Chapter 84: Drunken Stupor

There was no denying that Nancy Josephson was a pragmatist, but she was also a highly professional agent.

Even though her commission and profit share from The Rock hadn't come through yet, Nancy already saw Duke as a massive future cash cow. Moreover, she could tell that Duke, like all successful men in the industry, had no taboos about one-night stands.

This gave no cause for criticism. Even if the media caught wind of it, no one would say much. However, having worked in this circle for years, she knew that traps often lay hidden behind certain beautiful women.

Besides, this was Hollywood. No bizarre scandal was out of the question, and Nancy didn't want to see her most promising client fall victim to a setup.

Therefore, she gave him a solemn warning.

"Duke, it's perfectly normal for you to like young, beautiful women, but remember this: you must never touch a girl under eighteen! Even if she's willing! No one can guarantee there isn't another Samantha Geimer or Brett Barnes among them. Minors are a forbidden zone that public figures absolutely cannot cross!"

"I'm not that stupid." Duke nodded solemnly.

He knew both of the children Nancy had mentioned. The former was the key figure in Roman Polanski's rape case, while the latter's relationship with Michael Jackson was currently being hyped by media worldwide at the center of a child molestation scandal.

With so many cautionary tales out there and beautiful women everywhere in Hollywood, Duke wasn't stupid enough to break the law. In many states across the U.S., including California and New York State, having relations with a minor—whether consensual or not—would bring massive trouble if the other party turned around and bit you. You could easily end up behind bars for years.

Beautiful women or his career? In Duke's eyes, it wasn't even a choice.

Weaving through the party crowd with Nancy, Duke skillfully greeted people and exchanged compliments. Humans were social animals, and networking was an essential activity in everyone's life. Constantly broadening one's connections often served as a vital boost to a career.

"Nancy..."

Finally extricating himself from the crowd, Duke pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to his agent. "Starting tomorrow, I'm leaving all the affairs for the new movie to you."

"And what about you?" Nancy Josephson asked.

"I'm going to rest. I'm taking a vacation."

Seeing her raise an eyebrow, Duke spread his hands. "I've been working non-stop for two years. My mind and body are exhausted. Until The Rock finishes its theatrical run in North America, I'm going into vacation mode."

"Alright. I'll get in touch if anything comes up." Nancy pointed at the young girls passing by. "Go relax, but don't forget what I told you."

Waving a hand casually, Duke plucked a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. He skirted the densely packed crowd on the lawn, picked a relatively quiet path, and headed toward the tables by the swimming pool.

He had barely walked a dozen feet when a blonde girl cut across the lawn. Holding a glass of red wine, she seemed to be staring at the ground in deep thought, walking straight into his path as if she couldn't see him.

Duke, however, was paying attention. Spotting her wine glass and the impending collision, he immediately halted. The exceptionally tall blonde brushed past him. Whether intentional or not, the red liquid splashing from her tilted glass fell entirely onto the grass.

"Ah..."

Duke's sudden stop must have completely thrown her off, drawing a surprised gasp from her lips.

Her back and face seemed a bit familiar. Duke frowned but didn't say anything. He gave her one more glance and prepared to leave.

"Sorry, I didn't see you."

The girl reacted exceptionally fast, turning around to stand in front of him. "I didn't bump into you, did I?"

"It's fine."

This kind of drama played out at many Hollywood parties, and Duke paid it no mind. Before he could say anything else, however, the girl hit exactly the right note of pleasant surprise. "Are you Duke Rosenberg? The director of Speed and The Rock? I absolutely love those two movies!"

Hearing words that sounded like they belonged to a future die-hard fangirl, Duke shifted his previously indifferent gaze entirely onto her.

The girl stood about five foot nine. Her eye-catching, medium-short blonde hair was definitely bleached, and her striking facial features formed a beauty that would rank at the very top even in Hollywood. Though her skin was tanned to a healthy wheat color, her Germanic or Northern European heritage was obvious.

She was the kind of girl who would instantly turn heads in any crowd on looks alone. This was especially true with her tall, sexy figure poured into a tight pale-yellow dress. Clearly honed by strict physical training, she was a natural clothes hanger.

Even though she still looked quite young—maybe sixteen to eighteen—Duke had seen enough of her photoshoots, street snaps, and movies to recognize her without much difficulty.

"Director Rosenberg, it's truly a pleasure to meet you."

Like all the girls in Hollywood hungering for fame and searching for opportunities, she immediately extended a hand and introduced herself. "I'm Charlize Theron. I just moved from New York to Los Angeles."

"Hello, Miss Theron." Duke gave her hand a light shake.

"Just call me Sally," she said, testing the waters. "Can I call you Duke? Ah, thank you!"

"Can I buy you a drink?" Charlize Theron's warm, beautiful smile made it hard to feel any aversion to her. "As an apology."

This girl from South Africa possessed an experience and maturity that belied her age. Her method of hitting on him might have been incredibly basic, but it was the most common tactic at these parties. Her past experience struggling in the modeling and ballet circles—industries even more fiercely competitive than Hollywood—meant she always knew exactly what to say to close the distance between them.

Besides, a beautiful and charming girl could always win a man's favor.

"I came with a few friends."

Sitting at a table by the pool, Charlize Theron maintained a bright smile on her seemingly cold, glamorous face. "It was just luck that we even got into this party. My agent really had to pull some strings."

"But to actually meet you..." She clinked her glass against Duke's and boldly knocked back her whiskey in one gulp. "I absolutely love your movies. I love all the dazzling explosions and special effects."

"Thank you."

Duke only took a small sip. While her beauty could only be described as a feast for the eyes, he wasn't going to take such nonsense seriously. He waved a waiter over for two more drinks and asked casually, "What about your friends? Aren't you together?"

"Them?"

Staring at Duke, Charlize Theron's eyes darted around before she pointed to a white house not far from the pool. "They found some people with shared interests. They should be partying over there."

"The atmosphere out here is too stiff." She stood up suddenly, walked right up to Duke, and leaned down to pull him to his feet. "That place is much better for young people. Why don't we go join them?"

His meeting with the Fox executives was over, and the obligatory socializing was mostly done. He had already pawned off his work affairs onto Nancy Josephson. Plus, since he was planning on taking a vacation to relax anyway, Duke naturally didn't refuse. After Charlize Theron killed another glass of whiskey, she pulled him along in a slightly wobbly walk toward the house.

The distance between the two areas was only a hundred feet or so. As Duke followed Charlize Theron through the open door into the white house, he was nearly choked by the billowing smoke. The smell was all too familiar—just marijuana, a Hollywood staple.

Deafening heavy metal, brightly colored drinks, curling smoke, tin foil held up to noses, and men and women living in a drunken stupor...

"Don't like it?" Charlize Theron asked suddenly.

"The music is too loud!" Duke pointed at his ear.

Although people called him a noise machine, it didn't mean he enjoyed heavy metal.

"Let's go upstairs."

The second floor was relatively quieter. Finding a long sofa, Duke sat down and joked around with Charlize, completely ignoring the beer cans offered by a few nearby women. Basic self-preservation was mandatory in a place like this. No one knew what had been slipped into those beers, and he had no intention of becoming a junkie.

For the most part, Duke just chatted casually with Charlize Theron. No one could deny that talking to a beautiful woman was both enjoyable and relaxing. Even though she had an agenda, he wasn't exactly an innocent saint himself. Almost everyone in this room had gathered with their own ulterior motives. No one was any nobler than anyone else.