Eva was wearing her usual oversized sunglasses, large enough to cover half of her pretty face. Because she had been filming Gladiator recently, her hair had been permed into soft curls. Combined with her tall, slender figure, she looked every bit like a passionate and charming English girl.
"What are you doing here?" Ethan did not have much energy to be surprised right now.
Eva was right. He was in a terrible mood.
"We're filming in Farnham, and since I heard you were coming to London for a match, I thought I'd come by to see the team you work for while I had some free time. I didn't expect you to be on the coaching bench. Are you the team's head coach?" Eva asked with interest as she walked up to Ethan.
Ethan shook his head. "The head coach should be in the dressing room right now."
Eva pouted playfully, looking very charming. "Then you must be a regular coach for the team. I heard only coaches are allowed on the bench."
Ethan neither answered nor denied it and continued walking forward.
"To be honest, this is the first time I've watched a full football match, you know? I've watched games before, but I usually don't last more than ten minutes. I don't see what's so interesting about 22 people chasing a ball around a pitch. But this time, I actually watched the whole thing. Surprising, right?"
Ethan gave a casual grunt and kept walking.
The two arrived at a street near Highbury. Since it was not in the heart of central London, there was not much traffic.
When they reached the bus stop, there were already many fans who had watched the game waiting for the bus.
Although there was a Tube station near Highbury, the Underground was usually very crowded at this time.
Ethan sat in the shelter and waited quietly. He watched as the people around him got on the buses one after another. After a while, he did not know how much time had passed, but he and Eva were the only ones left at the stop.
"This match... we lost!" Ethan broke the silence.
Eva sat beside him and patted his hand comfortingly. She knew nothing about football, so she did not understand what had happened at all. She only knew the final score was 2-1, and Arsenal had won.
"We didn't want to lose like that, you know?"
Ethan's intense expression startled Eva. Just as she thought he was about to lose his temper, he let out a deep sigh. "But what does it matter if I'm not willing to accept it? A loss is a loss. There's no way to do it over, is there?"
Eva looked at Ethan with some surprise. This was the first time she had seen a vulnerable side of him. In their previous two meetings, Ethan had always been full of confidence, as if he could hold up the sky even if it collapsed.
But now, the impression he gave was as if the sky had truly fallen.
She had no right to speak about football, so she could only listen quietly from the side.
"More than half a year ago, I was full of ambition and thought I could run a club well. But in reality? More than half a year later, I've truly realized how difficult it is. It's not something you can accomplish just by having the heart and passion for it."
"Then... why don't you just quit your job? Stop being a football coach!" Eva suddenly suggested.
Ethan was stunned for a moment. "Then what should I do?"
"Actually, I've been wanting to ask you for a while. I'm missing an assistant, and I need someone I can trust to fill the role. If you're willing, you can start right away."
"Be your assistant?" Ethan laughed.
"I'm serious. I can pay you more than you make at the football club. I really feel that you are someone who can help me, and at the same time, you're a trustworthy friend!" Eva said with a serious expression.
Ethan shook his head. If he were not involved in football, he would choose to start an investment company and get involved in those hot future investment projects, or perhaps do venture capital, make a huge fortune, and then buy a small island in the Caribbean to live a carefree life.
Oh, right, and maybe marry a few beautiful wives and raise a football team.
"Oh, God, football again!" Ethan slapped his forehead hard. He realized he really could not leave football behind.
"I'm serious, Ethan. Think about it."
Ethan shook his head without even thinking. "Do you know what my salary is at the club right now?"
Eva shook her head.
Ethan made a zero with his right hand. "I haven't taken a single penny in salary from the club."
Of course, what owner took a salary from his own company?
Eva was a little surprised. "Then what do you live on?"
"I'm on welfare." Ethan put on a grin.
In fact, if his mood had not been so terrible just now, he would not have allowed his vulnerable side to show in front of a friend, especially a female friend.
"Anyone who believes you is a fool!" Eva gave him a little push.
Ethan stood up from the seat. "Believe it or not, you're a Londoner. You should play the host!"
"What do you mean?" Eva stood up too.
