[Chapter 223: Regretful Winona]
Inside the crew hotel at Universal Studios, the intense love scene had finally taken a short break.
Linton lay in bed with Winona on one side and Heidi on the other. Both women rested their heads on his chest, breathing softly. Their fingers lazily drew small circles on his skin.
Suddenly, Winona spoke in a low voice.
"Linton, I feel regret."
Linton looked at her gently. "What's wrong, baby?"
"I should have quit The Age of Innocence when you first asked me to star in Speed. If I had said yes then, I wouldn't be feeling this awkward now."
Linton smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Don't say that. I just watched The Age of Innocence last week. You acted really well."
Winona sighed. "But the box office was terrible. Hardly anyone came to see it. When we went to promote it, the crowd didn't react at all. Everyone on the team felt hopeless. It ended so coldly."
"That's because Speed is a fun action movie. People love fast cars and explosions. The Age of Innocence is an art film. Art films usually don't make a lot of money. They're made to win awards or get good reviews."
"I thought that since Martin Scorsese was the director, the movie would do well. But it didn't. If I do another film like that, my fame might drop. Just look at Catherine. After Speed came out, her popularity went through the roof. She's about to pass me now."
Winona looked truly upset. Her team had been unhappy for months. If she had chosen Speed, she would have become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Maybe not as famous as Julia Roberts yet, but very close.
Linton gently stroked her hair. "There's no need to feel bad. Catherine's success doesn't take away your talent."
"But I missed my chance," she said quietly.
Seeing Winona getting upset again, Heidi stopped what she was doing and sat up too. A soft romantic song began playing on the speaker.
Winona muttered, "If only I had both — a movie that made big money and still won awards…"
Linton chuckled. That was the dream, of course. But it rarely happened.
If it were him making that decision, he'd be bold. He would have made Catherine take the weaker role. But Winona had held back, not wanting to start a fight with her own team. She had kept her mouth shut in interviews, avoiding drama.
But her mood was clear now.
Linton turned to Heidi and said, "If Pulp Fiction does well at the box office, make sure you do a big commercial film next. That will push your fame to the next level."
Heidi nodded. "Yes. We were just talking about that. If Pulp Fiction works, then I'll be in high demand as a model and actress again."
Some people inside Columbia Pictures said Winona might even win a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Pulp Fiction. The Oscar would help. But even if not, strong box office numbers would be enough to raise her value.
Linton knew that for male actors, awards mattered. But for women, box office success was everything. Even if a woman won an Oscar, if her movies didn't sell tickets, her market price would fall fast.
Winona was feeling down, and Linton knew it. That's why he gave her a role in Pulp Fiction — to make it up to her. He didn't push her too hard. He just stayed calm and tried to comfort her.
The real reason The Age of Innocence didn't win awards was because the Academy didn't like it. The style was too quiet and serious. It had no chance.
"You don't have to pretend it's fine," Linton said. "That movie didn't get any award love. If you want Pulp Fiction to get attention, you better hire a good PR team. I gave you and Heidi those roles for a reason."
Everyone knew that without a strong movie, a star's price would drop fast. Commercials, fashion campaigns, and event invites would slow down. Each level lost could mean millions of dollars gone each year.
Heidi sat up and said, "The film hasn't even finished yet. People shouldn't judge it so early. But honestly, it's looking good. I've seen the first few scenes, and they're beautiful."
"But it's still a small-budget movie," Winona added. "No guarantee it'll make money or win anything. That's the risk."
"And I heard Columbia's management is messy. Will they even do proper PR?"
"Doesn't matter," Linton said. "People say I have good instincts. If I say it'll work, it will."
"What do you really think about Pulp Fiction?" Winona asked.
"From my point of view, it's a commercial film," Linton said. "But it's told with a unique style. It has emotion, depth, and personal touches. That might make it harder to sell to the mass crowd."
...
Two nights later, the three of them were again resting together.
Winona whispered, "I'm still worried. The movie looks good. The story is smart. If it doesn't do well, maybe people just don't get it."
"You think Quentin and Scorsese are alike, don't you?" Heidi said. "They both focus on deep characters and strange details. That kind of directing style doesn't always work with big crowds."
"You're still thinking about the box office?" Heidi teased.
Winona sighed. "Yes. We have so much riding on this."
Heidi smiled and ran her fingers over Linton's chest.
"Then maybe you should punish him. After all, it was his idea."
With that, Heidi jumped on top of Linton again.
"He's amazing," she whispered, "but he needs to be reminded who's boss."
"You really believe he's just trying to comfort you, don't you?" she added with a smirk.
"It's still an art film," Winona said. "So I'll keep worrying until the numbers come in."
"He's so bad," Heidi laughed. "We need to teach him a lesson."
And with that, both girls disappeared back under the sheets.
*****
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