch her hand! Just when she finally falls for it and calls, you ruin it with your damn yapping! Jason, you owe me six million, remember to pay me back when the dividends come at the end of the year."

Diane Linen listening on the phone was dumbstruck. Indeed, she had made seven hundred thousand from him, but now he was telling his friend that he got one million fifty thousand without giving anything in return, and now he was demanding six million in compensation from the other party?

"Why six million? You said it was one million fifty thousand, didn’t you?" Jason, first shocked, then emotional, and finally discontented, raised the question.

"To win over the girl, I also spent four million seven hundred thousand buying a small theater in New York for her father, so all together, I should say I’ve spent six million two hundred thousand on this woman. Considering you’re my best friend, I’ll just ask for a compensation of six million." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Shit! You really spare no expense in pursuit of a girl, Tommy, you should keep your distance from Stephen—you can’t forget your origins. You’re a thoroughbred pauper. You need to learn to economize! Hollywood women are not for someone like you to mingle with!" Jason opened his mouth to say, "Well... alright, put it on my tab."

Once Tommy verified that Jason had accepted the debt, he contently calculated with his fingers: subtracting seven hundred thousand from six million, plus a two hundred thousand investment in the theater, he still had five million one hundred ten thousand left. He spoke to Diane Linen on the phone, who was still processing what she heard, and laughingly said:

"You’ve heard it. Based on your asking price, I could keep you company chatting for the next week and still have two hundred thousand left as profit for a kidney tonic. Seven hundred thousand... seven hundred thousand... seven hundred thousand... now that it’s over, I can speak frankly with you, Diane. You’re as pristine and beautiful as the Statue of Liberty that the Frenchies gave just to kiss America’s ass. So, if anyone wants to chat with you, tell them you’re worth seven million. You’re definitely worth it! Even though I wouldn’t patronize, I’d testify for you. You can tell everyone that a night with the old lady is worth seven million—just ask Tommy Hawk! That guy paid a high price! Just give me a 10% commission after you close the deal, though, if you’re willing to raise the commission to 30%, I’d be willing to vouch for you by name in the newspaper."

Diane Linen couldn’t keep up with Tommy’s thought process. She hadn’t yet recovered from the brutal reality that this guy could extort six million from a companion with empty promises, and he was already suggesting she hike up her price? Moreover, if she could give him two million one hundred ten thousand, he would be willing to publicly testify in a newspaper interview that she was worth seven million for a night?