Chapter 106: Favor
Chapter 106: Favor
“You men really say one thing and mean another,” Drew said carelessly as she scratched twice against Eric’s chest. “I’ll forgive you anyway.”
Out of habit, Eric flicked the girl on the forehead. “Then should I thank you for being so magnanimous?”
“That won’t be necessary.” As Drew spoke, she pressed her head against Eric’s chest and propped herself up. Her soft body arched slightly as she reached into the back pocket of her jeans and rummaged around before pulling out a wrinkled piece of paper. “Here, it’s all here.”
Eric took it and glanced at the list of names and audition roles written on it, then laughed. “I didn’t expect you to be this busy.”
“Ah…” The girl let out a sigh full of people in the jianghu can’t control themselves. “I already rejected everyone I could. Besides, they’re not directly asking you for roles, just audition opportunities.”
“Alright, I’ll arrange it.” Eric did not say much more. From the moment Drew suddenly came back today, he already knew it definitely had something to do with the recent casting calls.
The rough outline he had planned for Drew’s future was fairly similar to her path in his previous life. He had even already thought of the name for her future film company: Flower Films. With Drew’s sharp and capable personality, she would become one of his major helpers in the future. Helping her accumulate more connections now would not hurt.
Just as Drew said, these were merely audition opportunities. Whether they succeeded or not was still up to him. At the same time, he could help the girl earn a few favors. Why not?
After carefully reading through the list, Eric discovered that many of the names were already familiar Hollywood stars from his previous life. Among them was another of Steven Spielberg’s goddaughters, Gwyneth Paltrow. She should only have been seventeen or eighteen this year, and the role she wanted to audition for was the woman whom the robber Andy encountered on the bus in Running Out of Time.
Recalling Gwyneth’s appearance, Eric immediately crossed her out in his mind. There was no other reason — she simply did not fit his aesthetic preferences. Perhaps in Western eyes, Gwyneth Paltrow was a standard beauty, but Eric had little interest in beauties with high cheekbones, tall noses, and deep-set eyes. He preferred women with softer facial lines. Jennifer Aniston, Drew, and Virginia all belonged to that type of woman. Even Julia Roberts did not count as a high-cheekboned beauty.
Thinking of this, Eric could not help pulling over Drew, who was changing TV channels with the remote control, and holding the girl’s little face as he carefully examined it. Remembering that the girl might have a risk of “growing crooked” in the future, Eric could not help sighing.
Drew had originally felt a little nervous and expectant. Was he going to kiss me? But the moment she heard the sigh, she instantly exploded, baring her teeth threateningly. “Eric, if you dare sigh at my face again, be careful or I’ll scratch you.”
“What are you getting anxious for?” Eric soothed her by rubbing her hair. “I was just sighing over how that adorable little loli holding a cat in Cat's Eye suddenly grew up so much.”
Although in English both “one” and “animal” used the same word, that did not stop Drew from hearing the evil intent in Eric’s tone. The girl rolled her eyes dramatically and forcefully pushed Eric down onto the sofa. “You damned lolicon! I’m going to report you to the Los Angeles Police Department and have you chemically castrated. Let’s see how you’ll go fool around with that big-breasted woman afterward, even staying out all night!”
Eric was slightly surprised. He felt that not many people should know about his relationship with Virginia.
“Uh… the whole of Los Angeles already knows about this?”
“Yeah, yeah, the whole of North America knows already. A third-rate actress actually got the female lead in a script personally written by Williams himself. Do you think everyone else is stupid? So you’d better be careful. Don’t let the paparazzi catch photos of you together, or people will definitely say you have a mommy complex. That woman is ten years older than you.”
“I absolutely do not have that tendency,” Eric raised a hand in protest.
“Of course. I can testify to that.” The girl sat astride Eric’s waist, raising her chin with a domineering little expression while glancing sideways at him. “Because you’re a lolicon!”
“Alright, I’m a lolicon. I’m guilty.” Eric laughed and raised his hands in surrender. “Can you get off me first?”
Drew’s big eyes turned mischievously as she propped up her long, rounded legs and slowly rubbed herself downward along Eric’s waist. Seeing through the girl’s intentions, Eric had no choice but to forcibly wrap an arm around her waist and lift her aside. “Stop fooling around. It’s broad daylight.”
“Then can I go to your room tonight?”
“I’ve decided to stay somewhere else tonight. After all, the whole of North America already knows.”
The girl immediately stepped forward and hugged Eric’s arm. “No, Eric, you can’t just give up on yourself like this. You should learn from classmate Drew Barrymore.”
Eric pulled his arm free and headed upstairs while saying, “Learn your truancy skills? Al ran into me yesterday and said he saw some playful little girl at a party. I think that day was Wednesday.”
Eric had already given up hope that Drew would obediently stay in school. He also did not expect her to go to college. Originally, he had planned to let the girl stay in school until she turned sixteen before returning to Hollywood development. But judging from the current situation, the feasibility of that plan was very low. The girl simply could not sit still in school.
The only thing that reassured Eric somewhat was that, somehow, Drew had managed to stop the principal from calling him to complain about her “atrocities,” such as leading the school’s good girls astray.
Hearing Eric’s words, Drew jumped up angrily and waved her little fists in the air. “Al Pacino! I’m cutting ties with him. I specifically told him not to tell you.”
“Then he must’ve misunderstood what you meant,” Eric said without even turning his head, laughing. “But I’m very relieved. Al said you didn’t drink alcohol. By the way, when did you become friendly with Al?”
“After Pretty Woman was released, we happened to meet once.”
Drew answered evasively, but Eric quickly understood the hidden meaning in her words. “Looks like you’ve done quite a lot of ‘bad things’ outside using my name. I’ll have to properly interrogate you someday.”
“Nooo, Eric. I’m afraid of pain. Kiss me once and I’ll confess everything.”
Drew followed Eric into the study and watched him pack several documents into his shoulder bag before heading downstairs again. “Eric, are you going out? It’s the weekend.”
Eric picked up the shoulder bag and walked downstairs. “Isn’t it because of you? Official auditions start next week. The staff will send audition notices to the actors who passed the first round of screening these next couple of days. I need to add the people you gave me to the list.”
The girl complained unhappily, “But I wanted you to take me to Malibu to see the address of our new home.”
“What’s there to see? It’s still just an empty lot right now. It’ll take at least a year before it’s completed. Be good and stay home watching TV. If your conscience suddenly awakens, maybe make dinner for me or something.”
Drew blinked her large green eyes. “If my conscience awakens, can I order takeout for you instead?”
“Then I’d rather go to a third-rate little actress’s house and eat a loving homemade dinner.”
“Don’t, Eric. That’s just a transaction. You can’t feel warmth from a dinner without feelings. At worst, I’ll order takeout and heat it up myself afterward.”