Made In Hollywood

"Please sit, Martin."

Taking off his sunglasses, Duke sat with the other party at the round table. "I didn't expect to see you in Fiji as well."

The two had met in other settings before. Martin Miller was not yet the top agent at William Morris, and Duke remembered him only because this Jewish agent had once been Natalie Portman's agent.

"I came to check on Miss Portman." Martin Miller accepted the beer Duke handed over, thanked him, glanced in the direction he came from, and continued, "I also wanted to ask you, the great director, if there are any suitable roles for her in the future?"

"I heard Nat say she wants to focus on her studies." Duke smiled faintly. "What I need are actors who can dedicate themselves entirely to their work."

At this point, Duke raised his hand to interrupt Martin Miller, who was about to speak further, clearly unwilling to continue the topic.

Martin Miller opened the beer, took a sip, and proactively changed the subject. "Duke, have you ever thought about changing agencies?"

"Changing agencies?"

Looking up, Duke gazed at him and asked tentatively, "Martin, is this your idea?"

"No, no, no..."

Shaking his finger, Martin Miller said very seriously, "I am representing the entire William Morris Agency! We are very sincere..."

Duke wasn't surprised by Martin Miller's words. Hollywood's top agencies frequently poached talent, and given Duke's current status, this wasn't the first time he had encountered such a situation and certainly wouldn't be the last.

Of course, directors and actors changing agents was also common. For instance, the rumored CAA, portrayed by gossip media as the 'master' of celebrities, often found itself abandoned by stars. William Morris, for example, had recently poached Whoopi Goldberg and Sylvester Stallone from CAA, as Duke had heard just last month.

Duke looked at Martin Miller, saying nothing.

Martin Miller understood that talking about future plans or other vague topics wouldn't help; he had to address the most practical issues. "I've heard that in your last contract with Nancy Josephson, her commission rate is 7% of your earnings as a director, screenwriter, and producer?"

Hollywood doesn't keep many secrets, and contracts for top directors and actors are focal points for those interested. Duke nodded slowly.

"William Morris is willing to limit the commission to just your directing earnings," Martin Miller said directly, not beating around the bush. "And the rate can be reduced to 5%!"

Five percent was already the lowest standard in the industry, demonstrating William Morris's sincerity.

However, such an offer couldn't sway Duke. While he didn't trust Nancy Josephson the way he had trusted Sophia Coppola and Tina Fey, Nancy and her team had performed well over the years without harming his interests. Changing agencies wouldn't just involve financial issues; trust wasn't something that could be established in the short term.

In Hollywood, who would believe grand promises at face value?

The proposed reduction in commission was not something Duke cared about. A 2% difference in commission was trivial to him, and it only pertained to film-related matters.

Seeing Duke's continued silence, Martin Miller realized that winning over such a heavyweight required long-term effort. He said, "Duke, the entire William Morris Agency eagerly awaits your joining, and we will demonstrate our sincerity."

"I'll consider it."

Duke smiled and nodded, a polite yet indirect rejection.

Martin Miller, being smart, understood that saying more now would be redundant. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Duke, he left and didn't return to Natalie Portman but headed toward some of the actors from The Matrix, clearly continuing his poaching efforts.

"Nat, why did you accept the invitation?"

Under another sunshade, Natalie rolled her eyes at her mother's question. "Mom, you're overthinking! I'm only sixteen. I don't have the time or energy to date anyone. Besides..."

She glanced toward Duke's direction. "He's a notorious playboy."

"You've been spending quite a bit of time with him recently."

"He's Jewish, and so are we. He's someone I can rely on in Hollywood in the future." Natalie spoke with words that belied her youthful appearance and age. "Mom, even if Dad opposes it, I won't give up acting."

Without reservation in this private setting, Natalie continued, "I need to build relationships with people who can help me!"

Mrs. Hershlag nodded lightly and said no more. She would continue to act as her daughter's manager, and Natalie's intelligence and precociousness assured her. Otherwise, Natalie wouldn't have easily won George Lucas's favor during his visit to Michael Mann on the Heat set.

