I am Hollywood

[Chapter 850: Raising the Stakes]

Today happened to be Alessandra's 16th birthday. The girl had called Eric last month, asking if he would be free to come to New York for the occasion. At that time, Eric hadn't given her a concrete answer. After saying goodbye to Stan Lee, he found that he didn't have any other plans for the evening, so he decided to drop by last minute.

Riding the elevator to the top of the 85-story building, Eric arrived at the apartment door. He rang the doorbell several times but received no response; it seemed the girls had gone out to celebrate. Eric had anticipated this, so he had someone deliver a spare key beforehand. He then unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Due to his instinctive aversion to cramped spaces, Eric typically purchased very spacious properties, and this one was no exception. The two-story duplex boasted nearly 1,200 square meters, with four bedrooms and six bathrooms, as well as a study, kitchen, dining room, gym, and a private screening room. The living room alone exceeded 100 square meters, making it feel exceptionally expansive.

This luxury condo was one of the first properties Eric acquired during the oil crisis caused by the Gulf War. Located in a prime area overlooking Central Park and the entire Upper East Hydee, he had paid $12 million for it at the time. Given the recovery of the U.S. economy and the real estate market over the years, the value must have already approached $20 million by now, with future appreciation potential nearly unimaginable.

The six large double-layer tempered glass windows on the south and west sides of the living room reflected the dazzling lights of Manhattan. The interior decor featured warm pastel shades, meaning the living room didn't feel dim even without the lights on. A faint fragrance wafted through the air, and Eric recognized some feminine touches that Gisele and Alessandra had made to the living room.

After setting the cake and bouquet on the long table in one corner of the living room, Eric decided not to turn on the lights and quietly walked over to one of the windows. Each window surrounding the living room had a marble ledge big enough for a person to lounge on. Eric noticed a pillow on this particular ledge, imagining Gisele or Alessandra loved to lean there to admire the Manhattan skyline. The nighttime view was enchanting, filled with shimmering starlight. During the day, however, the vista of New York, a world-class metropolis, would indeed give one a sense of towering over everything.

...

Casually leaning against the pillow, Eric took a moment to gaze out at the scenery. He then glanced at his watch -- it was well past 9:30. He pondered whether the two girls might still be out celebrating until midnight. After a moment's thought, he took out his phone to call Gisele, just as he heard the sound of the door opening.

Soon, the pronounced clacking of high heels echoed from the foyer, accompanied by excited chatter. It seemed that a considerable group had arrived.

Eric frowned slightly. When he had given the key to Gisele and Alessandra, he had reminded them not to bring back a chaotic crowd. He had assumed that the girls understood the rules they were supposed to follow.

The lights flickered on, revealing a group of vibrant young women in front of Eric. As it was still quite chilly at night in New York during April, they were decked out in fitted jackets and jeans. Their devilishly proportioned figures created a striking visual impact, making it hard not to notice all the legs in the room. Eric also spotted Gisele and Alessandra among them; they were clearly with their tall and attractive friends. Some of the girls were already holding snacks and beers, suggesting they were planning on starting a raucous party in the apartment.

Once all the girls had entered the living room, Eric scanned the room and found no signs of any male presence, allowing him to relax his expression.

Since he had only known the two girls for a short time, there wasn't much emotional attachment yet. Their relationship was purely based on mutual interests.

While Eric had promised Gisele he would help her achieve success, he knew people's hearts were fickle. In a few years, if they chose to leave, he wouldn't feel any regrets. Having lived two lives and experienced an elevation in status and wealth, Eric's nature had grown somewhat indifferent and detached to the feelings of others. If any other men showed up at the apartment tonight, he would immediately have Gisele and Alessandra move out and sever all ties.

"Wow, it's huge!" shouted one girl.

"Oh my god, this is the ultimate dream of my life," said another.

"If I could live here, I'd be willing to do anything," chimed in a third voice.

Accompanied by a chorus of excitement and surprise, the girls soon noticed Eric observing them from the window ledge, momentarily jumping in shock. But then, Alessandra was the first to leap over, excitedly asking, "Eric, when did you get here?"

"I just arrived a little while ago. I meant to surprise you," Eric said, sitting up and embracing Alessandra as she hugged him tightly. He kissed her cheek and said, "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, Eric," Alessandra replied, giving him a brief kiss on the cheek too.

Gisele approached next, noticing the fleeting expression of displeasure Eric had shown earlier. Recalling Eric's initial admonition, she felt a bit uneasy.

All the girls quickly recognized Eric, their surprise morphing into various expressions of envy. After learning that Gisele and Alessandra lived in this building, they speculated that they must know some significant figures. However, no one had expected that person would be Eric Williams -- this far exceeded everyone's wildest imagination.

