With Mrs. Bezos joining the party, the atmosphere became even livelier.
Luca met her briefly, exchanged a few words, and then returned to the kitchen. Old Schwartz hadn't moved from his spot.
The elderly figure had his back turned to the lively crowd, his head nodding as if he were dozing off.
The head chef across from him thoughtfully dimmed the lights, even quieting the noise of the cooking.
In the dim corner, it was almost too quiet.
"Hey, Karl, you can go ahead and rest early," Luca gently patted his shoulder.
Old Schwartz shook his head, turned to look at the lively party, Mrs. Bezos in the crowd, and the young Felix.
He opened his mouth but sighed after a long pause, "The publishing house hasn't been this lively in years. I like it this way."
"Don't worry, Karl. Felix is very talented!" Luca poured him a cup of hot tea.
"Yes!"
Old Schwartz picked up the teacup, suddenly remembering something. "Luca, your wine's been warmed. Aren't you going to drink it?"
"What wine?"
Luca asked, confused.
Old Schwartz pointed to the table. There was a white porcelain bowl with half a bowl of steaming hot water, holding a wine cup, the same one Luca had just used.
Luca smirked. This old man was truly clueless, couldn't even take a joke.
"Haha, Karl, thanks for warming the wine for me."
Luca picked up the wine cup and downed it in one gulp.
"How is it?"
Old Schwartz chuckled.
Luca smacked his lips. Sake didn't have much flavor to begin with, and after heating, all the alcohol evaporated, leaving it tasteless.
He smiled slightly and gave a thumbs up.
"Tastes great!"
"Hey, Luca!"
As they were chatting, a middle-aged man in a suit approached, introducing himself.
"My name is Paul Rich, investment manager at Summit Entertainment."
Summit Entertainment? Luca looked at him quizzically. Could it be about rights?
"Hello, Mr. Rich. What can I do for you?"
"Yes, our company is preparing a major production, and I think one of the key roles would be perfect for you. Are you interested?"
Luca pressed his lips together. This guy was clever, taking the indirect approach.
"I'm somewhat interested. Please, have a seat!" Luca gestured.
"Thank you!"
After chatting for a while, Paul Rich left, satisfied.
"You agreed to it?"
Old Schwartz tilted his head and asked.
Luca shrugged, "I just agreed to persuade Kate. Whether she agrees is up to her."
"Haha, but isn't this your decision to make?" Old Schwartz laughed.
"No, no, Kate's in charge of this one," Luca insisted.
Before long, another person approached.
"Hello, Mr. Kelly. I'm the director of investments at New Line. I have a role..."
As Luca listened, he slowly smirked. So, everyone thinks I'm easier to talk to? Well then, let's chat.
"I'm interested. Please, Mr. Heyman, have a seat!"
"Thank you!"
By around 7 p.m., the party had ended.
Spring had come, and with longer days, it still wasn't dark by the time the party was over. The western sky was half-covered in night while the other half was still daytime, as the night slowly pushed the day toward the horizon, preparing for a prolonged encounter.
In the twilight, a Mercedes van slowly drove west.
Inside, Luca leaned back in his seat, staring at the sunroof, exhaling the wine's aroma.
Kate leaned on his shoulder, holding a white, violet-patterned invitation.
"Look, Luca, this is a gift from Mrs. Bezos — an invitation to the Betty Reading Club."
"What's that, some kind of book club?" Luca asked, puzzled.
"I don't know!"
Kate looked toward Nina.
"It's a semi-public feminist organization," Ms. Nina chimed in.
"The club was founded by Betty Friedan, a renowned American feminist activist and social reformer. She was also a writer. Her works include *The Feminine Mystique*, *The Second Stage*, and *The Life So Far*."
Nina paused. "Betty founded two organizations in her lifetime. One was the National Organization for Women, where she served as the first president. She even convinced the U.S. President to sign an executive order banning gender discrimination. The second organization is the Betty Reading Club.
The first group was a national women's organization open to all, with low membership requirements. Any ordinary woman could join.
The second one is more like an elite club for intellectual women who've made significant achievements in various fields worldwide. To become a member, you need to be recommended by three board members.
Maggie Bezos happens to be one of the board members.
With *Twilight*'s success in North America and Europe, you've become a role model for female writers around the world, which is why you're qualified to be a provisional member. To become a full member, you'll need to pass a three-year assessment."
"Sounds pretty impressive," Kate suddenly felt the invitation in her hand getting heavier.
"Of course it is,"
Ms. Nina glanced at the invitation, her eyes green with envy. "The First Lady, Melinda Gates, Anna Wintour, and many other famous women you know are, or once were, members of this club. Pretty powerful, huh?"
"Wow~ Big names!"
Kate exclaimed, feeling the weight of the invitation increase even more.
"So, should I join?"
"Do you even need to ask?"
Ms. Nina looked at her helplessly. "Being a club member is a status symbol. If you were just a supermodel or millionaire, don't even dream about it. Only because you're a world-class bestselling author do you qualify.
This invitation isn't just a club membership; it's practically a pass into high society. Countless women would kill for this. You really want to pass it up?"
"Is that so?"
Kate raised her eyebrows. "Luca, what do you think?"
"I don't know. Don't ask me about women's stuff," Luca said, holding his head, feeling a headache coming on.
Kate was already quite overbearing. If she joined this feminist group, who knows what she would become.
To be safe, he didn't really want her to join.
But then again, this club sounded so prestigious, like the Skull and Bones society. Joining would definitely have major benefits, such as connections, resources, and information.
Having this status would be like having extra insurance, making Kate's future in the fashion world more secure.
Turning it down would be foolish.
"Emmm~, okay, I'll join and see how it goes!"
Kate made a cheerful decision.
Luca sighed quietly. The future was looking tough.
The day after the party, Kate, Nina, and their group flew to Paris.
Luca was left alone in the apartment, resuming his two-point routine: apartment to set, back and forth.
(End of Chapter)