"Roommates?" Hugo still couldn't believe it. He turned to Charlize again for confirmation. This whole thing was just too strange.
First, Hugo had a romantic night with Charlize, then due to his withdrawal symptoms, there was a misunderstanding. But he had clearly explained everything. Still, they lost contact after that, and despite numerous attempts, he hadn't been able to speak with Charlize again. And now, their reunion came with the news that Charlize was moving in with him as a roommate? And this came right after she witnessed Uma leaving his room? This was just too bizarre.
Charlize looked at Hugo's confused gaze—those clear amber eyes still faintly showing some hidden expectation. She forcibly cut through her tangled emotions and pushed them down. "Yes. Is that inconvenient? Your apartment has always been open for shared rent, and anyone moving in is completely normal. Besides, we're friends. Living together is better than having a total stranger move in, right?"
Friends… Hugo caught Charlize's indifferent definition and his expression froze.
"As a girl, I'm not even complaining about living with two guys. Do you have a problem with it?" Charlize was now completely back to normal. She stepped into the middle of the living room, looking around at the decor and layout. "If anyone should be protesting, it should be me, right? Living under the same roof with two guys—shouldn't I be the one feeling the most inconvenience?"
That hit the mark, leaving Hugo speechless. "But…weren't you living with Tyra before?"
"You remember Tyra?" Charlize was a little surprised. "She went to Paris. That's why I had to move out."
Hugo stood in place, watching Charlize casually inspect the house. He didn't speak. Right now, Charlize looked so relaxed and at ease—no tension, no panic, no uneasiness, no embarrassment everything seemed so normal, as if nothing had ever happened.
Hugo thought back on the past two months. First, he had explained that night's events as honestly as he could through Tyra, but after that, Charlize completely cut off contact. At first, Hugo thought maybe there was some misunderstanding that Charlize was angry and that's why she wasn't taking his calls. But judging by her behavior today, she didn't care at all about that night. Hugo had thought they had mutual feelings, but now it seemed that wasn't the case it was all just his own wishful thinking.
Now, Charlize could treat him calmly as a friend. But what about him? Hugo asked himself. He couldn't refuse. Maybe there was no way to make those feelings bloom anymore everything had been nipped in the bud but at least they could still be friends. They always had good conversations. Whether it was their first awkward encounter or their second dinner, everything was pleasant. So maybe…being friends was really the most suitable relationship.
Hugo took a deep breath and picked up the thread Charlize had left. "She went to Paris? What happened? And how did you end up with Kal? Kal, you didn't mention yesterday that you already found a new tenant for the other room."
Now that Hugo had calmed down, he realized he hadn't sorted out this morning's chaos at all. There were just too many question marks. He noticed Charlize avoiding his gaze, then suddenly remembered he wasn't wearing a shirt. He quickly went back to his room, threw on a T-shirt, and came back out to help Kal move Charlize's luggage into the room on the left side of the dining area.
So this was what had happened.
Not long ago, after Tyra returned from New York Fashion Week empty-handed, she fell into despair. She realized that whether it was her looks or her skin color, making a name for herself in the American modeling scene was not going to be easy. But Tyra refused to give up. She firmly believed she could become a top model, so after much consideration, she decided to go to Paris.
As the fashion capital of the world, Paris offered a more inclusive and mature modeling environment than New York or Los Angeles. Black models had more opportunities there. Maybe in Paris, Tyra could finally carve out her own path.
Tyra's experience had also affected Charlize. After her own recent experience at New York Fashion Week, she now understood that the hardships of the modeling world went far deeper than she had imagined. Most models would never give up the chance to transition into acting once it was offered. This helped Charlize realize just how valuable Kal El's second offer truly was.
After returning to Los Angeles, Charlize reached out to Kal and said she was willing to sign. Kal was overjoyed and signed Charlize to his roster as fast as he could, afraid that if he hesitated, she might change her mind.
After signing her, Kal didn't have time to arrange any acting training for Charlize yet, since he was also at a crossroads. Kal had just gotten help from Joseph to move in as roommates. Once Kal's situation stabilized, he learned Charlize also needed a new place to stay.
