A mature and capable lawyer with Middle Eastern features like Amal Alamuddin was undeniably attractive. She resembled Anne Hathaway in some ways, but with a more mature and intellectual aura. More importantly, she was a lawyer.
To be honest, Amal was the most beautiful lawyer Matthew had ever met. Compared to her, even Lynton's lawyer wife seemed quite unimpressive.
Matthew's gaze once again swept over Amal. Her exotic looks, striking long legs, Oxford law degree, and an NYU law master's degree, all wrapped in a stylish Chanel dress—she was like a character straight out of a Mary Sue novel.
But unfortunately for her, that charm didn't work on him.
Though she was attractive, perhaps not more so than the actresses he often encountered in Hollywood, her lawyer status made her stand out. At the same time, it reminded Matthew that caution was key in these matters. If he were to pursue anything, it would require planning and leaving room for an exit strategy.
This woman had sought him out deliberately, clearly driven by a desire for fame. And anyone who becomes a lawyer is no fool.
"That was just a joke, Ms. Alamuddin," Matthew shifted the conversation smoothly. "Emma and I are good friends, nothing more."
Amal's perfectly arched eyebrows twitched slightly, puzzled by Matthew's response. Was this a rejection? Was it possible that someone like her, offering herself so openly, could be turned down?
For her career, she had laid everything on the table. Was Matthew Horner truly a gentleman, as the tabloids suggested?
Matthew certainly wasn't a saint, but this situation had unfolded too quickly, and he was cautious by nature.
"How about this, Ms. Alamuddin," Matthew couldn't bring himself to coldly reject such a beautiful woman, so he said, "I have a meeting tomorrow with Mr. Watson and Mr. Kane, and I'll make a decision after that."
Amal was no fool and immediately realized that Matthew intended to consult the firm before making a choice.
"I hope to hear good news," Amal said, standing up and extending her hand to Matthew. "I look forward to working together."
Matthew shook her hand. "I'm quite interested in the plans you've proposed. That's the outcome I'm hoping for as well."
Though he hadn't committed, he left Amal with enough hope to keep her in the running.
Amal continued to chat pleasantly, showing no sign of being fazed by her earlier bold offer. Before leaving, she circled back, seemingly worried Matthew might change his mind. "If we work together, I will fulfill every promise I've made."
The beautiful lawyer openly discussing what was, in essence, an under-the-table deal made Matthew feel no need to be coy. He gave her hand a firm shake. "I'm looking forward to it."
He walked Amal down to the hotel lobby before returning to the restaurant to join James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender for dinner.
"She left just like that?" James McAvoy looked incredulous. "Is this really Matthew Horner? I thought you two would head upstairs together."
Matthew kept eating his steak, not even looking up. "Do I seem like that kind of person?" He swallowed a bite of food and added seriously, "We were discussing legal matters."
Technically, he wasn't wrong. He and Amal had discussed her potential role in handling his case.
Michael Fassbender mused, "I didn't know London had such stunning lawyers."
James clapped him on the shoulder. "Michael, don't even think about it. A beautiful lawyer like her showed up right in front of Matthew, do you really think she's going to slip away?"
Michael sighed dramatically, "Why am I always a step behind?"
Matthew pointed a finger at them and said, "Aren't you both signed on for the X-Men series? There'll be plenty of beautiful women in a production like that. You two are the leads—it'll be easy to charm a few actresses."
"We don't even know if there'll be any beautiful women yet," James replied. "The only confirmed roles are ours and the director. The rest of the casting, including for Mystique, won't happen until later this year or even next year. Hopefully, the actress cast as Mystique will be gorgeous. Please, no Black actress."
Hollywood was increasingly moving toward casting a Black actor in prominent roles, especially in major film productions.
According to James and Michael, the new X-Men film, tentatively titled First Class, would center on Professor X, Magneto, and Mystique. Since both James and Michael were white, 20th Century Fox might feel compelled to cast a Black woman in the lead female role to meet social expectations.
In mainstream blockbuster movies, political correctness was paramount.
