Chapter 6 |
The music died down and darkness enveloped the estate. Matthew scanned his surroundings as he made his way toward the main house.
Suddenly, illuminated by a streetlamp, he saw someone walking up ahead. He quickly ducked behind a bush to avoid what looked like a security patrol, then emerged after making sure the coast was clear.
He cast a wary glance around before hurrying to the living room window.
Standing by the window, he turned on his camera. The sight that greeted him made him whistle under his breath. Jonny Lee Miller was surrounded by six call girls, actively engaged with one of them. "Wow," Matthew muttered, "you really know how to party."
He soon finished his covert recording and, passing the fountain, headed back down the driveway.
He shook his head as he walked. These rich and famous Hollywood stars certainly lived the good life.
Soon, Matthew reached the entrance to the estate and waved to the guard.
"Thanks, you really helped me out."
Only ten minutes had passed, so the guard suspected nothing and just nodded. "I'll let you know if your services are needed again."
He slipped through the small side gate next to the guard post, leaving the vast estate behind, and walked toward the Ford. The job had gone off without a hitch. Smoothly done.
Reaching the car, Matthew opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. Angelina immediately looked at the handbag he was holding.
"Did you get it?"
Matthew didn't answer. He took the DV camera out of the bag, flipped open the small screen, turned it toward Angelina, and pressed play. The image was hard enough for her to stomach, but the prostitute's drawn-out moans were even worse.
"Enough, turn that crap off!" Angelina Jolie's face was dark with fury. "I'll have my bodyguard bring the money."
With that, she pulled out her phone, ready to make the call, but Matthew stopped her. "Wait."
Angelina looked at him, her thick eyebrows knitting together.
Matthew switched off the camera and said, "I have a small favor to ask."
He glanced at Jolie, phrasing his next words as gently as possible. "It's a very small one."
Angelina Jolie's eyes flickered to the DV camera in Matthew's hand. "Speak," she said coldly.
Matthew chose his words carefully. "I'm an actor, too. A small-time actor with no fame, nothing compared to you. And I haven't had any work in a long time."
Angelina Jolie's expression grew even darker, and she looked like she was about to cut him off. "Just hear me out, please," Matthew said quickly.
Without waiting to see if she was listening, he pressed on.
"I want to ask you to get me a role in a movie."
"No." Angelina refused outright. "You're too greedy. I'll give you the money, but I'm not getting you a lead role in some film."
Matthew realized she must have misunderstood. "I'm not asking for a major part," he clarified. "Just being on camera is enough, even as an extra."
He spoke with extreme sincerity, worried that Jolie would see his request as extortion.
The original Matthew's memories told him clearly that there were countless people like him who came to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming an actor, only to never even get a chance as a background player.
Getting started is always the hardest part. Matthew understood that. It was like the job market—employers always preferred to hire people with experience.
Though he didn't know much about Hollywood, he figured that getting a non-speaking background role couldn't be too difficult for a star of Angelina Jolie's caliber.
Angelina sat in silence for a moment, simply studying Matthew. She realized this guy was smarter than she'd thought.
"He's greedy," she noted internally, "but surprisingly, he knows his limits."
A small background role was nothing to her. She wouldn't even have to ask the director; she could just have her assistant mention Matthew's name to the casting director.
Angelina suddenly laughed.
If he had made such a request a few years ago, not only would she have refused, but she would have had her bodyguard come and beat him up. But people grow up. She couldn't always be that wild, confused girl. Her head had cleared with age.
How else would her career have steadily grown over the years?
Angelina said slowly, "Do you have a business card?"
Hearing this, Matthew quickly found a pen and paper, jotted down his number, and handed it to Angelina. She casually slipped it into her pocket and took out her phone to call her bodyguard. "Bring the money."
Matthew breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that so far, everything was going perfectly.
However, he tensed up again when a burly man approached, handed Angelina a paper bag, and then left.
Angelina opened the bag. Inside was a stack of brand-new bills, clearly prepared for this occasion. Without another word, she tossed the cash to him.
Taking the camera, Angelina was about to get out of the car when she suddenly turned back and asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid I won't keep my word?"
"I am," Matthew answered honestly. "But there's nothing I can do about it. I'm betting on your integrity."
The power dynamic between them was immense. Jolie had a bodyguard, and that bodyguard might have a gun. What could he possibly do? It was just a verbal agreement, and he had made that much clear himself.
Matthew could only gamble on the fact that for Angelina Jolie, it was a completely effortless favor. And besides, with five thousand dollars in hand, he was already coming out ahead even if she did deceive him.
Apparently satisfied with his answer, Angelina's mood improved considerably. "Keep your mouth shut."
Without the video, words were meaningless. Especially in Hollywood, where every celebrity was surrounded by rumors, both true and false. As long as there was no proof, it would always remain just a rumor.
Matthew made a zipping motion across his lips.
He certainly wouldn't be running his mouth now. Maybe, even without Angelina's help, other opportunities would arise. The bar for being an extra wasn't that high, after all. But what he had seen tonight made him unwilling to wait. He desperately wanted a better life, a life like Jonny Lee Miller's, complete with a mansion.
If Angelina kept her promise, she could significantly speed up that process.
The country may have changed, but Matthew believed that having a network was still the best way to get things done.
Angelina Jolie got out of the car and soon disappeared into the night. Matthew guessed it wouldn't be long before she divorced Jonny Lee Miller, who would probably lose a huge amount of money in the process.
He picked up the five thousand dollars and tossed it in his hand. The crisp rustle of the bills was an exceptionally pleasant and melodic sound.
"God, it feels good to be rich." Matthew's fingers gently caressed Franklin's face on one of the bills. "Damn good!"
Matthew checked the time. It was already late. He locked the car doors and climbed into the back seat to get some sleep.
...
When he woke up the next day, dawn had already broken. He grabbed a bottle of mineral water, stepped out of the car, and took a drink in the fresh air.
He didn't have to wait long. The guard from the estate gate came over to inform him that the girls were ready to go home.
Matthew drove up to the gate, and six disheveled girls piled into the car. They reeked of alcohol, cigarettes, and other indescribable scents. All of them had exhausted faces, as if they hadn't slept all night.
None of them said a word, each slumping into their seats. Even Rachel, who had been so talkative the day before, collapsed onto her seat in utter exhaustion.
Matthew started the car and shook his head slightly. These girls looked stunning on the outside, but in reality...
He pushed the thought aside and drove the girls home one by one. Then he returned to the office to hand in the keys as required, officially ending the day's work.
After work, he went straight to the nearest real estate agent. Now that he had some cash on hand, he was ready to rent a decent place to live.
Well-rested from the previous night, Matthew had enough energy to visit three real estate agencies and look at seven different bachelor apartments. He finally settled on a furnished room in an old apartment building in a modest residential area on the outskirts of Westwood.
The room was small, less than twenty square meters, with a tiny bathroom. Because the paint was peeling off the old walls, the monthly rent was only $400. Matthew paid for six months upfront, and just like that, he was settled in Los Angeles.
By the end of the day, he was back to his driving job, still working the night shift without much disruption to his routine, leaving him with plenty of energy for other things the next day.
At the end of his next morning shift, Matthew had just walked out of the Red Penguin Services building when his phone rang.
He pressed the answer button, and a professional female voice came through the line. "Hello, this is Vanessa, Miss Jolie's assistant. Is this Matthew?"