Chapter 7 Really Dislike
Erica appeared on screen with sweat glistening on her forehead and a healthy, sunny smile as she asked Caroline, "What's up?"
Caroline noticed a familiar silhouette behind Erica, and her eyes followed it distractedly. "Nothing, just checking what you're up to."
As Erica walked toward the locker room, the familiar figure disappeared from the screen, and Caroline snapped back to attention.
"You don't look like it's nothing," Erica said. "What's wrong? Trouble with Atticus?"
Caroline took a sip of water and replied nonchalantly, "We broke up."
"Broke up? But weren't you guys about to—" Erica's words came to an abrupt halt before she quickly changed course. "You should've dumped him ages ago. He was never good enough for you. Not exceptional in looks, personality, or circumstances. You should never have just gone with the flow. There aren't that many rules about who you can date, especially when it comes to marriage."
Caroline cut her off. "Keep talking like that and you'll turn into an old lady before your time."
"I'm not nagging," Erica's eyes lit up. "Wait, did you call me because you need some post-breakup therapy? Come on, some of us climbers are heading to the Bubbly Bar later. I'll show you hot guys of every type—with abs too. Whatever you're into, they've got it."
"I don't need therapy. I'm fine," Caroline glanced at the time—just past seven, too early for bed. "Isn't it a bit early to go now?"
Erica's face animated with excitement. "That's exactly why we need to go early. Tonight's headline MC is Cliff." At the height of her excitement, Erica pretended to wipe drool from the corner of her mouth. "He's been on tour for a month, and this is his first show back. I have to be there—I've been dying to see those eight-pack abs again."
"Wipe your drool before it drips onto my screen," Caroline said with mock disgust, which sent Erica into fits of laughter. "What? I just like hot guys. Is that a crime?"
"Not at all. Who would dare stop you? You're the queen of Seaside City." Caroline gave her a thumbs-up.
"Stop teasing. You'll fall for Cliff too, when you see him."
"Really?"
"Don't be stubborn. You'll see."
Caroline had seen videos of Cliff on Erica's social media. His physique was impressive, but not Caroline's type.
They agreed to meet at the entrance of Bubbly Bar. As a member, Erica had reserved the best table.
To get close interaction with the MC, seat selection was crucial—specifically booth 9 in section D. MCs would stand there to engage with the audience for atmosphere. Plus, those who could book D section were usually big spenders, so MCs naturally interacted more with them for business and fan loyalty.
As Caroline's car passed the intersection, she could already see the long line forming outside Bubbly Bar—it looked like a major celebrity had arrived.
After parking, she went to find Erica. With her tall figure, Caroline stood out in the crowd, and Erica waved to her.
"Caroline, over here!"
Caroline made her way through the crowd. "Excuse me, thank you."
Finally reaching Erica's side, she introduced Caroline to several climbers. Caroline remarked, "Quite a crowd."
Erica smiled proudly. "Cliff is on another level compared to regular MCs. Don't worry about the crowd—I got us the prime spot."
Caroline remembered Cliff from the video. "We'll get to interact with Cliff?"
Erica grinned. "Absolutely."
As they chatted, the man standing in front of Erica turned around, and Caroline met his gaze.
Caroline fell silent.
No way. What a coincidence.
Erica, noticing she hadn't introduced the climber they'd just met and seeing Caroline's frozen expression, asked curiously, "Do you two know each other?"
Caroline, not knowing why, denied it—perhaps to avoid complicated explanations. "No, we don't."
Leopold, however, was decidedly unhelpful. "Yes, we do."
Erica's expression instantly turned mischievous, her gaze flitting between their faces. "What's going on? I smell a secret."
Caroline, afraid of misunderstandings, quickly explained, "Don't be ridiculous. We've met through work, but we're not that close."
This answer seemed reasonable, but hearing it was work-related, Erica immediately lost interest.
Erica said to Leopold, "Caroline's my best friend. If you need anything, just ask her."
Leopold teased, "Does dropping your name help?"
"Of course," Erica draped her arm around Caroline's shoulders. "Take care of him a bit."
As the bar began letting people in, Caroline seized the opportunity to change the subject, pushing Erica forward. "They're letting people in. Let's go."
Leopold, apparently noticing Caroline's discomfort, intentionally distanced himself and went ahead with the other climbers.
Once he was out of earshot, Caroline whispered in Erica's ear, "How do you know him?"
She remembered Leopold saying he was new to Seaside City, so how did he know Erica?
Erica replied, "We're in the same climbing club. Just met tonight. He's quite good at climbing."
That explained it. Caroline nodded.
"Isn't he handsome? Interested?" Erica grinned mischievously, raising her eyebrows suggestively.
Caroline shook her head quickly. "No, and don't get any ideas."
"I'm not! I'm sincerely trying to find you a quality single guy."
Caroline, worried the group ahead might overhear, said, "Keep your voice down."
Erica said, "They're too far to hear. Are you sure? Not interested at all?"
Caroline shook her head.
"Fine. If you're not interested, I might set him up with Anna." Erica glanced toward a small group ahead where a pretty girl was gazing at Leopold with longing eyes. When you like someone, it's hard to hide. "Look at how Anna's staring at him—she's practically melting him with her eyes."
Caroline and Leopold sat on opposite sides of the booth. Their gazes occasionally met across the space, but they quickly looked away without much interaction. The table was filled with drinks and appetizers as everyone chatted and drank. Caroline held her bottle, her fingertips lightly tapping to the rhythm of the music.
The atmosphere remained pleasant until the headline MC Cliff took the stage. Everyone's enthusiasm instantly exploded. Caroline remained composed at first, partly because Leopold was present, and showing too much excitement would make her stand out.
But when Cliff removed his white shirt to reveal his muscular physique, Caroline couldn't maintain her cool. Her eyes wandered, and she finally understood how men felt when looking at beautiful women.
As the DJ's music started, Cliff stood right in front of Caroline and began moving his hips to the beat. His hand traced slowly down his neck in rhythm with the music. Caroline felt the boiling atmosphere around her nearly overwhelming her, and her cheeks flushed. In the next moment, Cliff reached out his hand, gesturing for her to come forward. Caroline was completely stunned, momentarily forgetting Leopold was nearby.
Cliff took a rose, biting the stem near the flower, and gazed into Caroline's eyes with intense passion as he slowly moved the rose stem toward her lips.
Beside them, Erica held up her phone, filming while screaming excitedly.
Sensing that Caroline didn't know how to interact, Cliff parted her lips, and under his mesmerizing gaze, she bit the rose stem he offered.
Erica shouted excitedly.
Leopold sat in his seat, legs crossed elegantly, his fingertips caressing the bottle in his hand. His narrow eyes reflected unspoken emotions in the play of light and shadow.