On the third floor, besides Alex and Hugo, there was still one vacant room. This worked out perfectly for Kal. Whether it was about looking after her, splitting the rent, or solving the roommate issue, he couldn't think of a better option. So he discussed it with the landlord and quickly made a decision.
This was all settled two days ago, but Kal had completely forgotten to tell Hugo—he hadn't even had the chance to tell Joseph about signing Charlize due to his hectic schedule. That's how this morning's confusion happened.
After hearing the full story, Hugo couldn't help but sigh. His first encounter with Charlize and their reunion today were both filled with unexpected surprises that left him completely unprepared.
"Charlize, sorry—I forgot to tell you that Hugo lives here. You don't mind, do you?" Kal had mentioned Charlize to Hugo twice before, but from what he knew, Hugo and Charlize only knew each other and weren't really friends. So Kal didn't think it was necessary to mention anything to either of them.
Charlize glanced at Hugo. Their eyes met, but both of them awkwardly looked away. "It's fine. You told me both roommates were men, so I was already mentally prepared." Though it was a shared apartment, she still had her own space only the bathroom was shared. This kind of housing arrangement was common in Los Angeles. For Charlize, it wasn't a big deal. As for Hugo, it shouldn't carry any special meaning.
That's when Hugo remembered, "Where are Alex and Joseph?" He hadn't seen either of them this morning.
"Joseph went to the company. Not sure if the audition results are out yet," Kal replied. "I don't know about Alex I got up early to help Charlize move."
"An audition?" Since they had decided to be friends, and now they'd be living under the same roof, Charlize didn't want things to remain awkward. So she took the initiative and asked, "You went to another audition?"
"Yeah." Hugo looked up at Charlize. Seeing the clear and candid look in her eyes, he no longer avoided her gaze. He smiled as he replied, "But my competitor is Tom Cruise. This won't be easy."
"Who?" Charlize's question made Hugo and Kal glance at each other, then burst into loud laughter. The world-famous Tom Cruise had been defeated in front of Charlize, who had little interest in movies. Charlize also realized that she had probably made a mistake. Looking at Hugo's bright and radiant smile, she couldn't help but laugh as well. "Just because he's famous doesn't mean everyone on this planet has to know who he is."
"Exactly, exactly." Kal nodded repeatedly, his mood clearly lifted. His miserable career had finally started showing signs of progress lately, so naturally, when good things happen, the spirit lifts. "Charlize, then if you had to choose, who would you like to star in this movie?"
"The one I invested in?" Charlize knew nothing about the so-called audition, so she wasn't quite sure what was going on. "If it's up to me, of course I'd choose Hugo." Her crisp and decisive answer made Hugo's smile widen a bit more. "Hugo is standing right in front of me if I don't choose him, wouldn't that be kind of awkward?"
Hugo's smile froze instantly. He had just been played by Charlize. Kal, on the other hand, laughed gleefully and teased Hugo, "If Tom were here, she probably wouldn't choose you." With that, Kal walked away with light steps to carry the last box.
Hugo glanced at Kal's back, then turned his head to look at Charlize. The two of them didn't speak immediately; a brief silence fell between them. This was also the first time the two of them were alone together today, and both seemed a little nervous. In the end, it was Hugo who gathered his courage and took the initiative to extend his right hand. "Welcome to sharing the burden of our rent. From now on, please bear with us living with two men might be quite a challenge."
Charlize looked at Hugo's long fingers; the powerful joints gleamed under the sunlight with a kind of breathtaking beauty. She withdrew her gaze, took Hugo's hand, and showed a bold smile. "Don't underestimate a woman's capabilities. Who knows? Maybe you'll be the ones under pressure. Besides, I'm half a man myself, didn't you know?"
That little tease from Charlize made Hugo laugh out loud. "I hope I never find out about that part of the truth otherwise, I'd be worried for my personal safety."
Faced with Hugo's words, Charlize didn't respond. She simply laughed and walked over to the side. Under Hugo's gaze, she directly lifted a massive box. Can you imagine such a scene? Charlize, who looked slender and well-proportioned, suddenly displayed brute strength and effortlessly picked up a huge box. Hugo was truly shocked she really was half a man.
"You know what?" Hugo said, dumbfounded, "You look like King Kong playing dice."
…"Hugo Lancaster!"
....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(40 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler (30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu