Chapter 45 – Quiet Days in Los Angeles (Or Almost)
After the storm of awards and events, Gustavo finally had a few days off in Los Angeles.
No red carpets, no interviews, no speeches, just time for himself.
And since he wasn't one to sit still, he decided to enjoy his free time in a simple way: exploring the city.
He started exercising outdoors, running on the beaches of Malibu, walking through Griffith Park and enjoying the Californian sun without the pressure of the spotlight.
But, being Gustavo... things never really got normal.
One sunny afternoon, Gustavo decided to go to the Santa Monica Pier.
Wearing a gray sweatshirt, sunglasses and a cap, he thought he could go unnoticed.
Obviously, he didn't.
He was buying an ice cream when he heard a familiar voice.
"Look who decided to come out of hiding."
He turned around and saw Kendall Jenner, laughing while holding an iced coffee.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" Gustavo asked, surprised.
"Same thing as you. Enjoying a quiet day. Well, as quiet as it can be in Los Angeles."
They started walking together along the pier, talking about the craziness of the last few months.
Until, out of nowhere, another familiar voice appeared.
"Guys, seriously… I can't walk around this city without bumping into you guys?"
Gustavo and Kendall turned around at the same time.
And who was there, holding a shopping bag?
Kylie Jenner.
"I swear I'm not following you, Gustavo. But I think the universe wants us to be best friends." — she joked.
Gustavo laughed and raised his hands.
"Okay, this is starting to get weird. First the Oscars, now this. What's next? Becoming neighbors?"
Kylie thought for a second.
— Well, there's a vacant house on my street…
Kendall laughed and patted Gustavo on the shoulder.
— Have you ever thought about it? Gustavo Salles, Kylie Jenner's official neighbor.
— Her fandom would hunt me down if I made noise after 10 pm.
The three of them walked together along the pier, stopping to take a few pictures with fans who recognized them.
But the most unusual moment was yet to come.
After spending the afternoon walking, Gustavo felt hungry and decided to stop for something to eat.
He entered a casual restaurant near the pier and went straight to the outside area.
While waiting for his food, he heard a group speaking loudly in Portuguese.
He looked to the side and saw a group of Brazilian friends, all laughing and chatting excitedly.
And then…
One of them recognized him.
The silence lasted exactly three seconds before one of the guys said:
— Dude… is that Gustavo Salles?
The others turned around at the same time.
Their reaction was a mix of surprise and pure shock.
— Are you kidding me, he's here all alone, all of a sudden?!
— Gustavo, can we take a picture?
Gustavo smiled and nodded.
— Sure! But only if you let me sit with you. I'm alone here and food tastes better with company.
The group was in absolute shock.
— DO YOU WANT TO SIT WITH US?!
— Of course! Otherwise I'll look like a crazy person eating alone.
And so, Gustavo spent the next few hours sitting with a group of random Brazilians.
They ate, laughed, talked about movies, music, politics and even soccer.
He heard stories about what it was like to live in Los Angeles as a Brazilian, and in return, he shared stories from behind the scenes of Hollywood.
It was such a genuine and spontaneous moment that no one thought to record it…
Until one of the girls discreetly took a short video.
It was just Gustavo laughing and chatting casually, as if he were an old friend.
She posted it on TikTok with the caption:
"And the day Gustavo Salles simply sat at our table and talked for hours?!"
The TikTok exploded in less than an hour.
The comments were pure collective outrage.
— IMAGINE BEING IN A RESTAURANT AND OUT OF NOWHERE GUSTAVO SALLES SITS DOWN WITH YOU?!
— This guy doesn't exist. Is he really that humble?!
— He could have been having dinner with anyone in Hollywood, but he chose a group of random Brazilians. I LOVE THIS MAN!
And then, the girl who posted the video decided to explain everything.
In a new video, she said:
— We were in a restaurant, talking loudly, laughing, and out of nowhere, GUSTAVO SALLES WAS AT THE TABLE NEXT TO US. Then he asked to sit with us because he didn't want to eat alone. And man... he stayed there for HOURS. We forgot he was a famous actor. He just seemed like a new friend we met on a trip. Simple as that.
The internet exploded even more.
Jimmy Fallon commented on the post:
"If he gets nominated for an Oscar and wins, I demand he bring these friends to the speech."
Timothée Chalamet responded:
"Gustavo is literally the coolest guy ever."
