At dusk, while Matt was driving, he received an important call. Seeing the name "Lucy Book" on the screen, he answered with a smile.
"You miss me so soon," he greeted mockingly.
"Haaaa, good morning, Mr. Goldman," a helpless sigh and a formal greeting came from the other end of the line.
Lucy is the Director of the publishing house Matt had bought to publish his books.
"Tired of meetings?" he asked, not really concerned; she could handle the work.
"Yes, actually, someone very annoying came up with an idea for a new book, and I've had a lot of work," she tried to reproach him, but Matt had a great ability to ignore certain tones and comments.
"Relax, I promise it'll be the last one for a long time."
"Okay. So... It's only one, right?" The last few times it had been an odyssey organizing the logistics of everything.
"Exactly, no sagas this time."
"Besides, Martin will be in charge of the final writing, there shouldn't be any problems."
"Martin? No problems? If you hadn't pushed and helped, A Song of Ice and Fire wouldn't have been finished yet." She knew they were friends, but she had never been one to mince words when it came to criticism.
"He's a great guy. I've already spoken to him, and everything's fine," Matt replied confidently.
"The book will be published, and that's enough for me."
"Well, I'll let it slide this time. I'll get a break from you, so that's perfect," she said with a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Hey..." Matt wanted to complain about such a lack of appreciation, but the call was cut off.
"Bitter woman."
"You're lucky you're good at your job and have red hair," he murmured, intimately, in a small, childish gesture.
The new book was none other than 'Elden Ring.' The idea came to him when he was approached to write a video game story. At first, he refused, but then the inspiration came to turn this story into a trilogy, and why not, after its publication, acquire a video game company and develop it.
He was aware of the success of this story, adding George R.R. Martin's writing style, just like in the original, and a slightly more nerfed world of pure magical power, focused on wars and politics a la GoT, with a main character seemed like a fantastic idea.
With the original idea written, all that was left was for Martin to develop it and subsequently publish it under both names.
Matt came back from his thoughts and realized he had reached his destination. Luckily, his body sometimes operated on automatic, like a sixth sense. He often got lost in his thoughts. If it weren't for that, he would have had an accident a long time ago.
Parking in the parking lot, Matt got out of the car. He wasn't going home, but to a restaurant to meet Scarlett, an old "friend" he really cared about.
They had planned this meeting a week ago, wanting to catch up. The last time they'd seen each other in person was at the premiere of the film "Under the Skin" a year ago. A lot had changed for both of them since then, especially for Scarlett, who was now awaiting the premiere of "Lucy."
Scarlett's career had been steadily rising. In addition to being one of Matt's favorite actresses, she had appeared in more than seven films related to Matt or Dark Film, especially her appearance in John Wick, which also led her directly to acclaim as an action star.
But it wasn't just her acting that was attracting attention: Scarlett was also making waves in the modeling world.
At the entrance, he was greeted courteously and immediately led to a private room where someone was already waiting for him.
When the door opened it was impossible not to notice it immediately.
Her blonde hair caught the fading sunlight, cascading over her shoulders in loose waves. She wore a light spring dress, the soft fabric hugging her curves in all the right places. The dress was perfect for the warm evening: airy and simple, yet undeniably elegant.
Their eyes met, and she smiled angelically. Matt had a crush on her and secretly cursed that he could only marry one woma
Matt didn't say a word, and instead of sitting on the floor in front of her, he sat directly next to her. He wrapped his right arm around her waist and, without holding back, gently kissed her neck. (Oriental Restauran
"Hello, stranger," she whispered, without pulling awa
Matt, far from responding, kissed her lips delicately and passionately before pulling awa
"If Jessica doesn't see you, we'll be in trouble," she looked into his eyes and answere
"She'll just be mad at not being able to join us," he replied. All he could say was thank the god of alternate worlds for making harems and open-minded wives so easy for themselve
"You're a bastard," Scarlett smiled, still holding bac
"You have a new scent. I like this one," she chose after catching a whiff of i
"Jessica bought it for me. She's busy promoting 'Interstellar' internationally, and she's sending it as an apology for not being by my side." Because of the trust they shared, he held nothing bac
"Lucky guy
"Yeah, I know. I'm the king of this world," he smirke
They both smiled and focused on the already-served food while they chatte
"You've finished filming Lucy, right?" Matt aske
"Yes, we hope it's released in August. I'm glad we don't have to compete with Nolan's Interstellar and your studio. Jessica's part of it, isn't that right?" Scarlett gently sipped her wine before speakin
"Yes, that's good news. Fortunately, with the budget increase I approved and the good relationship with Warner, the film was moved up to May," Matt replie
Scarlett looked into his eyes mischievously and came up with an idea to tease hi
"Too bad. I thought you did it so it wouldn't affect my movie." As a great actress, her sad and disappointed face almost convinced Mat
He leaned closer and, without taking her words seriously, kissed her gentl
"I did it for you too. I did it for Jessica, and I did it for me and for my own movie," he said after parting their lips and savoring the win
"Your own movie?" She was surprised, and with the effect of the kiss, her feigned expression changed to surpris
"You haven't made a movie in two years, only as a producer. That's good news." His excitement was genuin
She took a glass and invited him to toast. They both clinked glasses and drank. After a few more bites, Scarlett suddenly had an ide
"Is there a role for me in this movie, Matt?" She murmured against his nec
Matt breathed deeply at the tickling touch. He loved this and hated having to say no, but.
