Rose Pictures—what a lovely name. But the word "rose" comes with a bit of baggage. In English, "rose" is "Rose," which happens to be Rose Byrne's first name. Naming the studio Rose Pictures might make it seem like it's all about buttering her up.
Facing Natalie's clear, suspicious eyes, Dunn didn't want to hide anything. "Hey, babe, I've got something to tell you."
"What's up?"
"You know Rose Byrne, right?"
"Yeah, she's my friend…" Natalie's voice trailed off. She was sharp—real sharp—and caught on instantly. Her expression shifted slightly. "When did this happen?"
Dunn came clean. "It was at the Saw wrap party last time. A bunch of Aussie actors showed up. Nicole was looking to move out and start her own thing, so she introduced me to Rose."
"And you just took her in?" Natalie's tone turned icy.
Dunn coughed lightly. "Uh… Nat, you know how it is. She's gorgeous, totally captivating. No guy could resist her charm."
Natalie smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Wow, you're really laying it all out there, huh?"
Dunn spread his hands, playing innocent. "I've always been honest with you. Besides, I don't think it's a big deal. Rose just stepped into Nicole Kidman's spot—one out, one in, you know?"
Natalie laughed, but it was the kind of laugh that meant she was pissed. "One out, one in? Dunn, you're shameless. What, are women just toys to you?"
"Not exactly. You're my girlfriend—I'd cherish you, love you with all I've got. Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet—they're good friends. As for some other women…" Dunn shrugged, his expression casual, letting the implication hang.
Natalie bit her lip hard. "What about Rose Byrne, then? And Charlize Theron? Sophie Marceau?"
Dunn grinned. "Jealous?"
"Answer me!"
"It's been too short a time to tell. If we get along well enough, even if things change later, we'd still be friends." Dunn was straight with her, then leaned in, lowering his voice with a sly smile. "Don't worry, Nat—they're nothing like you."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're the only one who's given me everything, body and soul. They… they can't hold a candle to you."
His voice was quiet, but it still made Natalie blush hard. She shoved him with her small hand. "How can you just say stuff like that? This is Hollywood—girls here have been around the block. If you're into virgins, go hit up a high school or something."
"Fair point. I'd rather not break the law!"
Dunn raised his hands in mock surrender, looking helpless. He was a big name now—he had to watch his step. Look at Michael Jackson: didn't do much, just kissed a few kids, and rumors trashed his rep. Lesson learned.
"Jerk!" Natalie rolled her eyes big-time and huffed. "The new company's called Rose Pictures. I've decided."
"Huh? For real?"
Natalie puffed out her chest, brimming with confidence. "What's the big deal? It's just Rose Byrne. I'm your girlfriend—she's, what, a fling at best? I'm not sweating the small stuff. That'd be beneath me."
"That's my girl—classy as hell!"
Dunn burst out laughing, planted a big kiss on her cheek with a loud "mwah," and felt his mood lift.
…
Dunn woke up naturally, stretching out. Alessandra Ambrosio, who'd been on his right, was gone. On his left, Adriana Lima was still curled up like a kitten, snoozing against him.
Top models like them were obsessed with staying in shape. Unless something weird was up, they'd be up early hitting the gym. Dunn chuckled and pinched Adriana's nose. "Hey, you getting up or what?"
"Dunn…" Adriana whined, shaking her head. "Let me sleep. I'm wiped out, and it still hurts…"
Dunn nearly cracked up. He slipped on a robe and checked the gym—no Alessandra. She wasn't on the second floor either. Downstairs, he found her sitting primly on the couch, looking all sweet and gentle.
And right next to her? Natalie Portman.
Dunn blinked. What was she doing here?
He caught snippets of Alessandra's voice: "…I know, he's got a lot of pressure at work… Yeah, letting loose once in a while's no big deal… Right, guys need some slack—tie them down too tight, and they lose their spark… He's good to us…"
Dunn let out a relieved breath. No fighting—good news!
Spotting him, Alessandra popped up with a bright smile. "You're awake!"
Dunn grinned back, not dodging Natalie's gaze. He walked over, gave Alessandra a light hug, and did the cheek-kiss thing. "Sleep okay last night?"
Her face went pink. "Pretty good."
Dunn smirked mischievously. "Adriana says she's still sore. Maybe check on her? If it's bad, take her to a doctor."
Alessandra's blush deepened, half-annoyed, half-amused. "You and your nonsense. How do you even go to a hospital for that?"
Dunn chuckled, pinching her soft cheek. "Go on, check on her!"
Natalie watched Alessandra's tall, curvy, graceful figure with a twinge of envy, then turned to Dunn, puzzled. "What are you guys talking about? What's sore? You didn't hit someone, did you?"
Dunn leaned in, whispering, "Last night, I grabbed some lube, tried something new…"
"Get lost!"
Before he could finish, Natalie's face went beet red. She shoved him and threw a punch. "Don't tell me gross stuff like that!"
Dunn laughed, stretched lazily, and asked, "What brings you here? I thought you were coming to chew me out—gave me a scare!"
Natalie rolled her eyes again. "I'm not that petty! Besides, who bought this place?"
"Me."
"Exactly. If it's your villa, then I'm the lady of the house. Why can't I drop by?"
Dunn gave her a thumbs-up. "Fair point, Nat. You've got a way with words!"
She smirked, glancing around. "I just wanted to see how nice your little love nest is."
"Compared to our mountainside estate, it's a step down. Just the location's better, so it cost more," Dunn said quickly.
Natalie sighed. "Still beats my place, though. If we had a guest room at home, you wouldn't have had to leave last night, right?"
Dunn winced. "Uh… how about I buy your dad a fancy villa? He's not like my mom!"
She shot him a look. "You think he'd take it?"
"Alright, fine." Dunn shrugged, hesitating. "Actually, I've been scoping out properties on Long Island. Thinking of snagging the world's top beachfront estate for our future New York spot."
"Oh." Natalie nodded lightly, then smiled. "Dunn, are you trying to butter me up?"
"What do you think?"
"I'm not that small-minded! But… hmph, you're coming with me to Ellis Island later. No saying no!"
"Deal."
"Bring the Swifts too—more people, more fun."
Dunn felt a warm pang. She'd thought of everything. He pulled her into a hug, voice thick with feeling. "Nat, landing you is the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me."
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