[Chapter 324: French Woman]
"Hey, Link, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and play your cards!"
In the cottonwood club on Hollywood Boulevard, Link rested his chin on his hand, fingers lightly tracing the smooth, white surface of two playing cards. His mind drifted to a recent night out, all of them wearing matching pajamas and spritzing the same perfume, their long hair cascading down. They had blindfolded him, challenging him to guess who was who from behind.
He groped in the darkness little by little as if he were feeling for a poker card, hearts, clubs, spades. But before he could make a guess, Nicolas Cage's loud thump on the table jolted him back to reality, snapping him from his dreamy memories to face a room full of smoke-filled gamblers.
It was the weekend, and Link had planned to stay home and spend time with the women in his life. But Nicolas and a few others had called him out for a poker night. He wasn't particularly keen on card games; no matter how much he won or lost, they never stirred his excitement. After a couple of rounds, he couldn't help but zone out.
"Are you guys dealing me cards that are rigged? Why do I always get such low hands? I played two rounds and still haven't seen a straight!" Link said, glancing at the two cards in his hand.
"The key to Texas Hold 'em isn't the size of your hand but how you play your cards and a bit of luck. I once won sixty grand playing in Las Vegas with just two of a kind," Nicolas said, puffing on a cigarette with pride.
"Last I heard, you lost over fifty grand in Vegas. How did you win sixty grand this time?" Johnny Depp asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Lost again afterward; someone at the table had better luck than I did," Nicolas shrugged.
"Link's luck is pretty good. How come he loses so much?" Bruce Willis chimed in.
"Link has already answered this question. He says the goddess of fortune doesn't favor him in gambling," Jim Carrey joked, winking.
"That's true," Link chuckled, dropping a hundred-dollar bill into the pot.
Jim immediately followed suit, declaring he would take Link's money.
"Link, I heard that Big Seven studios plans to team up this summer to crush Guess Pictures' films, much tougher than last summer. Are you guys ready to break through their blockade with a strong box office?" Bruce Willis laid down his cards, picked up a whiskey glass, and took a sip.
"Come on, Link, spill the beans. I'm curious about this, too."
"You're not the only one. Who in Hollywood isn't keeping an eye on the battle between Big Seven studios and Guess Pictures? Everyone wants to see the fireworks," Nicolas and Jim added.
Link shrugged. "Guess Pictures is a new company, our production and distribution capabilities are even weaker than MGM, the weakest in Big Seven. In a matchup against Warner Brothers, Disney, or Paramount, we wouldn't stand a chance, let alone against all Big Seven studios when they team up."
He leaned back slightly. "What we need to focus on isn't how to beat them, but how to survive their barrage without getting devoured."
"Don't be so pessimistic. Last year, Se7en was the summer champ. It even outperformed hits like Forrest Gump and The Lion King. This year, your Butterfly Effect and Tim Robbins' Shawshank Redemption might do just as well," Keanu Reeves remarked.
"Not likely. Se7en succeeded mostly due to luck. This year, Big Seven studios are releasing big blockbusters like Apollo 13, Waterworld, and Bruce's Die Hard with a Vengeance. Even before summer hits, the promotions for those films are all over."
Link flipped his cards to reveal three eights and two other cards, while Depp had a flush with a three, eight, jack, queen, and ace. Link lost three hundred bucks.
"Link, I had no idea they were planning to pit Die Hard against your movie," Bruce said.
"No need to explain; it's not something that could be blamed on you," Link replied.
"What if Guess Pictures loses during the summer box office?" Jim asked.
"If we lose, we lose. Even if our box office numbers fall behind Big Seven overall, we shouldn't lose to any individual title. I'm not sure if we can maintain the number one spot for the year, but staying in the top five should be achievable," Link said confidently.
"Top five isn't bad. Guess Pictures is a new company. If you can keep the films within the top seven for a few years, it could eventually become an established player like Warner Bros. or Paramount," Bruce added.
Link nodded as he looked at his cards again, seeing a diamond eight and a club three. He considered folding.
...
"Hey, why didn't you invite me to play cards?" At that moment, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Joaquin Phoenix, and Edward Norton walked through the door.
