I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1058: This is Uncomfortable]

Before she knew it, the time had edged close to seven o'clock, and the sky was gradually darkening.

Caroline sat on the living room sofa, absentmindedly picking up the remote and switching TV channels. In the distance, she faintly heard the sounds of music coming from the resort's banquet hall, prompting her to glance again toward the door. Eric had said he was going to prepare something to eat for her, but over an hour had passed. Although she knew Eric would never deceive her, the girl felt a flicker of anxiety. She wondered if something had come up unexpectedly; otherwise, there was no reason for Eric to be gone this long.

Mayer walked in from the kitchen, carrying a pot of freshly boiled water, and noticed Caroline's gaze. She smiled and said, "Carly, should I call and check on him?"

Caroline hurriedly shook her head, "No need, I'm not hungry."

Mayer poured herself and Caroline each a glass of water, added some ice, and handed one glass to Caroline, saying, "Maybe the boss is personally cooking something for you, which is why it's taking so long."

Caroline took a small sip from the glass, saying, "Mary, the party over there should have already started. You could go ahead."

"I'm not in a rush," Mayer replied, shaking her head as she sat on the sofa. "If the boss comes back and finds I've left you here alone, I'll be in trouble."

Caroline reassured her, "That won't happen. Eric is really good to us."

Remembering their experiences since she started working there, Mayer fully agreed with Caroline. Eric treated everyone around him exceptionally well. Even when Mayer made occasional minor mistakes, he merely smiled it off. Mayer felt that aside from being a bit of a flirt, there was nothing to complain about with him. Deep down, there was a small resentment inside her, one she wasn't even willing to admit: This guy flirted with so many women but seemed to overlook her completely.

But when she recalled that night at the villa on Kensington Gardens in London, it wasn't entirely true that he had overlooked her. Perhaps she simply missed her opportunity. Every time she thought about it, she regretted not being more proactive back then.

...

The two women chatted casually. After a while, the sound of a car finally came from outside.

Eric carefully walked in, carrying a plastic container lined with layers of cotton cloth, with a white ceramic casserole atop it.

As soon as Eric stepped into the living room, Caroline and Mayer immediately caught the rich aroma of meat, mixed with a hint of sweet corn.

After greeting the two women, Eric walked over to the coffee table, gently placed the casserole on it, and instructed, "Mayer, could you grab some utensils from the kitchen?"

Mayer hadn't eaten anything yet and couldn't resist swallowing at the aromatic scent that filled the air. Nodding, she got up and headed to the kitchen.

Eric lifted the lid, and the fragrance intensified in the living room. Turning to Caroline, who looked curious, he said, "Corn rib soup. The chef at the resort couldn't make it right, so I had someone find a chef from outside. The first time, they added cream, which completely drowned out the flavor of the ribs and corn. I had him redo it. I could have made it myself, but I can't seem to handle the fishy smell; if I did it wrong, it could end up tasting worse. Hey, your foot is hurt, and drinking more bone soup will be beneficial. Once we get back to Los Angeles, I'll find a chef to make it for you every day."

Caroline listened to Eric chatter away and felt a bit of sweetness bloom in her heart. She quickly replied, "There's no need, Eric, and eating too much of this could make me gain weight."

Eric laughed and said, "Don't worry, I asked specifically; rib soup is nutritious but actually low in calories."

Mayer quickly returned from the kitchen with two sets of utensils. Seeing this, Caroline said, "Eric, there's a lot of soup. Mayer can eat some too."

"I'll pass," Mayer declined, shaking her head. "I can just go eat over there."

"Mayer, stay and eat with us," Eric persisted as he took a small bowl and filled it with soup for Caroline. Hearing Caroline's suggestion, he added, "There's enough for all three of us. Go grab another set of utensils."

Mayer hesitated but eventually couldn't resist the allure of the food and ran back to the kitchen.

Eric finished serving Caroline and carefully selected a few rib pieces, checking the bowl's exterior temperature with his palm; it wasn't too hot. He handed it to her, saying, "Give it a try."

Caroline carefully cradled the bowl in her hands, using a spoon to pick up a piece of rib and daintily taking a bite. The meat was tender and flavorful, and although not heavily spiced, the taste was just right: "Eric, it's delicious."

