Objectively speaking, Charlize's black pepper roast turkey actually tasted quite good—it was just too spicy, too pungent, which caused poor reception, but it also became the biggest highlight of Thanksgiving 1992. Not even Kal's exquisite braised lamb chops could steal Charlize's spotlight.
The day after Thanksgiving, Alex returned first. Hugo and Charlize's three-night "two-person world" ended, and they went back to a three-person balance, which made both of them secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Joseph returned only on Saturday, his unshaven face clearly showing his exhaustion, and the heavy dark circles under his eyes made his icy blue pupils lose their luster.
Although Hugo was curious about what exactly had happened at Joseph's home, and what that one million dollars was really for, he knew this was Joseph's family matter. If Joseph didn't want to say, he had better not ask. This had nothing to do with the depth of friendship—even the closest of confidants should respect this. For everyone, family is a special existence. If he wants to tell you, he won't hide it; conversely, if he doesn't, even a soulmate might remain silent. So Hugo didn't ask anything, only inquiring whether Joseph's trip went smoothly and if everything was alright—that was all.
Once Thanksgiving passed, December's footsteps arrived, and A Few Good Men's release date drew near. Hugo and Joseph once again became busy.
Unlike Scent of a Woman, which chose limited screenings first, A Few Good Men opted for a large-scale release in 1,900 theaters, clearly aiming to make a box office impact—this was also the reason Tom Cruise was chosen originally. Now that the male lead was Hugo instead, Columbia Pictures was naturally more nervous and cautious. So before release, they arranged a series of promotional events. Hugo, carrying the burden of the opening box office, appeared on various shows, hoping to secure a strong start.
On Monday, Joseph drove Hugo back to the Burbank studio to record The Tonight Show.
Last time Hugo appeared on The Tonight Show, the ratings achieved an excellent result. Airing at 11:35 p.m., that episode attracted 4.8 million viewers, not only winning its timeslot but also becoming the highest-rated Tonight Show of November. It was clear people were fascinated by the ups and downs of Hugo's acting career.
The car slowly drove into the parking lot. Hugo's parking spot was already arranged—reserved for guest recording during the scheduled showtime. So Joseph parked easily. Just as Hugo was unfastening his seat belt, Joseph spoke. "Hugo, this time I didn't go back to Houston."
Joseph had hesitated for a long time—even after returning to Los Angeles, he was still hesitant. Even just before opening his mouth, he was unsure whether he should tell Hugo the truth, since this was his family's matter. Joseph kept convincing himself that he and Hugo were only work partners, with no need to share personal affairs. Hugo had never mentioned anything about his own family, and Joseph hadn't either. But in the end, Joseph failed.
When he had suddenly asked to borrow money, Hugo didn't hesitate at all and agreed. When he abruptly turned and left, Hugo didn't ask why, nor did he chase after him. When he delayed coming back, Hugo not only didn't worry that he'd run off with the money, but didn't even ask about his family, giving him complete trust… This was one million dollars. Joseph knew Hugo's trust carried far more weight than that number.
So Joseph spoke, even if he still didn't want to say much, he knew he owed Hugo an answer. After his first words, Hugo looked at him in surprise. "Then what about Thanksgiving?" That was Hugo's first reaction. He didn't ask Joseph why he lied about going back to Houston, nor did he ask how things had gone. He only cared about Thanksgiving.
Joseph let out a bitter smile. "I went to Las Vegas." The gambling city—things were becoming clear. "Have I mentioned my brother Peter before?" Hugo nodded in confusion, not saying anything, which made Joseph take a deep breath and finish in one go. "He lost a huge amount of money in Las Vegas and was cornered by local powers. My father couldn't think of any solution, so he called me."
Although Joseph only gave the beginning, Hugo could already picture the rest. Gambling was like drugs—once addicted, it was nearly impossible to quit, and in severe cases, it could ruin a family. Hugo didn't know Joseph's exact family situation, but from how Joseph occasionally spoke of them, there was deep affection. So it wasn't strange that Joseph, for his brother's sake, had asked Hugo for help, painfully.
And the fact that Joseph only returned two days after Thanksgiving showed how troublesome Peter's issue had been, taking extra time to resolve. Thoughts swirled in Hugo's mind, and then he sighed softly. Family bonds can bring happiness, but also helplessness. "So, is everything resolved now?"
