I am Hollywood

Chapter 873: Chapter 874: The Small Box

[Chapter 874: The Small Box]

Within half an hour, someone delivered a full set of colorful painting tools, which covered an entire long table in the yard. Nearby, on the lawn, they had set up a mini photo studio. This was clearly one of the countless conveniences that only rich people could enjoy.

Eric was urged by the girls to change out of his original outfit and was now wearing only a pair of board shorts. The girls had also changed into beautiful swimsuits, excitedly gathering around the long table filled with painting tools. As Eric skillfully mixed the dyes, Gwyneth Paltrow asked, "Eric, these things won't harm our skin, right?"

The privileged girls were clearly concerned, their eyes revealing their worries.

"Of course not. These are plant-based pigments. It's the acrylic and other chemical dyes that are toxic," Eric explained, mixing the last pigment with water before looking up. "Alright, let's get started. Once you mix the paint, we can begin to draw."

Kate Hudson chimed in, "Eric, we don't know what to do. What should we draw?"

"Doodles! Just draw whatever comes to mind. The more casual, the better. This is a great opportunity for brainstorming," Eric replied. Seeing the girls still looking confused, he added, "Alright, I'll demonstrate first. Who wants to be my model?"

Before the eager girls could respond, Drew cheerfully said, "Of course, it's me!"

With that, no one dared to compete with her. The girls who had been surrounding the long table gathered closer, forming a circle around Eric and Drew.

As Eric saw Drew standing in front of him, he pulled a stool over and took a good look at her delicate figure wrapped in a light blue bikini. He smiled and said, "Let's brainstorm together. If you can't think of anything, just grab a dictionary, flip to a random word, and let your imagination flow. However, if you can come up with a theme, that would definitely be even better."

Gwyneth Paltrow's eyes sparkled as she blurted out, "Eric Williams!"

Eric looked puzzled. "What?"

Gwyneth laughed, "You told us to brainstorm! That's what I just thought of -- Eric Williams."

"Right, right, Eric Williams," the girls responded in unison, starting a playful uproar. "Eric, how do we draw that?"

Drew looked at Eric with a joyful anticipation.

Eric chuckled and nodded. "Alright."

Saying this, Eric thought for a few seconds and instead of picking up a brush, he dipped his left fingertips into various pigments on the palette. He skillfully painted a layer on his right palm and then leaned closer to Drew. He reached out and printed a rainbow-like handprint on Drew's slim waist. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The girls looked over curiously, and while they all agreed it was beautiful, one of them questioned, "Eric, but how does this relate to 'Eric Williams'?"

"Of course," Eric nodded. "An image can transform into anything -- words, cartoons, related concepts, as long as there's a connection. If you all said 'Eric Williams,' and I just drew a little self-portrait on it, that would be quite boring, right? Now, let's keep going."

The girls clearly agreed with Eric's perspective, and no one protested further. As soon as he finished speaking, Kate Hudson jumped in with a series of numbers: "10880!"

All the girls knew the story behind '10880' and started laughing along.

"It seems like you're making me the theme," Eric chuckled. He picked up a brush and wrote the orange printed number '10880' on Drew's arm. "What's next?"

"Pandora aliens! Pandora aliens!"

"Hmm, that's a bit challenging."

Eric replied quickly and picked a fine brush, motioning for Drew to come closer. He dipped it into some sky blue dye and lightly drew two sky blue tentacles above her bikini top. Then he switched brushes and added a cartoonishly cute baby head beneath the tentacles, adding two little hands on the fabric of her top. Once finished, the doodle resembled a small Pandora alien peeking out with big blue eyes, looking around.

"Wow, that's so cute!"

"Ha, Eric, is that how you looked when you were a kid?"

"That must be a pretty colorful Pandora alien, haha."

As the comments bounced around, the atmosphere grew even livelier. The girls began shouting out words related to Eric -- Jurassic Park, the Shell Villa, Victoria's Secret Angels, Fireflies, and so on. After more than half an hour, Drew's body was covered in over twenty doodles.

