Chapter 268: Are You Asking Me to be a Pimp?

[Chapter 268: Are You Asking Me to be a Pimp?]

"Link, where have you been? It took you forever!" Quentin complained as Link returned.

"I ran into an acquaintance and chatted for a bit," Link shrugged.

"Do we know them? Should I invite them over to join us?" Madonna evaluated him with a curious glance, leaning casually against his right side.

"It's Nicole Kidman and Cindy Crawford; they're probably leaving soon," Link observed as he saw Cindy assisting Nicole as they prepared to depart.

"I didn't know you were familiar with them," Madonna winked.

"We all work in Hollywood here. Who isn't familiar with each other?" Link replied.

"Hey, Link, want to go dance?" Angelina Jolie had returned to his left side.

"Not dancing; let's just sit and chat," he replied.

"Okay!" Angelina said sweetly, linking her arm through his.

After returning to their booth, Link engaged in conversation with a few people. When Tom Hanks announced he was leaving, Link said his farewells to Quentin and Madonna as well.

...

"Link's quite an interesting guy," Madonna remarked, her gaze following him as he left.

"Interesting? The guy's a workaholic, a bit stiff, and not very fun," Quentin scoffed.

"You don't understand. He might seem a bit dull to you men, but for us women, Link is like the strongest lion on the African savanna. He's smart, strong, brave, and energetic, radiating a kingly aura. A man with those qualities is irresistibly attractive to us women. After seeing him, I suddenly realized how ordinary the guys I used to admire were," Madonna said, her expression serious.

Quentin sneered, "Come on! He doesn't have any kingly aura! Three years ago, he was living in a cheap apartment, nearly got evicted for not paying rent, and had to wash dishes in a restaurant because he didn't have enough to pay the bill. I didn't see any women flocking to him back then. Now, you women are all around him because he's a billionaire and a famous director, and those glitzy titles make him seem more appealing. Without that, he's just another handsome guy, just like me."

Madonna shot him an annoyed look. "He is a billionaire; am I not rich? He's a famous director; is my fame any lesser? Plus, I've encountered plenty of big shots over the years. Seeing so many, Link seems rarer and more attractive to me. Not only does he have a youthful and handsome appearance, but he also possesses a mature and steady demeanor, a charming wit, and a distinguished character. He can discuss literature and philosophy on television or joke around in a bar like an ordinary guy. Men like him are one of a kind in this world, and it's hard for a woman not to be drawn to him."

"Alright! Enough! You're not making any sense. You're not even talking about Link anymore," Quentin grumbled, annoyed. As a man, he couldn't understand why there had to be such a disparity in the appeal between men. He still believed that if Link weren't a billionaire, he wouldn't be nearly as captivating.

Madonna flashed a sultry smile and inched closer to Quentin. "Quentin, we're friends, right? Would you do me a favor?"

"What?" Quentin asked, his guard up.

"Next time you hang out with Link, remember to invite me. I want to have more conversations with him."

"Are you asking me to be a pimp?" Quentin frowned.

Smack! Madonna playfully hit his arm. "Don't say it like that! I could have arranged to meet Link privately; I just got too excited when I saw him earlier and came on a bit strong. I must have startled him. I hope that through more contact, he'll come to know I'm not some promiscuous bad girl."

"Ha!" Quentin scoffed. After the release of Reservoir Dogs, he'd made some critical comments about Madonna and her song Like a Virgin. Madonna had then called him to express her irritation, even sending him some risque art photos to open his eyes to her world.

As their acquaintance grew, he learned she wanted to become an actress. He had, rather purposefully, crafted a seductive role for her in his new film, Four Rooms, with a few sultry scenes. He intended to charm her, but now here she was, acting like a starving wolf after small prey, wanting him to help her pursue Link.

What was going on here?

Link was a real piece of work.

"Come on, are you going to help me or not?" Madonna pressed, patting his arm.

"I'm not helping."

