Los Angeles. Leith Bar. 10 PM.
As soon as Zane Blackwood walked into the bar, the loud music hit him. Thump! Thump! Thump! People were shouting and dancing like crazy.
Zane frowned. He didn't really like bars anymore.
In his old life, he used to love this stuff. But that version of him was long gone. Now, he just felt tired.
"My dear," his girlfriend, Adriana Lima, asked, holding his arm, "you really don't like places like this, do you?"
Zane nodded. "Yeah. But Charlize invited us so warmly. I couldn't say no."
Charlize Theron?
Adriana wasn't worried. She knew Zane wasn't interested in Charlize. But she came along anyway, just in case. You never know what happens when people drink too much!
They walked through the crowd to a private VIP booth.
"Hey, Zane! You made it! And Lima, too!"
Charlize jumped up to greet them. She was sitting with two other men.
"Zane," she joked, "do I need to introduce them to you?"
"No need," Zane smiled warmly. "I think everyone in Hollywood knows these two. Johnny Depp and Keanu Reeves. I'm pretty sure I've heard those names before!"
Zane knew them well.
Johnny Depp was the future "Captain Jack Sparrow." In Zane's old life, Johnny had a lot of crazy scandals. But right now, he was just a very talented actor known for weird, artistic movies like Edward Scissorhands.
"Mr. Blackwood, good evening!" Johnny Depp said, standing up.
He was... surprisingly respectful. Almost humble!
Zane was confused for a second. He always thought Depp was arrogant. But then he realized Oh! He's not a huge box-office star yet. He knows I'm a powerful boss, so he has to be polite.
Zane smiled. He understood the game.
Keanu Reeves stood up, too. He was quiet and polite.
"Zane," Johnny laughed, "don't let Keanu fool you. A few years ago, he was way more arrogant. He probably wouldn't even have talked to you!"
"Really?" Adriana asked, her eyes lighting up. She loved gossip!
"It's true," Keanu admitted, not angry at all. "I used to be wild. But... after my friend died from drugs, I decided to change. I left all that behind."
A friend? Adriana wondered.
Zane knew who he meant. It was River Phoenix, the "Golden Boy of Hollywood." He was a genius actor and the older brother of Joaquin Phoenix (the Joker).
"Oh, by the way," Keanu said suddenly, "I haven't thanked you properly for giving Joaquin the lead role in your movie, Wrong Turn."
Zane waved his hand. "You don't have to thank me. Joaquin got that role because he worked hard and he's talented."
"I still want to thank you," Keanu insisted. He was a good friend.
The rest of the night was fun. Zane had been working so hard on his new TV network and his movie Juno. He deserved a break.
He looked around the table. Charlize, Keanu, Johnny... they were all famous for being a little "eccentric" or weird. And here they were, all hanging out together. Fate was funny.
Zane, who rarely drank, had a little too much fun that night. He got drunk pretty fast!
...
The Next Morning...
Zane woke up in his own bed.
"Ugh," he groaned, holding his head. "My head is killing me!"
He promised himself he wouldn't drink cheap bar alcohol again.
Ring, ring, ring!
His cell phone rang. It was his lawyer, David.
"Boss!" David said, sounding upset. "You finally answered! I called a dozen times!"
"Cut to the chase," Zane groaned. "What's up?"
"Boss," David sighed, "did you forget? You are supposed to visit the UPN Television Network today!"
UPN?!
Zane sat up, instantly awake.
He had completely forgotten!
There was nothing to say. He had messed up. He jumped out of bed. A promise was a promise, and he couldn't break his word without looking bad. He had to go!
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