But soon enough, they felt it was only natural. Typically, the type of luxury penthouse they were in would be the residence of someone wealthy. Only someone like Eric Williams would freely lavish such an expansive Madison Avenue penthouse upon a lover.

Eric hugged Gisele again, whispered a few words to her, and then looked up at the group of beautiful women, clearly eager to engage. "Hey, girls," he greeted with a smile.

He said this imitating the opening line of Charlie Townsend, the boss of the detectives from Charlie's Angels, and it seemed that most of the girls had watched the movie, as they almost echoed back in unison, "Hi, Eric!"

"Well, it looks like you all have seen that movie," Eric chuckled as he snatched a dozen cans of beer from one of the girls. "So, is this a party? Though, these beers aren't that great. I'll have someone bring over some better ones."

With that, Eric returned to the window ledge, pulled out his phone, dialed his assistant, and then looked back at the girls before saying, "Peter, send over some party drinks -- about twenty servings. Please hurry."

Upon hanging up, a bold girl immediately piped up, "Eric, there's only fifteen of us! Twenty servings? Are you trying to get us all drunk?"

Eric flashed a mischievous grin and replied, "Why not? Maybe I'll even do something much worse. Those who are scared can leave early; it may be too late afterward."

"Ah," the girls squealed in what seemed like a mix of genuine and playful fear. A few of them showed hesitation, yet none were willing to turn and leave.

Eric laughed and clapped his hands. "Alright, let's get ready. Move the dining room furniture to the corner, and do you have any good music records at home?"

Eric's last question was directed at Gisele, who nodded and replied, "They're in the upstairs lounge, Eric. Let's go change outfits and get the records."

With that said, Gisele pulled Alessandra towards the stairs, and the other girls began to rearrange the furniture in the living room.

...

After being pulled upstairs by Gisele, Alessandra rubbed her wrist where Gisele had gripped her and complained, "What are you doing? I don't want to change clothes."

Gisele shot her a stern look while heading to the bedroom and replied angrily, "It's your fault for insisting on having a party here. Now look, we have a bunch of little vixens right in front of Eric."

Alessandra noticed the way her friends looked at Eric and felt a bit sheepish. After all, she was only sixteen, and being a girl, she had her vanity, wanting to show off her luxurious apartment to her friends. Unfortunately, it had backfired. She tiptoed, following Gisele like a little cat and defended weakly, "B-but you agreed as well."

Gisele didn't look back. She opened the closet to pick out clothes and said, "If someone suggested tossing you out from here right now, I would agree too."

Alessandra didn't dare argue back. She poked her head out and selected her favorite dress, just as there was a knock on the bedroom door.

Both Gisele and Alessandra turned to see a few girls had come over, eagerly glancing at Gisele and Alessandra's closet. One girl said, "Gisele, can we borrow a few dresses?"

Alessandra instinctively smiled and was about to respond when Gisele pinched her waist sharply.

Warning her to stay quiet, Gisele smiled but didn't hesitate to refuse, saying, "Sorry, Karen, I'm not used to others wearing my clothes."

Karen, unfazed, turned to Alessandra and asked, "So, Ale, you..."

Alessandra hastily shook her head, "I-I'm not used to it either."

Another girl beside Karen gave a sly smile and suggested, "Karen, how about we go down and charm Eric? Maybe he'll let Chanel send over a bunch of dresses. They can't be worse than what's in Gisele's closet. I've wanted to shop at Chanel for ages."

The other girls quickly chimed in, laughing along.

Gisele felt a strong urge to pinch Alessandra again but reluctantly moved her body aside and said, "Alright, help yourself, you little vixens."

"Haha."

The girls didn't mind Gisele's teasing. They laughed and rushed to grab clothes. Moments later, more girls swarmed upstairs to borrow outfits. Gisele, opting to ignore the scene, quickly changed into a purple long dress and moved to the lounge to choose music records. Noticing Alessandra following her, Gisele said, "Ale, you better stick to Eric like gum, don't give those other girls a chance, got it?"

"Got it," Alessandra nodded quickly but couldn't help muttering, "Like gum? Ugh, that's disgusting."

Gisele raised a music album and playfully tapped it against Alessandra's head. "That's all your fault."

Alessandra didn't fight back, allowing Gisele to hit her. "I just think, do you really need to be this tense? You're the rising star in fashion right now. If anyone should be concerned, it's me. You've already walked dozens of top designer shows this fashion week; you've made a name for yourself! Eric will be giving me opportunities this fall. If he starts liking other girls, I'll be toast."

"Looks like you get it."

