Chapter 784: Sounds a Bit Scary

[Chapter 784: Sounds a Bit Scary]

Gisele and Alessandra wore puzzled expressions on their faces. Their knowledge of Eric was limited to various rumors since arriving in the United States, and they certainly didn't understand certain things.

After a moment of confusion, Miranda's eyes lit up as she glanced triumphantly at the two girls across from her. She asked Eric, "Is there a reward if I guess correctly?"

Eric smiled, "You have to guess right first."

Miranda blurted, "It's that 'girl with the stuffed animal,' right? That girl has been in several of your movies. I think her name is Ivanka. She should be about our age now."

Eric snapped his fingers lightly. "Bingo!"

"So, where's my reward?" Miranda prompted.

Eric feigned innocence. "I never agreed to that."

Miranda immediately wrapped her arms around Eric's, playfully shaking him.

"Alright, alright," Eric surrendered quickly, "What do you want?"

Miranda's eyes twinkled as she replied, "My birthday is on the 20th of next month. Can you celebrate with me?"

Eric shook his head regretfully. "I should be in Europe then. I can only arrange for something to be sent to you. Do you have any birthday wishes? Let's hear it!"

"As long as it's from you, I'll love it," Miranda replied, her expression tinged with a hint of disappointment. "I just want you to be with me on my birthday."

"Next time, maybe. This time, I really don't have time."

Gisele and Alessandra listened to Eric and Miranda's exchange with a bit of envy. Coming from small towns in Brazil, they hadn't seen many movies growing up and had no idea what the 'girl with the stuffed animal' reference meant.

While they pondered on how to catch up on all of Eric's films, Alessandra hesitated and shyly mentioned, "Eric, my birthday is also next month, on the 11th."

"No problem, I'll get you a gift, too," Eric replied, glancing at Gisele.

Gisele shook her head with a smile. Her birthday was on July 14, leaving her feeling a bit disappointed but also hopeful, wishing that filming wouldn't conflict with it.

Miranda felt a bit down when Alessandra interrupted their conversation about birthdays. She rolled her eyes and joked, "Eric, if you know enough girls, will you end up celebrating someone's birthday every day?"

"Uh, that situation sounds a bit scary."

"Haha!"

...

After dinner, as it was only eight o'clock, Miranda immediately began to act coy when Eric offered to take her home. After some back-and-forth bargaining, the four of them decided to go watch a movie together.

Easter was the following week, and Rumble in the Bronx just happened to premiere today. Eric chose this film to gauge its reception in North America.

To build momentum for Rush Hour, promoting Jackie Chan's quirky kung fu in North America, Eric spared no effort in supporting Rumble in the Bronx. Aside from the $5 million rights purchase which shattered the record for Asian films, New Line also pledged at least $5 million for its marketing campaign. Altogether, the costs had exceeded the film's production budget of $7.5 million, with the opening scale reaching 2,000 screens -- marking a significant turnout for a Hong Kong film in North America.

Before this, aside from Bruce Lee's kung fu films, most Hong Kong films achieved only a million-dollar box office in North America, with a few rarities reaching $10 million. While Rumble in the Bronx had performed exceptionally well in Asia, New Line was prepared for potential losses given the total investment exceeded $10 million. Thankfully, management was confident in the upcoming Rush Hour, considering the possible losses of Rumble in the Bronx manageable.

Eric took the three girls to a nearby theater showing Rumble in the Bronx, clutching a pile of snacks as they entered the screening room. Although the film was rated R, statuesque Gisele and Alessandra faced no issues purchasing tickets, and though Miranda's youthful face was somewhat conspicuous, with Eric accompanying her, they had no trouble entering the theater.

They found a row of seats toward the back, with the three girls settling in around Eric. As Eric scanned the room, he noted it was a medium-sized theater, accommodating about a hundred people. With over ten minutes until the movie started, commercials were playing on the screen, and about twenty people sat scattered around. A few more trickled in just before the film began, resulting in barely a 30% attendance rate.

For a blockbuster like Jurassic Park, a 30% opening attendance would definitely be deemed a flop. However, for a Hong Kong film that wasn't particularly popular in North America, this rate was surprisingly encouraging.

Miranda was completely uninterested in the film Eric had chosen but was quite pleased with the theater's somewhat spacious environment, allowing her to engage in some discreet antics without being noticed.

Though Gisele and Alessandra towered over her and appeared to have better figures, Miranda felt a bit superior, dismissing the two Brazilian girls who couldn't even speak English fluently. She didn't see them as much competition.

As the lights dimmed in the theater, the girls began shifting restlessly in their seats.

Eric remained focused on the screen, casually taking a few bites of the buttery popcorn passed to him by the girls. Soon enough, he felt Miranda lean from her seat on to him. Having witnessed her boldness just the previous evening, he wasn't surprised. Instead, he placed an arm around her shoulder to limit her movements, smiling as he warned, "If you don't pay attention to the movie, I won't bring you next time."

Gisele and Alessandra, not initially interested in the film, found themselves wide-eyed, watching Miranda cling to Eric. They both simultaneously wondered: This is an option too?

Under Eric's "suppression," Miranda quickly quieted down, and the group's attention returned to the film.

Rumble in the Bronx was indeed a quality production. At a budget of $7.5 million, it could only be considered low-budget in Hollywood terms today. However, it contained no shortage of car chases and intense shootouts, even dramatic scenes of buildings collapsing. While some sets looked rough, the same production quality would have easily skyrocketed to over $30 million if a Hollywood crew had taken the reins.

