I am Hollywood

Chapter 760: Chapter 761: I Won't Stop You

Chapter 759: Chapter 760: Celebration Party

Chapter 758: Chapter 759: The Inevitable Accident

Chapter 757: Chapter 758: 20 Million

Chapter 756: Chapter 757: Just Have to Sit in the Steps



[Chapter 757: Just Have to Sit in the Steps]

With only twenty minutes until the show began, backstage was a whirlwind of activity. Crew members were busy with final confirmations over their headsets, and the Victoria's Secret Angels had started waiting in the wings. As Eric walked into the backstage area, he was quickly approached by Emily, Edward Razek, and Michael Bay, among others. The surrounding Victoria's Secret Angels greeted Eric warmly.

Seeing everyone clustering around him, Eric waved his hands and said, "You all keep busy; we can chat at the party later."

Everyone had plenty to do, and their gathering was due to Eric's special status. Upon hearing Eric's words, Edward Razek and Michael Bay nodded and headed back to their workstations, leaving only Emily behind.

Eric scanned the room and noticed five young men in their twenties about to take the stage. He asked Emily, "Is that the Backstreet Boys?"

After Firefly Records decided to go with the Teen-pop route, they poached the JIVE Records team, who had initially created superstars like the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. Coincidentally, Barry Weiss, the CEO of JIVE Records who had recently jumped from Sony, brought along a batch of newly recruited talent, which included none other than the Backstreet Boys, who had helped solidify Teen-pop's global success.

Emily followed Eric's gaze and nodded, saying, "Yeah, they've been doing really well since they dropped their single in September. They'll be performing a new song tonight. If you have any questions, Barry Weiss should be in the main lobby."

Eric shook his head with a smile, replying, "No need, just curious. I don't want to talk shop tonight."

Emily pointed at a makeup area filled with Angels. "In that case, feel free! I have a ton to do, and your favorites are over there. But no funny business until after the show ends."

Feigning discontent, Eric replied, "Are you questioning my professionalism?"

"Of course not," Emily responded, shaking her head with a smile, her tone serious, "I'm questioning your character."

Eric shrugged in feigned exasperation. "Fine, I give up. I guess I'll just go hang out in the main lobby then."

As Emily was about to leave, she said, "But I didn't save you a seat."

"Ah, that's a bit much, isn't it?"

"You were the one who mentioned on the phone that you might be too busy," Emily said, winking, then added, "But hey, you can sit on the steps in the aisle."

||||

"That's settled then," Emily nodded to herself, pleased with her quick thinking, saying, "Besides, no one else would be allowed to sit on the stairs. You get special treatment due to your status."

After saying this, Emily's intercom beeped, and she quickly spoke into the mic, then waved goodbye to Eric as she rushed off.

Eric wasn't the type to seek the spotlight. The thought of sitting alone on the aisle steps felt awkward to him. He wished he had a companion; two people would be less conspicuous. Unfortunately, he was on his own that night. Drew and Amy Pascal returned to Los Angeles a few days ago after completing discussions on the stock pricing adjustment with Morgan Stanley. Chris, who was Emily's boyfriend, was supposed to attend but flew to San Francisco the day before to address some issues at the R&D center for MP3 players and e-book readers. Virginia and Joanna would never accompany him to an event like this.

...

As he pondered in boredom, Eric headed towards the makeup area. As a special representative, Linda and her friends had their own privileges, occupying a row of makeup stations. At the moment, only Linda, Tyra Banks, and Diane Kruger were present, while Cindy Crawford prepared to kick off the show and Christy Turlington was set to close it.

"Hey, ladies, you all look gorgeous tonight," Eric greeted, gently hugging the three women and nodding at the surrounding Angels.

The women's makeup took four hours to perfect; the nervous makeup artist nearby clearly worried that Eric might accidentally ruin their looks.

After Eric settled into the empty seat next to Diane Kruger, Linda played with her eyebrow pencil and curiously asked, "Eric, I asked Emily, and she said you weren't coming tonight?"

"I thought it would be a shame not to see this big show in person, so here I am," Eric smiled, admiring Diane's radiant face framed by her blonde hair, and inquired, "How's shooting going?"

Diane Kruger nodded, softly saying, "I didn't do very well, but Director Fincher is incredibly patient, and everyone has been looking out for me."

When Gwyneth Paltrow turned her nose up at a minor role in Se7en, Eric had casually passed the lead role to Diane Kruger. Now, Se7en had already wrapped and was in post-production with Firefly setting a release date for Easter next year.

Eric advised, "Make sure to find more roles to practice your craft. You have the perfect vibe for a working woman, so don't rush into the film industry. There's plenty of time after you turn

25."

"Sure, I'll take your advice," Diane Kruger nodded obediently.

Linda, overhearing their conversation, chimed in with a grin, "Eric, which type of female character do you think suits my vibe best?"

"Your vibe is more suited for being a loyal model, or maybe guest-starring as a reality show

host."

"Sounds like jealousy; People used to say I had the aura of a Hollywood golden age star." "Yeah, but unfortunately, that golden age has passed, never to return."

"Humph."

While they were chatting, the lobby music started playing. Eric recognized the familiar sound, glancing at his watch -- only ten minutes remained before the show would officially start.

As the music played, a staff member rushed over, saying, "Miss Kruger, Miss Banks, it's

almost time. You need to change."

