What made it even more amusing was that Blake Lively didn't even realize her words earlier had been hurtful.
She was still giggling at Robert Donny Jr.'s witty comeback, and even added, "Well, you're pretty funny, but this party is still kind of lame."
Leonardo looked visibly embarrassed—his girl had just made him look bad in front of his friends. He was about to say something when Robert cut in.
"Thanks for thinking I'm funny. But if you think the party's dull, how about Uncle Robert here performs a little number for everyone? People forget I was a decent singer before acting got in the way."
"Uncle Robert? Who's that?" Blake asked, eyes wide with confusion.
"Uh…"
Robert froze.
Martin and Nicholson burst into laughter.
No one was actually offended—they could all tell she genuinely had no clue what she'd just said.
Robert wasn't mad either. He'd already figured out this girl had a naturally low EQ.
Leonardo, however, looked mortified.
Alexandra Daddario leaned in and tugged Martin's hand, whispering with disbelief, Can this kind of person survive in Hollywood?
Robert raised a thumb and pointed at himself. "That would be me. I'm Uncle Robert."
Martin, trying to ease the awkwardness, joked, "Not quite as iconic as 'I am Iron Man', huh?"
Everyone laughed.
Blake's eyes sparkled as she looked at Martin. Now this guy's funny, she thought.
True to his word, Robert did end up singing.
And he wasn't bad at all. There was a bit of that old-school professional flair in his voice—surprisingly pleasant.
…
By a little past ten, the party wound down.
Martin, Alexandra, Leonardo, and Blake walked out together.
Even though Alexandra didn't know Leonardo well, she could sense the gloomy pressure radiating off him.
Once they were in the car, she leaned toward Martin and asked, "Leonardo looks really upset. Do you think they're going to fight?"
Martin chuckled. "I doubt he's getting lucky tonight."
In Martin's view, with someone like Blake—pampered and short-tempered—any sign of criticism from Leonardo would send her storming off. He'd be left alone with cold sheets.
In the original timeline, Leo had broken up with Blake for the exact same reason: he just couldn't take her temper anymore. Publicly, they'd chalked it up to "busy schedules."
What Martin didn't expect, though, was how explosive Blake's temper really was. Before Leo could even start the car, she threw open the door and stormed out, slamming it shut behind her.
Then she glanced around—and stomped toward Martin's car.
Martin's eyes widened. "Oh, hell no…"
Seconds later, Blake opened the door and hopped in, right next to a stunned Alexandra.
"Sorry, mind scooting over?" she said sweetly to Alexandra.
Then she turned to Martin. "Martin, could you give me a ride home? It's not far."
Martin raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, but you'll need to ask Leo. He's my friend."
Translation: You're not my friend, and I'm not about to drive you home without his permission.
But Blake completely ignored the implication and huffed, "Hmph. I don't need his permission. He doesn't control me."
Martin said nothing, waiting silently as Leonardo approached the car.
He rolled the window down. "Yo, Leo… what's going on?"
Leonardo looked at Blake in the back seat. She glared at him.
Leo gave a resigned smile. "Martin, could you take Blake home for me?"
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I'm sure," he sighed.
Then he leaned toward the back seat. "Babe, don't be mad. Call me later, okay?"
Any reasonable girl would have seen the exit and taken it.
But Blake wasn't having it.
"Hmph!"
She crossed her arms and stared out the window.
Leo shrugged helplessly and turned away. "Thanks again, man."
"No problem," Martin replied.
As Leo walked back to his car, Martin shook his head. What a mess.
At least I'm not a playboy, he thought.
He turned on the engine. "Where to?"
Blake rattled off the address—it was only a short distance away, still within Beverly Hills. Her parents lived there.
The whole ride, Martin and Alexandra sat in silence while Blake complained nonstop about Leo.
"He's such a control freak…"
"Doesn't understand women at all…"
"Robert Donny didn't say anything to me…"
Screech.
Martin finally pulled up in front of a modest-sized villa.
"Here we are."
"Thanks for the ride, Martin." She got out and strutted toward the door.
Alexandra finally exhaled in relief.
The air in the car had felt heavy.
Martin glanced over and smirked. "Shocked?"
Alexandra nodded furiously. Then she spotted the Iron Man figurine Robert had given him sitting on the front passenger seat.
"Can I sit up front?"
Martin chuckled. "Of course."
He hopped out, grabbed the toy, and moved it to the back, clearing the seat for her.
As they drove off, Alexandra couldn't help but say, "She's got quite the temper. Isn't she worried about offending people in this industry?"
"Of course she is. But her dad, Ernie Lively, still has some pull in Hollywood. As long as he's active, people will overlook her tantrums. But that kind of protection gives her a dangerous illusion—that she's never wrong. Eventually, she'll pay for it."
In the original timeline, Blake's fall came shortly after her dad's retirement. The industry turned cold. For over three years, she didn't land a single meaningful role.
"Do you think she and Leonardo will work out?"
Martin laughed. "No chance. They've just started dating—Leo hasn't gotten tired of her yet."
The funny thing? In the original timeline, Blake was a hardcore Leo fangirl before they ever met. She'd gushed about him at press events.
But once they broke up, she never mentioned his name again.
Lesson of the day: don't get too close to your idols.