"Premiere?" Hugo hadn't expected Uma to bring this up, and it took him by surprise.
"Yes, I thought you might need a female companion, so I wanted to offer a bit of help." Uma's face carried a faint smile, as if they were discussing the simplest of topics—no awkwardness, no urgency. "Or have you already found someone? That would be embarrassing for me." After she spoke, Uma chuckled softly twice, as if she were genuinely shy.
Hugo's gaze instinctively drifted past the sofa, and he caught sight of Charlize's back as she stood there. Since he hadn't fully turned his head, he couldn't make out her true expression—only that she paused for a moment before stepping away and returning to her room.
Once Charlize had gone, Alex quietly shut his own door, leaving the living room space to Hugo and Uma.
Hugo waited until Charlize had completely disappeared from view before turning his eyes back to Uma. "No," he said.
Uma had also noticed Hugo's shift in gaze. Although she hadn't seen clearly, her female instincts immediately picked up on Charlize's brief hesitation. But since Charlize quickly retreated and Hugo gave the answer she wanted, Uma didn't press further. She simply kept her eyes locked on Hugo, as though she had noticed nothing at all.
"Whew, I really do need a female companion." Hugo let out a long breath, reining in his thoughts as he looked at the focused Uma before him. "But you know, a premiere companion basically means a date."
Though Hugo and Uma had spent two nights together and shared a couple of pleasant encounters—especially that harmonious set visit—they had never really discussed anything substantial, let alone love. So they couldn't be considered "dating," at least not in any committed sense.
At his words, Uma smiled, her full lips curving into a beautiful shape. "Aren't we?"
The corners of Hugo's mouth lifted in response to her smile. "I mean, a 'dating' companion." After all, they had never officially gone on a date, not even once. The second time they met at the secondhand furniture store, Uma had invited Hugo to dinner; if that had happened, it would have counted as a date. Unfortunately, Hugo had to move house and turned her down.
"Date? I thought last night was one." Uma remained perfectly at ease, smiling as she spoke, which instantly brought back memories of last night's madness for Hugo. A chuckle escaped his throat before he could stop it.
Hugo shrugged. Since Uma had already given a definite answer and even taken the initiative to propose, he saw no reason to refuse. "Then it's settled—December ninth, I'll come to your place to pick you up." Although Uma's home was only three streets away, a premiere was a formal occasion, and it would be a proper date request. According to gentlemanly etiquette, the man should pick the lady up at her door.
Uma's smile bloomed instantly. She raised her right hand and slowly traced her fingers down Hugo's cheek, pressing her lips together in teasing provocation. "Then I'd better get myself ready." She leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek, then rose slowly to her feet, her long, graceful legs sketching a perfect curve in his vision—standing up from the sofa—feet touching the floor—tiptoeing away step by step toward Hugo's room. Her alluring gait was the finest feast for the eyes.
She went into his room and came out wearing a pair of cargo pants and a white shirt—both Hugo's. Naturally, the clothes were far too big for her, but she rolled up the pant legs and sleeves, paired them with the same red soft boots from last night, and somehow pulled off a unique charm from the mismatched outfit.
"I'll be sure to dress up nicely. I'm expecting this premiere to be especially memorable." Instead of walking over, Uma stood at the corner of the hallway, tossed him a flirtatious wink, and then sashayed out of Hugo's home.
The moment the door closed, Alex darted out of his room, clutching his crotch as he bolted to the bathroom—clearly he had been holding it in for a long time. Soon after, Charlize also opened her door, peeking out carefully. Once she confirmed Uma was gone, she let out a heavy sigh of relief, stepped out, and muttered, "Breakfast? What, Alex and I don't get breakfast? Joseph and Carl don't either?"
When Hugo turned around, he saw Charlize standing by the dining table, her expression clearly displeased. It was obvious she didn't have a good impression of Uma. Hugo grinned and said, "Want me to make some fresh breakfast for you?"
"Tch, forget it—Uma might get upset." Charlize's sarcastic expression made Hugo burst out laughing. But Charlize wasn't done; she imitated Uma's voice and said, "You know, Hugo's hungover, skipping breakfast isn't good for him."
