I'm in Hollywood

Chapter 311: Mumbling

Brad Pitt and Famke Janssen got into Hans Whistler's car together, sitting in the back seat. Although they were sitting next to each other, they both instinctively sat by the door, avoiding any contact with one another.

"Hans, may I borrow your mobile phone?" Brad Pitt thought for a moment and decided to inform his agent, about something.

Hans handed him the brick-shaped phone next to him, and Brad Pitt thanked him before dialing his agent's number in front of Famke Janssen and Hans . He explained the situation and then hung up.

Seeing the undisguised contempt on Famke Janssen's face, Brad Pitt wanted to curse her face-to-face, wondering what qualified her to despise him just because he relied on men to climb to the top.

After more than an hour, the three arrived at the Firefly headquarters, where Brad Pitt's agent, was already waiting outside. Hans spoke to the receptionist, and then led the three directly upstairs to Eric's office.

"Mr. Williams is currently conducting auditions for actors, so you will need to wait for a while. I have some business to attend to, so I'll be leaving now," said Hans Whitel, briefing the secretary who brought coffee to a few people and quickly leaving. Eric only instructed Brad Pitt and Famke Janssen to meet him, and Hans did not want to 'eavesdrop' on such matters here.

After Hans and the secretary left, Sheryl Cody and Brad Pitt whispered on a large sofa, then looked at Famke Janssen across from them and said, "Miss Janssen, can you help us?"

Famke Janssen was originally bored, flipping through a magazine on the coffee table absentmindedly. Unlike Brad Pitt, who had been rolling in Hollywood for seven or eight years, she was still a newcomer and didn't fret as much. In any industry, before encountering numerous setbacks, newcomers always believe that they will definitely have many opportunities, and that they can start over even if they fail or miss out.

Upon hearing Sheryl Cody's words, Famke raised her head and looked at the petite yet elegant woman across from her, but remained silent.

"Well, it's like this, Miss Janssen. You and Brad really have no relationship, right? So, can you...?"

"Don't worry, we never had any relationship to begin with. You don't have to worry about me speaking out of turn," Famke said coldly, lowering her head again.

Sheryl Cody felt somewhat embarrassed, but continued to explain: "Miss Janssen, unlike you, Brad has worked very hard to get this chance as the male lead."

Famke tightened her grip on the magazine in her hand, but did not say anything more. The atmosphere suddenly became silent.

... ...

"Thank you for your audition, Mr. Brosnan. We will inform you of the result as soon as possible," said an assistant to a handsome man in his thirties in a spacious audition room.

After the man left, Eric's two assistant directors came over and asked, "Mr. Williams, how was he?"

"It's still a no," Eric shook his head and crossed out Pierce Brosnan's name on the list.

The impression that the actor who played 007 left on him was really deep, after all, the actor played the role in four consecutive 007 films, all of which were quite recent. It was impossible not to remember. Although the actor's acting skills were good and his image was very suitable for a bank manager, Eric couldn't see him as the male lead, Sam, in "Ghost".

"In that case, we've gained nothing from today's audition," one of the assistant directors complained with a smile.

"Take it easy. Let's take our time," said Eric, closing the folder in front of him and instructing his assistant to tidy it up before addressing the others. "Let's continue tomorrow. I have some other things to attend to and I need to leave now."

Leaving the audition room, Eric took the elevator to the top floor where his office was located. Upon entering, he immediately saw three people sitting in two separate groups.

Seeing him come in, the three people in the office stood up and greeted him.

"It's okay, please sit," Eric waved his hand and smiled at Sheryl Cody. "Ms. Cody, what brings you here?"

Sheryl Cody smiled and replied, "I just happened to have some free time."

Eric nodded noncommittally, walked to his desk and pulled out a newspaper. He then went over to the couch in the lounge area, and placed the newspaper on the coffee table in front of him.

"When it comes to the matter at hand, I..."

As soon as Eric began to speak, Brad Pitt interrupted him again, anxiously blurting out, "Mr. Williams, it really was a misunderstanding this time. There is nothing going on between Miss Janssen and myself."

Eric furrowed his brow slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Mr. Williams," Sheryl Cody took over Eric's question, despite being annoyed at Brad's lack of composure, "yesterday, when 'The X-Files' was being filmed in Santa Monica, Brad and Miss Janssen coincidentally arrived at the filming location at the same time. After parking their cars, they happened to walk together towards the set, and that's when the paparazzi took that photo. It's all a misunderstanding. They have nothing to do with each other."

Eric looked at Brad Pitt and Sheryl Cody, both eager to clear things up, before turning to Famke Janssen.

The woman reluctantly nodded when she saw Eric looking at her and said, "Yes, I have no relationship with Mr. Pitt, it's just a coincidence."

Eric closed the newspaper, shrugged, and said, "Well, it seems there is no need to discuss this further. Miss Cody and Mr. Pitt, you may leave now."

Brad Pitt and the agent were delighted to know that Eric didn't intend to pursue the matter any further. They thanked him and quickly left.

After they left, Eric went to the coffee machine and poured two cups of coffee again. He returned to the sofa and handed a cup to Famke Janssen.

The woman took a sip and quickly looked at Eric before whispering, "What are you going to do with me?"

Eric, tired after a long day, leaned back on the sofa and didn't quite catch the woman's voice at first, asking her to repeat herself.

Famke Janssen gave a light hum, with a hint of a jaded mood, "I mean, what are you going to do with me?"

"Did something happen to you?" Eric asked curiously, hearing the despair in the woman's tone.

"It's all your fault," the woman murmured, but she stopped herself from saying the last word.

