Hugo didn't miss the glance Uma gave him before she left that flirtatious glimmer in her eyes. It wasn't deliberate; it felt more like an unintentional ripple from deep within her heart, a wave of affection accidentally revealed under the sunlight, which made Hugo smile.
After that kiss during the previous premiere and the hints Uma dropped in today's conversation, if Hugo still didn't understand what was happening, he'd have to be a blockhead.
He could feel his heart slightly fluttering. That strong physical desire made Hugo a bit uncomfortable. After all, both of his meetings with Uma had been a little unusual. The first time she suddenly kissed him out of nowhere, and today, they just chatted briefly in a disheveled situation how could feelings develop so quickly?
Could it be because of the previous host of this body? Before Hugo crossed over, the original Hugo had been actively pursuing Uma. His sudden transmigration had interrupted a budding relationship. Uma had probably been intrigued by the drastic change in his behavior. Even though she claimed to see through Hugo's playing-hard-to-get tactics during their first meeting, it was obvious she had some feelings for the former Hugo. Otherwise, after their first unexpected encounter, she wouldn't have so openly shown affection again today.
Hugo touched his chest. Could he actually still feel the emotions of the former Hugo? That seemed like the only reasonable explanation. He shook his head instinctively, trying to shake off the ticklish feeling in his mind. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to calm his racing heart.
"Hey, man, what are you thinking about?" A voice called from the front left, interrupting Hugo's thoughts. He looked up toward the sunlight and saw Kal walking over. "Was that beautiful lady just now Uma Thurman?" Kal had a suggestive grin, clearly implying something was going on between Hugo and Uma.
Hugo couldn't help but laugh. "Friends, just friends."
"You sure?" Kal's grin widened. "The way you two were talking didn't look like just friends." Though Kal didn't say it outright, his meaning was clear. He had been standing nearby, watching Hugo and Uma talk so comfortably, and the subtle chemistry between them was easy to spot even for an observer.
Hugo smiled faintly without replying to Kal's teasing. Kal continued, "Anyway, you're single now, right? There's no harm in giving it a shot. You two seem to really click. Or do you have someone already?" Kal asked uncertainly. "I heard Joseph say you didn't…"
Kal's words left Hugo both amused and helpless. Although his heart skipped a beat again, Hugo believed it was just the influence of the former Hugo. So he simply picked up the phonograph and stood up. "We can't park here. Hurry up. If you don't want a ticket, we'd better leave now."
Kal didn't press further. After all, he wasn't that close to Hugo yet, not enough to joke too freely. Still, he replayed Hugo and Uma's interaction in his head and chuckled. He was convinced something was definitely happening between the two they just hadn't confirmed it yet, so Hugo played it down as "just friends." Kal walked quickly to the curb, lifted two table lamps, and headed toward the nearby pickup truck.
Hugo and Kal loaded the furniture onto the pickup and headed home. From a distance, they saw Joseph and Alex standing at the entrance, seemingly arguing with an elderly man. To be precise, it was the old man who was red-faced and ranting while Joseph and Alex stood politely without much reaction.
When Hugo and Kal got closer, the old man angrily marched into the building. "What's going on?" Kal stuck his head out from the driver's seat and asked.
"Nothing. He said we blocked the hallway and it's affecting access," Joseph replied simply.
Alex stood by, looking helpless. "He lives alone on the second floor. Always has a lot to say."
"You have to let people express opinions, and we did block the hallway," Hugo said with a chuckle. "No wonder you guys took so long to come over. Alright, let's get to work!"
After unloading that truckload of furniture, the four of them went out again and gathered another load. Only then did their shopping day finally come to an end.
By the time everything was placed, and they finished tidying up, it was nearly ten at night. Fortunately, the pizza delivery came quickly. In less than fifteen minutes, the four of them were sitting in the third-floor living room enjoying dinner.
The room no longer felt so empty. Two connected shoe cabinets had been added at the entrance. Since they previously only had one set of sofas, they added several ottomans, filling the living space. A storage cabinet was placed next to the low cabinet to hold essentials, and the phonograph now sat on it. The dining area had three new bar stools beside the table. The kitchen was restocked with a microwave, frying pan, and other items. Finally, the place started to feel like home. Though the decor remained simple, over time, it would surely become more personalized. This was just day one.
