Eric Chiang is a would-be writer who had the honor--or misfortune, depending on whom you ask--of being the roommate of James Pope, Jr. during the latter's short stay at the University of Southern California. James Sr. places much of the blame for his son's "corruption" on Eric and his fellow bohemian-types, but in truth Eric and James often moved in different circles. Nonetheless, he and James have kept in touch, and when James invited him to the premiere of Exit, Stage Left, he accepted; he'd be a fool not to go to a dinner at which Brendan Murphy would also be in attendance. This afternoon saw him and his girl-of-the-moment, Cheyenne Richards, driving a few miles down the California coast to a rented mansion, wondering what James was up to.