Dance

"I heard that you're also a talented singer?" Nicole, standing next to them, asked with great interest.

"You mean the end credits song for the movie?" Tom looked at his wife curiously.

"No, I read in the newspaper that Hugo composed a song during The Oprah Winfrey Show live," Nicole explained briefly, then looked at Hugo. "Is it true?"

Looking at Tom and Nicole in front of him, there was indeed a remarkable understanding between the two that outsiders envied. Regardless of whether the rumors about their marriage in the industry were true or not, it was undeniable that they had spent ten years together from 1990 to 2000, which was truly rare in the glamorous world of Hollywood.

Uma, who was standing beside them, chuckled softly. "Hugo, if it's true, then you owe me a guitar performance. I still haven't heard you play the guitar live."

Uma's words widened Nicole's eyes. "Are you serious?" After getting confirmation from Uma's nod, Nicole wrinkled her elegant nose and said playfully, "Hugo, that's not something a good man should do. You know, women always expect romance."

Hugo's gaze shifted back and forth between Uma and Nicole, then he smiled wryly and looked at Tom. "When did they form an alliance?"

Tom shrugged and sighed, "Women, huh?" One sentence made all four of them burst into laughter.

Hugo then chuckled and explained, "Yes, I dabble in music a bit. But I didn't know the news had traveled all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles."

However, Nicole had no intention of answering Hugo's subsequent question. Instead, she looked at Uma and said, "It seems he really owes you a performance. You should give him some punishment." The women immediately chuckled and their gazes fell on Hugo, making him feel a bit uneasy.

Hugo quickly raised his hands in surrender. "It's just a song, no need to take it so seriously, right?"

Nicole and Uma exchanged a glance, then said in unison, "Men..." deliberately dragging out the last note, causing all four of them to burst into laughter once again.

At this moment, the music in the hall stopped and changed to a slow foxtrot. The lights dimmed by one-third, creating a small dance floor in the middle that many people entered, dancing gracefully in pairs.

Hugo was quite surprised by this scene. "I didn't expect there would be such a segment."

"New Year's Eve party, a dance is an indispensable part," Uma spoke up, and Nicole nodded repeatedly in agreement. This awakened Hugo's memory. Indeed, many romantic movies featured such scenes, where couples would embrace and dance together during the New Year's countdown, followed by a kiss to welcome the new year.

"So, you're not planning to invite Uma to dance the first dance tonight?" Nicole looked at Hugo with a playful smile and a hint of teasing in her tone. It didn't quite match Nicole's elegant appearance, but it was evident that she had left a very good impression of Uma during their brief conversation earlier. "A graceful and beautiful lady like Uma, I'm sure there are plenty of gentlemen here who would be willing to invite her to dance. If you don't seize the opportunity, you might miss out. And besides, if you missed the guitar, do you want to miss the first dance as well?"

Hugo turned to look at Uma and saw the radiant smile on her face. However, Hugo felt a bit awkward. He was completely clueless about dances like the waltz, or to be accurate, he hadn't studied most dances. Suddenly being asked to dance was a challenge far more difficult than music or acting.

Tom gave Hugo a helpless look and then slightly bowed, extending his right hand to Nicole. "Beautiful lady, may I have the honor of dancing with you?"

"Of course, my knight." Nicole held Tom's right hand, blinked at Hugo, and then embraced Tom, gliding into the dance floor. Tom turned around, his gaze intersecting with Hugo's, and he cast a pitying look at Hugo, making him feel quite helpless.

Hugo looked around, but there was no sight of Joseph or Sydney. They had only arrived at the venue ten minutes ago. Perhaps dancing a dance was indeed a good choice. Although he was personally a bit hesitant, it was undoubtedly important to Uma.

So, Hugo took a deep breath, looked at the beaming Uma, clumsily took a step back, placed his left hand behind his back, and put his right hand on his left shoulder, performing a knightly gesture. Then he raised his right hand and said, "Lovely and beautiful lady, may I have the honor of dancing with you?"

Initially, Uma didn't have much thought about it because she knew that Hugo came to the party with a mission. Their conversation with Tom and Nicole earlier was merely a social interaction. However, now, Hugo had indeed invited her to dance, and listening to his wording, everything revolved around Uma. This immediately made Uma feel a fluttering sensation. No woman could refuse such an invitation, especially when she saw the amber sparkle in Hugo's eyes amidst the dim light.

