Chapter 55: How Could You Expect Me to Refuse Such a Thing?

[Chapter 55: How Could You Expect Me to Refuse Such a Thing?]

Eric did not immediately respond as he remained on the couch, intently observing Julia for quite some time.

"Julia, put your arms across your chest and act indifferent," Eric finally spoke after a few moments.

Julia breathed a sigh of relief. The pressure Eric exuded, while he was deep in thought, made her feel somewhat breathless. Gathering her composure, she complied with his request, folding her arms and letting her gaze drop to the floor in a nonchalant manner.

"Take a few steps back and forth," Eric gestured with his finger to the space in front of him, and Julia followed his instructions.

"All right, stop," Eric said, his tone laden with displeasure. "Julia, have you actually read the script?"

Julia quickly nodded, "Of course, I've memorized most of my lines."

"Now you are Vivian; think of me as Edward. Keep in mind, you are a hooker, so try to seduce me," he said, his tone almost playful.

Julia couldn't help but recall the rumors about the infamous casting couch as she watched Eric slouch comfortably in his seat, having just sent everyone else out of the room. She almost blurted out a refusal but stifled a sigh, reminding herself this wasn't the first time she'd been in a situation like this...

After slipping off her red jacket and placing it aside, Julia knelt down in front of Eric, took a deep breath, and reached for his belt. Eric raised an eyebrow, confusion evident on his face, but it wasn't until she touched him that he realized she had misunderstood his intentions.

All he could do was let out a comfortable groan, reclining back on the sofa. Moments later, Julia hurried towards the nearby restroom, covering her mouth.

Eric pulled out a few tissues to clean himself up and fastened his belt again. After a while, Julia re-emerged from the bathroom, towel in hand to dry off, her eyes slightly red but her chin held high. "Mr. Williams, are you satisfied now?"

"Of course," Eric smiled at her, noting her faux pride. "But Julia, you clearly missed my point. I was genuinely asking you to try to seduce me with your words and actions, not..."

Caught off guard by Eric's words, Julia stood frozen, her cheeks flaring with a mix of embarrassment and anger as she swiftly tossed the towel at him. "Then why didn't you stop me just now?"

Eric laughed, dodging the flying towel. "Come on, I'm a normal guy. How could I refuse something like that?"

"You... jerk!" Julia snapped, an overwhelming wave of humiliation crashing over her as she sank to the floor, burying her face in her arms and starting to cry softly.

Wiping his smile away, Eric sighed and moved beside her, gently patting her shoulder. "Julia, don't cry. It was my fault."

"Do you think I'm trash now?" Julia asked through her tears, her voice trembling.

"Not at all," Eric sat beside her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "You're just a bit insecure. It's likely you've picked up on Jeffrey and Kepler not having much faith in you, which must have created a trigger of self-doubt. Look, I'm giving you the lead role because I truly believe in you. Remember, everyone is waiting for my next film to tank at the box office."

"Thank you, Eric."

"Giving it your all in this film would be the best way to thank me. Now, let's talk about your issues."

They both stood up, and Julia quickly touched up her makeup before sitting across from Eric.

"Julia, let me tell you where your biggest flaw lies. In the script, Vivian is a hooker, a very ethical one at that. So before Edward reshapes her, everything she does, every look, every word, must fit the character of a hooker. Yet, from what I've observed, while this outfit makes you look pretty, you lack the charm and allure Vivian is supposed to have. You still remind me of that waitress I met before."

Julia processed Eric's words, waiting until he finished before asking, "Eric, should I try again?"

Eric shook his head. "No need. I'm assigning you a task. Starting tonight, you'll go to the streets where hookers hang out and observe them, trying to mimic their behaviors. I'm heading to New York for Christmas, and when I return, I'll be conducting a test. You'll stand on a busy street in this outfit, and if less than ten men approach you in an hour, we'll consider it a failure."

Julia hesitated, "Eric, ten... is that too many?"

"That's the rule," Eric firmly stated, not giving her a chance to negotiate. "If your performance is subpar, I won't hesitate to find someone else."

Julia simply nodded. After thinking for a moment, Eric added, "While doing this, don't venture into quiet streets. Bring your assistant for safety."

Feeling a sense of warmth, Julia said, "Thank you, Eric."

...

News about Richard Gere rejecting the role in Eric's new film quickly got out, leading to a surge of headlines speculating about Eric being blacklisted by CAA.

Under relentless inquiry from paparazzi, both CAA and Eric's team consistently argued that the failure to work together was due to disagreements over salary and scheduling. No one made any indication of wanting the media to sensationalize the story, as it wasn't time for anyone to go for each other's throats just yet.

Meanwhile, MGM's United Artists seized the opportunity to announce their own project, with Richard Gere set to star in a new drama called Road House.

Originally, United Artists had planned for a May release, so there were no immediate filming plans. However, after CAA suggested Gere for the lead, MGM and United Artists' executives swiftly realized it was a prime chance to ride the wave of Eric's film's publicity and decided to expedite the movie's production. They scheduled it for the Easter period, clearly intending to go head-to-head with Eric's project.

...

As the newspapers erupted with chatter, Barry Diller couldn't help but call personally, voicing his concerns to Eric over the situation. Though Fox had some hopes for Eric's film, they were more fixated on the sequel to Home Alone. If CAA really did blacklist Eric's production company, filming for the sequel would surely suffer major setbacks.

"...Don't worry, Mr. Diller. If this does happen by the end of the year, I'll consider handing off the Home Alone sequel to Fox... I apologize, but I've been incredibly busy and might not have time... All right, that's it, goodbye."

Hanging up the phone, Eric glanced at the hefty stack of actor profiles in front of him. He noticed Kepler Hyde's bloodshot eyes across the table and encouraged him, "Kepler, you really don't need to push yourself so hard. Remember, health comes first."

In just over a day, Kepler had managed to gather detailed profiles of dozens of male actors fitting Eric's criteria, which genuinely touched Eric and confirmed he hadn't misjudged Kepler.

"Thanks for your concern, Eric. I once stayed up for two days straight working on a film project."

Nodding in understanding, Eric opened the file and began to sift through it.

Most of the actors came from William Morris and International Creative Management, with a few from smaller agencies, and some even had family members acting as their agents.

As Eric flipped through, pulling candidates he favored for auditions, he unexpectedly stumbled upon someone intriguing. "Kepler, the profile for Al Pacino shows he currently has no agent. What's going on with that?"

*****

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