Anitta reposted and wrote:
"He's a real Brazilian. I told you so."
And just like that, another unexpected chapter was written in Gustavo Salles' life.
He just wanted to relax...
Chapter 46 – An Unexpected Encounter
It was just another normal day in Los Angeles, and Gustavo had been invited to a private event, a gala cocktail party hosted by a renowned luxury brand.
The event wasn't as big as an awards ceremony, but it still brought together several celebrities from music, film and fashion.
Gustavo wasn't expecting anything special that night.
He was there to socialize a little, have a drink and maybe make new contacts.
But what he didn't know was that he would end up meeting one of the most famous couples in the world.
Wearing a well-fitted black suit, no tie and with the first two buttons of his shirt open, Gustavo arrived at the event with the naturalness of someone who was already accustomed to these environments.
The flashbulbs exploded as he walked down the red carpet.
Journalists called him over for quick questions.
"Gustavo, you've been nominated for an Oscar! How are you feeling about this phase of your career?"
He smiled in a relaxed manner.
— I'm still trying to process all of this. But I'm so happy.
— This event is about fashion and influence. Do you consider yourself a fashion icon now?
He laughed.
— Look, I just pick a nice suit and hope it works. If that makes me an icon, then I'll take it.
The answer made the journalists laugh, and he entered the main hall of the event.
After grabbing a drink at the bar, Gustavo stepped back a little to observe the environment.
And that's when he noticed someone staring at him.
A couple.
More specifically, Justin and Hailey Bieber.
Justin raised his glass in a silent toast.
Gustavo did the same, but arched his eyebrow, confused.
Hailey smiled and approached first.
— You're Gustavo Salles, right?
He smiled and nodded.
— And you're the Biebers. I think we've heard of each other.
Justin laughed and squeezed his hand.
— Dude, I watched "Getúlio". You were awesome.
Gustavo's eyes widened.
— Wait, seriously?
Hailey laughed.
— He's been talking about it for a week.
Justin nodded.
— I like history and politics, so when I heard about the movie, I went to watch it. Man, your acting was surreal. You really got lost in the character.
Gustavo scratched the back of his neck, a little embarrassed by the compliments.
— Wow, thanks, bro. That means a lot coming from you.
Hailey leaned forward a little, with an amused smile.
— Now tell me… do you also think I'm half Brazilian?
Gustavo laughed.
— "Half"? Hailey, with this many Brazilians in your circle, you're officially ours.
She laughed and slapped the table.
— I KNEW IT!
Justin laughed along and invited Gustavo to sit with them.
What was supposed to be just a casual greeting ended up turning into a conversation that lasted hours.
They talked about music, movies, Brazilian culture and even soccer.
Justin, who has always been a sports fan, asked:
"Do you support any team?"
Gustavo smiled.
"Flamengo. But I don't want to cause any trouble here."
Justin laughed.
"Well, I'm Canadian, so I only care about ice hockey."
Hailey rolled her eyes playfully.
"He says that now, but he's tried to play soccer about ten times."
Justin sighed dramatically.
"And I failed every time."
They continued talking and soon, some close friends of Justin and Hailey arrived at the table.
Among them, Kendall Jenner, who laughed when she saw Gustavo there.
"We've been seeing each other a lot lately, haven't we?"
Gustavo laughed.
— If this keeps up, I'm going to think you're my neighbors.
While they were drinking and talking, someone at the table recorded a short video.
It was a relaxed moment.
Gustavo was explaining something about the Brazilian Carnival, gesturing excitedly, while Justin and Hailey listened attentively.
At the end of the video, Hailey clapped her hands and shouted:
— I NEED TO GO TO THIS CARNIVAL!
The video was posted on the stories of one of their friends.
And, of course… the internet exploded.
Within a few hours, the video had already been shared thousands of times.
On Twitter, fans went crazy.
— GUSTAVO SALLES, JUSTIN BIEBER AND HAILEY BEING FRIENDS?! I LOVE THIS UNIVERSE.
— Gustavo is basically a celebrity magnet. Everyone LOVES THIS GUY!
— Now Hailey is officially invited to Carnival.
And then, Hailey reposted the video on her own stories.
With the caption:
"Invitation accepted, Gustavo. Take me to Brazil!"
Gustavo responded on Twitter with a GIF of someone dancing samba.
The chaos only increased.
And just like that, another normal day in the life of Gustavo Salles turned into a viral event.
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