章 772: Chapter 773: A Step to the Top
[Chapter 773: A Step to the Top]
"The agent said, we, we can come by ourselves," Gisele Bundchen explained quietly after a moment of silence. The girl knew her voice sounded hoarse, and to avoid drawing attention to this flaw, she deliberately kept her voice low.
Beside her, Alessandra Ambrosio nodded in agreement.
The slight length of the sentence made Eric Williams realize Gisele's thick accent. Recalling that the official language in Brazil was Portuguese, and noting that the information received from their agency indicated both girls had been out of Brazil for less than six months, with Gisele spending most of that time in Milan, he could only imagine their English skills.
Eric couldn't help but think, as he silently criticized IMG and Elite for sending these two girls, who barely spoke English, all alone. He soon understood; they might have just thought it didn't matter if they could speak English or not, as long as they were willing to do what needed to be done.
These modeling agencies really were cold-hearted. Perhaps, as long as their models became stars and brought in lucrative commissions, everything else was of no concern to them.
Feeling Eric's scrutinizing gaze again, Gisele and Alessandra, although their expressions turned slightly tense, subtly shifted their bodies and posed with a hint of charm.
Eric chuckled to himself, feeling he ought to do something. He pointed to the kitchen and asked, "Can you cook?"
"Uh?"
"Ah?"
Both girls showed a look of puzzled confusion.
Eric continued, "I was planning on ordering from out, but since there are only four of us for lunch, how about you two take care of it? Just go and make something."
Given the time situation, both girls' English was a bit shaky, but they understood Eric mentioned that there were four people at lunch.
It seemed there were only three people here.
Although puzzled, they didn't express it. Instead, they obediently stood up and walked to the kitchen, both silently thinking this must be some sort of test.
This thought crossed their minds as Gisele and Alessandra exchanged glances, unconsciously mulling over what would happen if this was indeed a test and whether they would win or lose.
Neither of them wanted to be the one that lost.
Since receiving the notice, they had been meticulously preparing for this event under their agency's arrangements. Although they were new to the industry, they knew well what Eric Williams represented. Even without mentioning Hollywood, just in the fashion world, his hand-crafted Victoria's Secret Fashion Show had become a training ground for supermodels.
With the marketing strategies focused around the Victoria's Secret annual show, this event had pushed models who were once distant from ordinary people into the limelight. Models whose names were once limited to fashion circles saw their value skyrocket, with the top Victoria's Secret models earning more than many A-list Hollywood actresses in recent years.
If they could win the favor of such a big figure, as their agency boss had explained, they would have taken a giant leap forward.
While the two companies had communicated after the selection, the girls had just met and, despite being fellow Brazilians, didn't share a deep bond. As they entered the kitchen, they approached the fridge, quietly picking out the ingredients they knew how to work with, showing no intentions of collaboration or assistance.
....
As noon passed, Cindy returned from the set of America's Next Top Model. Seeing only Eric in the living room, she asked, "Where is everyone?"
Eric pointed toward the kitchen.
Curious, Cindy peeked in at the two girls busying themselves and wore a strange smile. Turning back to Eric, she said, "Your taste is quite odd."
Seeing Cindy look at him, Eric shrugged helplessly. "Am I really that lustful in your eyes? Besides, it's still daytime."
Cindy's expression changed to one of mock sorrow. "Oh, looks like I'm going to be kicked out tonight."
"Not at all. Considering your baseless questioning of my character, I've decided I'll take good care of you tonight."
Gisele and Alessandra quickly finished preparing lunch. Eric and Cindy walked into the dining area together.
The two girls had just heard Cindy's voice and, upon seeing her in person, their expressions were notably more enthusiastic than when they saw Eric. After all, Cindy could be considered the ultimate goal for their future aspirations.
Based on his memories, Eric felt that among the two girls, Gisele's style was more akin to Linda Evangelista. Both were the kind of professional models with strong personal styles but were not necessarily striking on the surface. Alessandra, on the other hand, resembled Cindy more, as her sweet and charming face brought out a star quality that surpassed that of many supermodels.
Eric was never overly picky about food. Satisfied with his lunch, he didn't shy away from the two girls and asked Cindy, "What do you think of them?"
Just like cats pausing mid-bite, Gisele and Alessandra stopped simultaneously, looking at Cindy with hopeful expressions.
While she wasn't about to lead these newcomers personally as Eric mentioned earlier, as a seasoned woman with high emotional intelligence, Cindy certainly wouldn't say anything offensive. After sizing the girls up, she told Eric, "They have excellent foundations. If you want, they could easily hit the Victoria's Secret runway as soon as they're of age."
With that, Cindy glanced at Gisele. As a veteran model with over ten years' experience, she could immediately see that while Alessandra had a beautiful face, her body proportions were less than ideal -- her legs appeared a bit short. Without her stunning looks making up for these shortcomings, it would be challenging to go very far in this industry. However, Gisele's qualifications were remarkable: "You're Gisele Bundchen, right? How has your agency planned for you?"
Gisele appeared somewhat surprised. "The agency originally intended for me to compete in the Miss Spain pageant."
Cindy nodded. "Sounds like they take you seriously. If you place at the pageant, they have plenty of buzz to work with for your branding. With your looks, you'd certainly be in high demand in the fast-fashion circles."
Excited by Cindy's praise, Gisele nonetheless turned to Eric, gathering her courage to say, "But the agent told me this morning that I should follow Mr. Williams' arrangements."
If Eric were willing to personally intervene, her initial career plans would certainly be reconsidered.