Both women nodded and stood up.

With the row of makeup tables now empty, Linda, evidently excited, moved a bit closer to Eric and whispered, "Eric, I bought an apartment in Greenwich Village. The real estate agent said it belonged to an artist -- it's beautiful. Do you want to come see it tonight?"

Eric joked, "I'm more into simple, modern style homes. I don't think I'd appreciate an artist's

place."

Linda playfully slapped Eric's arm, "Are you coming or not? If not..."

Eric narrowed his eyes, "Oh, what are you planning?"

"I'm inviting Cindy back home with me tonight," she said.

"Sure, just send me a box of tapes tomorrow. I love those edge-of-the-seat types of films."

Linda tugged at Eric's sleeve, looking impatient, "Are you coming or not? If you're not..."

"Alright, fine," Eric said, adjusting Linda's notion slightly but nodding in agreement. "Then it's settled; you can't invite any other women tonight."

"Fine, I promise."

Just then, the lobby music stopped, and it appeared the official event was about to start. Linda looked at Eric, who remained rooted in place. "Aren't you going to go to the front?"

"Well, here's the thing -- Emily didn't save me a seat."

"Ah, ha-ha," Linda chuckled in surprise, sensing everyone around them was stirring back to

life. As the music resumed, knowing the show had begun, she waved over her makeup artist to check her look, then said to Eric, "I need to go get into my costume soon. I have a beautiful pair of big wings tonight, but it's too bad you won't get to see them."

With a smile, Eric said, "No worries, I can catch you another time."

"Humph! Bad guy; you're definitely thinking something bad."

After quickly touching up her makeup, Linda stood up and headed towards the dressing room.

...n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

As the lobby music played on, Eric listened to familiar voices and melodies. Although the Backstreet Boys weren't the most conventionally handsome group, their voices held the enchanting quality that young girls adored.

Apart from various makeup tools on the table, some boxes containing fruit salad and chocolates were present. For that night's big show, the Victoria's Secret Angels had undergone over two months of body training, and in the days leading up to the event, they had been on a diet. Not to mention the incredibly heavy angel wings, the high-energy atmosphere during the show was exhausting, so starting last year, Eric had made sure to have small snacks prepared for the Angels, and this year was no exception.

Popping a chocolate into his mouth, Eric contemplated whether he could find a spot to watch the performance from the photographer's area at the end of the runway. Just then, he caught a whiff of something, and a woman wearing a specially designed pink Victoria's Secret robe sat

down next to him.

"Hi, Eric."

Turning his head, Eric recalled the woman and smiled, extending his hand, "Hi, Stephanie.

You look stunning tonight."

The woman in front of him was Stephanie Seymour, who had unexpectedly replaced Heidi Klum last year. Eric remembered she was likely married to publishing mogul Peter Grant now, but he hadn't expected her to be at the Victoria's Secret Show this year.

"Thanks for the compliment, Eric," Stephanie Seymour smiled, nodding, her gaze lingering

on Eric.

Feeling somewhat uncomfortable under her stare, Eric thought that such looks usually came from men to women.

"How's Peter doing? I'm sorry I couldn't attend your wedding."

"He's right in the lobby; we're doing well," Stephanie Seymour replied.

"Oh, that's good," Eric responded, glancing around the room. "Looks like everyone is getting

ready." "Yeah," Stephanie's expression shifted slightly, hinting at some reluctance. "But I'm only walking for the finale theme, so there's no need to worry."

From her demeanor, Eric could sense some underlying tension.

As a publishing tycoon, Peter Grant was worth over a billion, and given his age and conservative personality, it was likely that he might hold reservations about his wife participating in such a provocative show. It seemed Stephanie Seymour's only role in the show tonight might have been a compromise with Peter Grant.

Bored with the conversation, Eric realized he didn't have much to discuss with Stephanie

Seymour. Not only was she a mother, but she was also quite a fierce woman. Eric recalled how she once sued the lead singer of Guns N' Roses for damages relating to her youth -- he wasn't interested in getting caught up with someone like that.

Seeing that Stephanie Seymour didn't seem ready to leave, Eric pushed the box of chocolate-

covered treats towards her, asking, "Want some?"

"Thanks," Stephanie Seymour gracefully took a chocolate, sucking on it slowly with a hint of

flirtation in her gaze.

With his misgivings rising, Eric looked around. Most people were busy, seemingly unaware of what was unfolding between him and Stephanie. But from a makeup artist who immediately feigned searching for something the moment Eric glanced her way, he knew that many eyes

were on them.

Not wanting any wild rumors to spread, he said, "Okay, Stephanie, I think you should go prepare. Even if it's just one theme, it deserves your full attention."

"Don't worry, Eric. I won't mess it up," Stephanie Seymour said after swallowing her

chocolate. "By the way, Eric, Peter and I are hosting a family gathering tomorrow, and I was wondering if you'd like to come?"

Eric shook his head. "I'm sorry, Stephanie, but I have to head back to Los Angeles tomorrow."

"Oh, that's too bad," Stephanie Seymour said, expressing just the right amount of regret. She realized that opportunities to connect with him would be hard to come by. Even at the afterparty in an hour, Eric would likely be surrounded by people.

After slightly rephrasing her words, Stephanie Seymour added, "Actually, Eric, I heard that Lifetime is preparing a new drama series with four female leads. Do you think there's a

suitable role for me?"

*****

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