As the interview drew to a close, Brian and Maria lowered their posters and listened intently as reporters on the stage posed their questions. The next person to stand was a teenage journalist.
Lily took the microphone handed to her by a staff mber and rose to her feet. “Matthew,” she began, “your last film, National Treasure, faced so harsh criticism. How do you handle all the negative reviews surrounding you?”
Hearing this question, Matthew shot her a slightly surprised glance. It seed the girl had grown up quite a bit to be asking a question like that.
“I tell myself to try and avoid negative reviews. I almost never read criticism of my own work.” Matthew delivered the sa practiced lines he’d used in previous interviews, all of it PR nonsense. “Sotis, you read a review that reminds you that you have to choose a path and that every role is a judgnt call. You have to live with the consequences. I’ve been in this business for a long ti, so I’ve grown pretty thick-skinned.”
His words carried clearly through the microphone, and good-natured laughter rippled across the Century City plaza.
“Thank you.” Lily politely handed back the microphone and sat down. She saw Matthew smiling at her and quickly smiled back.
Beside her, a reporter's question was aid at Charlize. “Ms. Theron, there are rumors in the press that you and Matthew have been house-hunting for so ti, preparing for marriage. Is there any truth to that?”
Charlize took the microphone and answered quietly, “Nothing of the sort.”
The reporter, undeterred, turned his attention to Matthew. “Mr. Horner, what's your response?”
Matthew vaguely made out the TMZ tag hanging from the reporter's neck and said, “Instead of an answer, I'd like to do sothing...”
He suddenly stood, and without warning, walked over to Charlize, dropped to one knee, and pulled a massive, pigeon's-egg-sized diamond ring from his pocket.
Every journalist in the press box was stunned. They weren't fools; they knew exactly what this gesture ant, and from this close, the glittering diamond ring was impossible to miss.
“Get this!” a reporter barked at his caraman. “Get this now!”
Other reporters scrambled, dropping their pens and notebooks to pull out cara phones, all lenses trained on Matthew to capture the mont in photos and video.
Lily's mouth fell open in astonishnt. Matthew... was he proposing to Charlize?
The male reporter from Yahoo Entertainnt next to her suddenly pushed forward.
“Let
through! Move!”
He shoved his way through the crowd, a single thought dominating his mind: he had to be the first to break this story for Yahoo Entertainnt. This was huge, the kind of news that would create a nationwide sensation.
Below the stage, the crowd of spectators, fans, and passersby instantly fell silent, every eye fixed on the couple.
Brian's eyes widened in shock, while Maria squeezed his arm tightly, her face a mask of happiness and anticipation as she stared ahead.
Matthew's voice rang out, “Sally, you're the most dazzling diamond in this world!”
Charlize covered her mouth, her body trembling with emotion as she rose from her chair, seemingly too overwheld to speak.
Seeing Charlize switch on her Oscar-winning acting skills, Matthew delivered his lines with exceptional sincerity. “Your happiness is the greatest goal of my life, and your smile is my greatest reward. My darling, will you marry ? Because making you my wife would be the greatest blessing I could ever ask for!”
“It's really a proposal...” Maria felt her heart pound as she pressed a hand to her chest. “It's so romantic!”
Charlize just kept her hand over her mouth, unable to utter a word.
Matthew asked again, “Will you marry ?”
Throughout the Century City mall, every cara and phone was pointed at Matthew and Charlize. Every reporter present was capturing the scene by any ans necessary.
At the far edge of the plaza, people were also pulling out their cell phones.
“Matthew Horner is proposing to Charlize Theron in the plaza in front of the Century City Mall!”
Within thirty seconds, dozens of similar calls flooded the phones of reporters and paparazzi, major and minor, all across Los Angeles.
Anyone with a nose for news knew a massive story was breaking.
“What are you waiting for?!” Maria watched as Charlize remained silent, her hand still covering her mouth, and shouted anxiously, “Say yes!”
Brian yelled out too, “Say yes!”