"Take me on a tour of London's attractions. Wherever is fun, we'll go. In short, I want to have a blast for the whole night, and then I'll head back to Manchester!"
"Are you really not going to consider my..." Eva still wanted to persuade him.
But Ethan grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, made her lead the way, and pushed her forward.
"You're so naggy, big star. I think I won't be able to leave football for the rest of my life, unless you're willing to hire someone who can only dedicate one-tenth, or even one-hundredth, of his mind to working for you," Ethan said with a smile.
To his surprise, Eva suddenly stopped, turned her face slightly, and nodded. "That works too!"
Ethan was stunned, then burst into laughter. "Big star, I didn't realize you were so humorous. Alright, when there's a chance, we'll negotiate properly and see how the salary and working hours will be calculated."
After saying that, Ethan pushed Eva forward without another word.
There were many attractions in London, but Ethan's mind was not on them at all, so no matter what he saw, he felt they were just average.
Between a bowl of instant noodles and a steak, everyone knew the latter was better than the former. But in reality, when instant noodles appeared while you were starving, you would think they tasted better than steak. And when steak appeared while you were already full, you would think it was even harder to swallow than instant noodles.
Sometimes, people were just this strange and unpredictable.
Although this was only the third time Ethan and Eva had met, it felt to Ethan as if they were old friends. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that they often talked on the phone.
Ever since they had talked for an entire day and night last Christmas, the two called each other almost whenever they had free time. Sometimes they would talk for hours, and even though they were only chatting about uninteresting topics, they both enjoyed it immensely.
"You know? I feel like I have... I mean, I seem to have a very special feeling for you!"
Sitting in an outdoor café by the Thames, under a large parasol, watching the river beneath the dim lights, the scene was very poetic and perfect for a confession between lovers.
"Is that so?" Eva put on an expression of pleasant surprise. "Me too. I think I might like you!"
After saying that, she could not help but laugh.
"I'm serious. Every time I'm bored or in a bad mood, you appear. For example, last Christmas, and just now, you appeared. I feel that in that moment, you're like a princess riding a white swan, coming to save her beloved prince!"
Eva giggled and quickly covered her mouth. After a while, she caught her breath. "What princess riding a white swan? You? A prince?"
"Hey, stop interrupting, okay? Can't you see I'm expressing my feelings?" Ethan felt like he was casting pearls before swine.
Eva giggled until she was shaking with laughter, looking as charming as could be.
"Hey, right, I've never asked you, how old are you this year?" Ethan looked towards the Thames and asked casually.
Eva almost fell over laughing on the spot. "Prince, has no one told you that a woman's age is strictly confidential?"
Ethan was stunned and immediately remembered that his junior high school English teacher seemed to have taught that you should not ask a woman, "How old are you?" This was a major taboo in social etiquette, and he had not expected to commit it himself.
"Don't you think I know that? I was just testing you, wasn't I? And look, I tested it and found out, didn't I?" Ethan was stubborn and refused to admit defeat.
"Then tell me, what did you find out?" Eva was very skeptical.
"I've heard data from an authoritative survey by an authoritative magazine. When someone of the opposite sex asks a woman her age, 95% of women under 25 will tell their age, while 95% of those over 25 will not."
Eva listened carefully from the side.
"And those 5% under 25 who refuse to say their age mostly do so because they look much older than they actually are, so they don't dare to say it. Conversely, those 5% over 25 who are willing to say their age do so mainly because they look much younger than they actually are, which makes them feel very proud."
"So?" Eva had an expression that said, "What are you trying to say?"
Ethan chuckled and said, "So, there are two possibilities for you. If you are under 25, you belong to that 5%. And if you are over 25, you belong to that 95%."
"Oh, you're beating around the bush to call me old, aren't you?" Eva said with a playful scolding tone.
"It's not too old. At least if you put on some makeup and dress up, you can still make it onto a magazine cover. But you should be careful when going out on the street."
"Why?" Eva had no idea this was a trap. She did not have all the twists and turns Ethan had picked up from the internet in the future.
"If you accidentally scare the neighbours, that wouldn't be good!" Ethan said in a serious tone.
Eva was left speechless, caught between laughter and tears, but in the end, laughter won out.
(To be continued.)