After drawing a little dinosaur that seemed to want to climb up her calf, Eric put down the brush and said, "Alright, no more! This is just right; too many would look messy."

Drew raised her arm and twirled around, saying, "What does everyone think?"

"Way too cool."

"Eric draws amazingly!"

"Even prettier than Kate's doodle from mom!"

The girls looked at the doodles on Drew's body, showering her with praise. Eric had developed an interest in animation from a young age, honing his drawing skills through his school years and continuing through college, accumulating over a decade of practice. Because of his studies, his artistic foundation was nearly on par with that of a professional artist. While they were simple doodles, the aesthetic beauty he captured was far beyond what ordinary people could create casually.

Drew proudly showed off her painted body, then pulled Eric and said, "Eric, take my photo! I need to compile a thick photo book today."

Eric was pulled up by Drew and nodded at the other girls. "Alright then, you all can express yourselves now, and I'll help you take photos later."

As the girls eagerly rushed to the table to pick their paints, excitedly chatting away, it had already turned to evening. The light was a little dim, and beside the makeshift photography setup, Eric, with the help of the twins, finished adjusting the lights. He looked at them, who, despite wearing bikinis, seemed somewhat out of place among the other girls. "You guys should go and have some fun as well."

The twins merely shook their heads and quietly stepped away.

Eric didn't insist. In terms of looks and physique, the twins far surpassed the girls present and, thus, were hard to accept. After all, most girls would only choose peers whose appearance and physique were less than theirs as followers, just like Paris Hilton picking Kim Kardashian as her sidekick. Only Drew had the audacity to proudly bring the twins along, seemingly unafraid of being overshadowed.

Drew struck a pose in front of the photography backdrop. Hearing Eric's words to the twins, she said cheerfully, "Eric, you can draw some doodles on them too! I always brought Natasha along when I did my skincare routine; their skin might be even better than mine!"

As Eric adjusted the lights, he sensed the twins glance at him simultaneously, only to quickly look away again. He smiled and said, "Natasha's best without any drawings."

Drew wrinkled her nose and retorted, "Hmph, you compliment other women right in front of me. I'll get jealous, you know!"

Eric walked to the camera and checked the angle. "Alright, no teasing. Let's start shooting, and lift your chin a bit. Good, hold that pose."

With the constant sound of the shutter and several rolls of film quickly used up, just as Eric was about to change the film, two girls came running over from the long table playfully pushing each other.

Gwyneth Paltrow burst out laughing as she reached Eric, using him as a shield against Kate Hudson, who was chasing her with a soda bottle in her hand. "Gwyneth, stop right there! You painted this ugly, you must be doing it on purpose!"

Gwyneth shot back, "I did not! I drew it seriously!"

Eric propped himself against the camera tripod, glancing at Kate Hudson. Most of the doodles on her body were dark, clashing with her light pink bikini. Although it wasn't horrendous, it could hardly be considered attractive.

Watching the two girls chase each other around him with no sign of stopping, Eric interjected, "Alright, don't break the camera now."

Kate Hudson stopped, pointing at her body's doodles, looking offended. "Eric, look! Gwyneth did this all messy; it's so ugly!"

Gwyneth stood beside Eric, deliberately linking her arm with his. "That's just because your figure wasn't good to begin with."

Kate Hudson immediately raised the soda bottle again, "I'll hit you!"

Gwyneth glanced over at Drew, who was approaching, and then looked at her own 'work' on Kate Hudson. In comparison, her own doodles were truly appallingly bad.

She shook Eric's arm, feeling unsatisfied. "Eric, it looks so easy when you draw, but why does my drawing look so bad?"

"Uh, have you practiced any English lettering? Like cursive?"

Gwyneth and Kate shook their heads.

Eric explained, "It's simple. People who have specifically practiced letters have a fundamental skill, so even when they doodle, it looks great. But if you haven't practiced, no matter how carefully you write, it just lacks beauty. Drawing is much the same."

Hearing their side chatter, the other girls gathered around, listening as Eric spoke. They started comparing Drew's doodles to their own, realizing that whether individually or as a whole, Eric's doodles looked much more comfortable and visually appealing. Despite putting thought into their own drawings, something about them seemed to lack aesthetic charm.

This wasn't just due to drawing skill; it also involved a personal sense of aesthetics. As a director, Eric's pursuit of visual beauty was practically instinctual. For instance, Drew's tattoos were well-done because she wore a light blue bikini, and Eric mostly used warm colors, keeping the overall doodles cartoonish and neatly arranged. Even though other girls had studied drawing, they couldn't easily achieve that level.

"Ha," Kate Hudson said after listening to Eric's explanation. Realizing something, she glanced at Gwyneth and said, "Speaking of, you really are a little slow."

Gwyneth retorted, "If you're able to produce a result like Eric, then go ahead!"

Kate Hudson replied, "Of course! It's my turn to draw on you."

"No way! I won't let you touch me! It'll definitely look worse," Gwyneth protested, shaking her head. She then turned to Eric, "Eric, come help me draw!"

"I still need to help Drew with her photos. You girls...uh, go play."

"I see you've taken several rolls of film already; isn't that enough?" Gwyneth said, turning to Drew. "Drew, can Eric help me draw something, please?"

Drew, wishing to rest for a while, knew that if any of her friends got a chance to steal her man, they wouldn't hesitate. However, she had enough confidence in Eric. Besides, even if he did show interest in any girl, she honestly wouldn't mind much; who knows who would be the lucky one?

Smiling, Drew said, "Sure, go ahead, and I'll get something to eat."

Gwyneth immediately dragged Eric toward the long table. Kate Hudson followed suit, wrapping her other arm around Eric's, saying, "Eric, can you draw on me too?"

Eric nodded as he watched Drew head toward the buffet. "Okay, if time allows."

"Then I'll go take a shower!" Kate Hudson said excitedly, letting go of Eric and walking into the villa.

The other girls crowded around Eric, pleading for his attention.

Eric waved his hand dismissively. "Don't be silly; if I drew you all, we wouldn't finish by tomorrow morning."

The girls looked disappointed, yet some were still unwilling to yield, gathering around to watch Gwyneth Paltrow standing proudly before Eric.

Eric glanced at Gwyneth in her black bikini, opting not to ask for her approval. He picked a brown brush and began painting a small box-like pattern near her navel.

"Eric, what is this?" Gwyneth looked down and noticed the curious gazes of the other girls around her.

Eric smiled and said, "Take a guess! Of course, there's no prize for guessing right."

Even though he said that, the girls immediately began speculating.

"Pandora's Box!"

"Apple crate!"

"Pet house!"

"..."

Amidst the buzzing chatter, Eric simply smiled and shook his head.

Moments later, most of the girls furrowed their brows in disappointment. A hesitant voice floated from the outskirts of the crowd. "I, um, watched Se7en last week; this looks like the box that contained Tracy's head, same color and style."

The girls turned to look and discovered it was a girl named Kim Kardashian, who earlier seemed to catch Eric's eye but had quickly been overlooked by everyone else.

However, it wasn't like no one had seen Se7en. After Kim Kardashian's comment, when they looked back at the small box on Gwyneth's abdomen, it did resemble it somewhat.

A moment of silence ensued before some girls muttered, "A box for a severed head? No way, that's too creepy."

Although they recognized Kim Kardashian's deduction somewhat, they clearly didn't want to accept that a mere flunky had cracked the riddle.

Eric glanced at Kim Kardashian and nodded, smiling. "That's right; it's the box containing Tracy's head."

The girls erupted into a collective gasp.

Gwyneth also felt a shiver run down her spine and lifted her hand, tempted to wipe away the design, but glanced at Eric, curiously asking, "Eric, why draw this?"

"I was planning to sketch a horror-themed tattoo. If you're scared, just let someone else take your place," Eric replied, laughing earnestly without any hint of macabre pleasure.

"I will."

"Eric, I will!"

"Let me do it! I love horror films!"

Gwyneth initially felt uncomfortable; however, when several girls clamored to take her spot, she said, "Of course not! I love horror films too!"

"Alright then, for the next movie, everyone throw your ideas out."

"Scream! The ghost face!"

Eric laughed and nodded, picking a brush and standing up. "This would be better drawn on a shoulder."

Gwyneth Paltrow willingly turned sideways, and from time to time, she squeezed in a chat with Eric.

This time, the process was quicker. Within half an hour, Gwyneth was already decorated with various symbols from classic Hollywood horror movies.

After a show-off turn in the style of Drew, Gwyneth suddenly remembered something. "Eric, can I get an 'Eric Williams' handprint?"

Eric looked her over and chuckled, "There's no space left! Adding more would look bad."

Gwyneth slyly glanced back towards the villa, where Drew had just led the twins inside.

Every time she thought of Drew's obedient twins and the grand Throisdale Manor, as well as the substantial fortune that Drew had thanks to her position as a major shareholder at MGM, Gwyneth felt a pang of jealousy like being scratched by a wildcat.

Why could that little flunky enjoy what she couldn't?

Taking a deep breath discreetly, Gwyneth quickly made up her mind, her lips curling into a playful smile as she said, "How can there be none? There's still room!"

As she spoke, with the astonished gazes of the surrounding girls, Gwyneth reached back and unfastened her bikini strings, confidently lifting herself. "Eric, there's definitely room for two more prints!"

Eric raised an eyebrow at her while the surrounding girls laughed and teased. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, Eric! Are you afraid?"

"Alright," Eric laughed and nodded. "But I think printing on one side would look better. Asymmetrical doodles actually have more feel."

"Then you have to draw something on the other side."

"Sure!" Eric replied, selecting a dye and applying some paint to his palm. He casually printed it on Gwyneth's chest without hesitation.

Then he added a large white shark, its mouth open, on the other side. Seemingly 'unfulfilled,' Eric raised his hands and laughed, "So, who else wants it?"

"Ah!"

"Haha, Eric, you naughty!"

"You're not taking advantage of me!"

"Not a chance!"

As the girls played around, ultimately, each of them ended up with an 'Eric Williams' handprint somewhere on their bodies, though few were as bold as Gwyneth Paltrow.

They continued having fun until after 2 AM, not only exhausting all the pigments but also using up all the film for photos. They even called for a hundred more rolls in the middle of the night, which were quickly depleted as well.

The European-style villa had eight guest rooms, sufficient for everyone to stay the night. By the end of the night, no girl left; they all rested in the villa.

...

Eric, who woke before 7 AM, wasn't sure if it was due to sleeping in a strange bed. In his arms, Drew was sound asleep. He gently got up, dressed, and washed up before stepping out of the guest room.

Perhaps it was too early, but the twins who usually woke early were still asleep, leaving the villa in peaceful silence.

He made his way down the spiral staircase to the living room, where the girls had danced until the end of the party. The place still looked somewhat chaotic, with beverage bottles scattered everywhere, and the sound system in the corner still buzzing strangely.

Eric approached the speakers but couldn't quite figure out what the issue was, so he simply unplugged it, ending the noise.

Stepping outside, the sun had already risen, and the fresh, cool morning air invigorated him.

Not knowing if the Hudsons had subscribed to a newspaper, Eric walked to the front door and noted a thin film-wrapped newspaper stuffed into the mailbox. He retrieved it and returned to the yard, poured himself a cup of milk in the kitchen, and sat down at the long table where the pigments had been arranged the night before.

Like the living room, the yard was a bit of a mess; some dye had spilled on the ground, which would likely be quite a task to clean up. The photography area still stood proudly on the lawn, only the expensive Leica camera had been packed away.

Eric paid little attention to his surroundings and calmly sipped his milk while flipping through today's newspaper when a figure darted out from the villa -- it was Kim Kardashian.

"Morning!" Eric turned and casually greeted her. He didn't have much interest in this girl but felt the situation was rather coincidental.

*****

/Sayonara816.