Hearing Brian's cry, the two dozen fans who had co with him also started chanting, “Say yes!”
Within ten seconds, the chant spread, and the plaza in front of the Century City Mall echoed with a chorus of voices.
“Say yes!”
“Be together!”
Finally, amidst the crowd's long-awaited anticipation, large teardrops began to roll from Charlize's eyes. She let her hand fall from her mouth and said to Matthew, “Yes.”
Matthew instantly rose to his feet, slid the glittering diamond ring onto Charlize’s finger, then cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
Below the stage, a smattering of applause broke out, quickly swelling into a massive wave.
“Congratulations, Matthew!”
Matthew's fans, standing near Brian and Maria, were cheering.
On the other side of the crowd, Charlize's supporters yelled back, “Congratulations, Charlize!”
Unfortunately, the number of Charlize's fans present was far smaller than Matthew's.
Amidst the outpouring of congratulations, Matthew and Charlize finally broke their kiss. The reporters in the press box looked like they were on the verge of storming the stage.
The press conference, naturally, couldn't continue. A delighted Goldsman signaled for the waiting security team, who quickly escorted Matthew and Charlize back inside the building. After a few brief closing remarks, the event was officially over.
Not a single reporter was complaining, however. They had a far more explosive story than they had anticipated, and now they wouldn't have to worry about finding headlines for tomorrow's gossip columns—or for the rest of the week.
...
Back inside the Century City Mall, Charlize followed Matthew into his dressing room.
“You morized your lines well. I almost thought you were being sincere,” Charlize said, dabbing at the tears on her face with a white handkerchief.
Matthew shrugged. “Sally, we need to get out of here quickly and head to the nearest hotel to get a room.”
Charlize couldn't help but roll her eyes. “Is that all you ever think about?”
Matthew stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Charlize. “I can't. Do you have any idea how attractive you are when you look this happy?”
He wasn't sure why, but there were monts when he found Charlize more attractive with her clothes on than off.
Of course, sleeping with an Oscar-winning actress was a completely different feeling, and it could even create the illusion that you had conquered Hollywood.
There was a knock at the door. Matthew released Charlize and said, “Co in.”
The door to the room opened, and Matthew's agent, Helen Herman, entered, followed by Charlize's agent and the producer, Goldsman.
“That went wonderfully.” Goldsman looked thrilled. “My assistant back at the office just called. The photos and the news of the proposal are already up on Yahoo Entertainnt. The view count instantly shot past ten thousand and broke a hundred thousand within five minutes.”
He made a decision on the spot. “For the next week of promotions, we're going to use Matthew and Charlize's proposal as the main selling point, not Mr. & Mrs. Smith itself. We'll use this to build even more hype.”
After that, Goldsman turned to Matthew and Charlize with an instruction: “And you two need to buy a house before the movie cos out.”
He thought for a mont and asked pointedly, “Matthew, didn't you ntion last ti that you had your eye on a mansion in Beverly Hills?”
Matthew shrugged. “I'm a little tight on funds at the mont.”
The mansion cost a fortune, and there was no way the team would pay for it.
“In that case...” Goldsman began after a short pause, “My brother is the head of a bank's credit departnt. I've spoken with him, and there won't be any problem easing the mortgage terms.”
Matthew considered it, then replied, “Alright.”
Helen agreed, “I'll help Matthew sort out the house as soon as possible.”
Both she and Matthew stood to benefit directly if the film was a box office success.
Goldsman then added, “A week after the film is released, Matthew and Charlize will have their engagent party.”
This was an arrangent that had been discussed long ago, and neither Matthew nor Charlize had any issue with it.
If Mr. & Mrs. Smith perford well during its opening weekend, their engagent party would keep the hype going, giving their film an extra boost against the Star Wars prequel, Revenge of the Sith, which was opening the following week.
The five of them gathered in the well-furnished lounge and discussed the plan at length, hamring out the finer details before finally departing around noon.
Matthew and Charlize, the two parties at the center of it all, were inevitably sward by reporters and paparazzi, but this was only the beginning.
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