Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen novel Chapter 338

Paulina's symptom were far from unique.

Due to the local geography and climate, many crew members were suffering from a bout of homesickness. It was as if a plague had swept through the set, leaving a trail of casualties in its wake. The shooting schedule had screeched to a halt.

Carrol spent his days chain-smoking and nursing a bottle of bourbon, praying for a miraculous recovery amongst his team.

A few days went by, and while Paulina bounced back, others still languished in their beds.

As soon as Paulina was up and about, she was back to orbiting around Jarvis like a moth to a flame. But Jarvis started avoiding her as if she were the plague itself, likely realizing that misinterpretations were getting out of hand.

Paulina was no fool. She caught on to his evasion and sunk into a funk. But she wasn’t about to sulk alone – she dragged Eileen into her pit of despair.

In their shared room, Eileen flipped through medical records of the crew, pondering which hearty chicken soup or vitamin-packed smoothie might boost their spirits. She let Paulina's rants go in one ear and out the other.

"Are you even listening to me?" Paulina huffed.

Eileen nonchalantly replied, "Look, I really couldn't care less about the drama."

But Paulina persisted, "You know, my mom's been on my case to settle down. She set me up with her friend's son, and guess what she told me about him?"

Eileen looked up, curiosity piqued. "What?"

Paulina rolled her eyes. "That he's a decent guy, a year older, not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he can navigate a smartphone."

Eileen choked back a laugh. "...Impressive."

Paulina groaned, "That's her bar! Basically, as long as he's not a complete idiot."

Eileen returned to the medical records, trying to stifle her amusement. "Your mom's standards are... refreshingly low."

Paulina wasn't done. "My aunt's even wilder. She tried to hook me up with a scientist in a coma from a car accident. She said doctors think he might wake up in six months because his eyes move now. And my mom pondered, 'Well, that's worth considering.'"

Eileen was speechless.

Paulina despaired, "Alive and not an idiot, or in a coma – they'd take anything!"

Egbert chuckled on the other end. "She's that desperate for romance?"

The conversation led to Egbert mentioning Gilbert Turner, his agent.

Eileen laughed off the idea, but the seed was planted. Later, she casually showed Paulina a picture of Gilbert. Paulina recognized him, a prominent agent in the industry. After some deliberation, she took his number from Eileen.

The following day, Paulina was ecstatic. "We hit it off last night," she told Eileen.

Eileen was thrilled for her friend. "That's great, keep it up."

But no more than ten minutes later...

Eileen confronted Paulina. "No way! You can't be with Gilbert – he's a nightmare! Selfish, stingy, with the weirdest views. I'll find someone a hundred times better for you!"

Paulina was taken aback, defending her new interest. "But I felt a connection, his depth, his knowledge..."

Eileen sighed, then dropped the bombshell. "Do I really need to tell you he's just not that into you before you give up?"