Chapter 334: Personal Assistant

"Matthew! Matthew! Are you pursuing Miss Theron?"

"Matthew, Charlize, are you guys dating?"

"Charlize, you've always been friends with Matthew, has he won you over?"

At Los Angeles International Airport, Matthew and Charlize Theron were bombarded with questions from over a dozen entertainment reporters as soon as they appeared at the terminal exit.

However, both wore sunglasses and did not respond, simply pushing their luggage towards the exit.

The reporters, persistent, continued to follow and pepper them with questions even as Matthew and Charlize got into their car and drove away.

As they left the airport, Matthew glanced back, knowing that the reporters would likely follow them to see if he and Charlize would get off at the same place.

"Where's your assistant?" Matthew asked Charlize as he turned on his phone.

"She's handling some things for me; I had a lot of stuff shipped over from South Africa, she's coordinating that," Charlize replied, shaking her head.

Speaking of assistants reminded her of something. "Didn't you mention you were looking for a personal assistant a while ago? Did you find one?"

Matthew shook his head, "I interviewed a few candidates but didn't find the right fit. Then I got busy and let it slide."

"I could recommend someone?" Charlize suggested, turning towards him.

"Sure," Matthew nodded.

"Kara... my redhead assistant, she's been with me for several years," Charlize explained. "Her sister moved to Los Angeles last year after graduating from college and is currently interning at a newspaper. I've met her a few times, and she seems pretty capable."

Considering a recommendation from a familiar face often felt more reliable than hiring a stranger, Matthew pondered for a moment and then agreed. "Sounds good. I'm free over the next couple of days. Could she meet tomorrow or the day after? I'd like to meet her."

Charlize quickly made a call and after a brief conversation, confirmed, "How about tomorrow afternoon?"

"That works for me," Matthew replied, "Let's say 2 PM at Nolte Café on Grand Avenue."

Charlize relayed the details over the phone and they set the appointment for the following afternoon.

About ten minutes later, Charlize got off first, and the black car then drove Matthew to his home in North Burbank.

Seeing no further drama to capture, the reporters soon dispersed.

Back home, Matthew unpacked his luggage—a task made lighter by his travel in first class, which spared him the usual fatigue of long flights. He then sat down in his study to catch up on the emails that had accumulated over the past few days.

Matthew maintained two email accounts—one for work and one personal, the latter known only to a few.

The work account was overflowing with dozens of unread messages, many of which were from job seekers; his posting for a personal assistant was still active on a recruitment site.

Matthew didn't respond immediately, preferring to wait until he had met Charlize's recommendation.

Other emails included interview requests from magazines and newspapers—clearly sent to the wrong address; these should have been directed to his agency or Helen Herman.

Switching to his private email, which only a few knew about, he found just two unread messages.

One was from Elena Boyar, asking if he and Charlize were actually an item. Matthew deleted this without response—the movie they starred in together wouldn't premiere until May, and it wasn't the time to address such questions.

The other email was from Lily Collins, who sent him two messages each month since he gave her his email. The content was typical of a teenage girl's diary, but this time, Lily asked if she could interview him for a youth magazine.

Aware that teenagers were his largest fan base, Matthew considered the request. He replied, directing her or her magazine to contact Helen Herman and provided the public relations department's email at Angel Agency.

The benefits of such an interview, in terms of enhancing his appeal among young fans, would be better assessed by Helen Herman and the agency.

He knew the magazine Lily wrote for had a significant teenage readership, and having a column there was partly due to her talent and partly her family background.

In Hollywood, a good family background could be quite advantageous. Matthew had heard stories about Robert Downey Jr., who, despite skepticism from many studios after his jail time, still found considerable support due to his industry connections.

His phone rang, and Matthew quickly answered it after seeing the caller ID. "What's up, Elena?"

Elena Boyar's voice came through, "You're back in LA? I just saw some photos my team took at the international airport."

"Just got home," Matthew replied, walking towards the window. "Haven't finished unpacking yet."

Elena continued, "I sent you an email a couple of days ago, did you see it?"

Pretending confusion, Matthew responded, "Haven't checked yet."

"What's going on

 with you and Charlize?" Elena pressed, "Are you two together?"

Standing by the window, Matthew switched the phone to his other hand, "Can't say just yet, I'll let you know if there's any news worth sharing."

The call ended soon after.

As night fell and it neared 9 PM, Charlize called to confirm that her assistant would bring someone to meet him at Nolte Café the following afternoon. She was busy and wouldn't be able to join them.

After lunch the next day, Matthew drove his black Mercedes G-Class to Grand Avenue, a vehicle that indeed turned heads, especially since his endorsement contract with Mercedes meant he could no longer drive his BMW X5.

Though he had earned a significant amount over the years, he had purchased only this relatively modest luxury car, and his plans for a lavish house remained just plans—quite modest compared to the extravagant lifestyles of many Hollywood stars.

Aware of the fleeting nature of fame, Matthew preferred to invest wisely rather than splurge. He liked luxury cars, beautiful women, and fine houses and was willing to pay for them, but he always knew where to draw the line.

He didn't want to end up like Nicolas Cage, forced to take on any and every role just to pay bills.

Apart from movies, endorsements were a major source of income, and Helen Herman was exploring opportunities at the level of his Mercedes G-Class deal or higher—though such endorsements also depended on luck and timing.

Entering the café, Matthew immediately spotted Kara with her distinctive red hair. She introduced him to her sister, Bella Anderson, a redhead like herself but with shorter hair.

After Kara left them to buy something for Charlize, Matthew and Bella sat down to discuss the job—his requirements were similar to those he had for Kara, but the conversation was straightforward and professional.

After a few more days of interviews, Matthew chose Bella to be his new assistant, and she resigned from her newspaper internship to start working with him at the end of January.

Just into February 2005, Matthew received a call from Disney Studios.

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