Hugo and Charlize froze mid-scuffle at the sound of knocking from the front door. Hugo pointed toward it, still catching his breath. "Someone's at the door—someone's knocking!"
Panting, Charlize glared at him for a moment before finally releasing his arm. "Then go open it!"
Hugo nodded obediently, taking a step toward the bathroom door. But as soon as Charlize let her guard down, he mischievously waved the hair dryer at her one last time before darting away. The sudden movement yanked the plug out of the socket and sent several bottles clattering to the floor.
"Hugo!" Charlize shouted in exasperation, chasing after him. The man was utterly hopeless—more like a mischievous boy than a twenty-five-year-old adult!
Hugo dashed straight to the front door, laughter bubbling from his lips. He used his free hand to open it, revealing Uma on the other side. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in Hugo's radiant grin and then the sight of a disheveled Charlize rushing up behind him. Uma's gaze flicked back and forth between them before finally settling on the hair dryer in Hugo's hand.
"Hey, you're here!" Hugo greeted warmly, his smile softening. He pulled Uma into a big hug and planted a quick kiss on her cheek.
Uma stepped inside, smiling as her eyes once again traveled between Hugo and Charlize. "Were you two… playing some kind of game?" she asked, suspicion naturally creeping into her voice—any woman would have wondered the same after walking in on such a scene.
Charlize had stopped in the hallway. A moment ago, she'd looked ready to strangle Hugo, but as soon as she realized someone had entered, she forced herself to calm down. Upon recognizing Uma, she offered a polite nod, glanced helplessly at her own messy reflection in the mirror, and shot Hugo one last, venomous glare.
Hugo burst out laughing and hurried to explain. "No, no—it's nothing like that. Charlize was dyeing her hair, and the dryer couldn't reach the back, so I was helping her. Then, well… a little accident happened, right?" He turned to Charlize for confirmation.
Uma's eyes lingered on Charlize for a few seconds. But seeing nothing out of place between them—no awkwardness, no guilty looks—she finally relaxed. Taking the dryer from Hugo's hand, she said with a teasing smile, "Come on, you're a man—what do you know about dyeing hair? You're probably just making a mess. Let me give Charlize a hand."
Charlize immediately understood what Uma was thinking, but she didn't mind. She smiled and shook her head. "No need, it's almost done. I can handle the rest myself." Taking back the dryer, she added, "You came here for Hugo anyway—go talk to him. I'll be finished in a few minutes."
Before closing the bathroom door, Charlize shot Hugo one last mock glare. "You're lucky, Hugo—Uma just saved you!" Then she disappeared inside, and soon the soft hum of the dryer resumed.
From the living room, faintly, Hugo could hear Uma's voice asking, "How was lunch today? Any luck with the raffle?" He chuckled.
Although Hugo had complained on The Oprah Winfrey Show about hating holidays, this New Year's Eve was special—it was his first since meeting Uma. They had decided to spend it together, hand in hand, counting down to midnight. It might not be the most romantic way to celebrate, but it was simple, genuine happiness.
"So, is tonight's party a waltz or a disco?" Uma asked, frowning slightly as she stared at her open wardrobe. She couldn't decide what to wear—an evening gown felt too formal, but a cocktail dress seemed too casual. A T-shirt and jeans were, of course, out of the question.
Hugo laughed softly. "Why don't we both just wear jeans? I mean it—imagine everyone all dressed up like peacocks, and we stroll in wearing denim. Wouldn't that be fun?"
Uma rolled her eyes, half amused, half exasperated. "Fun for you, maybe! There are plenty of times to be unconventional, but tonight's a New Year's Eve party. A little formality won't kill you."
Hugo pouted dramatically, his face full of mock regret, making Uma burst out laughing. "We wore casual clothes to the last premiere," she reminded him. "This one's an actual event—wouldn't it be nice to go all out for once? Otherwise, every memory we have together will just be of jeans."
He couldn't really argue with that. Hugo genuinely liked the idea of keeping things relaxed—it was just a New Year's party, after all. But Uma's point made sense, and besides, this was his first New Year's since his strange rebirth into this life. Maybe going all out was worth it. He finally nodded, smiling. "Alright, whatever you say. If you want me in a tuxedo, I'll wear it."
