I am Hollywood

Chapter 353: Chapter 354: Connelly Arrives



[Chapter 354: Connelly Arrives]

Eric drove back to the Liberty City. Just as he passed through the gates, a security guard approached him. "Mr. Williams, Miss Connelly stopped by this afternoon."

Eric was somewhat surprised. After their encounter at the Coppola family's party, he had taken quite an interest in the young lady. However, he wasn't rushing to make a move -- after all, the prey had already fallen into the trap. It was because he had been too eager a year ago that he scared her off, and Eric certainly wasn't going to make such a rookie mistake again.

Besides, compared to a year ago when he had just stepped into Hollywood, Eric's mindset had changed significantly. Back then, everything fascinated him, and he found himself rather susceptible to beautiful women.

Now, Eric recognized that in Hollywood, as long as one had enough power and status, beautiful women were abundant. Hollywood had no shortage of stunning women -- there were even handsome men around. Eric couldn't help but amusingly theorize that the high percentage of homosexuality in Hollywood might be partially due to getting bored of playing with too many gorgeous women and starting to explore relationships with men.

After that incident, Miss Connelly returned to Stanford University, studying while waiting for news from Eric. Yet with the filming of Ghost underway, he had put thoughts of her aside. Eric viewed his pursuit of the beautiful women from his past memories now as a hunting game, capturing them one by one became a rewarding experience.

From April until now, almost three months had passed without any interaction with Connelly. Clearly, the young woman couldn't wait any longer and came knocking today. This was certainly the outcome Eric wanted. After receiving Eric's promise, Connelly quickly returned to Stanford to continue her studies, perhaps employing a little strategy of allure. Unfortunately for her, Eric wasn't falling for that trick anymore.

...

Entering the villa, Eric noticed a record player softly playing Julia Fordham's The Comfort of Strangers. Hearing that song made him chuckle lightly. He took off his jacket and hung it up, moving toward the couch in the living room corner. There, he soon spotted Jennifer Connelly, who was sprawled across the chaise lounge, engrossed in a magazine.

One had to admit that a tall, well-proportioned woman looked good in anything. The white short-sleeved T-shirt and simple jeans did nothing to hide her perfect S-curve figure. A small coffee table beside the couch held a cup with faint steam wafting above it, and paired with the tune from the record player, the scene exuded a cozy, bohemian vibe.

Eric walked over quietly and sat across from her. He playfully grazed his fingers across the slender waist revealed between her T-shirt and jeans.

"Ah--"

Startled by the sudden touch, Jennifer Connelly flipped over. Seeing it was Eric, she relaxed, sat up, and leaned against the back of the sofa, smiling as she asked, "When did you get back? You scared me!"

Eric's gaze fell just right to peek at the neckline of her T-shirt, not noticing any sign of a bra. Two full, high curves stood prominently, and there were visible little bumps beneath the fabric. Feeling bold, he cupped her face and planted a kiss on her cheek before saying, "Just now. How about you?"

Although she noticed Eric's gaze, Connelly didn't attempt to cover up, smiling widely with her little canine teeth showing. "I stayed with my parents in New York for a time after summer break before coming to Los Angeles. That was back in early June when you were finishing your film in New York, so we didn't get to see each other. By the way, I couldn't make it to your birthday party in New York. I'm really sorry."

"No problem, I got your gift. I loved it. What have you been up to lately?"

"Not much, just hanging out at school," she said, trying hard to mask her disappointment, but her tone betrayed her. For the past few months, she had been waiting for Eric to help her find a role. Unfortunately, three months had passed without any news. Sometimes, when she thought about the gap between her and Eric's status, she couldn't help but worry he might have forgotten all about her, especially after reading in the papers about him with another beautiful woman.

Jennifer had long lost interest in her Stanford classes. The only reason she hadn't dropped out was due to her agent's advice. In Hollywood, most starlets had low educational backgrounds, so staying in university a few extra years to earn the title of a "scholar" could still help her career. At the very least, it could elevate her image.

"You're luckier than I am. I've never even been to a college campus, and you've attended two of America's most prestigious universities," Eric teased as he played with a strand of her black hair.

She pouted slightly, "But I feel like you're making fun of me."

"Not at all," Eric replied, chuckling and shaking his head.

Connelly pulled her hair from Eric's hand, standing up to say, "I'll go make dinner. What do you want to eat?"

Though he had already eaten, Eric didn't refuse and said, "I remember the kitchen is pretty low on ingredients, so just make whatever."

Connelly nodded and pulled a hair tie from her pants pocket, skillfully tying her long hair into a ponytail as she headed toward the kitchen.

After a bit of thought, Eric decided to follow her. After a simple dinner, it was already nine o'clock, and the villa felt empty with just the two of them. The situation made Connelly a bit nervous. She knew something was bound to happen that night; she wasn't planning on leaving and understood she wouldn't be able to escape.

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After clearing the dishes, they chatted for a while. Sensing her unease, Eric suggested, "How about we watch a movie?"

Jennifer Connelly recalled their movie outing from a year ago, but she couldn't recall the film's name. At that time, Eric had pulled her out from the back of the theater, yet the paparazzi had still caught them red-handed. Her cheeks flushed at the thought, but she nodded. She knew Eric wasn't taking her out to a regular theater now; besides, the private screening room in the villa was undoubtedly more luxurious than any cinema.

Walking into the screening room, they found rows of shelves lined with tapes and various film copies Eric had collected since moving to Malibu.

"What do you want to watch? There are quite a few horror films here," Eric asked with a grin.

*****

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