Gisele and Alessandra maintained some decorum while watching the movie, but Miranda had no reservations and quickly became engrossed in the plot.

"Wow, the fight is amazing."

"Ouch, that must hurt!"

"Haha, I can't believe it! He just dove headfirst into that car. That's hilarious!"

"Wow, can hovercrafts really drive on the road? Isn't there a car underneath?"

"..."

Though there were only around thirty people in the screening room, the girls' animated commentary on the film didn't draw much particular attention because most viewers chimed in with gasps or laughter in response to the film's thrilling and humorous scenes, gradually forgetting that they were watching a non-Hollywood film.

...

Once the film concluded, Eric patiently waited for most of the audience to leave before putting on his shades and nudging Miranda, who was still latched onto him. "Alright, let's go."

"Okay," Miranda replied before leaning close to his ear. "Eric, can I come over tonight?"

"That's not happening; you still have school," Eric quickly found an excuse.

Miranda pouted. "You forgot? Tomorrow's the weekend."

"Isn't it nice staying with John?" Eric stood and helped her up, making his way toward the exit as he spoke.

Once in the aisle, Miranda linked her arm with Eric's and continued, "It's perfectly fine; you arranged it! How could they treat me poorly? But I wanna spend the weekend with you! And don't worry, they won't tell my parents."

Eric wasn't about to indulge this little temptress and create unnecessary trouble for himself. He shook his head firmly. "Then behave and go home. You're still too young to realize what you're doing."

Miranda's expression turned dejected. "But I know exactly what I want."

"Knowing the risks makes it worse."

Miranda tugged at Eric's arm playfully. "Eric, you're so annoying. You're such a coward!"

Though she was unwilling, Eric instructed the driver to drop Miranda off at her boarding place. After watching her go inside, he signaled for the driver to proceed.

As Miranda left, Gisele and Alessandra, who had been quiet, both let out a sigh of relief. Honestly, with this little enchantress around Eric, they found it hard to get any attention from him.

However, recalling the last time in New York when Eric dropped them off, Gisele and Alessandra quickly felt anxious again. Would Eric send them back to the hotel like last time? If so, who knew when they would see him next.

As the car pulled away from Miranda's boarding house, Eric asked Gisele, "Do you have classes this weekend? I mean, that acting training class?"

Gisele perked up, shaking her head joyfully. "Nope."

"Well, then come spend the weekend with me. I happen to be alone these days and it's pretty boring."

"Sure," Gisele nodded without hesitation. She glanced at Alessandra, recalling the remarks they had received from that medium in New York. She felt her cheeks redden while still struggling to resist the thought.

Eric didn't have any overwhelming desires for Gisele and Alessandra. He certainly didn't lack for companionship and wouldn't be influenced by simple physical urges. Bringing the two girls home was genuinely just a desire for some attractive company on a boring weekend. As they say, a beautiful woman could brighten the presence around.

If it weren't for Miranda Kerr's seductive behavior, Eric wouldn't have minded bringing her to the estate for the weekend.

Miranda mirrored Drew Barrymore from back in the day, yet she held a fundamentally different essence. Drew had been purely infatuated, and Eric was certain she wouldn't engage in actions that could harm him. Miranda, however, was like a cunning and greedy little beast. She knew exactly what she wanted and was unhesitant in being willing to give everything for that, but if her needs were unmet, this little beast might just bare its teeth at him.

Eric had always been generous towards women, but that was only if he was willing, not because he felt coerced into being a fool.

...

By the time they reached the estate, it was eleven o'clock.

Entering the long-awaited Shell Villa with Eric, Gisele watched as the motion-sensor lights illuminated the grand foyer. Her upbringing in a financially constrained environment made her first thought revolve around how much electricity that would consume over the month. Quickly, she felt warmth rising to her cheeks at this thought, imagining how embarrassed she would be if Eric or Alessandra caught her thinking this.

Eric happened to turn and spot the unusual expression on Gisele's face, inquiring with concern, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, really," Gisele quickly shook her head.

Noticing her hands clutching her purse against her stomach, Eric joked, "Are you hungry?"

He had noticed that both girls hadn't eaten much at dinner earlier.

Gisele shook her head again. "No, Eric, I'm not hungry."

Eric thought Gisele was just shy, leading the girls into the kitchen. "Actually, I'm feeling a little hungry too. Why don't you whip up a late-night snack? I'll take a quick shower first."

Gisele wanted to say more, but Eric waved her off and walked away.

...

Once Eric's figure had vanished, Alessandra turned to Gisele with a teasing grin and asked in Portuguese, "What were you just thinking?"

Portuguese was the girls' mother tongue, and they preferred chatting in it over English while conversing privately.

Gisele glanced back in the direction Eric disappeared, feeling a bit guilty as she answered in Portuguese, "I wasn't thinking of anything."

As she said this, Gisele decided not to continue with that topic. She set her bag aside and walked toward the fridge.

Alessandra followed, helping Gisele pick out ingredients while continuing in Portuguese. "I wonder if it'll hurt."

Gisele, who had been somewhat distracted, perked up and asked, "What?"

"I meant, you know, I bet it'll hurt," Alessandra replied coyly.

Gisele finally grasped the context and asked, "Y-you haven't...?"

Alessandra nodded, her face turning a shade of red as she whispered, "Let's hope Eric is a gentle man."

*****

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