Uma burst into laughter. "A tuxedo? Hahaha! Save that for the wedding—then I'll consider it."
At that moment, the sound of a key turning came from the door. It swung open, revealing Joseph's broad-shouldered frame. He spotted Hugo and Uma sitting together on the sofa and lifted a hand to greet Uma before turning to Hugo. "Plans might be changing for tonight," he said.
Hugo blinked, confused. "What?" That was an odd way to start a conversation.
Joseph sat down on the low stool across from them, glanced briefly at Uma, then continued. "Remember what we talked about earlier—about Sydney? I've been calling him for nearly three hours straight. Finally, I got him on the phone."
Hugo almost groaned. Clearly, ever since they'd left Rick's office, Joseph hadn't stopped trying to reach the man. Honestly, the fact that Sydney's assistant hadn't unplugged the phone or turned it off was a miracle.
But Joseph didn't see it that way—being a talent agent often required shameless persistence. Even top agents like Ron or Rick had to do the same when trying to land meetings with someone like Steven Spielberg.
"Sydney invited you to his New Year's Eve party tonight," Joseph said at last. That was the "change."
"Tonight?" Hugo repeated in surprise. "But we already promised Alex we'd go to his party." He didn't want to break his word.
Joseph had already anticipated this concern, which was why he hadn't been overjoyed when he first got the news. "The party tonight is at Sydney's house," he explained. "I'm guessing it might actually double as the audition. And even if it's not, it's still a perfect chance to talk to Sydney in person, that kind of opportunity doesn't come often."
Sitting beside them, Uma had been listening closely. She knew all about the background of The Firm, so she quickly added, "And going to Sydney's party means meeting a lot of other big names too some of the top people in the industry."
In Hollywood, connections often determined success. Opportunities to make a name for oneself usually came through networking. For example, Twilight's lead actress Kristen Stewart landed her breakout role thanks to a recommendation from her Into the Wild co-star Emile Hirsch, a single connection that changed everything.
So Uma couldn't help but be tempted. After all, this was Sydney Pollack's New Year's Eve party. There was a good chance that directors like Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg might be there. For any actor, that was an irresistible prospect.
The same went for Hugo, though he couldn't agree right away. He'd already promised Alex, and a promise was a promise. "Maybe you could call Alex first?" Uma suggested, sensing Hugo's hesitation.
Hugo shook his head. "If I tell Alex, he definitely won't object." After living together for so long, Hugo knew exactly what Alex was like,understanding and easygoing.
"How about this," Joseph proposed, "we go to Sydney's party first, talk to him as soon as possible, and then head back for Alex's party afterward."
Hugo frowned slightly. "But it's not really up to us, is it? If it's Sydney's event, he's the one setting the pace. We can't just leave whenever we want." If it did turn into an audition, Sydney would control the timing. And as the host, he'd surely be busy entertaining guests, there was no way to plan around that.
"Then we'll just do our best," Joseph said with a helpless shrug. He had thought this would drag on until after New Year's, but now Sydney's sudden party changed everything. Looking back, it was obvious that Ron's promise of a dinner meeting with Sidney had been meaningless — everyone was already expected to show up tonight.
Hugo thought it over for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, let's do it." Between friendship and career, he had no choice but to apologize to Alex. Work came first, especially when opportunities like this didn't come twice. Whether or not he got the role, Hugo wanted to try. Giving up without trying just wasn't in his nature.
Once Hugo made the decision, Joseph finally exhaled in relief. He was still unsure how the The Firm situation would play out, but at least they had a chance. Uma, on the other hand, clapped her hands together in excitement, leaned over, and planted a quick kiss on Hugo's cheek. "So that means we're wearing formal attire tonight, right?" she asked eagerly. Her earlier wardrobe dilemma was instantly solved.
"Yeah, probably," Hugo said after thinking for a moment. "Formal wear feels more appropriate." Then he raised his voice toward the bathroom. "Charlize, did Alex take his cell phone with him when he left?" He still wanted to call Alex personally and apologize.
"I think so," Charlize's voice echoed back from the bathroom. "You can give it a try."
....
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