Eric smiled and replied, "Then eat some more."

"Yeah, Eric, you should eat too."

Eric nodded and served himself a bowl as Mayer returned to start eating with them.

Though she realized she was being a third wheel, Mayer happily finished the last bowl of rib soup, feeling satisfied with her role.

After the three finished the entire pot of rib soup, Mayer eagerly cleared the dishes and tactfully left the room.

...

With only Eric and Caroline remaining, Eric took a moment to examine the splint on Caroline's foot. Knowing that the alluring aroma in the room would linger for a while, he suggested, "How about I take you for a walk outside?"

Caroline nodded. As long as she could be with Eric, she was happy to do anything.

Eric lifted her into the wheelchair and pushed her outside. Because the resort was spacious with few people around, they strolled along the cement path, enjoying the cool night breeze. Although the music from the banquet hall was now more pronounced, Eric had no intentions of joining the festivities.

They stopped by a cluster of the saguaro cacti common in Arizona. Eric said, "By the way, I've made arrangements for us to return to Los Angeles tomorrow. For the next month, I'll have Mayer take care of you."

"Eric, that doctor said I just needed to rest for half a month. Honestly, my foot doesn't hurt as much anymore," Caroline replied.

"That won't do. An ankle sprain can leave lingering issues if you're not careful, so you have to ensure you're a hundred percent healed." Eric insisted, then smiled, adding, "Don't worry; since this is a work injury, you won't have to work, and your salary will keep coming."

Feeling reassured by Eric's tone, Caroline didn't press further. Instead, she asked, "Eric, this afternoon, will those reporters be a bother?"

Eric replied casually, "Of course not, but they will be disappointed. However, we aren't obligated to give them any big news."

...

After taking a stroll around the resort, Eric pushed Caroline back to their place. The aroma of rib soup had dissipated by now. Glancing at the time, which was already past eight, Eric carefully lifted Caroline back onto the sofa. "Why don't we turn in early tonight? We'll head back in the morning."

Caroline nodded, though her gaze drifted toward her foot in the splint, and she slightly lowered her head, not saying anything.

Eric sensed the tension and felt a bit awkward about the situation.

At that moment, Caroline was still wearing her daytime clothes -- a khaki-colored coat on top and snug jeans below. The right foot was fixed with a splint while the left foot sported a pink sock that managed to wrap around her delicate little foot.

Clearly, she wouldn't be able to rest like that.

Realizing the situation, Eric stood up, saying, "Wait here, I'll go get Mayer."

As he began to rise, he felt Caroline tug gently at his shirt. She timidly asked, "Eric, can you stay with me a little longer?"

Eric reluctantly sat back down, "Alright, then how about we watch a little more TV?"

Caroline's voice dropped to a whisper, "I'm actually sleepy, Eric. Can you carry me to the bedroom?"

After a moment of hesitation, he saw the hopeful look in Caroline's eyes and nodded. He carefully lifted her up, asking, "Which room is yours?"

This apartment belonged to both Caroline and Mayer, so she pointed to one of the doors and said, "The one on the left."

...

Eric carried the lightweight girl over, opened the door, placing her on the bed first, then walked over to turn the light on. He casually closed the bedroom door and returned to the bedside, pulling up the blanket to cover Caroline before sitting down on a chair next to her.

Caroline quietly watched Eric do all of this. When he sat beside her, she cautiously turned on her side, resting her head on the pillow, and looked at Eric with sparkling eyes. With a hint of playfulness in her voice, she said, "Eric, I don't feel sleepy anymore."

"Then just lie down," Eric smiled, gently brushing aside some stray golden hair from Caroline's face. "Do you want to hear a bedtime story?"

"Sure," Caroline replied softly but seemed a bit nostalgic, saying, "My mom used to tell me bedtime stories when I was little. But since I always remembered the stories from the books I read, I couldn't help but argue with my mom when her telling was different. Eventually, she stopped telling me stories."

"Ha, then I better not risk telling you one; I could never remember the stories in the books."

"You could tell me one I haven't heard before."