With the media resources at his disposal, it would be a piece of cake to mold them into top models. Just look at Diane Kruger, who had risen to the status of a top supermodel, even though she was just an ordinary model two years prior.
Thinking of Diane Kruger, Gisele's eyes showed more eagerness as she looked at Eric. Even Alessandra, who seemed to have had the same thought, exhibited a similar enthusiasm.
Upon hearing Gisele's comment, Cindy recalled the email from earlier that day and shot a knowing smile Eric's way, as if to say another girl planned on latching onto him.
Eric ignored Cindy's teasing look and shook his head, stating, "I won't arrange things for you. Where you go from here will depend on your own efforts."
Despite Eric's words, Gisele and Alessandra showed no signs of disappointment.
While they had momentarily stumbled due to nerves in Eric's presence, their intelligence was undeniable. Without some savvy brains, they wouldn't have achieved such huge success in the fashion world. Both girls understood that even a little resource shared by such big figures could be a monumental help for those just starting out.
Chit-chatting casually, they finished lunch and, feeling a bit more familiar with Eric's character, Gisele and Alessandra relaxed their initial awkwardness. After all, while Eric held an impressive aura, he ultimately was just a young man in his twenties.
...
Cindy rushed back to the America's Next Top Model set after lunch, without feeling let down or surprised by the girls.
The second season of this reality show was set to return in early March, and unlike the more flexible shooting schedule of Sex and the City, reality TV had to finish entirely before airing, making her schedule quite tight.
Gisele and Alessandra promptly washed the dishes and returned to the living room, where Eric sat by the glass window tapping on his laptop.
After a moment's hesitation, Gisele gathered her courage and approached Eric. "Mr. Williams, can I help you make some coffee?"
"No, thanks," Eric instinctively shook his head, then realized and looked up at the girls, gesturing for them to sit down across from him. "The shooting schedule for the movie hasn't been set yet, so you can continue doing your own thing for now. I'll have someone notify your agency when it's time."
"Ah, does this mean we got the roles?" Gisele's face lit up with joy.
Eric smiled and nodded. "Of course, but just remember they are smaller, fleeting roles, so don't get your hopes up too high."
Alessandra jumped in first this time, complimenting him, "That's alright! As long as we can participate in Mr. Williams' movie, it's an honor."
Eric smiled, "Such flattery! However, it will likely be filmed in Panama, where the scenery is lovely. You'll have a few days to explore -- think of it as a vacation."
Alessandra quickly responded, "Thank you! Uh, can we call you Eric?"
"Of course," Eric nodded, then suddenly noticed how Alessandra had unconsciously scooted her chair a bit closer to him. He observed her soft form leaning on the round table, propping her chin with one hand, and asked with a smile, "What are your plans for this afternoon?"
Alessandra tentatively stretched her hand out like a cat, but mid-way lost her courage and merely picked up a pencil to fiddle with. "We're not sure what to do."
While Eric found humor in their clumsy attempts to flirt, he had no ulterior motives. At his current status, there was no shortage of women around him, and there was no need to deliberately push the envelope. If one couldn't maintain enough self-discipline, it would be all too easy to spiral out of control.
"Let's do this," Eric closed his laptop. "How about I take you out for some fun?"
"Ah?" Both girls looked momentarily stunned.
"I mean go shopping and stuff. Manhattan has plenty of fun spots, like..." Eric trailed off, struggling to recall what interesting places Manhattan had to offer. Finally, he said, "Forget it. It seems I'm not too familiar with Manhattan either. Maybe I should find a local."
Gisele and Alessandra pretended not to notice Eric's brief moment of awkwardness and instead showed excited expressions simultaneously.
Eric soon thought of a woman who knew Manhattan inside and out. He pulled out his phone, browsed through his contacts, dialed a number, exchanged a few words, then stood up and said, "Let's go."
...
He took both girls for a drive around Manhattan, finally stopping his vehicle at Rockefeller Center in Midtown.
Not far down the street, the Sex and the City crew was shooting exterior scenes.
If anyone knew Manhattan's nightlife and hangouts, among Eric's acquaintances, the first person that came to mind was Candace Bushnell, the beautiful author of Sex and the City.
The main reason Sex and the City became the fashion bible of Manhattan was due to its pervasive depiction and introduction of a series of well-known restaurants, bars, galleries, and nightclubs in Manhattan. No ordinary person could craft such clever commentary unless they were highly familiar with these places.
Yet, because of this, in Eric's original timeline, Sex and the City faced heavy criticism from many reviewers for promoting hedonism excessively.
Noticing Eric's figure, the tall Candace Bushnell walked past with a middle-aged man.
After exchanging friendly hugs and greetings with Candace, Eric then turned to the middle-aged man.
The man extended his hand to Eric respectfully, introducing himself. "Hello, Mr. Williams, I'm Terry Patrick, one of the producers of Sex and the City. Would you like to take a look?"
"Not necessary, I'm just here to pick up Candace. By the way, she doesn't have any work scheduled for the time being, does she?"
"Of course not," Terry Patrick shook his head. "Ms. Bushnell is just here to check in on the shoot."
"That's good," Eric nodded. "Well, you all can continue working."
Terry bid farewell and left, realizing to give them some space.
Eric then introduced the two girls to Candace. "I happen to have the day off and wanted to stroll around Manhattan. Would you be our guide?"
"Of course, no problem," Candace quickly diverted her gaze from the two fresh-faced girls, not probing further, and smiled, "But I can't guarantee you'll like the places I take you."
Eric held the car door open for Candace, smiling, "Get in. If we don't like it, we can always change plans. After all, Manhattan is huge."
*****
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