Martin skillfully handled the reporters while shielding Nicole Kidman as they made their way to the car. Gordon and a few other bodyguards formed a protective circle around them, ensuring the journalists couldn't get too close.
Once inside the car, Nicole let out a sigh of relief and turned to Martin. "Did I cause trouble for you?"
Martin smiled. "Don't stress, Nicole! I've never been afraid of trouble. I loved your performance tonight, and I'll make sure to reward you properly later. I'll make all your stress disappear."
His words, combined with his wandering hands, made Nicole blush.
With the Oscars now over, the atmosphere at the Sunset Tower Hotel was buzzing. Some guests proudly showed off their golden statuettes, others mingled and networked, while a few were already planning how to make the night more exciting.
Many celebrities who hadn't walked the Oscars red carpet at the Kodak Theatre were now making appearances at the after-party at the Sunset Tower Hotel. Among them was Drew Barrymore.
She approached Martin and Nicole with a glass of wine in hand, swirling the red liquid as she eyed the two. "So, tonight?" Drew suddenly asked.
"Not tonight. Martin's all mine tonight!" Nicole replied firmly, tightening her grip on Martin's arm. In her heart, this night was special, and she wasn't willing to share it with anyone else.
Martin nodded in agreement. "How about another time, Drew?"
Drew didn't press the issue and simply laughed. "No problem!" She raised her glass to Nicole. "Nicole, I admire your courage. Really, I do."
She then chatted with Martin for a while about Blue Sky Studios. "We've acquired the rights to Ice Age 1 from 20th Century Fox. From now on, the franchise will be entirely under Myers Pictures."
"Oh, and Martin, about the Prison Break script you provided—I've already assigned someone to adapt it into a novel. No need for you to handle it personally."
"Have you decided on the lead actor yet?"
After wrapping up their work-related conversation, Drew tactfully excused herself, leaving Martin to Nicole.
She made her way to the buffet table, where she found Cameron Diaz, who was enthusiastically devouring a hamburger. The famously big-mouthed actress was clearly starving.
In Drew's eyes, Cameron took one huge bite, and half the burger disappeared. Another bite, and the rest was gone.
"Holy crap!" Drew exclaimed. "Cameron, you might want to tone it down a bit. There are reporters around, you know!"
Cameron waved her off. "Image? No, no, no. Right now, all I care about is filling my stomach! Let the reporters snap away—I couldn't care less!"
"Are you really that hungry?"
"Come on, Drew. You know how it is. Before the Oscars, we women go through hell to fit into these dresses. I haven't had any protein or fat for two weeks—just fruit salads, fruit salads, and more fruit salads. I'm so sick of them, I could puke."
"By the way, I saw you chatting with Martin earlier. What's going on between you two?"
Drew laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "Relax, I've told you before—I don't mind if Martin has other women."
"So, you've slept with Martin? And he's slept with other women too?" A voice suddenly interrupted from behind, startling Drew.
She turned to see a young man in a black suit, with a clean-cut appearance, walking toward them.
"Who are you, and why are you eavesdropping on our conversation?" Drew shot back sharply.
"Hey, Drew, let me introduce you. This is Justin Timberlake, my new boyfriend. He's a singer," Cameron quickly interjected, pulling Justin over to smooth things over.
"Justin, this is my good friend Drew Barrymore, the president of Myers Pictures."
"Nice to meet you, Drew. Cameron's told me a lot about you," Justin said with a smile, extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you too, Justin. Next time, maybe announce yourself before sneaking up on people," Drew replied, shaking his hand but still looking a bit annoyed.
Curious, Drew turned to Cameron. "So, you two are together? How did you meet?"
Justin jumped in before Cameron could answer. "We met at a party. Cameron was standing on the balcony, holding a glass of wine, with the sunset behind her. The breeze was blowing through her golden hair, and I was captivated at first sight. I pursued her relentlessly, and two weeks later, we became a couple."
Hearing this, Cameron blushed and leaned into Justin, flashing a sweet smile.
Drew thought Justin sounded a bit pretentious, but seeing her friend so happy, she decided not to say anything.
After chatting for a while, Justin suddenly asked, "Drew, sorry if this is out of line, but from what I overheard earlier, are you also involved with Martin? And you really don't mind him being with other women?"
Drew's eyes twinkled mischievously. "You must have misheard. What I said was, if I were with Martin, I wouldn't mind him having other women."
"Really?" Justin looked skeptical. "You're so close to Martin. Haven't you been drawn to him?"
"So, Justin, why are you so interested in Martin's love life?" Drew countered.
Justin hesitated, then laughed awkwardly. "Just curious, that's all."
Drew giggled. "In Hollywood, no one likes a nosy guy. Hey, Cameron, you might want to teach your new boyfriend a thing or two."
Cameron shrugged. "Alright, alright. Justin, you heard her. In Hollywood, if you want to survive, you've got to keep your eyes, ears, and mouth in check. Don't listen to what you shouldn't, don't look at what you shouldn't, and don't ask what you shouldn't."
"Okay, my bad. Sorry," Justin apologized with a smile.
Not far away, Martin, who was chatting with Leonardo DiCaprio, glanced over and raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He remembered that in the original timeline, Justin had dated Cameron Diaz after breaking up with Britney Spears. It seemed that, even in this timeline, Justin had ended up with Cameron, despite not having pursued Britney. The inertia of time was indeed powerful.
However, without the boost from his relationship with Britney and with several of his hit songs having been preemptively written and released by Martin in his new album, Justin hadn't achieved the same level of fame as he had in the original timeline. As a result, he was in a weaker position in his relationship with Cameron.
"What are you looking at?" Leonardo noticed Martin's distraction and followed his gaze. "Oh, that guy? I think his name's Justin Timberlake. He had a thing with Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. I didn't hear they broke up, though. How'd he end up with Cameron?"
Martin frowned. "How do you know that?"
Leonardo shrugged. "Gisele and Fergie are friends. At a party, she introduced Fergie and Justin to me. I saw them getting pretty cozy myself."
"Wait, I thought you and Gisele broke up?" Martin asked, surprised.