"Let me think," Eric said with a smile as he pretended to ponder. After a moment, he began, "Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and in that mountain, there was a temple. Inside the temple, there was an old monk and a young monk. The old monk said to the young monk, 'Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and in that mountain, there was a temple.'"

At this point, Eric stopped, and Caroline blinked, a smile creeping onto her face as if urging him to continue.

Eric felt her gaze on him, and after a moment, he shrugged and said with a laugh, "Well, it seems I'm out of inspiration today and can't find a good story."

"Can you sing for me instead?"

"That..." Eric thought for a moment, recalling a song he had wanted to use as a soundtrack for Gravity. He nodded, saying, "Sure."

After taking a moment to gather himself, Eric began to sing softly, the melody of Elton John's Rocket Man filling the air.

♪She packed my bags last night, pre-flightZero hour, 9 a.m.And I'm gonna be high as a kite by thenI miss the Earth so much, I miss my wifeIt's lonely out in spaceOn such a timeless flight...♪

Eric had always enjoyed the whimsical feel of this song.

While the version in Gravity didn't include this particular track, Eric decided to have it playing during a moment when Ryan and Matt made their escape, heading to the space station.

Of course, to fit the movie's ambiance, the song would need to be reworked appropriately.

Caroline listened quietly until Eric finished, then softly said, "Eric, I find you a lot like Kowalsky."

Eric shook his head, "I can't be as carefree as he is."

But Caroline suddenly insisted, "No, you are."

"Maybe that's because I already have a lot of things," Eric replied thoughtfully. "It's like how attractive people always say looks aren't everything, or rich people say money isn't everything. If they had nothing, they wouldn't be able to say that."

"No, that's not it," Caroline shook her head again. "I feel like you're different from everyone else in the world."

"Alright, maybe you've caught my secret," Eric whispered playfully, adding a touch of theatrics to his voice. "Actually, I come from the Alpha Centauri system. Do you remember the Tunguska event ninety years ago? My spaceship crashed to Earth back then."

Caroline grasped the blanket's edge, her delicate face carrying a hint of innocence. She blinked her bright eyes and asked, "And then what?"

Eric resumed his serious demeanor and said, "Earthling, you already know too much."

"Haha," Caroline chuckled softly, then paused before saying, "Eric, this is uncomfortable."

Eric asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

Caroline's cheeks flushed a bit, but she bravely continued, "Wearing clothes to sleep is uncomfortable."

Eric reached over and gently tapped her nose, teasingly saying, "Already thinking bad thoughts with an injury, looks like you've learned from me."

"I learned it from you."

"I'm supposed to charge tuition."

Caroline's cheeks grew even pinker; perhaps being wrapped in the blanket gave her a bit more courage. She continued, "I don't have any money; I only have... myself."

"Well then," Eric sighed with a smile, getting up and walking over to the closet. "You can take off your top; I'll get you a nightgown. Just keep your pants on tonight; deal with it for one night, and tomorrow, let the nurse come and temporarily remove the splint. After that, you can wear skirts for the month."

While saying this, Eric opened the closet and rummaged through Caroline's neatly hung clothes. He found a light pink silk nightgown and walked back to the bedside, handing it to the girl who had tossed her coat and sweater aside. "Here, put this on."

Caroline bashfully accepted the nightgown and rustled beneath the blanket, taking her time. After a while, she likely finished changing, returning to her previous position. She carefully peeked out from the covers, her little foot wearing pink cotton socks slowly reaching out and nudging against Eric: "I still have socks."

Eric caught Caroline's little leg and helped her remove the socks, giving the sole of her foot a gentle tickle as he said, "Alright, stop messing around. Be careful of your splint."

Caroline giggled and shifted her position because of Eric's tickling, inadvertently finding herself lying face down on the bed, her little face buried in the pillow. Moments later, her little leg re-emerged, the translucent toes playfully wiggling, seemingly trying to grab Eric's attention. Meanwhile, her faint voice wafted through the air, clear yet soft. "Eric, these jeans are really uncomfortable. Could we... could we cut them?"

Well then.

Eric's mind flashed and suddenly understood her intention for the evening. Caroline had certainly taken a bold turn tonight.

*****

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