"Come this way, let me introduce you to a few friends," Johnny Depp called out to Matthew in the Black Mamba bar. Setting his drink aside, Matthew followed Johnny upstairs.
Before coming, Matthew had called Johnny. The two got along well on the set of "Pirates of the Caribbean," and since Johnny was free, he agreed to join him at the bar.
Reaching the second floor, they entered a relatively quiet private room where a man and a woman were seated. Upon seeing Johnny, they both stood up.
The man, almost as tall as Matthew, wore old clothes and boots that were visibly worn out. His unkept black hair framed a face with some Eastern features, giving him a somewhat unkempt appearance.
The woman appeared to be in her twenties, with a delicate and pretty face. She had broad shoulders and a prominent bone structure but her near six-foot height gave her the air of a model rather than bulkiness.
Matthew recognized both from their films.
"Sal, Keanu, this is Matthew Horn, my partner from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and my friend," Johnny introduced Matthew to them. Turning to Matthew, he said, "Matthew, this is Charlize Theron and Keanu Reeves, my friends."
Matthew stepped forward to greet them. He had heard from James McAvoy during his first visit to Black Mamba about Johnny, Keanu, and the late River Phoenix, who were known for their notorious partying and drug use.
Johnny and Keanu had been shaken by River's death and had since steered clear of cocaine.
As the evening progressed, Matthew, initially cautious around the famous actors, began to loosen up after a few drinks.
"I don't understand what Warner Bros is thinking," Keanu lamented during their conversation about movies. "They've scheduled 'The Matrix 2' and 'The Matrix 3' for release in May and November of next year. The gap is too short!"
Charlize tried to be reassuring, "Maybe they have their reasons."
Despite Keanu's status, he had no say in the film's distribution.
"They're probably desperate to recoup costs and make a profit," Matthew commented, hitting the nail on the head.
Keanu agreed with him, "Warner Bros must be eager to recover their investment."
Charlize gave Matthew a look before he added, "Us actors... we just watch it happen."
"Forget about it!" Johnny patted Keanu's arm. "It will be a huge hit. What's there to worry about? You got your fee."
The four continued to drink. Charlize lit a cigarette and asked Matthew, "You don't mind, do you?"
Considering everyone else in the room was an acquaintance, she asked out of courtesy.
Matthew replied with a smile, "Go ahead."
Despite her elegant appearance, Charlize's habits of drinking and smoking sharply contrasted with her refined looks, giving her a somewhat masculine air.
Initially, Matthew thought Charlize and Keanu were a couple, but during their conversation, he realized they were just close friends, similar to 'besties' according to a slightly tipsy Johnny.
"Cheers!"
After another round, Matthew poured everyone a small glass of brandy and asked Charlize, "Were you a model before?"
Her build clearly indicated professional training.
"Yes," Charlize extinguished her cigarette. "I modeled in Europe."
Matthew nodded, "You have that model's aura. Must have been a red carpet killer."
Charlize wasn't modest, "I suppose." She lit another cigarette, took a puff, and exhaled slowly. "You're not bad yourself."
Matthew laughed, "Apart from male models, I haven't seen many actors with a better figure than mine."
Possibly due to the alcohol, Charlize didn't mince words, "I've noticed, you're quite narcissistic."
"Am I?" Matthew never felt that way. "Where did I show narcissism?"
Charlize drained her glass, burped, took a drag of her cigarette, and asked, "Want to know?"
"Tell me," Matthew said.
Before Charlize could answer, Johnny chimed in, "Matthew, are you trying to hit on Sal? You're not thinking of chasing her, are you?"
Keanu added, "Just so you know, Sal already has a boyfriend."
"You're overthinking it!"
In retaliation for the narcissism accusation, Matthew put on a serious demeanor, stood up, and stepped back, "When I first saw Miss Charlize Theron, I knew she was a goddess, akin to Aphrodite herself!"
Johnny and Keanu held back laughter while Charlize looked at him sideways.
Matthew continued theatrically, "A goddess is to be admired from afar."
Johnny clapped, "Bravo! Matthew, you could win the Razzie next year!"
Keanu joined in, "Is this an unconventional confession?"
Matthew returned to his normal tone, "It's just a man's admiration for beauty."
By now, Matthew was quite drunk, which was evident in his speech.
Fortunately, he remained coherent enough not to do anything inappropriate. From Johnny and Keanu's tone, they didn't seem to think much of Charlize's boyfriend.
But that wasn't Matthew's concern. After his performance, he sat down and continued drinking.
"You're not just narcissistic..." Charlize blew smoke towards him, "You're also thick-skinned."
Matthew downed his brandy, "Sal, everything I said was the honest truth!" He gestured around, "Don't your fans see you the same way?"
Charlize stubbed out her cigarette, "Just a vase, that's all."
"A vase? What's wrong with that?" Matthew pointed to himself, "I'm a male vase, living a carefree life. Isn't that great?"
Charlize gave him another look, "I must admit, you do make a good male vase."
"Thanks," Matthew took it as a compliment, "Being a vase star is easy and fun."
He sighed, "No need for drastic weight changes, no getting stuck in roles, no delving into the minds of the mentally ill. Just maintaining a good figure is more interesting than chasing acting skills."
Charlize huffed, "Everyone has different pursuits."
"Right, different pursuits." Matthew picked up Charlize's cigarette pack, "Like this. You find it enjoyable; I see it as torture. You have your pursuits, I have my pleasures."
Taking back her cigarettes, Charlize muttered, "A man with no aspirations."
Matthew handed her a glass, "Come on, let's drink!"
Charlize raised her glass, "Cheers!"
They continued drinking in the private room until nearly 1 AM, leaving the bar tipsy. Matthew, too drunk to drive, called for a designated driver.
One of the drivers took him back to his Burbank home. Matthew was so drunk that he fell asleep on the couch without even showering. Fortunately, he didn't have a severe hangover the next morning, though he felt the unpleasant effects of his indulgence.
"Drinking is fine..." he mumbled, staggering to the bathroom, "but moderation is key."
After showering, Matthew checked his phone and found that he had exchanged numbers with Keanu and Charlize the previous night. Sometimes, alcohol could indeed bring people closer.
In the following days, Matthew didn't meet with Johnny again but rested at home. After a day, he resumed his planned life until his vacation ended and he returned to Disney Studios for filming.
The remaining scenes of "Pirates of the Caribbean" would be shot in Los Angeles, sparing him the hassle of overseas travel and making his work somewhat easier. On the first day back, Helen Herman specifically came to the studio to find him.
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