Jennifer had just touched down in New York when she met Lucas at the airport. With a warm greeting, Lucas said, "Nice to see you."
"Hey," Jennifer replied, wrapping Lucas in a welcoming hug, then quickly inquired, "How have you been?"
"I'm doing just fine," Lucas responded as they began to walk together. He then turned the question back to her, "And you? Looking forward to your second Sundance?"
"Absolutely, I am. What about you?" Jennifer asked, her smile broadening.
"Definitely," Lucas returned the smile, and they continued chatting, making their way out of the airport together.
Lucas and Jennifer caught a taxi together. Jennifer queried, "We're headed to your place?"
Lucas confirmed, mentioning, "Yeah, I've got a rented apartment in the city," and added, "Felicity's already there, she arrived in New York yesterday."
Jennifer, slightly surprised, echoed, "She's already here?" This snippet captures a moment of casual yet significant connection among friends, highlighting their ease of communication and the spontaneity of their plans.
"Yes, she was eager to explore the city, so I ended up playing tour guide," Lucas replied with a smile.
"Sounds almost like a date," Jennifer teased, her voice carrying a hint of jealousy.
"A date, really?" Lucas laughed.
"Isn't it?" Jennifer pressed.
Noticing her tone, Lucas offered, "If you're feeling left out, we could tour the city together later."
"I'm not feeling left out," Jennifer quickly clarified, a touch embarrassed. She then shifted the topic, "Anyway, I'm not here just for leisure. I'm attending the NBR Gala."
Lucas, surprised, asked, "You're going to this year's National Board of Review Gala?"
"Yeah, it's in two days, on January 11th. I'm going for 'Winter's Bone.' Honestly, I was taken by surprise when I found out I was nominated for the breakthrough performance. It's such an honor, especially for a role that means so much to me," Jennifer shared, her excitement mixed with a touch of disbelief at the recognition her work on 'Winter's Bone' had received.
After her inquiry, Jennifer looked at Lucas, curious, "And you, Lucas? Were you nominated for anything at the NBR?"
Lucas simply shook his head, adding, "No, I didn't get nominated for any category, nor am I attending..."
Jennifer, somewhat surprised, replied, "That's unexpected, especially with your stellar performance in '127 Hours,' and its box office nearing 100 million. It surely warrants some recognition, doesn't it?"
Lucas responded with a smile, "I'm not too surprised about the nomination. The NBR has a knack for highlighting indie films, much like yours. '127 Hours,' while indie, had a considerable budget and an established director. It's only fair that other, smaller projects get the spotlight too."
Jennifer responded to Lucas's modesty with a warm smile, playfully challenging his humility. "You're too modest. But I still think the NBR should have at least recognized your performance," she asserted.
Lucas, ever optimistic, brushed off the concern. "Let's not dwell on it. There are still the Golden Globes and the Oscars ahead," he suggested confidently.
Jennifer couldn't resist teasing him further, "Now you're just being overly confident! Golden Globes? Oscars? Do you really think you'll get nominated?"
Lucas, unfazed, simply smiled, "Why not? I think I have a shot."
Their banter continued, light and playful, as they made their way to their destination.
---
When Jennifer arrived at Lucas's apartment, she found Felicity absorbed in something on the computer.
As soon as Felicity heard the door open, she spun around to see Jennifer and Lucas entering.
"Nice to see you again, Jen!" Felicity exclaimed with a smile.
"Great to see you too, Fliss," Jennifer responded warmly.
"Fliss" was a special nickname that Lucas and Jennifer affectionately used for Felicity during the making of "Like Crazy."
"What's got you so engaged?" Jennifer inquired, noticing Felicity's focus on the computer.
"I was just diving into something Lucas showed me—" Felicity began, only to be cut off by Jennifer's curiosity.
"Lucas showed you something? What was it?" Jennifer prodded, eager to know.
Meanwhile, Lucas was in the kitchen, whipping up a meal for them.
"It's called 'Bitcoin,'" Felicity explained, browsing through information online.
"Bitcoin? What's that?" Jennifer asked, her curiosity piqued even further.
"It's some kind of digital currency," Felicity tried to explain, struggling to recall Lucas's exact words. "Basically, it's like online money."
"Online money? So, you mean it can be turned into real cash?" Jennifer pressed on.
Felicity nodded. "The fascinating part is how you can 'earn' it by doing something called 'mining' on your computer. It somehow generates real money while you do nothing—just let the computer 'mine' it for you. That's how Lucas explained it," she shared, summarizing the concept with a hint of wonder.
"It does sound fascinating," Jennifer said, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. "Is Lucas making a fortune off it?"
Felicity couldn't help but laugh at that question. "Actually, not really. One bitcoin is only worth about 0.30 dollars right now. And mining all day might only net you 8 to 10 dollars, assuming the computer runs non-stop."
Jennifer pondered this for a moment, then said, "Well, making money without lifting a finger isn't too shabby, all things considered."
"That's what I thought," Felicity agreed. "But Lucas—" she glanced around and lowered her voice before continuing, "Lucas is really betting on Bitcoin blowing up big time in the future."
"Seriously?" Jennifer was taken aback.
"Yes, he believes that Bitcoin will become a widely used currency because it allows people to transact directly with each other, without any central bank or government control..." Felicity shared quietly, as if revealing a secret.
"Oh, isn't that risky?" Jennifer, who was new to the concept of Bitcoin, asked.
"I thought so too, but Lucas is quite optimistic about it. He believes in its potential as a decentralized digital currency. He's already holding thousands of bitcoins and plans to invest even more," Felicity divulged.
"Hmm... That does sound fascinating," Jennifer mused, just as Lucas came back into the room with their meals.
"Seems like you two have been deep in conversation?" Lucas observed with a smile.
"We were just discussing your fascination with Bitcoin," Felicity revealed.