Chapter 333: Chapter 334: So Many Ties


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    [Chapter 334: So Many Ties]N?v(el)B\\jnn


    As the waiter pushed a multiyered cake into the party hall, the birthday song began to y, marking the climax of the celebration. A few women who were known to be close to Eric were nudged out of the crowd by the jovial guests. Blushing, they huddled around Eric to help blow out the candles on the cake.


    The lively party continued until the early hours of the morning. As the guests began to disperse, Eric, the host, politely escorted each one out, inevitably meeting a few pained stares along the way. Under those circumstances, he certainly couldn''t take any woman back to his ce -- not only to spare the feelings of the other women, but also because a number of keen-eyed paparazzi had gathered outside the Hilton Hotel where the birthday party was held. Eric''s every move would surely be the subject of their attention that night.


    For instance, as they returned to the hotel in the car they had arrived in, several obviously paparazzi-driven cars followed closely behind, even a couple of them on motorcycles trailing near Eric''s sedan.


    Despite trying to keep hisposure, after mingling with so many people, Eric inevitably felt a bit tipsy. He leaned back wearily against the car seat while Drew nestled against him like a little kitten, having behaved well and not touched a drop of alcohol amidst the chaos of the party.


    ...


    Upon returning to the hotel where the crew was staying, Eric took the elevator directly from the underground parking lot to the floor where the crew was located. The girl followed him without hesitation, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    Although many crew members who returned at the same time noticed this detail, they all affected nonchnce. After all, with the girl''s figure as noticeable as it was, it wasn''t easy to remember her age.


    Looking at the little shadow following him, Eric shrugged helplessly. "Drew, did you book a room here at the hotel?"


    Drew pointed at Eric''s room door with her hand. "My luggage is inside."


    "Uh, okay." Eric knew discussing it further wouldn''t help, so he pulled out the room key from his pocket and just as he opened the door, he saw a mountain of beautifully wrapped gift boxes piled up in the living room of the suite.


    "Wow, when did these arrive?" Eric asked in surprise.


    "I had someone deliver them during the party. In fact, gifts have beening in over the past few days, and Allen and I put in a lot of effort to keep it a secret," Drew said cheerfully, a proud smile on her face.


    "Well, thanks for preparing this surprise for me. I really like it," Eric said, cupping the girl''s chin and nting a kiss on her cheek, feeling her little hands move as if to hug him. He quickly pulled away, "Let''s open the gifts and see what we have. I''ve never received so many gifts before."


    "I''ll help," Drew said, clearly intrigued. She bounded over to pick up arger box that certainly looked like a tie and began to unwrap it.


    Eric set aside the tie that Nicole had sent him and sat down beside the gift pile next to Drew, casually opening a box.


    After a while, Eric unwrapped a gift from Virginia, revealing yet another tie.


    "Hmph, no taste at all, picking a pattern like that," the girl muttered, less animated than before but still expressing her dissatisfaction.


    Eric held the light blue polka dot tie from Virginia up to his chest, examining it with amusement before putting it back in the box. He then began rummaging through the remaining gifts.


    About ten minutester, a few more ties appeared before the two of them.


    "Don''t move! Let me count," Drew eximed, blocking Eric who was trying to put the gifts


    away.


    "One, two, three, four, five, six... oh my gosh, I can''t handle this!" She leaped up, like a frustrated wife catching her phndering husband, and flopped onto the nearby sofa, burying her head in a cushion and whimpered.


    Ignoring her theatrics, Eric stared at a gift box without a name attached to it, somewhat taken aback. Sixties total; five of them were from Virginia, Nicole, Jennifer Connelly, Famke Janssen, and Joanna Pac. Neither Julia nor Elisabeth, with whom he had previously been involved, had sent ties. Who could thest one be?


    He brought the gift box to his nose, catching a faint scent of familiar perfume. A beautiful and defiant face floated into Eric''s mind.


    Speaking of which, the second season of Friends was about to start filming, and he hadn''t seen his littledy in quite a while. Rtionships that begin modestly are often hard to forget. Though they had broken up, he still saw asional news about Aniston in magazines or papers. Whenever the paparazzi asked her about their rtionship, she didn''t exhibit the excitement that had followed their initial public exposure.


    Noticing Eric''s distracted expression and that he hadn''te to check on her, Drew poked her head out from behind the cushion. Seeing him lost in thought, she stuck her tongue out yfully, then obediently crawled off the sofa to Eric''s side.


    "Eric, Eric, Eric..." Drew waved her hand in front of Eric''s face, calling his name repeatedly. Eric gently pushed her hand away and asked, "By the way, where''s your gift?" "Uh?" The girl opened her mouth and hesitated for a moment before getting up and skipping to the corner of the living room, opening her suitcase to pull out a small box. She returned to Eric''s side in a few quick steps. "Here."


    Eric looked at the palm-sized box in his hand and felt a sudden premonition. He opened it


    quickly and pulled out a vibrant red tie, holding it in front of Drew. "This is a bit too tant, don''t you think? What was it you just said?"


    *****


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