As soon as Gilbert stepped out, Gwyneth Paltrow was waiting for him outside the door. Seeing him emerge, she quickly approached, asking with concern, "How did it go? Did it work?"
Gilbert nodded, replying, "Uncle Steven took the script and said he'd recommend it to the film company."
"I knew it!" Gwyneth Paltrow slapped Gilbert hard on the shoulder, making him wince in pain. She, however, seemed unfazed and excitedly added, "Since he's calling you 'uncle,' he must really think highly of you. With Godfather's recommendation, your script is sure to catch the eye of the film company executives."
Gilbert pursed his lips. He thought things wouldn't be so smooth. Nothing worthwhile ever comes without a few bumps in the road; that's how it is in novels, anyway.
Gwyneth Paltrow was quite the chatterbox: "The big stuff is sorted, let's go celebrate! How about a bar?"
Gilbert glanced at Gwyneth Paltrow, suspiciously asking, "You're not 21 yet, are you? Can you even get into a bar?"
Gwyneth Paltrow proudly declared, "Don't worry, I know a place without all those rules and restrictions. Just follow me."
With that, Gwyneth Paltrow grabbed Gilbert's hand and pulled him towards a bar to celebrate.
The bar was near a less-than-safe area of Los Angeles, close to a predominantly Black neighborhood. Since it was in this kind of area and hadn't caused any trouble, the LAPD generally ignored it. As a result, many bars there were frequented by young people under 21, and even minors.
Upon arriving, Gilbert saw a long queue at the entrance and told Gwyneth Paltrow, "Forget it, it's too crowded."
To his surprise, Gwyneth Paltrow simply pulled him straight to the entrance, showed a card to the bouncer, and they were let right in.
"Wow," Gilbert asked in surprise, "What kind of card is that?"
"Duh, it's a membership card, of course! I got it from my cousin," Gwyneth Paltrow said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. However, Gilbert suspected the card wasn't acquired so simply.
Regardless, they entered the bar and found an empty spot near the bar counter to sit down.
"What do you want to drink? My treat, as the future movie star!" Gwyneth Paltrow said generously.
Gilbert didn't display any gentlemanly manners at this moment, primarily because his pockets were empty, and he didn't want to pay.
"I'll have a Long Island Iced Tea," Gilbert said.
"Pfft, coming to a bar for a Long Island Iced Tea, only you would do that," Gwyneth Paltrow teased.
Despite her comment, Gwyneth Paltrow called over a server and ordered a whiskey and a Long Island Iced Tea.
Gilbert's eyes swept around, taking in the bar's atmosphere. Strippers swayed around poles on the stage, and in the center of the dance floor, many men and women indulged themselves freely. The seats next to the dance floor were also packed, with plenty of people exhaling smoke. Gilbert didn't believe they were just smoking cigarettes. Anyone who'd been there knew that in North American bars, marijuana and sex were two indispensable necessities; alcohol was secondary. If you wanted just alcohol, you'd go to a quiet pub, not here.
Gwyneth Paltrow took a few sips of whiskey and started feeling a bit lightheaded. The lack of parental supervision made her feel incredibly free. Seeing someone smoking marijuana, she said to Gilbert, with drunken excitement, "Gilbert, let's get some to smoke!"
With that, Gwyneth Paltrow started to move, but Gilbert stopped her.
"I don't do that, and I think you shouldn't either," Gilbert said.
If her parents had said that, Gwyneth Paltrow would have been annoyed. After all, she was in her rebellious teenage phase and felt her parents were interfering with her freedom. But coming from Gilbert, Gwyneth Paltrow listened.
"Alright then, I'll listen to you. Let's dance!"
Gilbert had no reason to refuse that, so they headed to the center of the dance floor, swaying their bodies to the pulsating beat of the music. Perhaps it was Gilbert's magnetic presence, but soon, he was surrounded by girls gyrating alongside him. Gwyneth Paltrow couldn't get close. Watching Gilbert enjoying himself, she pouted and returned to their seats.