Hugo lay on the sofa with a wide smile. "Girl, I've invited her to attend the 'A Few Good Men' premiere. She's basically my date."
"So what? She's your date, not mine. I don't need to have a good impression of her." Charlize's sharp words left Hugo speechless.
"So, what do you think of Uma?" Hugo was genuinely curious about Charlize's opinion.
Charlize raised both hands in surrender. "We're friends. I don't want to ruin that by talking about your date. You know, a lot of times, when friends bad-mouth someone's date, it doesn't go over well."
"So you're saying it's bad things you'd say." Hugo immediately caught her slip.
Charlize pouted. "Isn't that obvious? If you want good things, ask Alex." After months of living together, while Charlize and Hugo couldn't be called best friends, they knew each other well enough to speak without much filter. Her bluntness made Hugo chuckle again.
Looking at Hugo's smiling face, Charlize hesitated for a moment, then pretended to reach for some toast and asked, "Do you actually like her? Choosing her as your premiere companion?"
Like her? That should have been the simplest question, yet it stumped Hugo. He was fairly sure he did like Uma—the set visit, last night's pleasant conversation—those feelings were real. If there were no attraction, he wouldn't have enjoyed them so much. The problem was, he still couldn't tell whether this attraction came from himself or from his predecessor's feelings. The sensation was vague… and a little ambiguous, leaving Hugo puzzled.
After a brief pause, he said hesitantly, "I suppose so."
This answer clearly failed to satisfy Charlize. She turned around with the toast in hand. "What kind of answer is that? No girl would like to hear such a 'confession.' I wasn't even asking if you loved her, I was only asking if you liked her, and you actually gave me 'I suppose so'? That's a terrible answer."
Faced with Charlize's complaint, Hugo instead laughed. "I thought you didn't like Uma."
"That's a fact," Charlize had to admit. "But I'm also a girl, and I'm just criticizing your answer, not targeting anyone."
Hugo pursed his lips, biting his own lower lip, not knowing how to respond. At that moment, Alex came out of the bathroom and directly shouted, "Hugo, have you fallen for Uma? The way you two were together last night was sparks flying everywhere. Just watching you play Truth or Dare made my heart race."
Alex's words filled Hugo's mind with question marks. Sparks flying? Truth or Dare? Yet he had no memory of it at all. Could it be he traveled through time again last night? It seemed the saying "alcohol causes trouble" was indeed universally true.
While Hugo was still pondering this, Alex bounced over right next to him, leaning over the back of the sofa chair just like Hugo. "When Joseph and I came looking for you, Uma had already taken you back first. That forced Charlize and me to stay on the fourth floor for half an hour, trying our best not to disturb your two-person world."
Hugo glanced at Charlize and caught her rolling her eyes. He muttered, "Good thing you didn't bring Aileen Wuornos home."
Aileen Wuornos was the highway serial killer who had made headlines over the past two years. She was an interstate prostitute who lured men on highways, robbed them, and then killed them—seven men in total, even including a police officer. She had caused a nationwide sensation and was even dubbed America's first female serial killer. The uproar was unimaginable. Last year, she was finally arrested. Over the following year, the trials had dragged on without conclusion. Just last week, Aileen was sentenced to death for the fifth time. In fact, Aileen had already confessed but insisted it was self-defense, repeatedly appealing for retrials. After the fifth sentence, she filed yet another retrial request, forcing the court to continue the proceedings.
Hearing Charlize compare Uma to Aileen made Hugo burst out laughing. Charlize's attitude convinced Hugo that everything Alex had said was true. Hugo let out a long sigh. "Yes, I do like her, which is why I'm willing to invite her to the premiere."
Hugo thought, whether it came from himself or his predecessor, the liking for Uma was undeniable. Since he couldn't tell the difference, there was no need to dwell on it—just let it develop naturally.
"Just like her?" Alex immediately wailed, "Poor Uma."
Charlize chimed in from the side, joining in the teasing. "Hugo doesn't love Uma—what a heartbreaking fact."
Hugo was instantly helpless, spreading his hands. "Come on, it's not that bad, okay? I'm not Casanova." That one line instantly made Alex and Charlize burst out laughing.
...
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