[Chapter 32: The City of Romance, Sophie Marceau]
That evening, Universal's French branch held a grand party at the Hilton hotel.
It had to be said that Thomas really came through by inviting Sophie Marceau, though it was rumored that Elodie Bouchez was not in Paris.
Sophie Marceau was now around 26 years old, in the prime of her beauty, with her expressive, melancholic hazel-green eyes, flowing brown hair cascading over her shoulders. She wore a fitted blue gown that accentuated her shapely figure and faintly exuded the scent of Chanel No. 5.
Her appearance stunned Linton, but his own talents and handsome looks also became the center of attention at the party, naturally piquing Sophie Marceau's interest.
...
As the latter half of the party began and the socializing came to an end, Linton grabbed two glasses of red wine from a server and approached Sophie. "Ms. Marceau, want to share a drink?"
"I heard you specially invited me to this party today?" Sophie took the glass.
"Of course, you're my goddess; if I get a chance, I have to make my dream come true."
"Is that so? Your words are so sweet, you wouldn't be pulling my leg, would you?"
"Sweet or not, you can always check for yourself."
"Is that so? Then I really will check."
...
One could only say that Paris truly was a city of romance, where the air simmered with the scent of attraction.
Sophie was also the type who loved passionately; perhaps it was Linton's striking looks and unique aura that captivated her. Not long after, they left the party and went to Linton's hotel room, where they immediately kissed deeply as they entered.
"Hey, Sophie, you are truly enchanting..." The ensuing passion naturally erupted, with music filling the room.
However, Linton was pleasantly surprised that at the onset of their intimacy, his energy surged within him, executing at a speed far beyond the norm. Truly, Sophie was a global figure; her popularity went beyond mere hype and helped Linton's growth much more than Winona Ryder ever could.
...
Two hours later, the passionate encounter took a breather. After the excitement, Sophie lay like a cat on Linton's chest, tracing circles on him with her finger.
"Linton, you're so strong; I thought I was in the heavens earlier."
"Darling, it's mainly because you're just so beautiful."
"Is that so? In fact, you're the most handsome guy I've ever seen."
After saying this, she leaned in to give him a sweet kiss. Before long, they were lost in each other again, igniting an even more intense encounter.
That night, Sophie made Linton feel an unparalleled passion, especially the speed of his growth captivated him, prompting him to pursue her even more fervently. They stayed awake all night, and luckily, Sophie's stamina matched his. They fought evenly until dawn when Linton recalled he had a schedule later that day and reluctantly halted their activities.
...
"Darling, I've got a full day ahead, busy until the evening. Do you have any plans?"
"I'm dying. You kept me up all night, so I'll catch up on sleep here this morning. Also, staying awake all night won't affect your work, right?"
"It's all good; my body is tough. How about I call room service for breakfast, and after we freshen up, I'll head to work while you rest?"
This night of shared intimate moments greatly benefitted Linton, equating to a month's regular training, allowing him to break through to the eighth level.
After a sweet breakfast together, Linton kissed Sophie goodbye and joined his staff to continue promoting as planned.
...
Accompanied by the branch's publicity team, Linton visited three popular tourist spots: Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and the Seine River. French television's Channel Six followed him around to create a documentary for future promotion. Linton felt particularly good and chose not to complain about his impressions of the sites.
Although Linton's fame in Paris wasn't huge yet, he was still recognized at each place, signing autographs and taking photos. Thankfully, it didn't lead to any crowding or traffic issues.
...
After finishing his morning appointments, Linton hurried back to the hotel, where a well-rested Sophie looked radiant, almost glowing. He felt tempted to reignite their previous passion, but thinking of his afternoon commitments made him hold back, making Sophie giggle in delight.
They quickly ate the lunch delivered by the hotel before Linton headed off for an interview with French Music Monthly. Sophie also left the hotel but promised to support him at his fan meet later in the evening, making Linton feel touched.
...
Linton quickly instructed Duke to arrange for the Universal France branch and Sophie's management team to send an invitation for her appearance at the meet, paying the usual business fees. Duke was ecstatic, exclaiming, "Linton, you're amazing! Just imagine, the French goddess appearing at the fan meet of the hottest American star Linton; what a promotional boost that would be, sure to grab headlines from all media! It would greatly assist our promotional efforts this time."
...
The magazine interview that afternoon went without a hitch, sticking to the promotional script.
That evening at the Paris Star Pavilion, Linton's fan meet kicked off with a full house of 3,500 seats, predominantly filled with young people, over 60% of whom were women.
Feeling particularly good, Linton sang ten songs straight. Midway through, he ceremoniously invited Sophie Marceau to join him, inciting wild cheers from the audience and creating an electric atmosphere.
The event also featured several fans performing on stage and a lucky draw where 100 random attendees each received a signed poster. The fan meet was a tremendous success, with over 4,000 albums sold, and it was broadcast live by French television Channel Six.
...
When the fan meet wrapped up, Linton returned to the hotel at 11 PM. As he was leaving for the next destination early the next day, they once again fully immersed themselves in their passion without a moment to waste.
"Oh my God, are you a machine? You stayed up all night yesterday, worked a full day today, and you're still going strong; don't you need a break?"
"Darling, as long as I'm with you, I'm never tired."
...
It wasn't until the morning, at their final agreed moment, that they ended their intense rendezvous. Sophie felt a pang of sadness at the thought of parting.
"Linton, you are like an Apollo sent by the gods to me; it's such a shame we only had two days together before you have to fly off again. I wonder when you'll be able to come back next time?"
"Darling, you'll always be my goddess. Don't worry, travel is so convenient nowadays; I can come see you or you can come see me anytime. Plus, I suggest you develop your career in Hollywood next, so we can meet anytime."
"It's a deal! We have to keep in touch. If you have time, definitely come find me; I'll come see you when I can too!"
Sophie reluctantly kissed Linton goodbye. Linton felt similarly reluctant to leave, but there was no choice; the entire team and all plans had been arranged, and any rash changes would have significant consequences.
Nevertheless, the benefits from this experience were tremendous. Not only did he break through to the eighth level, but he was already a third of the way through that level. Plus, he absorbed a good bit of Sophie's popularity as well.
...
Leaving Bella to continue forming the fan club, the group boarded a plane leaving Paris for Berlin. On the way, Duke expressed his nostalgia, saying, "Paris is such a romantic place; it's a pity our time here was so short."
It seemed Duke had his own fair share of experiences in Paris.
Indeed, on the 19th, various French media reported on Linton's fan meeting from the night of the 18th. The highlight was the gossip about Linton and Sophie Marceau.
Headlines like "French Rose Captivates American Singing Sensation" and "American Star Falls Under Sophie's Spell" appeared everywhere. Whatever it took to catch attention, they pulled in a substantial amount of traffic for Linton's promotion, though sadly he was already gone.
*****
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