Starting from Santa Monica, Los Angeles, and driving west for about twenty kilometres along California State Route 1, you can reach Malibu.
The 1980s were a peak period for the development of the American real estate industry, and the scenic Malibu inevitably became a key target for many real estate companies. It was during this period that countless luxury villas were built along the Malibu coastline, gradually making this small city a location treasure trove for Hollywood superstars and celebrities.
However, in 1986, Malibu had not even been officially recognized as a city within Los Angeles County. The entire Malibu area, stretching from Santa Monica in the east to Ventura in the west, a long 40-kilometer coastline, had a total of less than 8,000 permanent residents.
The central point of the Malibu area is the famous Point Dume State Preserve. On the cliffs on either side of Point Dume are some of the most luxurious ocean-view mansions in the Malibu area. (Locally pronounced as Point Doom)
It was already past 11 PM, and the lights were still on in a cliffside villa to the right of Point Dume State Preserve.
After returning from a party in the city, Janette Johnston took a comfortable bath and emerged from the bathroom in a light nightgown.
In the living room, Kathryn was still dressed in the shirt and trousers she wore to the party, sitting on the sofa, flipping through the new shooting budget for 'Near Dark'. Due to the further deterioration of the film's investors' financial situation, the film's budget had been reduced from $6 million to $5 million. Kathryn had just received the new budget from the producer at the party tonight and was now frowning as she looked through it.
Janette watched Kathryn on the sofa, who habitually straightened her back, exuding a quiet and restrained aura, and subconsciously lightened her footsteps.
She crept like a cat to Kathryn's side, her small paws about to reach the woman's waist, when Kathryn turned her head and gave her a helpless glare. Janette giggled, showing no awareness of being caught in her prank, and sat down ungracefully beside Kathryn.
Playing with a lock of Kathryn's long hair, Janette said, "Kate, I don't like that guy at all. Can you please not deal with him anymore?"
Kathryn turned a page of the budget in her hand and said, "Jim is a good person, and we're just ordinary friends".
Janette pouted, "Do you think I'm blind? At the party tonight, anyone could see he was trying to curry favour with you. The worst part is, he's married".
Hearing Janette say this, Kathryn paused her movements, her gaze still on the budget, but her eyes were somewhat unfocused. After a moment, the woman softly said, "Jenny, I get what you mean".
Sensing Kathryn's sudden low mood, Janette leaned down and down again, unconsciously lying down, her head resting on Kathryn's lap. She blinked up at the woman above her and said, "Kate, actually, it's pretty good for us to just live together like this. We don't need a man at all".
Kathryn put the budget aside, a smile appearing on her face, and said, "Janette, you're talking nonsense again".
"No, I'm not," Janette twisted her head and snuggled closer to Kathryn, pouting "I'm officially confessing to you, you know. If you don't agree, I'll be sad".
Kathryn gently poked Janette's fair cheek and said, "If you're sad, go to sleep. You'll feel better after a good night's rest".
"Ugh, you heartless woman, I hate you".
Watching Janette gnawing on her finger like a little mouse, Kathryn chuckled and said, "Haven't you ever thought about getting a boyfriend?"
"My standards are too high, I can't find one".
Kathryn became curious and said, "I've never known your requirements for a boyfriend. Tell me?"
"Hmm," Janette pondered for a moment, then said, "First, he must be handsome. An unattractive boyfriend really affects my mood. Second, he must be younger than me, eighteen is fine. I don't want to grow old with some guy; that's too terrifying. Third, well, he can't be too normal; it's best if he's a little crazier than me. In movies, one lunatic definitely gets taken down by the protagonist, but two lunatics can destroy the world! Finally, to destroy the world, his talent must be just a little bit higher than mine".
Listening to Janette's outlandish remarks, the smile on Kathryn's face grew wider and wider. When she finished, Kathryn said, "I think I know someone like that; he's absolutely tailor-made for you by God".
"Simon Westeros?" Janette rolled her eyes. "Pfft, absolutely not".
Kathryn still smiled and said, "Simon perfectly meets all four of your requirements, so why wouldn't it be him?"
"He's too mature, he has no edge at all," Janette said, drawing circles in the air with her slender fingers. "He even claims to have come from a mental hospital, but I think a nursing home is more accurate. His temper is so soft; I even doubt if he's ever been in a fight since he was a child. I don't want my boyfriend, who's younger than me, to indulge me like an elder".
Kathryn thought about her interactions with Simon and couldn't help but retort, "Simon is a gentleman, not someone without a temper. Besides, isn't that good? Do you really want your boyfriend to hit you?"
"Of course," Janette nodded, putting on a faux fawning expression. "As long as he truly loves me, occasional domestic violence once or twice a month is perfectly acceptable".
Kathryn felt her composure cracking and weakly retorted, "People who truly love each other wouldn't hurt each other."
Janette immediately retorted,"That's not true. Only two people who have absolutely no feelings for each other would disdain to hurt one another".
"Alright," Kathryn was completely defeated, shaking her head. "I'm not going to talk to you anymore. If we keep talking, my worldview might get skewed by you".
Janette giggled triumphantly a few times, then with a serious expression, she pulled Kathryns hand and said, "Kate, I'm serious. Actually, when you're single, anything goes, but if you get married, a woman shouldn't be too strong, or the outcome will be very bad. Many times, you're actually too strong".
Kathryn listened intently, then playfully pushed Janette, who was still lounging on her lap, and said, "Get up. I'm not going to let someone who hasn't even been in a relationship teach me these things".
"Hey that's prejudiced" Janette immediately became displeased. "Who says you can't empathize just because you haven't been in a relationship? I've had such profound experience with these kinds of things".
Kathryn looked at Janette's expression and suddenly realized, "I suddenly understand. No wonder you're so resistant to finding a boyfriend; you have trauma".
Although she said this, Kathryn consciously refrained from pressing further.
Janette also suddenly quieted down, her gaze fixed on the expensive crystal chandelier on the living room ceiling. The dense points of light fragmented by the crystal facets were like shards of memories from the past.
After a moment of silence, the phone in the living room suddenly rang.
Janette immediately squirmed and complained, "Ugh, how annoying. It's so late, Kate, should we just not answer it?"
Kathryn hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, it's probably for you anyway".
So. after a moment of resistance, Janette still said, "Alright, alright, hand it over to me."
Kathryn smiled and casually picked up the phone from the nearby coffee table, handing the receiver to Janette.
However, after only hearing a sentence from the other end, Janette huffily handed the receiver back: "It's for you after all!"
Kathryn was a little puzzled as to who would be calling her at this hour.
She put the phone to her ear and answered, and the person on the other end began to speak.
Janette, who had been somewhat distracted, noticed Kathryn's body gradually tensing up. Realizing something, she immediately sat up and pressed her ear closer.
However, before she could hear anything, Kathryn had already said, "Okay, I'll get there as soon as possible. UCLA Medical Centre, the one on 15th Street, right? ... Hmm, well then, goodbye".
After hanging up the phone, Kathryn looked at Janette, whose eyes held both concern and curiosity, and with a somewhat unreadable expression, she said, "Simon got into a fight and was arrested by the police. He's in the hospital now".
Janette blinked, then curled her lip in clear disdain, saying, "Tsk, so useless".
Despite saying this, seeing Kathryn get up, Janette quickly changed her clothes, and the two women drove together to the UCLA Medical Centre in downtown Santa Monica.