Matthew recalled watching X-Men: First Class and remembered the lead actress being someone nicknamed "Milk." If his memory served, she had played Mystique.
"What's wrong with Black women?" Michael Fassbender countered. "You guys have no idea what you're missing. Black women are something special. You'll never know until you try."
Matthew waved his hand dismissively. "I'll pass."
After dinner, the three of them went for drinks at a bar, but by nine o'clock, they had all returned to their rooms. There was filming to do the next day, and they needed to rest early.
The next morning, Matthew had two scenes to shoot. Once they were wrapped up, he reserved the same meeting room from the hotel. Just before noon, Dino Kane, the head of Doughty Street Chambers, arrived. Emma Watson also came, though her father did not.
After Emma made the introductions between Matthew and Dino Kane, she left the meeting. Matthew and Dino Kane discussed the case for over half an hour, ultimately reaching an agreement to collaborate.
Doughty Street Chambers not only handled UK cases but also specialized in international law. Since Matthew's lawyer, Wilson, only handled his Hollywood-related legal matters, Matthew and Doughty Street also discussed potential future collaborations in international matters.
Aside from his film career, Matthew's charity foundation, social activities, and business endorsements had all extended internationally. While there hadn't been any major disputes yet, it was inevitable that he would need legal support in the future.
Of course, this was just an initial agreement. The specifics would be handled by Amanda and Doughty Street Chambers in further negotiations.
As for the paparazzi case, Matthew agreed to let Doughty Street Chambers handle it.
Before they wrapped up, Matthew specifically asked about Amal Alamuddin, and Dino Kane gave her high praise.
Naturally, Matthew suggested that Amal represent him in this case.
Dino Kane had no objections. After all, it was just a minor case, and what he valued most was future collaboration with Matthew.
Even a firm as renowned as Doughty Street Chambers considered Matthew a top-tier client.
Once they finished, they scheduled the signing of the agreement for Saturday afternoon, when Matthew had no filming scheduled, leaving him free to visit the law firm.
That afternoon, Amal Alamuddin called Matthew, inviting him to dinner to discuss the case further.
Matthew politely declined, as Emma Watson had been spending her time with him at the Hilton Hotel and seemed unlikely to leave that evening.
Even Matthew hadn't anticipated that there would come a day when women would line up for a chance to visit his room.
He did, however, schedule a meeting with Amal for Saturday evening after the contract signing, intending to discuss the case in depth and perhaps have a broader conversation about their future collaboration.
As for the idea of inviting Amal over tonight while Emma was still around…
He had considered it, but he wasn't reckless. Though he and Emma had their arrangement, throwing another woman into the mix would surely cause a blow-up.
Keeping things as they were, in their "good friends" mode, was just fine.
Years from now, Emma Watson's list of rumored boyfriends would likely include his name, just as she would appear on his list of rumored girlfriends.
After wrapping up filming that afternoon, Emma Watson found him and followed him to the dressing room.
Anne Hathaway was visibly displeased. Ever since rumors about Matthew and Emma had surfaced, she had stopped talking to him outside of work.
Once, she had considered making Matthew her sugar daddy, but it was clear that wasn't going to happen anymore.
Her opportunistic nature led her to quickly blacklist Matthew.
"This is our last night in London," Emma said, poking at her salad in the hotel restaurant. "I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon."
"Where are you headed?" Matthew asked.
"I'm going to Rhode Island first, to visit Brown University, then to New York for a promotional event for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Emma explained.
"Wow, they're already on the sixth movie," Matthew said, reflecting on the time. He gestured at the table, "I remember when I first met you, you were only this tall."
Emma didn't respond to that, instead asking, "When are you going back to Los Angeles? I might be heading there too."
"I'm not sure yet. The earliest would be May," Matthew replied. "Once we finish the scenes in London, we still have a few to shoot in Tokyo. After that, I'll head back to LA."
They continued to chat as they finished their meal. After dinner, Emma followed Matthew back to his suite. Many people on set saw them together, but neither of them bothered to hide it. This wasn't the first time, after all.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]