Eric chuckled and leaned back on the sofa, exhaling a breath, "Could you help me massage my temples? I've had a long day and my head hurts."

After a moment, a pair of slender fingers, which felt cool to the touch, gently pressed on his temples. The scent of the woman's body was different from that of other women, but it was still pleasant.

"If I told you that I only called you here to brief you on keeping a low profile, after reading the news in the newspaper this morning, you probably wouldn't believe me now, would you?" Eric suddenly said after a while.

The fingers paused for a moment, then started massaging again, gently.

"Oh, you probably wouldn't believe it, but even I can't believe it myself, but it's true. In the setup of this TV series, the lead actors won't get together until the very end and they will maintain a vague relationship throughout to keep the ratings. If they get together in reality, then it would seem fake for them to continue a vague relationship in the show. That's why I want you guys to keep a low profile and try not to get caught by the paparazzi."

The actress still remained silent, but her fingers massaging Eric became gentler.

Eric continued, as if talking to himself: "I almost had a fight with my partner this morning. She feels that what he's gotten so far is not enough and he wants more, always wanting more. People are inherently greedy, and there's nothing wrong with that. But if you want more, you have to have the corresponding strength to back it up. Does she have that strength?"

"Jenny left me a while ago. She was my first woman, and all that drama. It was her choice to leave, and that's okay, but I always wanted to win her back, even if it meant building a castle on a cliff like a villain in a story, locking her up and raising her like a princess, my own princess."

"I built a house by the sea, hoping to face the ocean in warm spring and blossoms. But then, one by one, everyone left and I found myself alone facing the sea. The house was too big and empty."

"Wanted too much but could never hold onto anything, and in the end, everything ran away. I don't even feel like trying to hold onto anything anymore, they're always going to run away anyway. I was actually interested in you before, you have really long legs, which I like."

"That's because you're too soft-hearted," for some reason, the woman, although blushing slightly at Eric's last words, finally couldn't help but interject.

Eric was briefly stunned, then laughed, "Yeah, I'm too soft-hearted, they're all a bunch of brats that need to be taught a lesson."

The woman seemed to choke for a moment, then said, "Uh... I take back what I just said."

Eric grabbed the woman's small hand, pulled Famke Janssen over, and hugged her waist, and the woman obediently let the man take control, gently pressing her face against Eric's chest.

"Have you seen 'Scent of a Woman'? I wrote the script for that movie."

After hesitating, the woman still denied, "I haven't seen it, I'll find time to watch it."

"Actually, I can distinguish the body scent of every woman I have been intimate with, and now I remember yours too."

The woman scoffed, "That doesn't sound like a good thing, does it?"

"It seems that it really isn't a good thing," Eric laughed at himself, "If I set my sights on them, how could it be a good thing? They can hardly escape."

"Well..."

"You see, since it's already like this, you don't need to run away," Eric said.

"You have to try, maybe you can escape, if you don't try, you won't be reconciled. Besides, which man wants to have so many women? At least, it's not possible in this era, right?"

"No, you're wrong, it's completely possible," Eric said.

The two of them chatted aimlessly for a while, and before they knew it, time had slowly slipped away. Eric fell asleep holding the woman.

When he woke up again, it was already dark outside. He found himself covered by a woman's coat. Setting the coat aside, he stretched lazily and noticed a light behind him. Turning around, he saw Famke Janssen sitting quietly at his desk, reading a magazine.

The woman noticed Eric waking up, looked up, and asked with a smile, "Did you sleep well?"

"What day is it now?" Eric stood up and asked.

Glancing at her wristwatch, the woman replied, "It's 7:20. The security of the company came knocking on the door just now, but I told them you were busy and they didn't say anything else."

"Oh, why didn't you go back?" Eric nodded and asked subconsciously.

Famke Janssen raised her eyebrows charmingly and asked, "Do you want me to go back?"

"Very well, forget I asked," shrugged Eric. "So, do you have any plans for tonight?"

"If you didn't call us here, I'd probably go to a bar with Brad Pitt. But now, it's too late. Maybe if there's nothing else, I'll go back, get some rest, and then continue working and filming tomorrow," the woman replied.

"Have you had a boyfriend before?" Eric asked curiously.

"I'm 25 years old, of course I've had a boyfriend," the woman said helplessly. "He was a photographer, but we broke up before coming to Los Angeles."

"Oh," Eric nodded. "What's next for you?"

"Hmm?" The woman tapped her lips and saw Eric's smile turn sinister. She asked curiously, "What do you think?"

"Well, perhaps," Eric thought for a moment, walked around the desk, and came to the woman's side.

Famke Janssen saw Eric's movement and thought the man was going to do something here. He shrunk his neck but did not show any intention of dodging. Instead, his eyes showed a hint of expectation.

However, the woman obviously misunderstood Eric's meaning. She saw the man come to her side, opened a drawer, fidgeted inside, and then took out a stack of invitation-like things with a smile, saying, "Let's go to the party. We've received so many invitations, and we've never been to one before."

"Ah..." the woman opened her mouth, but quickly looked at her own attire. "But, I'm not dressed for a party. By the way, where is the party held?"

"Most of them should be in Beverly Hills. You know, that's where most of the stars are." Eric said as he casually flipped through one. "How about this one from the Coppola family?"

"Francis Ford Coppola?" the woman raised an eyebrow and asked.

Eric nodded. "Yes, it's the Coppola who directed 'The Godfather'. I'm also quite surprised how we received an invitation from their family," Eric looked at the invitation in his hand and confirmed, "It was received today. Usually, my assistant handles these things, but even though we receive invitations almost every day, I've never actually gone."

"So I'm the first?" the woman raised her eyebrows.

Eric smiled. "Yes, you're the first."

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