"Ben, I heard you were feeling down. Are you better now?" Jim grinned, flashing a big smile.
Ben Affleck's face showed a hint of awkwardness. Acting cool during filming sounded great, but stepping back and reflecting on past antics felt a lot like waking up from a drunken night out.
"Ben's fine now! We took him to an amusement park for some roller coaster rides, and he was back to himself in no time," Matt said cheerfully.
"Sounds good," Link said, standing up to let Ben sit down.
"Thanks! I haven't played cards in a while, and today I'm going to dominate!" Ben rubbed his hands together excitedly as he took a seat.
...
Link sat down in the corner with Matt and Joaquin. Last year, Matt starred in Good Will Hunting, which not only hit big at the box office but also won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. This success propelled Matt to near A-list status in Hollywood, not quite at Ben's level but getting there.
Since hitting it big, Matt landed leading roles in several films, including the lead in Guess Pictures' Hard Eight and Francis Ford Coppola's The Rainmaker.
Joaquin was also doing well, often landing significant roles in Guess Pictures' films like To Die For, Scream, and Dangerous Minds. Edward had taken some time off after finishing Final Destination to work on his craft and had just returned to acting, though compared to others from the Final Destination set, he was lagging behind.
Link suggested that Edward pay a visit to Guess Pictures, as two lead roles seemed fitting for him. He could check out the scripts and see if he was interested.
Edward eagerly agreed.
"You're so lucky, Edward. You're getting a role right off the bat; you better treat us!" Joaquin clapped him on the shoulder excitedly.
"Absolutely," Edward grinned.
"Of course! You can ask Link if you don't believe me."
...
Link was in the midst of chatting with the group when someone called for him from the next table.
"What?" Link turned around.
Jim laughed, "Ben said he was at WMA discussing work yesterday and saw a gorgeous blonde in the hallway. She had striking blue eyes and a stunning figure. Ben got a bit smitten and wanted to pursue her. We warned him against it since she might be your secret girlfriend."
"Link, is that true?" Ben looked over, feigning outrage.
Link sighed. "I don't know who you're talking about. There are hundreds of actresses at WMA; it's impossible they're all mine."
"Charlize Theron, she's a new client of Sam Haskel," Ben said nervously. "Is she your girlfriend?"
"I've heard Sam mention her, but I haven't met her. Is she really that beautiful?" Link chuckled.
"Not really, just okay," Ben quickly replied.
Hahaha!
Jim, Nicolas, and Johnny couldn't help but laugh at Ben's words.
"Ben, that girl is an artist signed by Haskel. Sooner or later, she'll be introduced to Link. What's the point of hiding it?" Joaquin teased him.
Ben frowned, eyeing Link suspiciously. "Link, you have fifty girlfriends, and I don't have any. You're not planning to steal her, are you?"
"Don't worry, I've never stolen anyone's girlfriend," Link assured him.
"Come on, Link doesn't need to steal. He's so charming and talented that girls flock to him. You should be more worried about whether the girl you like will pursue him. Once she falls for Link, will you even have a chance?" Joaquin joked.
Ben's expression darkened as he glanced at his flush hand, no longer as appealing.
Link shook his head, slightly helpless. The prejudice against him ran deep. His current situation mirrored that of Guess Pictures -- they had encountered hostility and exclusion from the Big Seven studios as they grew, and likewise, many male actors and directors in Hollywood seemed to resent him for his many romantic links.
If not for his status and wealth, he would likely have enemies everywhere in Hollywood. He gradually came to realize a truth: once a person reached a certain level, they had no choice but to keep moving forward. Any slip in status would turn former friends into foes, and those who opposed him would eagerly divide him up.
...
After sitting for a while, Link got a phone call and stood to leave.
"I bet he ran off to chase a girl," Ben scoffed.
"It was a woman's voice, and she was speaking French; I understand a bit of French," Jim nodded knowingly.
"French?" Ben shot up in surprise. "Miss Theron is also from France; could it be her?"
The others looked at him with pity, feeling sorry for him as they realized he had yet to start a relationship before being heartbroken again.
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.