"I can share more of my art photos with you; I guarantee you'll like them," Madonna offered with a grin.

Quentin thought about her photos, swallowed hard, and nearly nodded in agreement when suddenly a wave of anger surged within him. Damn! Why can Link get her body, while he only got some photos?

...

"Have you been getting any roles lately?" Link asked as he returned to the van after seeing Tom Hanks off, with Angelina following closely behind.

"I picked up a small role in May, but I've mostly been in classes. Remember what you said about how a good actor should keep learning, read more books? It really helps with understanding characters and plots," Angelina said while playfully shaking her lengthy legs.

"Right. You've got a real talent for acting. If you pour more effort into it, you'll do great in the future," Link complimented.

"Really? If there's an opportunity, would you work with me again?" Angelina asked, her face lit up with a hopeful smile.

"Of course! I like working with familiar faces," Link replied.

"That's amazing! Thank you, Link," Angelina chirped, throwing her arms around him, pressing her chest against him.

Initially wearing an oversized denim jacket, she took it off once in the car, revealing a white camisole and denim hot pants with her chestnut curls cascading over her shoulders. At nineteen, she had developed an enviable silhouette -- long legs, a slender waist, and although her upper body didn't surpass Monica or Jennifer Connelly, she still looked attractively youthful.

Link, however, didn't want to get involved with her in that way. The reason was simply that girls her age often had too little experience; their minds brimmed with fantasies, unstable in their desires for diamonds, flowers, love, and companionship. They were hard to please, often feeling dissatisfied no matter what they received, kind of like Winona Ryder.

Mature women were different. They had experienced life's ups and downs; they understood how rare diamonds and flowers were. A little kindness from him made them immensely happy, and they cherished it all the more.

Deal with a single young girl or deal with multiple mature women at the same time? Which was better use of his time?

"I forgot to ask about your band. Are you all still performing?" Link poured a soda for Angelina.

"We don't perform anymore," she said, clutching his arm.

"It all started when Liv Tyler had to leave for classes early, and Joaquin got new role auditions. Ryan and I followed suit after Final Destination blew up; we all became big stars, and there weren't enough hours in the day for touring anymore. That tour hosted twenty-one shows and sold 330,000 tickets, with our album hitting over two million in global sales. We made a nice chunk of change," she smiled.

"That sounds great."

Grim Reapers Band had donated over three million dollars to charitable organizations during their tour, gaining recognition from Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and other media outlets as a "Charity Stars." It was also the teenage band that donated the most last year.

Several members of the band also became famous with Final Destination and two music albums, becoming a new force in the European and American music scene.

"Link, this is all thanks to you. If it weren't for you, I'd still be stuck with small roles. You completely changed my life," Angelina said, gazing at him intently. She was snuggling closer, her breath becoming a bit rapid.

"Those accomplishments were yours. You all worked hard and earned this. I didn't do much to help," he replied.

"No, you really changed me. Before meeting you, I thought those guys who dressed all edgy were so cool, looking down on the ones in formal wear, thinking they were dull. Getting to know you made me realize you are the best man in the world. You're so amazing and powerful, those other guys can't compare to even a strand of your hair," Angelina declared, tightening her grip on his arm.

Her cheeks flushed a deeper red as she nervously said, "Since meeting you, I've started changing myself. I stopped wearing heavy makeup and revealing clothes, quit drinking and smoking, and gave up rebellious behavior because I know you don't like girls like that."

Link noticed her makeup was indeed different, with a reduced rebellious vibe, but there was still some wildness to her nature.

"Link, I like you; I really do. Can I be your girlfriend?" Angelina asked, her cheeks tinged with pink, her heart racing.

"Angelina, you're in school. You should date someone your age. I have a lot of girlfriends; I'm not suitable for you," he answered carefully.

"I understand, but I don't care. Can you kiss me?" Angelina looked into his eyes, her gaze fixed intently on him.

Link sighed. Is this how women are nowadays? He had just sent one off and now another seemed to be approaching him.

*****

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