"I'm not stupid," Alessandra scoffed. As she caught a glimpse of a girl's figure through the door, she instinctively turned to look, then quickly shifted her gaze back and said, "I think since we're already in this situation, regretting doesn't really help."

Gisele shot Alessandra a glare but didn't say anything more. Deep down, she wasn't as carefree as Alessandra.

Though Eric had pushed her into a position many models might never reach in a year, she knew she was still just a promising newcomer. Because of age limitations and various factors, she hadn't yet landed any brand endorsements compared to the top supermodels at the peak of the industry.

In recent years, the market share of Victoria's Secret soared from the initial 10% to over 40%, prompting a massive drive for profits, and LTD put considerable effort into building the Angel brand. With Firefly Group's media resources backing, the dozens of supermodels in the Victoria's Secret ranks enjoyed the highest exposure and top incomes in the industry while nearly monopolizing most of the high-end brand resources in fashion.

Currently, there was a prevailing opinion in the fashion scene that if you can't walk the Victoria's Secret runway, you don't deserve the title of supermodel, nor can you infiltrate the upper echelons of the industry. The number of Victoria's Secret Angels was consistently around forty, while there were hundreds of thousands in the industry at large, which highlighted the intense competition. Even if one miraculously secured a spot on the Victoria's Secret runway, advancing further would be incredibly challenging without Eric's direct support as the founder.

Gisele had always been acutely aware that she wasn't pretty enough. She still couldn't understand why Eric had chosen her in the first place, but she cared about this opportunity more than anyone else. She had vowed never to experience that sense of desperation again, where losing just $50 felt like the world was crumbling around her. If today's mistake allowed other girls around her to win Eric's favor and potentially replace her and Alessandra, she felt she would genuinely find a corner to cry.

...

Gisele picked some records and made her way back downstairs with Alessandra. By this time, the overhead lights in the living room had been switched off, leaving only a few soft yellow lamps aglow. A long table was already filled with various beverages, candy, snacks, and an array of colorful party toys.

However, what bothered Gisele even more was that the girls had changed into vibrant dresses and shorts, most of which belonged to her, and she dreaded seeing how they might be ruined by the end of the night.

Most of her earnings from the past year had been spent on clothing, which was essential for her profession.

Alessandra wasn't really making any money at the moment. Though they weren't paying rent for the luxury apartment, living in such an environment still required several thousand dollars a month for miscellaneous expenses. Their lifestyle was far from lavish. Gisele considered asking Eric, but she felt instinctively that even the wealthiest men wouldn't like women who openly asked for money. She didn't want to turn Eric against her.

Watching Eric, who was still sitting on the window ledge but now surrounded by several girls, Gisele handed the records to Alessandra and walked right over.

Eric seemed to be saying something that made the nearby girls giggle. One girl even attempted to lean against him lazily.

Gisele squeezed her way in and boldly settled at the edge of the window ledge, leaning her slender body against Eric's. In front of the amazed and envious gazes of the other girls, she had shed the assertive energy she held around Alessandra and transformed into a docile creature, like a kitten curling up in its owner's lap. Tilting her head, she planted a soft kiss on Eric's cheek and asked in a breathy voice, "Eric, what were you talking about?"

Eric didn't mind Gisele's obvious eagerness. He wrapped his arm around her waist, lowered his head to kiss her lips gently, and chuckled, "I was just talking about Hollywood; I've got plenty of juicy gossip."

Just then, upbeat music blared through the living room, and the girls began to sway to the rhythm without even realizing it.

Seeing that the girls were feeling a bit shy, Eric said with a smile, "Everyone, let's go dance! I love watching you guys dance."

As soon as he spoke, the girls became less restrained, quickly gathering in the center of the living room, cheering and dancing away to the upbeat music. Many of the girls boldly made eye contact with Eric, twisting their bodies and playfully teasing him with their movements.

Though it wasn't possible to create the full-blown nightlife atmosphere in such a short time, watching a group of stunning young women, each with looks and figures above an 8, dance like graceful mermaids certainly stirred a man's blood.

Seeing Alessandra join the crowd and wave at him, Gisele stood and said, "Eric, let's go dance too!"

"I'll just watch, you go ahead," Eric replied with a smile, shaking his head.

Gisele didn't want to give the eager little wolves a chance, so she quickly slipped off Eric's shoes and playfully pulled him by the hand, insisting, "Come on, you'll be bored if you don't dance."

Eric didn't push back too much, taking off his jacket and letting Gisele lead him to the center of the living room, where the girls quickly closed in around him.

He embraced Gisele and swayed to the music skillfully. Moments later, he felt Gisele's soft body pressing against him even tighter. She leaned into his ear and whispered, "Eric, let's go to the bedroom, okay?"

