Chapter 345: Gal Gadot

Charles Capet drove his car with Gal Gadot away from North Highland Avenue directly onto Highway 1, planning to head to Malibu Beach Pier for a night out.

"Gal, the hottest bars in Los Angeles are in West Hollywood. But where we're going, near Malibu Beach Pier, the night view is prettier and it's quieter!" Charles said, lightly patting her thigh. Holding the steering wheel with his left hand and caressing her leg with his right was his favorite move.

When they arrived at Malibu Beach Pier, near the lagoon and Malibu Point, Charles took Gal Gadot into a bar.

"Charles, aren't there a lot of big stars living around here?" Gal Gadot removed her trench coat, revealing a short skirt underneath, looking even sexier.

"Yeah, many Hollywood stars and wealthy people have beachfront villas around here," Charles said since he also had two villas at Dume Point on the west side of Malibu Beach.

Near Pepperdine University, he had even given Megan Fox a villa at Puerco Beach.

"There are often Hollywood stars relaxing here," Charles said, raising his glass to clink with Gal Gadot's, the smooth saxophone music and warm, dim lighting creating a relaxing atmosphere.

"I've heard lately that downtown L.A. hasn't been very safe," Gal Gadot asked.

"When has downtown L.A. ever been safe?" Charles shook his head. "I wouldn't dare walk alone on certain streets at night, especially now with the economic downturn, more unemployment, and an increase in homeless people."

Indeed, the richer you are, the more afraid you are of death.

Charles said, leaning close to Gal Gadot and holding her tight, asking, "Who was the guy who came looking for you at the party last time?"

Gal Gadot kissed Charles on the cheek and then smiled, "Just a friend I met at a gathering in Israel, he's in real estate, mostly in Tel Aviv."

Well, Tel Aviv is practically the capital of Israel since Jerusalem is split with Palestine and is only the official capital.

However, Israel has almost swallowed up all of Palestine over the years, becoming the little bully of the Middle East.

"Gal, aren't you going to stay in L.A. for a long time? If not, you might miss a lot of opportunities in your acting career," Charles reminded her. "You can't fly from Tel Aviv to L.A. every time you have an audition, can you?"

It seemed like Gal Gadot was considering living in Israel permanently.

Gal Gadot sighed and hesitated, "I'm just a newcomer, so I won't have many opportunities."

"Aren't you going to shoot the big Universal movie Fast & Furious 4 soon?" Charles blew a breath into her ear, "Besides, don't you have me? I'll make sure you get opportunities in the future!"

Gal Gadot, because of her Jewish heritage, had indeed received some care since coming to Hollywood, but as a newbie with no acting experience, she certainly needed more opportunities to gain experience.

Hearing Charles's words, Gal Gadot's eyes brightened. She knew how powerful Charles Capet was.

"I think I'll stay in America long-term," Gal Gadot decided. Hollywood is full of opportunities!

"Good," Charles said as he kissed her on the lips.

...

Meanwhile, at the Roosevelt Hotel near the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Evelyn Capet was having coffee with Nancy Josephson, the former co-president of ICM (International Creative Management).

ICM, founded the same year as CAA (Creative Artists Agency), was a top player in Hollywood in the '90s, established by Nancy's father, Marvin Josephson.

Just like CAA's and ICM's foundations and growth involved poaching talent, ETA's foundation and development also relied on poaching from ICM.

After all, the founder of ETA was a former ICM employee. Nancy Josephson, a top law graduate from Brown University and Harvard University, joined ICM in the mid-'80s and became a co-president, the highest position for a woman in an agency.

After Marvin Josephson sold his shares to other partners, Nancy Josephson grew her career in the agency world herself.

Last year, Nancy Josephson left ICM and joined ETA as a senior partner.

Now, ETA had firmly established itself as one of Hollywood's top three agencies, trailing only behind CAA and just surpassing UTA.

"ETA's rapid growth over the past few years is definitely thanks to you, Evelyn," Nancy Josephson smiled.

"Charles helps me a lot," Evelyn wasn't modest at all, given it was her son, after all.

Nancy Josephson nodded, "ETA is now strong in movies, TV, music, sports, and games; teaming up to take on CAA seems like a good choice."

Yes, the oldest talent agency in Hollywood, William Morris Agency, is in talks to merge with the new ETA.

Evelyn smiled, "I agree. We need to expand. The film and TV industries are down, so we need to open up other businesses. Entering the sports agency business requires giving investors confidence, so they will invest!

Even though our management model is outdated, the deep resources and network we have are what we need. TPG Capital also supports our merger to become Hollywood's biggest agency."

Nancy Josephson nodded, "With the writers' strike, Hollywood's at a standstill, losing $20-30 million daily. More people in the industry are becoming unemployed. This isn't a good sign. Talks between the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Writers Guild fell apart in a day!"

"We can only wait," Evelyn said, feeling helpless.

"Any progress on Charles buying Arsenal?" Nancy Josephson asked.

Evelyn shook her head, "I arranged people in London to work with Charles's consultants. The rest depends on Charles's skills. Our power in the UK is very limited!"

Nancy Josephson smiled, "Charles has good judgment. Hollywood aside, he's now breaking into sports entertainment, first buying the UFC, and now eyeing a Premier League club."

"Looks like his entertainment empire is about to expand into a major new business."

*****

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