Even the worldly Dunn was startled for a moment, instinctively wanting to pull back.
But Anne Hathaway's upper body was already draped across his lap, her arms wrapped around his waist. She lifted her stunning face, looking like she'd made up her mind about something big. "Director Walker, please forgive me. I… I'm willing to do anything for you!"
Honestly, Dunn was freaked out.
Did Anne Hathaway have a wire on her? Or maybe a hidden camera?
Dunn had been with plenty of actresses, but one this wild? This was a first.
Of course, there were crazier women out there, but they'd all been stopped before he ever had to deal with them.
Dunn was definitely interested in Anne Hathaway, no question. But with this sudden craziness, he had to stay calm and keep his head on straight!
There'd be plenty of time later—he couldn't risk screwing himself over something small!
This over-the-top, irrational move from Anne Hathaway… could it really be Michael Eisner pulling the strings? A honey trap, maybe?
Britney Spears didn't work out, so now they're throwing Anne Hathaway at him?
Dunn's mind was racing. He straightened up and said seriously, "Miss Hathaway, I think you've got the wrong idea. I've never held a grudge against you. And this approach? It's way too much. This is Hollywood, not some nightclub—we don't play these games."
Anne Hathaway clearly didn't buy it. She bit her lip and said, "Mr. Walker, I'm genuinely apologizing here. I… I was clueless before and messed up big time. I'm begging for your forgiveness."
As she spoke, her trembling hands started fumbling with his belt.
Dunn quickly grabbed her hands, frowning. "I told you, what's done is done. I never cared about whatever you said!"
"Really! Mr. Walker, I know I screwed up. Please, just give me a chance, okay?" Anne's eyes were brimming with tears, her pitiful expression dialed up to eleven—her acting skills were on full display.
Luckily, Dunn had seen his share of top-tier actresses and wasn't fazed. His tone turned stern. "Anne Hathaway, show some respect!"
"Huh?"
Anne froze, her face going pale. She stared into Dunn's eyes, totally thrown off and unsure what to do.
Dunn had been battling Michael Eisner for so long that he'd built an unshakable air of authority. When his expression darkened, it made people tremble.
"Sir, I… I…" Anne stammered, and this time, real tears started falling. This wasn't an act—she was genuinely rattled by Dunn.
Dunn sighed, patting her soft hand gently. "Hey, don't cry. I didn't mean anything by it. Let's just talk. It's our first time meeting—no need to go overboard like this."
"But if I don't get your forgiveness, I'll get fired!" Anne's voice cracked with sobs, her tear-streaked face and delicate features tugging at the heartstrings.
"Fired?" Dunn's eyebrow twitched. He was starting to piece things together. "What's going on? Explain it to me."
"Some big shot at Disney told me to apologize to you. They said…" Anne paused, biting her lip and choking back tears, "they said I need to make nice with you and win your friendship."
Dunn's eyes narrowed slightly, then he gave a faint smile. "What, is my reputation that bad? Anne, we've just met, and you're doing this… I'm honestly shocked."
"I… I…" Anne's face flushed red. This was her first time throwing herself at someone like this—she had zero experience.
Dunn waved it off. "Alright, let me say it again: I don't have any personal beef with you. You can get up now."
Anne was still sprawled across his lap, a mix of embarrassment on her face as she looked up at him. "Mr. Walker, you… you really don't want me to stay with you?"
Dunn shook his head. "Nope! Like I said, it's our first meeting. It wouldn't be fair to you. I prefer things to be mutual, you know?"
"But…" Anne's eyelids fluttered downward, her lashes trembling as she stole a quick glance below, hinting at her nerves.
Dunn followed her gaze and immediately felt his face heat up!
Turns out, with all the squirming, his body had reacted, pitching a little tent down there. No wonder Anne was so insistent—it was his own fault!
Dunn was mortified, coughing awkwardly. "Uh… that's an accident! Plus, my schedule's packed. I'm heading to Boston in an hour—no time."
Whether Anne's EQ was just that low or she'd lost her mind, she tilted her pale chin up, her pretty face full of surprise, blinking those big eyes. "An hour's not enough?"
Dunn stared at her, speechless and a little annoyed. "No, it's not!"
Then, without another word, he leaned down and scooped Anne Hathaway up into his arms.
By some unlucky twist, his hands ended up grabbing places they shouldn't have, so when Anne stood up, her legs were shaky, barely holding her steady.
Whatever, they'd already been through worse awkwardness.
"How about this: leave me your contact info, and we'll figure things out later. No rush," Dunn said, his heart pounding. By now, he was pretty sure this wasn't a setup. With a beauty like Anne Hathaway in front of him, how could he not be tempted?
