average american beauty

Caroline took a deep breath, trying to stabilize her expression, trying to regain her calm self.

"Are you okay?" She smiled consciously and kindly towards the young man, or boy, who was squatting on the ground and hurriedly packing up scattered gifts.

However, the boy's frantic movements made Caroline's eyes inadvertently have a hint of playfulness.

As a result, Francis' face became even redder. He lowered his head and gathered several boxes together. After a long time, he seemed to have made up his mind and stood up holding the rearranged things.

He stretched out his hands to smooth out the folds on the coat and tweed vest when he fell, adjusted his bow tie, put his hands behind his back, and bent forward slightly, "I'm sorry ma'am, I made a mistake just now. people."

"It's okay, I just pushed it to you, and I'm sorry too," Caroline put the comb into the interlayer pocket of her skirt, looked back and saw Isabella finally came, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Franz, why did you come back without saying anything?" Isabella walked up from behind Caroline and hugged her younger brother, breaking the somewhat unusual atmosphere.

She pulled Francis over to introduce Caroline, "This is my brother, the Francis I mentioned to you."

He also introduced his new roommate to his younger brother, "Franz, this is Caroline Meeber, who is my current roommate and lives in the opposite room."

Francis bowed again and looked up at Caroline, who also greeted her as if nothing had happened.

"I haven't seen you for a long time. I just have something to do, so I won't bother you." Caroline saw that Francis was still holding something, and she probably had nothing to do here, so she went back to the room first.

The remaining two siblings were arguing quietly in the living room:

"You didn't tell me that you rented out the empty room." When Caroline returned to her room, Francis' expression immediately came alive. He rubbed his wrist when he fell down and said to his sister .

"It was clearly written in my last letter to you. According to the time, I should have arrived in Milwaukee last week." Isabella spoke louder than usual to her younger brother who had watched her grow up. He stretched out his hand and tapped his brother's forehead,

"Not only are you too busy to go home for Christmas, but you don't even have time to read letters?"

Francis picked up the cushions on the sofa and grabbed the tassels on it with one hand. "Uncle plans to move the shoe factory to Chicago next year, so I helped him clear the warehouse and accounts last week. I live in the office every day and haven't come home." and swear,

"When I'm at home, I always read your letter for the first time."

"That girl just now... I haven't heard you mention this friend before. Did you meet at Mrs. Walker's school?" Francis wanted to naturally transfer the topic to Caroline whom he had just met, but blushed slightly. However, Isabella, who knew her brother thoroughly, showed a clear expression.

"You may not believe it if you tell me. I only got to know her when I advertised in the newspaper." Isabella stopped at this point, deliberately watching Francis nervously waiting for the next article.

Francis saw her sister's intentions, scratched his head and muttered, "I'm also worried about your safety. Chicago has developed too fast in the past two years, so we should be cautious in choosing roommates." He nodded as he spoke.

"Don't worry, I only became roommates with her after some investigation. She works for Eve Green."

Instead of satisfying her younger brother's curiosity, Isabella turned to look at the gift boxes piled up on the table, "Let me see what you brought here?"

"It's all brushes and paints. When I ordered materials from my uncle, I happened to have a mane suitable for brushes, so I made two sets for you. And this, the French baking book that my uncle brought back from a friend, you It should be useful..." Francis put all the gifts on the table, took the empty box aside, and counted the gifts he brought over one by one.

"Uncle is still in Milwaukee and can't leave. I'll come back to see you, and I have to go back tomorrow." Francis bent down and leaned on her knees when his sister sat down and began to look through the picture album, and said reluctantly.

He and Isabella lived with their parents in Chicago since they were young. Their uncle ran a leather shoe company in Milwaukee, a hundred miles away from Chicago. Since they had no children, they always regarded their two children as heirs.

Their parents died a few years ago, and their uncle wanted to take them to Milwaukee, but neither of them wanted to.

Isabella studied painting with her father since she was a child, and has no interest in business. Although she looks weak, she is very persistent in what she insists on. After graduating from a girls' school, she moved out of the house alone and went to a charity school without hesitation teacher.

In fact, Francis is not interested in the family business as much as Isabella, but there must always be someone to go to his uncle.

Isabella chose her own life, and he was very happy for his sister, but every time he came to visit his sister, he still couldn't avoid taking advantage of it like he was doing now.

Isabella patted her brother's ear-growing hair, "Do you want to stay here at night? If you want to stay overnight, you can only sleep on the sofa, and I need to talk to Caroline first."

Francis hurriedly straightened up and shook his head, "No, no, I'll just book a room at the Palmer Hotel, so I can take the train tomorrow." After a pause, he added, "I'm afraid it's not right for you to stay here now." convenient."

Isabella looked at him with a helpless smile.

"Isa, I didn't even eat lunch. It just so happens that the restaurant at the Palmer Hotel will be open during the holidays. Why don't you call your roommate and let's go have dinner together?" Francis said, peeking at his sister Reaction.

He could never forget those vivid gray-blue eyes just now.

The mentioned Caroline is sorting out the manuscripts during this time in the room.

In order to write the report for Ms. Green last week, Caroline sorted out the latest ideas every day to make adjustments to the report, and finally copied it into a draft.Except for the co-column, she has no time to try new manuscripts. When she has a good idea, she writes down some interesting points piecemeal.

Originally, she wanted to take advantage of the time to sort it out and post it directly after the holiday, but she sat at the desk for a long time, and her efficiency was very low.

There was a faint conversation outside the door of the room, and Caroline couldn't help but drift to the living room, wanting to hear what the siblings were talking about.

The aftermath of the hangover is very serious, Caroline thought, I can't even concentrate, I should really sleep all day like Vivienne.

She put away the manuscript and the pen in her hand, lay down on the bed and buried her face in the pillow.

So when Isabella knocked on the door and invited Caroline out to dinner, she saw her sleepy roommate.

"Dinner?" Caroline yawned. "Thank you for the invitation. I won't be going. I wish you all a good time."

If Caroline had looked out of the window a bit more downstairs later, when Isabella and Francis were leaving in the cab, she might just have caught the boy's regretful, expectant look at the window when he closed the door.

In this way, the story of the two may start earlier.

The author has something to say:

Francis: Please remember my name, I will be back.