Walking along the beach in Rio de Janeiro, the view before him was of deep blue waters and rolling waves. The golden, fine sand felt soft underfoot, and the sound of the sea breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean. Matthew, dressed casually in shorts and a tank top, strolled leisurely onto the outdoor set.
The beach set had been prepared in advance, featuring a large runway with a design that closely resembled Victoria's Secret style. Numerous Victoria's Secret Angels, wearing swimsuits, were familiarizing themselves with the runway under the coordination of an assistant director.
"Miss Candice," the assistant director's voice could be faintly heard, "could you change into a swimsuit of another color, please?"
With filming scheduled to begin shortly, Matthew stood there watching the Angels rehearse. Although some of the Victoria's Secret models weren't present, he recognized quite a few of the ones who were there.
Doutzen Kroes, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Izabel Goulart, Miranda Kerr, Erin Heatherton, and others were among them.
Some of them weren't even official members of Victoria's Secret yet.
However, Matthew didn't see Karolina Kurkova or Heidi Klum, the most senior model of Victoria's Secret.
But the lineup was still impressive.
Faint footsteps approached, followed by Paul Walker's voice. "Absolutely stunning!"
Matthew turned to see Paul Walker walking over to join him, eyes fixed on the runway as he remarked, "The best bodies in the world are gathered here."
"Interested?" Matthew teased. "How about inviting them for drinks tonight?"
Paul Walker opened his mouth, seemingly about to agree immediately, but hesitated and swallowed his words. "Too high profile. Better not."
Matthew rubbed his chin, thinking about how he might invite a few of the Angels to hang out. The crew had been in Brazil for a few days, but he had been too busy filming to socialize much with the Angels. Since he had no scenes to shoot tomorrow, and their scenes were being wrapped up today, it was the perfect time to gather and have some fun together.
Paul Walker patted Matthew on the shoulder. "Good luck, man."
He then left.
Matthew shook his head and followed Paul Walker toward the tables set up in front of the runway, where many cast members were seated.
Time was running out, and filming was about to start.
Reaching the white round table where the lead actors were seated, Matthew pulled out a chair and sat next to Gal Gadot, who was wearing a swimsuit that highlighted her stunningly long legs.
"Gal, you shouldn't be sitting here," Matthew whispered to her. "You should be on the runway with the others. You'd definitely outshine all the supermodels."
Gal Gadot shrugged slightly. "My runway walk isn't up to their level." She glanced at the runway and said, "This is quite the spectacle—you got so many Victoria's Secret Angels to be our backdrop."
Matthew chuckled. "It's all part of the promotion."
The presence of so many Victoria's Secret Angels on the Fast & Furious 5 set had already sparked a media frenzy across the Americas.
Gal Gadot turned back to Matthew, her thoughts momentarily lingering on some rumors she had heard but saying nothing more.
"Wonder how many more models he'll mess around with," she mused silently. "Some of them have already been rumored to be involved with him."
With the media constantly bombarding the public with stories about Matthew and his past relationships, how could she not be aware? She had long since decided to keep their relationship strictly on a professional, friendly level.
Nini, seated across from Matthew, had her gaze fixed on the runway. For some reason, she was reminded of certain descriptions she had read in online novels back in the day. She couldn't help but wonder, Is this Matthew Horner's harem?
Given Matthew Horner's reputation, she figured it was entirely possible.
With that thought, she decisively let go of any fleeting romantic notions. Not to mention, the supermodels on the runway were all more attractive than she was. It was better for her to play it safe and focus on her career.
At that moment, director Justin Lin approached and reminded Gal Gadot, "Remember your position for the scene."
Gal Gadot nodded. "Got it."
After a brief word with Nini, Justin Lin went back to his monitor. Once the assistant director gave the signal, filming resumed. Justin Lin gestured to an assistant director, who held up the clapperboard.
"G.I. Joe 5, Scene 42, Take 1. Action!"
The clapperboard snapped shut, and the crew immediately got to work.
This was a continuous long shot. The camera initially focused on the Victoria's Secret swimsuit show, and after over a minute, it panned over to the table where Matthew and the others sat. The main camera still used the swimsuit show as the backdrop, while another camera shot from the side, capturing Gal Gadot and Nini in their swimsuits.
"See him?" Matthew pointed to a middle-aged Latino man in the distance. "That's Reyes, our target."
Paul Walker replied, "He's got six bodyguards."