"My honor, Your Highness." Uma lifted the hem of her white lace dress, half-squatted in a curtsy, and then grasped Hugo's right hand. Uma immediately felt the perspiration in Hugo's palm. She looked up and saw the tension in his cheeks and the panic in his eyes. This nervousness made Uma couldn't help but smile, and seeing Hugo like this was a first for her. He was a bit clumsy, a bit inexperienced, but it was somewhat beautiful.

Hugo observed how others were doing it and placed Uma's right hand on his left shoulder, while he placed his left hand on Uma's waist. Then he assumed the posture. After everything was ready, Hugo didn't step forward but awkwardly whispered, "Um, left foot or right foot?"

This made Uma burst into laughter, but when she saw the faint blush on Hugo's face, it felt as if her heart had been overturned like a jar of honey. She smiled and said, "Your right foot, four slow steps. Just follow my pace and tread slowly. It's only four beats, not difficult at all. Don't be nervous."

Hugo nodded quickly, but the tension in his neck made him feel stiff. He glanced at Uma's footsteps from the corner of his eye, taking a step forward, then another, and brought his feet together. He then took a small step to the left, turned his foot slightly, and repeated the first movement. The steps didn't seem difficult, but when he tried to execute them, his feet seemed disobedient. He would move forward when he should pause, pause when he should move backward, and move forward when he should turn around. It was a complete mess.

Hugo couldn't take his eyes off Uma's footsteps. He clumsily followed her lead, imitating her steps like a clumsy student. Step by step, they moved forward. Despite his efforts, Hugo occasionally kicked or stepped on Uma's feet, making their slow foxtrot resemble a malfunctioning gear.

Thus, an odd scene unfolded on the dance floor, with the two of them clumsily colliding and spinning together. The woman led the man in the dance, but the man was clearly too awkward, constantly interrupting their steps. The once simple and elegant slow foxtrot now looked like a mechanical dance, bringing amusement to those who watched.

"Oh, sorry," Hugo apologized as he stepped on Uma's high heels once again. Annoyed, he bit his lip and frowned.

Uma burst into laughter. "Don't be nervous, relax, relax." In fact, Hugo had already learned the basic steps, but his nervousness and lack of confidence made him believe he couldn't perform well. As a result, his steps became disjointed, leading to continuous collisions between the two.

Hugo could only smile helplessly. "I'm trying." But before he finished speaking, he bumped into Uma's foot again, leaving Hugo feeling frustrated. He lowered his head and looked into Uma's watery eyes. Taking a deep breath, he simply embraced her tightly. The two of them stayed in that position, slowly turning in place, stepping to an uncoordinated rhythm, and feeling each other's heartbeat. In that moment, a melting tenderness filled the air.

Uma leaned her head and planted a kiss on Hugo's neck. On tiptoe, she whispered in his ear, "How about giving it another try? Since we've already started, giving up isn't a good option. Besides, you were doing quite well earlier, just a little more effort."

Hugo instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing Uma's hopeful expression, he couldn't bring himself to say "no." He simply nodded and said, "I'll try my best not to step on you."

Hugo once again took Uma's hands and slowly began to step according to the learned dance moves. However, Hugo's talent in dancing was truly lacking, and he still appeared somewhat clumsy. And so, hand in hand, Hugo and Uma awkwardly danced the slow foxtrot on the dance floor, a scene that was neither romantic nor graceful but brought a smile to people's faces.

Uma bit her lip and whispered, "This terrible dance tonight won't be considered compensation, you still owe me a guitar performance."

A joyful expression appeared on Hugo's face. "Of course, of course. The dance doesn't count, and I will personally play the guitar for you. No, I can play several more songs." After making the promise, Hugo eagerly suggested, "How about ending this dance here?"

Uma looked at Hugo with a mischievous smile. "No, that won't do. We've only just begun."

Hugo's eyes widened with an expression full of anticipation, freezing in place. It was such a comical sight that Uma couldn't help but collapse into Hugo's shoulder, muffling her laughter. The trembling of her shoulders clearly showed how hard she was trying to suppress her amusement.