Of course, the most important addition was the television.
"You really want to keep the TV on?" Joseph looked at Hugo helplessly. Since Alex hadn't paid for cable service, the TV had long been suspended. Nothing showed but static. Still, Hugo insisted on having it on.
With his mouth full of delicious pizza, Hugo looked content. "Of course. Don't you think it adds some sound to the house? If all four of us go quiet, the living room won't feel so awkward. Want to try being silent for a moment?"
As soon as Hugo finished speaking, the four men looked at each other. The static noise from the TV continued in the background. It hadn't felt awkward before, but now that Hugo had pointed it out, the humor kicked in. Alex was the first to crack and burst out laughing, followed by Hugo, then Kal. Even Joseph couldn't help but smile helplessly.
"Playing vinyl records could be nice too if we had some at home," Alex said, eyeing the phonograph Hugo had brought back. Occasionally listening to vinyl really was a special experience.
"I'll prepare some romantic records for your next date," Hugo said with a wide grin. It was clearly a joke he had no experience with vinyl before crossing over, and knew nothing about phonographs. If he wanted to learn, he'd have to start from scratch.
But Alex was immediately pleased and nodded. "Then I'll look forward to it."
"Didn't the 'A Few Good Men' crew call you today?" Kal turned to Joseph, curious.
Joseph shook his head, and Kal couldn't help but frown. "Could it be because we've been running around outside that you missed the call?" They had been busy all day, barely setting foot in the house even when they were home, so missing a phone call was completely understandable.
"No," Joseph was actually a bit more composed, mainly because he had been through quite a lot over the past two months. He knew that being anxious wouldn't help and that staying calm was better. "Rob and the others know the office number, even if they couldn't reach me, they would have left a message there."
With mobile phones not yet in widespread use, the office reception phone had become an important relay point. Even if Joseph wasn't in the office all day, it would still prevent missed calls. Of course, this only applied to small employees like Joseph. If someone like Ron went out, his assistant Gary would take note of all messages for his boss.
"There's no need to rush. The audition was only yesterday. It's too soon for them to respond today," Hugo wasn't too anxious either, because he knew that the initiative in this matter wasn't in his hands, nor Rob's it was all up to Tom. As long as Tom agreed to take the script, then the issue would be resolved with nothing more to worry about.
Kal looked at Hugo, then at Joseph, "You guys don't know that Columbia Pictures is planning not to use Tom Cruise anymore?" This was also why Kal was so eager to bring it up earlier. As expected, this news immediately stunned both Joseph and Hugo. Kal then realized they hadn't heard about it yet, "I went to the company this morning and heard that Tom refused to shave his head and wouldn't lower his pay either, so Columbia Pictures decided to look for a replacement. On one hand, they're considering a backup plan, and on the other, they're putting pressure on Tom."
Kal held the pizza in his hand, the aroma making him swallow repeatedly, but he didn't dare take a bite yet because the three people in front of him were all staring at him expectantly. So he spoke quickly, "News came this morning that Tom strongly refused to cut his hair short, saying it would affect his image, and the negotiations broke down. I thought Rob would make a decision this afternoon. Didn't we hear earlier that the crew only has ten days before shooting starts? There really isn't much time left."
In "A Few Good Men," the male lead Daniel is in the Navy. Although he's not serving in a combat unit that requires shaving his head, cutting his hair short is still necessary. Tom is at the peak of his career now and has the leverage to push back against the producers. The next step depends on whether the producers can stay firm.
But Hugo knew that in his memory, it was the producers who gave in, because Tom ended up starring in "A Few Good Men," and he still had his suave hairstyle in it. But this time, who knows if things will change.
After blurting all that out, Kal finally took a big bite of his pizza, and a satisfied expression immediately spread across his face. Seeing Kal like that, Hugo couldn't help but smile, but Joseph frowned slightly, looking at Hugo with concern.
Hugo smiled and reassured him, "No need to rush. Even if a decision needs to be made, it won't happen that quickly. Whether it's me or Brad stepping in for Tom, it's a major decision."
"At least your height is way better than Tom or Brad's you've got a much more commanding presence." Alex chimed in with a killer line, which nearly made Kal choke on his pizza, coughing nonstop. Height was definitely Tom's Achilles' heel and Brad wasn't much taller either.
...
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