104 Carlos's fan

The broken air conditioning last night disrupted Carlos and Cindy's sleep, and when they woke up, it was already almost noon. Carlos reported the situation to the hotel, and upon confirmation, they received a refund and were offered a month of free stay in any suite as compensation.

Both of them were not troublemakers, and the hotel took the initiative to take responsibility. So, the matter was resolved amicably. However, the whole ordeal took up a significant portion of the day, and the skiing plan for the afternoon was canceled.

Walking on the streets, Cindy pointed to her lips, widened her eyes, and aimlessly looked around. Carlos suggested, "How about exploring the surroundings? This is Los Angeles, and just wandering around can be quite interesting. Then, in the evening, we can watch a movie. The Christmas releases have good reviews. What do you think?"

"Sure..." Cindy readily agreed.

So, they spent the afternoon strolling around Chinatown and then went to a large arcade. Cindy dragged Carlos to play dance games, drove virtual cars, and tried shooting games. They also played a basketball shooting game, a favorite of Carlos. There were over a dozen machines, and the highest record was 420 points, with the second-best score being 300 points.

Then, Carlos and Cindy teamed up and set a new record of 450 points. Achieving such a score while partnering with a girl was quite remarkable. Onlookers, including some enthusiastic couples, were amazed.

"Wow! No wonder he plays basketball; that's impressive," commented one spectator.

Cindy gave Carlos a thumbs up, praising, "Carlos, your skills are amazing!"

Carlos raised an eyebrow proudly and said, "Of course, when it comes to combining profession with passion, I have more than enough."

"Hehe... Carlos, you're so annoying when you're proud."

"Who said that!"

After experiencing various entertainment activities, they finally arrived at a claw machine. Carlos said, "Cindy, watch me grab a doll for you."

"It's not that simple." Cindy smiled faintly, her words turning out to be prophetic. Despite nearly a hundred attempts, Carlos failed to grab a doll. Seeing him waste so much money, Cindy said, "Forget it, you can't do it. I don't want it."

"Can't do it? A man can't say he can't!" Stirred by Cindy's unintentional provocation, Carlos became more determined to grab a doll. Finally, after dozens of attempts, he managed to grab a small one.

At 6 PM, they went to a popular Italian restaurant and enjoyed an Italian meal. While waiting for their food, Cindy was contemplating which movie to watch. Carlos, however, noticed an NBA game between the Celtics and the Magic playing on the restaurant's TV.

"Huh?" Cindy looked up, intending to discuss the movie choice with Carlos, but seeing his eyes light up, she followed his gaze and found him watching an NBA game.

She couldn't help but smile. "Carlos, what do you think will be the most exciting game in this year's Christmas Day matchups?"

"The 10 PM game, the Lakers vs. the Heat, must be the most thrilling matchup on Christmas Day. Of course, the Celtics vs. the Magic is also good. Besides..."

Once Carlos started talking about the NBA, he became quite chatty. However, he soon realized it and scratched his head with an embarrassed smile, changing the subject. "Cindy, what movie do you want to watch tonight?"

"Uh... still deciding. Let's eat first; I'm so hungry! The service is so slow!"

As she spoke, she pouted, making a cute expression. Carlos chuckled and said, "I'll go check, after all, it's Christmas, and this restaurant is quite popular. A bit slower service is normal."

"Yeah, yeah..."

While Carlos went to check with the waiter, Cindy bought two tickets for the Lakers vs. Heat game.

After dinner...

"The Italian food was delicious!" As they left the restaurant, Cindy gave it a positive review, and Carlos agreed, saying, "With so many people and such high popularity, this restaurant definitely has its merits. Oh, by the way, Cindy, have you decided which movie to watch?"

"Sure!" Cindy smiled, "You stay here; I'll go pick up the movie tickets. It's better to get them now to avoid long queues later."

"You bought them?" Carlos, preparing to buy movie tickets on his phone, suddenly realized, but Cindy had already disappeared.

A short while later...

Cindy returned holding two tickets, handed them to Carlos, and said, "Let's go..."

"Go where? The movie theater is right here, isn't it?"

"Where to?" This question puzzled Cindy. She glanced at the tickets and then said, "Of course, we're going to the Staples Center to watch the game."

"What?!" Carlos was stunned, but when he looked at the tickets in his hand, everything became clear.

"Cindy, you..."

Cindy grabbed Carlos and laughed, "During dinner, you practically wanted to jump into the TV. Come on, I know what you want to do!"

As she spoke, she even imitated Carlos by pretending to peek into an imaginary TV.

"It's not that exaggerated!"

Carlos couldn't help but laugh, and Cindy, with a radiant smile, led the way to the Staples Center.

At 9:30 PM...

Thirty minutes before the Lakers vs. Heat game, Carlos and Cindy successfully arrived at the arena. After purchasing hot drinks, a large bucket of popcorn, and some snacks, they entered the stadium.

Considering they bought tickets relatively late, the good seats were already taken, so they found seats in a relatively back position.

Carlos didn't mind at all, as Cindy, as a girl, was willing to accompany him to watch a basketball game, and that made him content.

Cindy pointed to the player on the court wearing the golden jersey with the number "24," Kobe Bryant, who was warming up. "Cindy used to be a Kobe fan. Isn't it Los Angeles at 4 in the morning?" She teased, showing a proud expression.

"Impressive!" Carlos smiled, saying, "I also quite like Kobe."

Cindy continued, "But now, I'm Carlos's fan."

"Really?!" Carlos was surprised, and Cindy chuckled, "13 three-pointers, 65 points, the steal and layup buzzer-beater Carlos, that's really handsome."

"Haha..." Carlos had no resistance to a girl who loved basketball. He happily tried to hug Cindy, but she shyly extended her hand to stop him.

"Basketball is really Carlos's favorite after all."

Teasing Carlos, Cindy smiled beautifully.

Soon...

The warm-up on the court concluded.

The most anticipated Christmas Day battle, Lakers vs. Heat, was about to begin!