I am Hollywood

[Chapter 706: Can We Swim Here?]

In the hall, countless eyes were either intentionally or unintentionally fixed on him. If he took five stunning beauties away together, it would just be too obvious.

Faced with the tempting gazes of the women, Eric still had to decline. "It's too late today, but I'm off tomorrow. If everyone's free, you can come over and hang out."

"Really? Then it's settled," Cindy Crawford promptly replied, with the other women quickly chiming in.

Eric smiled and nodded, glancing at Diane Kruger, whose eyes reflected a hint of disappointment. "Diane, let's go."

Diane Kruger froze for a moment. She had thought Eric wouldn't take any of them back with him. Just as she was feeling uncertain, Eric's calm tone -- unmarked by any commands or requests -- made it all feel so natural, like an ordinary conversation.

While hesitating whether to play a bit coy, she felt the envious glances of the other women. Diane immediately dismissed any thoughts of false modesty and affectionately linked her arm with Eric, flashing a charming smile as she said, "Okay!"

Eric wrapped his arm around her and waved goodbye to Cindy Crawford and the others before walking toward the party host to say his farewells. Those social niceties were still necessary.

...

Watching Eric leave, the remaining four women felt a distinct lack of interest in the nearby men trying to flirt with them.

Having climbed to their current heights in the fashion industry, they were quite realistic. Most of the men around, despite their prominent positions in various industries, couldn't offer help that would compare to the effortless support Eric provided with a simple gesture.

They had just witnessed Eric's influence in Hollywood, and even in their own fashion-centered careers, the immense attention surrounding the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had made all forty Victoria's Secret Angels prime targets for brands to chase after.

Many media outlets predicted that in the coming years, the Angels would monopolize the best endorsement opportunities in their circle. With six months left before the second Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, the runway slots for the forty Angels had already become the focus of fierce competition among major modeling agencies. Unless Eric interfered personally, the Angels from less powerful agencies would likely be pushed out entirely.

Even the positions of the five Angels were coveted, with tabloids reporting more than once about possible replacements among them. In this situation, the best way to secure their positions at the top of the fashion pyramid was undoubtedly to cling tightly to Eric's coattails.

Shooting a distant glance at Eric, who was saying goodbye to Edgar Bronfman and Michael Eisner before exiting the party hall, Cindy Crawford turned down a dance invitation from a would-be suitor. She looked at her exquisite Patek Philippe watch and said, "It's almost ten o'clock; I should be heading back. Maybe I'll go to Rodeo Drive and pick out something to wear tomorrow. Linda, are you coming?"

"Of course," Linda Evangelista replied, placing her half-empty glass in a passing waiter's tray. "The Chanel boutique should be closed, but I know their manager, so I can call and get in for a fitting."

With Eric leaving the party with Diane Kruger, the remaining women, who were not as harmonious behind the scenes, shared a sudden sense of camaraderie. Christy Turlington joined in, her tone slightly sour. "What's with the little girl? Doesn't he know older women are way more interesting?"

Cindy Crawford chuckled softly and leaned in to say, "Don't you know? He actually prefers older women."

"Of course we know," Linda Evangelista chimed in, laughing. "Maybe we just aren't old enough yet."

"Haha..."

Amidst the laughter, Cindy Crawford glanced at Tyra Banks. Due to her skin color, they hadn't been too close, but now Cindy said, "Tyra, I heard Naomi Campbell invited Edward Razek to dinner last week. You better watch out."

In a world rife with racial discrimination, the fashion industry couldn't accommodate two dazzling "black pearls" at the same time. Tyra Banks understood this well, but her experience was still somewhat limited. Hearing the seemingly teasing yet subtly tense conversation echoed insecurity. "I don't think we need to worry too much; we all signed contracts, didn't we?"

Cindy Crawford dismissed her concerns with a disdainful laugh. "Tyra, I signed with Warner for Fair Game last year, yet in the end, they replaced the lead actress."

Recalling that episode, a flicker of resentment crossed Cindy's face, but it quickly faded.

She had originally intended to transition into film, wanting to strike while her reputation in fashion was still strong. But after the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which could have marked her retirement, she suddenly found herself at the peak of her career again. As long as she maintained her contract with Victoria's Secret, her endorsement income would far exceed that of most leading Hollywood actresses.

After chatting for a while, the four women bid farewell to the party, leaving many men regretting their departure.

...

As Eric drove Diane Kruger away, they had hardly exited Universal Studios when he unexpectedly received a call from Hasbro's CEO, Alan Hassenfeld, who wanted to schedule a meeting to discuss Transformers.

Eric had been juggling several film projects lately, and the upcoming weekend provided a small break before the 67th Academy Awards on March 27. He didn't plan to attend the ceremony but decided to meet Alan the next day at ten since he'd have the time.

He knew his earlier words at the party had made Alan thoroughly understand the reality.

Starting to film Transformers would require a significant investment and budget; second and third-tier studios in Hollywood wouldn't be able to manage such a project. Hasbro had only seven major studios to choose from, and only Firefly could provide reasonable guarantees for the Transformers movie iteration.