Gal Gadot shook her head slowly. "No, seven. There's one hiding behind the hallway column." She glanced that way. "Do you think that guy with the odd face looks like a tourist?"
Nini suddenly asked, "How long were you in the military? I saw you using a gun the other day, the way Mossad agents do."
Gal Gadot ignored her question and instead said, "This could be tricky."
Matthew nodded lightly. "Things don't look good today. We'll change the plan."
"No need. This calls for a woman's touch." Gal Gadot stood up and signaled to Nini. "Let's go."
With that, she led the way toward Reyes, and Nini followed, both of them in their seductive swimsuits.
Another camera slid along its track, capturing their backs as they walked toward Reyes.
"Cut!" Justin Lin called out. "That's a wrap on this scene."
He then approached Gal Gadot and Nini to give them direction for the next scene. Matthew and the others were no longer needed for this particular shot.
"Gal's legs are really something," Paul Walker muttered from his seat, then asked Matthew, "Did you make any progress?"
Matthew shook his head. "Nope," he admitted honestly. "I gave up. She's not interested."
Even though Matthew was quite skilled when it came to wooing women, not every actress fell for him. Gal Gadot had consistently maintained a polite distance from him.
There was no point in pushing things.
Besides, he wasn't like Harvey Weinstein.
Hollywood was a vast jungle, and there was no need to get stuck on a single tree. Not to mention, the Victoria's Secret swimsuit show happening in the background offered plenty of other intriguing possibilities.
If he really wanted to pursue Gal Gadot, it wasn't impossible. But he wasn't about to give up the entire forest for one tree.
After chatting with Paul Walker for a while, Justin Lin called for another pause, and the crew moved on to film the scenes involving Matthew and Gal Gadot's characters.
The set moved to a stretch of beach to the left of the runway.
As Justin Lin gave the cue, Matthew and Gal Gadot walked through the crowd on the beach, heading toward the runway where the swimsuit show continued.
"This is a beautiful city," Gal Gadot commented as they walked.
Matthew glanced at the clear sky and ocean. "There's a saying among Brazilians: God spent six days creating the world, and on the seventh day, he created Rio de Janeiro."
"City of God," Gal Gadot remarked. "But also the City of Sin."
She suddenly changed the topic. "What are your plans? Keep running like this?"
"We'll have enough money after this job." Matthew wrapped an arm around her slim waist. "Then we can find a place to live out our days in peace."
Gal Gadot reminded him, "Don't forget, you broke out of prison. We helped you escape. The Americans won't let us off so easily."
"Cut!" Justin Lin called out suddenly, entering the set to direct. "Gal, you didn't show enough concern for the future!"
He gestured as he spoke. "You're very worried about being hunted by the FBI."
Gal Gadot nodded slightly, closed her eyes, and took a moment to collect herself.
Justin Lin called out, "All departments ready, we'll shoot again in three minutes."
Today's shoot was entirely on the beach. After their time in the Burbank Disney studio, the crew was hitting its stride. By the end of the day, they had shot over 20 scenes, including nearly an hour dedicated to filming the Victoria's Secret swimsuit show in the afternoon.
As the sun began to set, the crew wrapped up the day's planned shots and prepared to pack up.
After finishing his final scene, Matthew exchanged a few words with Justin Lin. Since there were no scenes for his character, Sean, tomorrow, he could take the day off.
As he stepped away from the director's monitor, Matthew spotted two tall women in swimsuits approaching him.
"Hey, Matthew." The woman with the round, doll-like face greeted him, asking, "I heard you have the day off tomorrow?"
Matthew smiled and shook hands with both women. "Hello, Miranda. Hello, Miss Ambrosio."
The two approaching women were Victoria's Secret Angels Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambrosio.
Matthew and Miranda Kerr were well-acquainted, longtime friends. But this was his first formal meeting with Alessandra Ambrosio, so they exchanged a few polite words.
"Here's the thing," Alessandra Ambrosio said,
surprising Matthew. "I heard from Miranda that you two are friends, so I asked her to introduce me. I'm from Brazil, and I'm hosting a little party tonight to entertain the girls."
She smiled and added, "Matthew, would you like to join us?"
Matthew smiled back. "It would be my pleasure, Miss Ambrosio."
Only a fool would refuse such an invitation.
Just as he finished speaking, he caught sight of Nini and asked, "Could I bring a friend along?"
Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr exchanged glances before nodding. "Of course."
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