[Chapter 123: Bodyguard Expansion Plan, Cast Confirmed]
Two hours later, after wrapping things up, the two of them walked out of the office dressed sharply, but Catherine's face couldn't fully hide the blissful glow she wore. After a heartfelt goodbye to Catherine, Linton headed back to the estate.
...
On the way back to the estate, Linton noticed Danny hesitating, looking like he had something to say.
"Danny, if you have something on your mind, just say it."
"Boss, more and more women are moving into the estate. Just their personal cars alone amount to five new vehicles. David and the other four are probably overwhelmed. With your fame and wealth rising so fast, the security demands on the estate are increasing. Should we bring in more security?"
Linton realized that though the five bodyguards were elite, the growing number of women -- and his growing fan following -- meant the security force needed to grow too. It made sense to strengthen the team.
"Danny, I'm thinking of adding 30 more bodyguards: 10 men and 20 women. Preferably veterans like you, ex-special forces. Any suggestions?"
"That many? Won't the estate's guest house run out of room?" Danny's first concern was lodging.
After several expansions, the estate staff had grown to 24 under housekeeper Amy. Adding bodyguards and assistant Meena brought the total to 31, and the guest house quarters were basically full.
"Housing won't be a problem. The estate is big enough to add two more buildings. What I'm asking is about recommendations for suitable bodyguards."
"I can contact my military friends and have them recommend people. Also, you might want to check with the Los Angeles Military Recruiters' Office to see if anyone fits the bill."
"Alright, start contacting people. Also get Goodman on the phone with the Military Recruiters' Office. We're happy to help," Linton ordered.
...
Back at the estate, Linton gathered the butler Amy, Danny, and the other bodyguards to discuss expanding the security team. Amy was tasked with designing plans to add buildings to the guest house and build training facilities for the new bodyguards.
Linton, always a gentleman with a sharp eye, made sure to prioritize beautiful, capable women and confident, professional men for the new hires.
---
Linton hosted the final round of auditions for Speed's supporting roles. Happily, all original film actors were still in. The performances of those eight actors in the original novel were all remarkable.
The casting was finally confirmed. Dennis Hopper would play the villain Howard. Jeff Daniels would take the role of the bomb expert Harry, and Joe Morton would play Lieutenant Mac.
Linton just looked at whether the salary exceeded the budget and approved them all. In addition, when signing the contract, he had to add a clause to not allow drug use while on the crew.
"Since they passed the first audition, Robert, the production can start contract talks with their agents. Sign the paperwork and send them the full script, training details, and rehearsals," Linton said during a team meeting.
"We need to keep the pay in check while working fast," he added.
He did not get involved in the selection of other actors and extras who had less lines, as the production team had not yet selected them all. Those actors were checked and confirmed from the package list provided by WMA.
---
LAPD was eager to highlight their positive image through Speed. Even before reading the script, the LAPD saw it as a perfect police promotional film. They promised full support, assigning a five-person committee and Deputy Chief Hoff-Del as their liaison.
The LAPD would provide police station sets, support for interiors, a SWAT team as extras, and police cars and helicopters -- all free of charge. Hoff was increasingly pleased with the film and offered all sorts of resource support. In addition, Hoff gave Linton a special LAPD card granting exclusive privileges.
To seal the partnership, Linton worked out a deal with Universal to donate $1 million to the LAPD before the movie's release, securing goodwill and privileges. Public image for the LAPD had declined slightly due to the '92 riots, causing donations to plunge, and this partnership was seen as a boost.
In return, the production hired two LAPD experts as consultants for authentic tactical moves, police jargon, and procedures. They also assigned a small bus driver coach to help Catherine train properly.
---
Advertising tie-ins were slim, but after several discussions, Linton and the production team listed suitable products for placement: off-road vehicles, convertibles, minibuses, digital watches, and sunglasses.
The sponsorship team was told to contact Mercedes-Benz for off-road vehicles, Timex for digital watches, and not to forget Ray-Ban for sunglasses.
After all, he is the spokesperson for those companies.
The only merchandise approved beyond the soundtrack was a small bus model -- made in multiple versions.
---
At 6 p.m., Jennifer arrived at the Hilton Presidential Suite. After her makeover, she looked stunning -- like a ripe peach. That evening, to avoid paparazzi, Linton had the assistant book the suite and invited Jennifer for a private dinner.
Jennifer eagerly threw herself into Linton's arms, taking his hand to her waist. "Honey, you're back! I missed you so much."
"Sweetheart, let me carry you to the dining room. Let's eat first," Linton said gently.
...
Jennifer's dance training during that period was very intensive and she expended much of her physical energy, so she did not control her diet intentionally. Though she wasn't particular about dieting, guided by Linton, her appetite had noticeably increased -- she was savoring every rich meal.
She proudly shared her improvements while eating, often receiving praise from him.
After dinner, Linton scooped her up and carried her upstairs to the third floor, while soft music filled the master bedroom.
...
"Darling, have you been thinking of me? Did you miss your little sweetheart?" Jennifer placed her hand on his little brother and teased.
Earlier that morning, Jennifer's agent had sent word: a $300,000 contract to sign for the female lead in Step Up 2, which had her excited and eager, preparing long before sundown.
Jennifer spontaneously danced for Linton in the bedroom, but unfortunately her waist was too small, and her chest was full of waves when she danced, which completely attracted Linton's attention, and distracted him from evaluating her actual dance moves.
*****
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