Although Hasbro could choose other studios, a disastrous outcome would ruin the world-renowned toy brand's image. Alan Hassenfeld understood the stakes clearly.

Despite initial plans to let Fox obtain the rights, given everything that had occurred, Eric decided it would be safer for the Transformers franchise to come under Firefly's wings.

...

The following morning, Eric woke up early as usual.

He didn't rush to get out of bed but lay on his side, propping his chin up as he admired the lovely face next to him.

Perhaps sensing his gaze, Diane Kruger fluttered her eyelashes, waking up.

"Good morning," Eric whispered, leaning in to kiss her on that inviting cheek.

"Morning, Eric," Diane replied bashfully, nodding slightly.

Eric pressed a button on the nightstand, and the spacious circular bedroom's curtains glided open, letting the morning sunlight pour in.

Outside, the landscape was shrouded in a light fog.

The sudden brightness made Diane feel even shyer, and she instinctively curled up under the covers, yet curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked out cautiously.

"Want to take a look?" Eric offered. "It's foggy, but you should still be able to see around; the view here is pretty nice."

Diane had seen photos of Liberty City in magazines and knew this bedroom was like a circular UFO perched atop a sleek villa. However, she never imagined she would wake up here one day.

Seeing her nod, Eric quickly dressed in long pants and a shirt. After checking around, he noticed Diane's maroon evening gown from the previous night was not in the room. Drawing from his experiences, he opened the closet and quickly found a white shirt and a baggy T-shirt, lifting them up to the girl still curled up in the sheets. "Which one?"

Diane scanned the clothes and pointed to the T-shirt Eric was holding. "That one."

Eric handed her the T-shirt, and Diane got up. With Eric's gaze on her, she blushed deeply as she slid the oversized shirt over her bare body; her outfit from last night had been left behind during her shower, and she felt too shy to ask Eric to fetch it.

After getting dressed, Diane looked down at herself, feeling how loose the T-shirt was. She gestured toward the closet, her eyes asking, "Can I?"

Eric nodded, "Feel free."

The girl quickly found a brown leather belt, adjusted it around her waist, and suddenly, the baggy T-shirt transformed into a stylish dress.

Eric observed her little transformation and thought, how fitting; she really was a former style icon, turning a simple T-shirt into a fashionable dress almost instantaneously.

...

The floor was cool, but walking barefoot felt quite pleasant. The two walked over to the south window, where the fog partially obscured the sea, yet they could still see the dark waters within a few kilometers. In the east, a hint of red pierced through the mist, promising another beautiful day ahead.

"Honestly, the evening views here are the most stunning," Eric said, holding Diane's hand as they moved to the north side of the bedroom. This part of the Liberty City Estate was already higher than the surrounding areas, and Liberty City accentuated that elevation, showcasing a view packed with buildings that filled their sight, except for mist-covered hills in the distance.

Diane leaned against Eric, gazing down at the cityscape filled with buildings beneath them; the height offered an almost omniscient perspective.

They stood there quietly chatting for a while, and Eric enthusiastically pointed out a few of their Hollywood neighbors in the view.

...

At nine o'clock, several luxury cars arrived at the entrance of the Estate, with Cindy Crawford and the others having left downtown Los Angeles early to reach the villa.

The women circled the estate's driveway to Liberty City, parked their cars, and walked toward the villa together.

Diane, still wearing the T-shirt from that morning, opened the door. Upon seeing her friends arrive, she felt a subtle sense of superiority that she didn't show outwardly. However, the astute Cindy and her friends certainly couldn't overlook that vibe.

After the initial warm hugs and greetings, Cindy couldn't wait to ask, "Diane, where's Eric?"

"We just had breakfast; he's on the terrace reading the paper," Diane intentionally emphasized the word "we" a bit more before leading Cindy and the others into the villa.

The others nodded in muted thoughts while maintaining their cheerful facades. Linda Evangelista casually put her arm around Diane's shoulder and sweetly whispered about how she felt last night. Diane, despite her usual confidence, felt her cheeks redden under Linda's teasing words.

As they chatted softly and strolled through the spacious foyer, the five women made their way to the terrace on the villa's south side.

The morning fog had mostly dissipated, and sunlight broke through the last remnants, glimmering on the swimming pool, which shimmered like a giant emerald.

Dressed in a white shirt and khaki pants, Eric lounged by the pool on a reclining chair, flipping through the Los Angeles Times. He stood up with a smile to embrace each of them as they approached. "I expected you all to arrive closer to noon. It's so early -- have you had breakfast yet?"

"Not yet, Eric. What do you think we should do?" Cindy Crawford recalled Diane's intentional mention of their breakfast together and asked.

Eric shrugged with a chuckle. "There's food in the kitchen; you can help yourselves."

Despite his offer, none of the women showed any interest in eating. They looked at the spacious pool on the terrace, and Cindy suddenly asked, "Eric, can we swim here?"

Eric nodded. "Of course."

*****

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