After getting a call from Jolie in Cambodia, Corin rushed to inform Pitt and then hastily departed.
Pitt himself was dejected. Couldn't the woman spare even a mont? Was she really going to lose everything over a single day?
He unconsciously thought of Jennifer, who was always so accommodating...
Frustrated, he stepped out into the corridor, pulled out his cell phone, and dialed Jolie's number, ready to confront her.
Jolie didn't answer. After he called a few more tis, she simply switched her phone off.
Pitt was furious. She wouldn't even take his call.
"Fine," a crisp female voice declared. "I'll wait here."
Hearing the voice, Pitt turned and saw a young woman in her mid-twenties who had been stopped by security for not having an invitation.
His eyes went first to her face, to her icy-blue eyes, before taking in the rest of her.
She wore a figure-hugging red dress, and her face, bust, and overall figure were nothing short of stunning.
He recognized the stunning young woman. He'd wanted to introduce himself at the Oscars last month, but unfortunately, Jolie had been with him. Besides, the woman was always at Matthew's side.
Now, Jolie was gone, and Matthew was nowhere in sight...
From his earliest days of fa right up until his relationship with Jolie, Pitt had been just as much of a playboy as Matthew—if not more so.
He started toward Alexandra, a curse forming in his mind. To hell with Angelina, and to hell with Matthew.
He recalled Matthew's confident deanor in the ballroom and contrasted it with his own dejection. A woman Matthew would walk the Oscar red carpet with had to be important to him. How would Matthew react, he wondered, if he swooped in and stole her away?
Pitt took a mont to straighten his suit, then strode over to security before taking the initiative to greet Alexandra. "Hello."
Alexandra glanced at Pitt, a little surprised that such a big star was approaching her, and replied, "Hello."
"She's with ," Pitt said to the security guard. "Let her in."
Hearing this, Alexandra felt a flicker of confusion. A quick ntal check confird she'd never t Brad Pitt, let alone had any dealings with him.
The security guard imdiately stepped aside. "Right this way, then."
Alexandra, however, didn't move. She had spent a great deal of ti with Amanda over the years and had learned to be cautious.
Pitt flashed a charming smile. "I'm Brad Pitt. And you are...?"
Alexandra replied politely, "Alexandra Daddario."
"Miss Daddario." Pitt offered her his arm. "Allow
to escort you inside."
To be fair, Pitt knew how to turn on the charm and had a way with won; otherwise, he wouldn't have been the most popular male star among Arican housewives.
But Alexandra was thoroughly unimpressed. Having spent so much ti around a man who was head and shoulders above Pitt, she had long since developed an immunity to such charms.
"Thank you, but I'll have to decline. I've already called the person I'm eting, and he'll be here shortly."
Pitt, however, didn't give up. "Then let's go inside and wait for him together."
Alexandra's gaze went past Pitt, toward the entrance to the ballroom.
Matthew had just stepped out. He saw Alexandra looking his way and smiled, though he also noticed a man standing with his back to him.
The man's back looked vaguely familiar, but Matthew didn't give it much thought and started walking toward her. Then he overheard their conversation.
"Miss Daddario, here's my number. If you ever need any help in the future, just give
a call. Might I have your contact information as well? I have a production company, Plan B, and we're about to start investing in a few films. We're looking for wonderful actresses just like you."
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Alexandra declined in a calm but firm tone. Then she smiled at Matthew. "There you are."
Pitt turned his head and saw Matthew approaching.
Matthew recognized Pitt but ignored him, walking straight to Alexandra and asking with concern, "Have you been waiting long?"
Alexandra smiled and shook her head. "No, not at all."
As she spoke, she looped her arm through Matthew's.
Only then did Matthew look at Pitt. Despite his annoyance, he kept his expression perfectly neutral and said politely, "Hello, Pitt."
Pitt replied in kind, "Hello, Matthew."
Matthew said nothing more and led Alexandra toward the ballroom. Pitt watched them go, his thoughts turning to what Corin had said about the Wachowskis, before heading into the ballroom himself.
Once inside the ballroom, after navigating a few waves of people wanting to say hello, Matthew asked, "Everything all right?"
Alexandra nodded. "I'm fine. It seems Pitt was trying to entice
with the promise of a role."
Matthew felt a surge of irritation. There had been plenty of gossip about him and Alexandra lately, and Pitt had seen them together at the Oscars. He couldn't believe Pitt was pretending not to know they were involved.
"It's fine," Alexandra said, noticing the flash of irritation on Matthew's face. "I turned him down."
Still, she was amused that it clearly bothered him.
***
"Matthew," Zack Snyder greeted him, then turned to Alexandra. "Hello, Anna."
As Alexandra smiled in return, Matthew reached out and shook Zack's hand. "How've you been?"
Zack grinned. "Can I just say sothing?"
He didn't wait for Matthew to answer. "This is absolutely insane! Every studio head in Hollywood wants to et with . I'm starting to feel like the most popular guy in the world."
"You've earned it," Alexandra said with a smile.
Matthew nodded in agreent. "Enjoy it."
Zack smiled, but he was clearly level-headed about it all. "So, how about we work together again? You probably know I've secured the rights to 'Watchn' from Warner Brothers and DC Comics."
Matthew shook his head, lowering his voice so only the three of them could hear. "Sorry, Zack. I'm not interested in doing a superhero movie."
Zack didn't press the issue. "That's a sha."
The two chatted for a few more minutes before Zack excused himself.
Helen took his place, remarking, "You've got a tail."
"You an Pitt?" Matthew asked.
Helen glanced at Alexandra, then replied, "Yes. He's been watching you from across the room ever since you brought Alexandra in."
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