Joseph rubbed his temples and nodded. "Yes, it's all taken care of."
"That's good." Hugo patted Joseph's shoulder and fell silent. He didn't know what else to say—this was their first time talking about family matters. Although Joseph had once suggested Hugo call home, he'd never asked about the outcome. So today's conversation felt unfamiliar. Hugo wasn't sure whether to show care like a close friend or leave it alone for Joseph to handle himself.
Hugo took a deep breath. "So, let's start preparing for today's work." Hugo guessed Joseph wanted to thank him, but to Hugo, he didn't feel much—after all, it was just a string of digits in his bank account, and not even warm ones at that. Helping was just a small effort.
Sure enough, Joseph called out, "Hugo, thank you." Joseph still expressed his true feelings again—not only gratitude for lending the money, but also for the trust Hugo had shown. "I'll find a way to pay it back as soon as possible."
"Hey, buddy, don't lie to me." Hugo said cheerfully, leaving Joseph momentarily stunned. "You know you can't 'pay it back soon.'" With Joseph's manager commission, scraping together one million in a short time was indeed extremely difficult. Hugo's frankness instead made Joseph laugh out loud. "So you'll just have to work harder, and pray I can land more and better jobs. Then maybe the progress will be much quicker."
Joseph knew Hugo was telling the truth, and also comforting him. Joseph let out a long sigh, nodded, and said, "Then why are you still sitting in the car? We can't be late for today's work! Get serious!" Joseph rarely played along and cracked a little joke, while also clenching his fists like an evil capitalist squeezing the blood and sweat of workers.
Hugo restrained his smile and showed a shivering expression, fumbling to open the car door. "Yes, yes, sir, I'll get to work right away." After getting out, he staggered all the way toward the elevator, while Joseph quickly followed behind, drawing many curious glances from passersby in the parking lot.
Walking into the dressing room, quite a few staff members came forward to greet Hugo warmly. This was treatment he hadn't received during his last visit here. Clearly, the excellent ratings had made everyone welcome Hugo's arrival. Even the host, Jay Leno, came personally, giving Hugo a big hug. "Didn't expect to see you again so soon. So, how are you feeling today?"
At the moment Jay hadn't changed into his suit yet, just wearing a simple shirt, holding a bag of chips in his hand, looking like the uncle-next-door. Only this uncle's chin was really striking. Hugo laughed and said, "Great, everything's great—especially seeing that familiar chin, it instantly makes me feel at home."
Jay's chin, known as mandibular prognathism, had become one of his trademarks. "This is a heavy weapon, must be handled with care." As a comedian, Jay's level of self-deprecation was admirable, and the dressing room instantly burst into laughter. "So, tell me, are there any forbidden topics for today's promotion?"
Jay's question made Hugo look at Joseph in surprise. He didn't understand why Jay would bring up such a thing at this moment. From what Hugo knew, indeed some big stars had taboo subjects when appearing on shows—such as scandals or affairs. But that was more common in Asia. In the more open environment of Europe and America, it wasn't seen as much. Moreover, Hugo hadn't received any signal from Joseph at all.
After confirming Joseph was also puzzled, Hugo smiled at Jay. "I just hope you don't mention how I went the wrong way to the restroom today. That would be a huge blow to my popularity among the ladies."
Hugo's solemn instruction made the makeup artist beside them fail to hold back, bursting into laughter, and accidentally spraying saliva all over Jay's right sleeve. The situation immediately spun out of control. Jay squinted his eyes and said to the makeup artist, "I think you need to find some hot water and wash my shirt right here, or else I won't have clothes for the show." A joke that dissolved the awkwardness. Then Jay turned back to Hugo and said, "That's good. Better than some people who clearly like men but insist on claiming they are in normal heterosexual marriages, and forbid us from discussing it on the show. That's really tough. Especially when I see his lotus fingers, it's so hard not to ask—it's torture."
Who was Jay satirizing? "Fortunately, A Few Good Men is your work." Jay added, then with a cheerful smile said, "I must go find an iron, or I'll miss the live broadcast. See you later."
Watching Jay's departing back, Hugo and Joseph exchanged glances. Could it be that the person Jay was mocking was… Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt?
...
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