"Unfortunately, there isn't a role suitable for you. The female characters are small and don't match your looks or age," he replied softl
Scarlett felt a little disappointed when she heard this, but quickly tried to hide it from her expression, something that didn't go unnoticed by Mat
"Scarlett, I..." he tried to say something, but just then he had a moment of reflectio
'I'm not creating a movie, it's a univers
Matt was a Marvel fan without a doubt, which is why he wanted to create his own universe of heroes, even if they were from the rival compan
Initially, he thought about using his influence to get Scarlett Johansson her original role as the beautiful and strong Black Widow, but due to changes in the Iron Man world, there were still no post-credits scenes announcing a shared world. For now, it remained a trilogy, and Black Widow wasn't one of the characters cas
He was disappointed; he couldn't give his (female) friend the role that made her extremely famous, and now there wasn't a significant opportunity in his film either, but.
Matt is also creating a world. There will be no shortage of characters, and one in particular has come to mind, one he hadn't considered until no
Black Widow = Black Canary.
Tight combat gear, curve-enhancing black leather, lethal spy beauty, plus the added bonus of supernatural powers.
It was a more than viable option. He remembered that the favorite to play the character in the past was Katheryn Winnick, Lagertha from the Vikings series, but...
He'd bet that if the magnificent Scarlett Johansson weren't the Widow and instead the Canary, no one would complain too much.
"Calm down, Matt. I don't want you to think I just want..."
"Okay," Scarlett's apology was abruptly interrupted by Matt.
He took her chin in his fingers and forced her to look him in the eye.
"There's no role in this one, but there is one later, one I'll write especially for you." His words made her eyes sparkle.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"You know I recently acquired DC, right?"
"Yes... we've already talked about it on the phone... Ha... by the way, congratulations on the publication of your comics."
"Thanks, but that's a different point. Listen carefully and don't tell anyone about it yet."
In just over 20 minutes, Matt summarized all his ideas and plans, including the one he'd just come up with about how to integrate her into the world he was creating.
"Are you serious?" The emotion in his eyes was impossible to hide. Unable to contain himself, he placed kisses all over Matt's face.
"Honey, you're tempting me to undress right now." His voice suddenly became very sensual.
Matt wordlessly took her by the waist, lifted her dress just enough to allow Scarlett to straddle his thigh, and they kissed without hesitation.
Scarlett's body was very hot from the wine and the joy.
Matt's hands began to wander over her abdomen, almost grabbing one of her breasts, but...
"Knock, knock, knock!" There was a soft knock on the door three times.
Scarlett was the first to snap out of it. She tried to move away quickly, but Matt held her tightly.
"Yes?" she asked, still holding onto his waist.
"Mr. Goldman, your other guest is already here," the waiter informed her without opening the door.
"Guest?" he wondered curiously.
It was at that moment that he noticed a funny expression on Scarlett's face, one that seemed to remind her of something.
"So, Miss Johansson?" he asked, amused and curious.
She blushed a little, embarrassed for having forgotten.
"She's a friend I recently made. I invited her over to meet you, and you'll help her as much as you can," she murmured, trying to change her expression and not blush more than she already was.
"Please send her in." Matt smiled and showed his approval at being Scarlett's guest, admitting he was curious.
"Sorry, Matt."
"Okay, kiddo, but why didn't she come directly with you?"
"Oh, she had an important audition today, so she was going to be a little late. Maybe that's why she forgot." She took advantage of Matt's release to get off his lap and straighten her hiked-up dress.
"I'm a little intrigued. Will you tell me her name at least before the mystery guest arrives?" he insisted, aware of the situation, he straightened his dress a bit and stepped back.
"Her name is Margot," she replied.