"Okay!" Anne agreed instantly, no hesitation, nodding eagerly. "Mr. Walker, if… if you're busy now, you can call me anytime later. As long as I'm not out of town, I'll drop everything to come see you, no matter what you want."
Dunn wasn't a fan of her blunt, almost clueless honesty. Couldn't she hint at things a little?
A bit of subtlety, some finesse—would that kill her?
This was supposed to be an under-the-table deal, and here she was making it sound all righteous. Anne Hathaway's one-track mind was driving him nuts!
Dunn sighed helplessly, pulling an A4 sheet from his drawer and handing her a pen.
Anne wrote down her private number and name without a second thought. After a brief pause, she leaned over and pressed a grapefruit-red lipstick kiss onto the paper.
Dunn couldn't help but linger on that elegant, classy lip print for a moment.
She really had top-star potential—those little seductive tricks were something else!
And that wasn't all. Once Anne got past her initial nerves and struck a tentative "deal" with Dunn, she relaxed a lot more, starting to flaunt her feminine charm.
"Sir—you're really not mad at me, right?" Her lips curved into a slight smile, her eyes sparkling with a flirty vibe.
Dunn chuckled. "What, does everyone out there think I'm that petty?"
"Kinda!"
Of course, that was just Anne's inner thought—she didn't say it out loud. Instead, she grinned. "No, no, I was just too nervous."
With that, she hitched up her skirt, kicked up a leg, and plopped right onto the big desk in front of Dunn, making herself at home.
Here's the kicker: her skirt only reached her knees to begin with, and with that lift and sit, the stunning view underneath was perfectly framed for Dunn's eyes.
Dunn knew she was doing it on purpose, but that unladylike pose still made his pulse jump, a wave of heat rising in him. Good thing he was a pro at this—he didn't flinch. He casually glanced down and said with a nod, "Nice panties. Very classy. What brand?"
"Gerbe, from France," Anne replied, even flipping her skirt a bit to show off her taste.
Dunn grinned. "Can I have them? I like them a lot."
"Huh?"
That threw Anne completely off guard. Her skirt was white, her underwear black—a sultry contrast of shadowy hints against the pristine fabric.
But if she took them off? Anyone could tell at a glance she'd be bare underneath.
More importantly, she'd been wearing them when she came to Dunn's office.
In private, with a big shot like Dunn, Anne was willing to toss her dignity aside and do whatever. But in public? She had to keep up her pure, innocent image—couldn't ruin that fantasy.
"Just kidding, teasing you!" Dunn burst out laughing, waving it off. "Alright, let's talk about Disney. What did their execs say?"
Anne let out a quiet breath of relief. She didn't dare act cocky around Dunn anymore. Sitting primly with her legs together, she said softly, "I don't know the details. Someone just told me I'd said some dumb stuff before that hurt Disney's rep. If I couldn't get your forgiveness, the Princess Diaries crew would drop me."
Dunn got it right away.
"Wrong statements"? Bullshit!
Anne Hathaway was just a gift Disney was tossing his way—a tool. Same as Britney Spears at the Spider-Man party, brought in by Michael Eisner.
Only difference? Britney was too ditzy to catch Eisner's drift.
Anne, being in the movie biz, clearly understood the game.
Dunn smiled. "No big deal. Tell you what, I'll call Eisner right now and tell him I see a lot of potential in you. He should invest in you."
"Mr. Eisner?" Anne's eyes flickered with confusion.
Truth be told, at her level, she had no clue who that was.
Dunn picked up the phone, dialing as he shook his head with a laugh. "Michael Eisner—Disney's chairman!"
"What?!"
Anne gasped.
To her, a Disney production manager was already some untouchable higher-up. But Dunn could just casually call the top dog at Disney? That was insane!
"Hey, Mr. Eisner, it's Dunn. Haha, how you doing? … Yeah, so Disney's got this new movie, The Princess Diaries, with Anne Hathaway as the lead… Yep, her. She's in my office right now. I think she's got a lot of promise… Cool, that's it then."
The call took less than two minutes. Dunn handled Michael Eisner like it was nothing.
"There you go, all set. You're good now!"
Anne's eyes sparkled with awe. She finally grasped the massive gap between them and just how much clout Dunn had in Hollywood.
As a woman, wasn't it only natural to submit to a man like that?
"Ahhhhhh!"
She let out a string of excited squeals, propped her hands on the desk, and launched herself into Dunn's arms, shouting, "Mr. Walker, I freaking love you!"