Naturally, being surrounded by youthful vitality and stunning warmth could elicit a response from him.

But Eric wasn't that eager. Instead of answering Gisele's question, he pulled Alessandra over, merging her with Gisele, and smiled, "You two dance for me, okay?"

Gisele knew exactly what Eric wanted and complied without argument, wrapping her arms around Alessandra. The two girls began dancing, kissing naturally as the surrounding girls erupted into a chorus of teasing laughter and shouts.

Eric observed their performance, feeling a few girls drifting closer to him. He casually pulled one girl into his embrace.

The girl was also tall with short blonde hair and a youthful doll-like face. Her eyes were large, and her cheeks were petite, with thin lips adorned with a subtle smoky look, resembling a living Barbie.

Even more astonishing was her tiny waist, barely fitting in a single grasp; Eric's hands almost enveloped her completely.

"Wow, you have an incredibly tiny waist. I'm curious, are you sixteen?"

Wrapped in his embrace, the girl sensed the change in him and blushed slightly. Instead of breaking free, she wrapped her arms around his waist, lightly rubbing against him, and replied, "Eric, I'm about to turn twenty-one."

"Wow, I'd never have guessed. I thought I might be committing a crime here."

"Hehe," the girl chuckled and introduced herself, "I'm Qusie Gauff."

Eric didn't recall that name and wasn't particularly interested. Chances were he wouldn't see her again after the night ended.

However, he still replied politely, "Gauff? Is that a German surname?"

Qusie shook her head, "Of course not, it's a proper English surname, just like yours."

Eric gazed at her face, particularly her lips, which bore a resemblance to Diane Kruger, and said, "But I think you must have some German ancestry, right?"

"Yeah, from my mom," Qusie nodded.

"Well, she must have been a great beauty," Eric complimented with a smile.

"I think so too," Qusie laughed, gazing at Eric with sparkling eyes.

Their brief exchange made her unknowingly drop her earlier discomfort, generating an inexplicable fondness for Eric. Moments later, the bold girl even stood on her toes and leaned in to kiss him.

Eric wasn't the kind who enjoyed kissing strangers; he had a fairly serious case of germaphobia. While he sometimes moved quickly in relationships with women beside him, it was primarily because he was familiar with them from his previous life.

Slightly tilting his head, he evaded Qusie's lips and instead gently kissed her cheek as a polite gesture, saying, "I'd rather not let our relationship develop too quickly."

Disappointed, Qusie didn't show it, still smiling as she said, "Eric, I'm tired. How about we go have a drink?"

"Sure, but be careful. I love to get women drunk."

Qusie didn't seem intimidated and smiled back, "Why don't I try to get you drunk instead?"

"Okay then, let's see how that goes."

...

As the first record finished its loop, the girls grew tired of dancing and were about to take a break when they noticed Eric encircled by several girls on the sofa. He held a bottle cap, aiming it at an empty glass on the floor a short distance away.

With a clear, ringing sound, the cap landed precisely in the glass.

"Ugh, that's annoying; I lost again," he exclaimed, the nearby girls complaining melodiously while immediately downing their drinks.

Then, like a group of playful cats, they clamored, "Again, again!"

"Are you sure?" Eric asked with a grin.

"Absolutely, definitely!"

"Alright," Eric said, tossing another bottle cap, the ringing sound echoing again.

The girls surrounded him, cheering as Eric successively landed two caps into glass cups. They teased, "Wow, no way! Eric, you must be cheating!"

Eric chuckled. Strictly speaking, he had indeed been cheating since he practiced this game while clubbing in his previous life. However, tonight's luck appeared to shine especially bright.

Seeing Qusie tugging at his right hand playfully, as if trying to check for any cheating devices, Eric laughed and said, "Alright, I won't pick on you. How about we switch to a different game? You can choose."

Immediately, one girl raised a deck of cards, saying, "How about poker? This way, you can't cheat, Eric!"

Eric nodded, "Sure, let's keep it simple. Everyone draws a card; anyone with a number lower than mine drinks. If everyone's cards are higher, I drink."

"Wow, how is that even possible for us to win?"

"That's not fair!"

"Eric, you're so shameless!"

A wave of mock complaints arose, to which Eric chuckled, "How about this? Let's raise the stakes and gamble a bit. That's my specialty."

Qusie laughed, "In that case, we're all in trouble if we have to play for ourselves!"

"Alright, you don't have to put up money. If I lose, it's $100,000, plus a private jet to take you to whichever city you want in the world for shopping: London, Paris, Tokyo, wherever you like. But you all need to raise the stakes a bit -- what do you say?"

*****

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