"Margot?"
"Margot Robbie?"
Matt raised an eyebrow and almost laughed at this clueless girl.
"You do know that 'The Wolf of Wall Street' was produced by my company and Leo, right?"
At this mention of Scarlett, it felt like a bucket of cold water had fallen on him.
'How could I have forgotten that?' he wondered in his mind.
She was a bit forgetful at times, but this was something else; she was indirectly telling Matt that she had no interest in the projects he was involved in.
On the contrary, Matt was amused imagining the stories that were brewing in this girl's mind.
"Don't think about it too much. The truth is, we only saw each other once after the casting and once on the day of the premiere," he decided to speak before his dinner companion's mind wandered too far.
"Matt, I... Okay, sorry."
Matt wanted to say it was no problem, but just then there was another knock on the door.
"Come in," Matt replied, and just as the door opened, he saw a beautiful, leggy blonde.
"Scarlett, good evening," he greeted cheerfully as Scarlett, who had already stood up.
"Nice to see you, Margot," she replied.
"Miss Robbie," Matt also stood up to greet her.
He took her hand and gave her a small, gentlemanly kiss.
"Mr. Goldman, nice to see you again. Sorry for the inconvenience," Margot said in a charming tone, as sensually as she could without overstepping the mark.
"You can call me Matthew. Come on, let's all sit down." He made room for them both to sit next to each other while he went to the front.
"Thanks, then you can just call me Margot too," she replied after Matt helped them both sit.
They engaged in small talk, leaving him out. Some would say it was disrespectful, but since it was Scarlett, he didn't say anything either.
Once seated, Matt gave her a look and studied her closely for the first time.
"She's amazing."
He slightly regretted not paying much attention to her the first time they met; it seemed fame had affected her personality a bit.
She was a woman who looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine. She had a radiant smile that lit up her face, and her blonde hair was styled in soft waves. Her striking blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke to Scarlett. Dressed in a casual yet elegant outfit that showed off her slender figure, she was effortlessly beautiful.
'Margot Robbie, I was going to look for you at the time, but you deserve more attention than I was planning to give you at first.'
"So, how did you two meet?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"Well, I was looking for an apartment, and we both happened to be in the same room to view it. It was a scheduling error on the part of the agent."
"It's weird, but as soon as I saw her, we started talking and hit it off right away," Scarlett explained with a smile.
"Yes, Scarlett was my saving grace on a bad day," Margot laughed, nodding her head.
"Margot is a celebrity in Australia, as you probably know. She's incredibly talented, as she's already proven. It's only a matter of time before she makes it big in the industry." The two seemed to get along really well.
"Well, with your looks, and if you have even half the talent you already demonstrated in your last role, then you're definitely ready for worldwide fame," Matt commented, leaning forward, a smile tugging at my lips.
"And that's why she's here tonight. You're the only producer I personally know and trust, so I wanted you to meet her." Scarlett nodded.
"Well, I'm glad you did. From the moment I saw you, I started thinking about you for one of my projects."
Margot's eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of excitement and disbelief on her face.
"Really?"
"Yes," Matt replied confidently.
"But it's still a few years away. Still, I'm convinced and certain," he said, his gaze fixed on Margot and his voice full of certainty.
"I told you so," Scarlett said, looking at a very happy Margot.
From there, the conversation flowed naturally as the sun completely set over the horizon.
They talked for a couple of hours, Matt and Scarlett spending much of the time offering Margot advice on how to navigate the industry, although she already knew most of the key tricks.
This dinner was indeed more than important for Matt; two of the most attractive future characters for the public had practically been confirmed in a couple of hours.
A few more steps and the whole machinery would begin to move forward like a harvester of success, fame, and money.
He was happy because his plan and dream of achieving DCU excellence was just around the corner.
...
Note: Why Scarlett? Well, everyone knows her attractiveness, not only physically, but also on screen and financially for a movie. Since we're in an alternate world where there's no Black Widow yet... Why not take advantage of the opportunity? Or rather... Who wouldn't like it and wouldn't do it if they had the chance?
Note: Why Margot? Come on... Two words... HARLEY QUINN.
Note: Casado's protagonist? Yes, I know, some of you might already know who she is. She's not as famous as Scarlett Johansson or Margot, I think? But... I have a weakness for natural redheads, and 'Jessica' is definitely incredible.
Besides, she's roughly the same age as the protagonist, so it seemed plausible to me that the actor met her first.
Note: Sorry, strong tastes. Sorry, that's all I can say in my defense.
Note: Thanks for reading, feel free to comment with your own ideas.