Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox arrived on set to have a look around.
Daniel Kaluuya, who didn't interact with Martin much, nudged Chris Pratt with his elbow."Buddy, isn't that Rachel and Monica? You know—Jennifer and Courteney from Friends? Don't tell me they're also part of Mr. Meyers's… collection? Oh my God, Cameron's here too. Are they going to fight?"
"Fight?" Chris Pratt shot Daniel a look of disdain. "You really underestimate Martin. I don't know exactly what's going on between him and Jennifer or Courteney, but trust me—when it comes to women, Martin's got skills. Back in Prague, I saw Jessica Alba and some young actress named Alexandra Daddario walk into Martin's room together. And the crazy part? Those two got along just fine afterward."
"What the hell—seriously? How does he pull that off?" Daniel gaped.
"No idea. Money? Power? Or maybe he's just that good in… other areas." Chris tilted his head thoughtfully. "Honestly, I've been wondering myself."
Then he looked at Daniel with a grin. "Why don't you go ask him?"
"The hell? Are you trying to get me killed? I know you're dying to be Martin's number-one bootlicker, but I'm not making it that easy for you!" Daniel flipped him the middle finger.
"Hey, hey, relax. I'm just kidding." Chris laughed awkwardly.
Just then, Cameron Diaz spotted the two women and started walking toward them.
Chris seized the moment to change the subject. "Look—Cameron's heading their way."
"They're really not going to throw down? Damn, I'm nervous now." Daniel forgot all about chewing out Chris and stared at Cameron's every move.
Others on set were also watching, some quietly hoping for a spectacular scene.
Human nature: nothing draws a crowd like drama.
"Hello, Jennifer! What took you so long to get here? Courteney, how have you been lately?"
Cameron greeted them warmly, giving each a hug.
A collective sigh of disappointment rippled through the onlookers.
One prop guy muttered to his buddy, "Man, I thought for sure there'd be a catfight. Guess not."
His friend shrugged. "There's been this Hollywood rumor for years—Martin Meyers is surrounded by women, and somehow, they all get along."
"Yeah, right." The prop guy looked skeptical.
"No? Then how do you explain what you just saw?"
The prop guy had no comeback.
At noon, Martin took the three women to a famous New York restaurant for lunch.
"Wow, this place is impossible to book! I've tried so many times and never managed to get a table," Courteney said in surprise.
Martin smiled. "Next time you want to come, just use my name. I've got a permanent reservation here."
"That's amazing." Courteney laughed.
"Courteney, you seem a little down today," Martin asked suddenly.
She blinked. "You noticed?"
Inside, she was startled by how perceptive he was.
"My marriage with David's been… having some issues lately. I don't know what to do."
Over lunch, Courteney opened up about her troubled relationship.
Martin knew David Arquette well enough—a former actor turned director and producer. Talented in his day, he'd starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie version) and the Scream trilogy, which made him a household name in the late '90s. He'd even won "Most Popular Actor" awards at the time. Later, he tried his hand at directing and producing with little success.
Oh, and in 2000, he'd pulled a bizarre career stunt—stepping into the world of professional wrestling and actually winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
These days, though, David's career was on a steep decline. In the original timeline Martin remembered, David and Courteney divorced, and David never got another big break.
After the meal, Martin and Cameron returned to set, while Jennifer took Courteney to a women's club.
"Relax, I'm just taking her out to blow off some steam," Jennifer whispered in Martin's ear before leaving.
Martin grinned. "I'm not worried. No gigolo in this city could outdo me."
"Exactly. You're my one and only wild man." Jennifer giggled.
But when Martin came back to his apartment later that night with Cameron, Courteney was still there.
"I told Courteney she could stay over—hope you don't mind?" Jennifer whispered as she helped Martin out of his coat.
"Of course not. We've got plenty of room."
That night, Courteney couldn't sleep. Restless, she wandered into the kitchen for a drink, only to hear… sounds coming from another room. The kind of sounds like a storm tearing through.
She instantly remembered overhearing Jennifer and Martin over the phone once. Her heart pounded, heat pooling low in her belly.
Before she knew it, she was at Martin's bedroom door, pressing her ear to the wood.
Minutes later, her face was burning red, her hands moving to her night gown…
The next morning:
"Courteney, you look awful. Didn't sleep well?" Jennifer asked.
"Uh, yeah… didn't sleep well," Courteney stammered.
"Was the mattress too soft? I forgot to tell you it's adjustable."
"No, no… it's fine."
Martin, overhearing their exchange, chuckled to himself.
After all, Courteney had spent three hours at his door last night. No wonder she didn't look so fresh.
...
The Washington Post: "Democratic presidential candidate [?] appears to be gaining momentum. Previously, states like Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Colorado were toss-ups. Now, they've swung in his favor. Of the remaining seven swing states, he also holds a clear advantage in most…"
The Wall Street Journal: "It may be months before we know when the storm on Wall Street will finally calm. So far, over 120,000 jobs have been cut in the sector. With major investment banks like Merrill Lynch being acquired, analysts are revising their layoff forecasts upward by 10–20%..."
The New York Times: "Yesterday, Jennifer Aniston and close friend Courteney Cox visited the set of Joker to see Martin Meyers. Long-standing rumors in Hollywood suggest a close relationship between Aniston and Meyers. This time, perhaps they've decided not to hide it…"