While watching Gilbert dance, Gwyneth Paltrow rejected invitations from three different guys, her eyes fixed on him. The dance floor was dimly lit, and Gilbert couldn't really make out who was who, only feeling surrounded by many girls. The strong perfume nearly overwhelmed him with pleasure.
Just then, a hand like a snake began to roam over Gilbert's body, slowly moving downwards, casually unbuckling his belt, and then trying to go further. Gilbert flinched, quickly pushed away the snake-like hand, and fled, leaving a freckled, brown-haired girl in a miniskirt looking utterly bewildered.
Seeing Gilbert escape, Gwyneth Paltrow asked, "What's wrong?"
Gilbert was still shaken: "Someone was pulling down my pants..."
Gwyneth Paltrow paused, then burst into laughter: "Hahaha, so why didn't you just enjoy it?"
"Who knows if it was a person or a ghost? If I don't know them and they're not a beauty, I'm not interested," Gilbert said, taking a sip of his Long Island Iced Tea to calm his nerves. He mostly just hadn't expected it—were American girls this open? Just casually pulling down people's pants? Gilbert, with his Eastern soul, said he couldn't handle that kind of stimulation just yet; he hadn't adapted.
Hearing this, Gwyneth Paltrow stood up and grabbed Gilbert by the collar, pulling them close, almost face-to-face. They could feel each other's breath on their faces. At this distance, it was either an argument or a kiss.
Looking at Gwyneth Paltrow's thin, delicate lips, Gilbert finally couldn't resist and bit down. A flicker of triumph crossed Gwyneth Paltrow's eyes; she was pleased with her charm, then responded more passionately to Gilbert's kiss.
After exchanging some air, they finally separated. Gilbert quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself."
"You don't need to apologize," Gwyneth Paltrow said, pressing a finger to Gilbert's lips to silence his apology, then leaned in and kissed him again.
No one in the bar paid attention to their actions, as many couples were locked in embraces, making out, just like them. Even more, in many of the private rooms on the bar's second floor, people were engaging in humanity's most primal activities, releasing passionate desires.
After that kiss, Gwyneth Paltrow hooked her arm through Gilbert's and smiled, "Let's get out of here..."
"Of course..."
What happened next was simple: they left the bar, hailed a cab outside, and then continued kissing in the back seat of the car. Gwyneth Paltrow even wanted to take off her clothes, finding them annoying at the moment, but Gilbert stopped her. The taxi driver seemed accustomed to such scenes, keeping his eyes on the road and pretending not to notice.
Back at the hotel where the crew was staying, Gwyneth Paltrow pulled Gilbert directly into her room. Gilbert's room was shared with someone else, which wasn't convenient. Now, with no outside interference, they were able to explore the differences in male and female anatomy, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
After drinking and intense physical activity, they didn't even shower, sleeping straight through until the next morning.
When he woke up in the morning, Gilbert felt an empty space beside him, but the sounds from the bathroom clearly told him what had happened the night before.
"Sigh, is this moving a bit too fast?" Gilbert thought, looking at the chandelier in the room.
Just then, Gwyneth Paltrow finished her shower and came out, wrapped in a towel, drying her wet hair. Seeing Gilbert still in bed, she urged, "Darling, hurry up and shower, the crew will start work soon."
Overnight, Gilbert had successfully become "darling" in Gwyneth Paltrow's vocabulary. It seemed Gwyneth Paltrow didn't just see it as a memorable night but was interested in a long-term development. Gilbert didn't think too much about it, quickly showered, then slipped into his own room to change before getting to work.
And so, Gilbert and Gwyneth Paltrow continued to meet occasionally, exploring "physiological differences." They hadn't officially become boyfriend and girlfriend, but their relationship had clearly gone beyond friendship; it could be called a "temporary partnership."
However, the most important thing for Gilbert was the movie "The Shallows." Half a month had passed since Spielberg took the script, and the crew was nearing the end of filming, but there was still no news from Spielberg. Gilbert waited anxiously, anticipating the arrival of his opportunity.