Indeed, the advantage of their Jewish identity had afforded them many conveniences, but fully leveraging that advantage required a sharp mind.

As night fell, a bonfire lit up the beach. A steady stream of vegetables, fresh meat, and beer was brought over. Men and women who had been lounging around all afternoon gathered on the beach for a large barbecue party.

Holding a handful of kebabs and carrying a few beers, Duke wandered around until he spotted Natalie Portman sitting alone. He walked directly toward her.

"Hi, Nat." Duke greeted her. "May I sit here?"

"Of course." Natalie cleared some space next to her and took the beer from Duke's hand. "Make yourself comfortable."

Duke sat cross-legged on the sand, away from the crowd where it was quieter. He asked, "Why are you sitting here alone? Where's your mom?"

"She found it too noisy and went back to the room to rest." She pointed to the lively group on her left. "That barbecue party is mostly meat. I'm a vegetarian."

"I was going to share my kebabs with you." Duke motioned to the meat skewers in his left hand. "Looks like you'll have to settle for the aroma."

Natalie shrugged, picked up a beer, opened it, and took a sip. "This is enough for me."

"Wait a minute!"

Duke stood up, walked back to the crowd, and specifically ordered fruit and vegetable kebabs prepared without animal fat. He also fetched a small plastic table, balancing the tray and table in his hands as he returned.

After setting up the table and placing the tray on it, Duke sat cross-legged across from Natalie. "These are all vegetarian dishes."

"Thanks." Natalie grabbed an unopened beer and handed it to Duke. "Here's your reward."

Opening the beer, Duke took a big gulp and picked up a roasted breadfruit skewer. "Try this. I didn't make it, but I gave plenty of suggestions."

Natalie picked up a skewer, took a big bite, chewed slowly, and swallowed before saying, "Not bad at all."

Her eyes sparkled as she suddenly asked without warning, "Duke, why are you trying to please me? Don't deny it; I'm not stupid."

Sitting shorter than Duke by at least a head, the girl's brown eyes sparkled in the light of the bonfire, exuding a commanding presence.

But in the end, she was just a sixteen-year-old girl. Duke smiled slightly, lowered his head, and looked down at her. "What if I told you I wanted to pursue you, Nat?"

He gazed at Natalie with intense eyes, as if deeply captivated by her.

Natalie turned her head slightly to avoid Duke's gaze. "Please, I'm just a high schooler."

Duke watched her, smiling but saying nothing.

Natalie seemed a little annoyed. She grabbed her beer and took two sips in quick succession. "Don't think I don't know you're a playboy! If I believed you, you'd definitely find a way to get me into bed tonight, then toss me aside in a few days just like you did with other actresses..."

Turning back, she met Duke's gaze without hesitation. "Am I wrong? Men only try to please women because they want to sleep with them!"

"Sleeping together is just a way to express intimacy and share feelings," Duke deflected skillfully.

Natalie snorted. "Have you ever been in a real relationship? Don't tell me it was Catherine Zeta-Jones. I'm an actress too, you know. I can see through some things."

"Why should I tell you?" Duke clinked his beer can against hers, and both finished their drinks in one go. Natalie wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and said, "Fine. As a trade, I'll tell you about myself first."

She tossed another beer to him. "Back in eighth grade, I had the biggest crush on a boy. He had gorgeous curly chestnut hair, was tall and thin, and looked incredibly sexy."

"Did you confess to him?"

From Duke's impression, Natalie was a bold girl, someone who wouldn't hesitate to steal boyfriends or roles. "Did he agree?"

"No!" Natalie put on a frustrated face. "I wasn't popular in school; I was always the target of bullying. He never even talked to me."

"So…" She took another sip of beer. "My first love ended before it even started."

Natalie's eyes sparkled again. "I told you about mine, so now it's only fair for you to tell me about yours."

"What do you want to hear?" Duke looked up at the night sky and admitted honestly, "Since entering Hollywood, I've never been in a real relationship."

"That's not fair!"

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Natalie seemed more excited now. She shouted loudly, "I said so much, and you only gave one sentence? How about this—tell me about your first love or the first girl you ever dated."