The Bentley smoothly stopped in front of a seaside villa in the Newport Beach area. Duke unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed a bottle of champagne from the back seat, a gift for the occasion. He had chosen the most common party present, not the two items Sofia had sarcastically suggested.
Getting out of the car, Charlize Theron came over and hooked her arm around his. Although it was already early October, and the weather in the greater Los Angeles area had cooled significantly, she was still dressed in tight denim shorts and a snug T-shirt, flaunting her stunning figure. Her long, smooth legs gleamed enticingly in the afternoon sun.
The villa wasn’t particularly large, with a small front yard. Based on the typical layout of seaside houses, Duke guessed there was probably a private beach behind it. Charlize’s friend clearly had more success than she did, but considering Cameron Diaz had already been a top model before transitioning to Hollywood, having a place wasn’t surprising.
"Hi, Sally." Chapters fırst released on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
The door opened to reveal a blonde woman with a smile as bright as the midday sun. After giving Charlize a quick hug, she turned to Duke. "And this is your esteemed guest?"
"Hello, Miss Diaz," Duke said, handing over the gift.
"Oh, thank you." She accepted it graciously. "No need to be so formal, just call me Cammie. Can I call you Duke?"
It was evident she knew who Duke was.
"Of course," Duke nodded, following the two women inside.
The living room was nearly empty, with no signs of a party yet. Cameron Diaz led them towards the back.
"Everyone’s on the beach," she said, shrugging helplessly. "The agency called a couple of days ago about a last-minute event this weekend, so most people couldn’t make it. I’m so disappointed."
"But Sally," she looked at Duke with a grin, "bringing a big director with you is the biggest surprise today."
"It’s my honor to be here," Duke replied politely.
As they stepped out the back door, the space opened up to a soft sandy beach. The setting sun painted everything in a golden hue, and in the distance, the calm sea gently lapped at the shore like a lover’s soft kiss.
However, all of this was easily overshadowed by the sight of the women on the beach. Their swimwear showed off healthy, toned bodies, the kind of athletic physiques that spoke of rigorous training. Even with Duke’s untrained eye, it was clear that most of them were either current or former models.
Duke’s gaze flicked to a corner of the private beach, where he caught a surprising scene — among the few men present, two young guys were openly kissing in full view of everyone...
Suddenly, Duke felt a chill down his spine. He had no issue with same-sex relationships, but witnessing such a scene still made him uncomfortable. If it had been two women, that would have been different.
"Don’t mind them," Charlize said, giving him a little nudge and steering him towards the changing rooms. "It’s like that in the modeling world. If a male model doesn’t become gay, he won’t stand a chance."
Pushing open the door to the changing room, Charlize pulled Duke inside without hesitation and asked, "What size swim trunks do you wear?"
"Something loose," he replied.
The host had clearly prepared for the occasion, and Duke found a pair that fit. He looked over at Charlize. "Aren’t you going to change into a swimsuit?"
"I’ve already picked one," she said casually, holding up a skimpy black bikini. Then, without a hint of embarrassment, she began to undress.
Duke wasn’t surprised. Everyone knew that during fashion shows, models changed backstage without private dressing rooms, so changing in front of others was a common occurrence in their world.
Raising an eyebrow, Duke quickly averted his gaze from her smooth, tempting body and hurriedly changed into his swim trunks while Charlize was busy.
Still, in that brief moment, Duke confirmed what rumors had long suggested — Charlize Theron was the perfect clothes hanger. In luxurious outfits, she always radiated elegance, but without clothes, she wasn’t as stunning as she appeared in them.
"Didn’t expect you to be in such good shape," Charlize commented, glancing at him appreciatively.
In high school and college, Duke had been a quarterback, so he was naturally strong. Even in the past two years of work, he exercised almost every morning and kept a close watch on his diet, knowing how easily white people could gain weight. His body was in great shape, with well-defined muscles, though not as exaggerated as those male models outside.
"Well, your figure isn’t bad either," Duke said, giving her an appreciative once-over.
Charlize crossed her arms behind her back, deliberately emphasizing her curves, allowing Duke to take in the view without any reservations.
"Hey, Sally! Duke!" came Cameron Diaz’s loud voice from the other side of the door. "Are you two ready yet? You’re not hooking up in there, are you?"
Sharing a laugh, Duke and Charlize stepped out. Cameron Diaz had changed into her swimsuit too, and her tall, slender figure made her look even more delicate than Charlize.
"If you’re that impatient, I have guest rooms," Cameron teased, but Duke responded with a playful, predatory look, letting his gaze linger on her minimal coverage.
"I wonder if Miss Diaz would care to join us?" he retorted with a challenge in his tone.
"As long as Sally doesn’t mind," she shot back, unfazed.
Of course, Duke wasn’t about to take the joke seriously. Smiling, he followed Cameron Diaz into the crowd.
The party was typical of young gatherings — alcohol and marijuana were in abundance. These models usually maintained strict diets, but when given the chance to cut loose, they didn’t hold back. A few were already clutching bottles, drinking as if there was no tomorrow.
Just as Duke joined the party, he was bombarded with drinks. Knowing his limits, he realized that if this continued, he’d be down for the count in no time.
"I’ll take over the grilling," Duke said, spotting a barbecue setup near the edge of the beach, using it as an excuse to escape. His departure was met with some rowdy cheers.
"The big director is personally grilling for us! We might not get another chance ."
"I’d rather try some of the director’s meat instead."
"You can go ask him."
"Watch your mouth, Sally’s still here..."
This was the epitome of Hollywood’s private parties. In these settings, no one took harmless jokes too seriously. These events were all about cutting loose. If you couldn’t handle it, you could leave, but no one was forcing you to stay.
Ignoring the banter, Duke walked over to the grill, switched on the electric barbecue, and placed some skewers on it. Looking up towards the crowd, he saw Charlize Theron walking over, her long legs striding across the sand, a bottle of liquor in one hand and two glasses in the other.
"Don’t take it to heart," she said, coming around to Duke’s side. "They’re just messing around."
"Why would I?" Duke replied, flipping the skewers and scanning around. "Help me find some seasoning."
Charlize rummaged around but came back shaking her head. "Looks like Cammie didn’t prepare any."
Picking up a couple of bananas, Charlize glanced over at the crowd. "Not that anyone will care about barbecue. The pot party’s started."
"Sally! Duke!" Cameron Diaz called, waving at them with a homemade joint between her fingers. "Aren’t you coming over?"
Duke waved back, then switched off the grill, tossing the skewers into the trash. Charlize came over and asked, "Not interested?"
"Not in that stuff," Duke replied firmly.
Charlize’s eyes lit up as she put down the bananas, poured them both a drink, and sat down on the sand. "Then let’s drink here."
"That sounds good to me," Duke said, peeling a banana and handing it to her after taking a bite.
Ignoring the crowd’s wild antics, the two of them sat behind the grill, chatting and drinking like they had on the night they first met, casually making fun of the others. Whenever they got excited, they’d clink their glasses and take a swig.
"Sally, you know, you’re the most beautiful actress I’ve met since coming to Hollywood," Duke said, clearly a little tipsy.
"Then why did you reject me last time?"
"Yes, you did invite me last month."
"I called to invite you to my birthday party."
Hearing that, Duke’s lips curled into a smile as he staggered to his feet. "Why don’t we borrow one of Cammie’s rooms and keep drinking?"