Telling our lover that we couldn't date anyone else after them was downright bullshit, but it didn't feel like it back then. Maybe that was what they called naivety, or being blinded by love. I was carried away with the moment given how unstable my emotions were back in the day. Blake was my only rock to keep me balanced while I moved forward.

And the very man I used to call my rock just entered the bar with one arm wrapping around the waist of a blonde woman. She was tall, almost at Blake's height, and the way she carried herself said enough that she was coming from a higher social class. I shouldn't have felt anything, nor followed them with my eyes when they were being escorted to a VIP room by a waiter. My stomach shouldn't have churned. I shouldn't have cared.

"Are you alright?" Bim poked my elbow slightly, his eyes trying to follow my line of sight. "You look like you saw a ghost."

I turned my head away from the VIP room's direction, hoping Bim didn't spot anything since I'd once shown him Blake's picture back when we were still together. "I thought I saw someone I knew but I don't think it's him," I replied quickly, waving my hand in a dismissive gesture.

"You have no idea how many times I've mistaken someone for someone else while drinking. There was a guy I hugged and squeezed without warning because I thought he was my high school pal, and the guy punched me in the face." He chuckled at his own story.

"Must've been painful."

"And embarrassing."

He drummed his fingers on the bar counter, his lips pursing. "It's past nine, and I think I'm going to order my last drink and go home. Have you heard from Noah?"

"He's on the way. Should be here in any minute," I said while turning on my phone screen to check if I received an update from Noah. No new message.

After having pizza for dinner at work, Bim, Roger, and I agreed to hit the bar together. Noah was going to join us, but an urgent situation at work held her back. Roger left fifteen minutes ago for his fiancé's house, leaving Bim alone with me. Knowing Bim, he wouldn't let me sit here alone to wait for my date.

"Alright. Then he should be here before I finish my last drink." Bim raised his hand to get the bartender's attention. "You want something to drink, too?"

"No, thank you. I haven't finished mine." I slipped my phone into my bag, thinking that I would also leave this place when he left. If Noah still hadn't shown up, he could just drive straight to my place. I didn't want to be in this place longer than planned, especially after knowing a certain someone was here too.

"I'm curious, though," he said after he ordered his last pint.

"About what?"

"You and Noah."

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

Bim slid his glasses back up on the bridge of his nose. "He seems to put up with this casual thing you have with him for quite some time now. Doesn't he want a real girlfriend or something?"

I shrugged at his question because it was exactly the question I had in my mind sometimes. "I honestly don't know. He said he was fine with what we're doing since he's not looking for something serious at the moment."

"At the moment, huh? Does he know what you want for the long run?"

"I guess." I shrugged again, picked up my glass, and took another sip, refraining from glancing in the direction of the VIP rooms. At least, talking to Bim distracted me a bit.

"Thanks, man," he said to the bartender who put the beer on the counter for him. "So," he continued, turning his head to me again, "he thinks you're going to change your mind or something?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

He took a big gulp of his beer. "Do you like him?"

"Of course." I frowned at him. "I've been seeing him for a while. How could I not like him?"

"But not enough to be his girlfriend exclusively, right?"

I swiveled on my barstool to give him my full attention. "Being in a relationship takes more than just liking someone or having sex with someone. Much more than that. And I don't think I have anything left in me for that." I tilted my head. "And what is it? Why are you interviewing me all of a sudden?"

Bim dropped his head and sighed. "I think I'm in Noah's situation now. I'm screwed." He then pressed his forehead against the bar counter.

"Huh? Come again?" I leaned forward and pushed his shoulder to urge him to sit straight again. "Who are you talking about? Is it about Lily?"

Still with his face down on the counter, he shook his head.

"Brandy?"

He shook his head again.

"Tamara?"

He groaned at the last name.

"Oh my god, oh my god. You and Tamara?" I almost squealed. "I didn't see it coming. How long have you guys been seeing each other?"

"Months. Since February this year."

I smacked his shoulder a bit too hard, prompting him to sit straight up while stroking his shoulder while wincing. "How could you just tell me now?"

"I wanted to tell you earlier but I couldn't. I promised her that we would do this without people, especially you and the boys, eyeing us like hawks. She just wanted to see first where it would bring us, with no pressure," he said, still stroking his shoulder. "I like her, Jen, a lot. And I don't want to ruin this."

"Okay. I hear you. I lived in secrecy for a while too. Still," I said as I smacked him again, "you could have at least hinted to us."

"Ouch."

"Is she ready to go public now?"

"Not really. She still doesn't know what she wants. She said she liked me a lot too, but she's still not ready for the girlfriend title. I don't know what to do. I think I'm going crazy."

"Hey." I reached out and rubbed the arm I just smacked. "I know what I'm going to say is boring as fuck, but if she's for you, she won't go anywhere. And if she's not, it's better to let it go now instead of postponing the inevitable."

"What do I do now?"

"If you still think you have a chance with her, wait until she figures out what she wants. Remember, she's not me. She hasn't set her mind about not wanting to be in a relationship at all."

"How long should I wait?"

"You will know when you should stop." I squeezed his shoulder softly before letting it go. "Been there, and done that. When it's enough, it's enough."

Bim opened his mouth to say more, but he shifted his eyes to my side and closed his mouth. It was when a hand sneaked around my waist, and warm lips kissed my cheek.

I smiled as I tilted my head to give Noah full access. "There you are."

"Hey. I'm sorry for being so late," he said, glancing at Bim. "Hi, Bim. What's up?"

"Hi, man. Just chilling. What a Friday evening, huh?"

"Tell me about it." Since the rest of the seats on the bar counters were occupied, Noah stood next to me while keeping his hand on my back. When the bartender raised an eyebrow at him, he said, "Can I have coke, please?"

"Getting stuck at work on Friday evening, and having a coke to wind down at a bar. I don't envy your life at all," Bim said, earning a laugh from Noah.

"The story of my life. I hope Jenny has plenty of beer at her place." With that, Noah rubbed my back up and down. "I'm so ready to have my weekend now."

"My cue to finish this motherfucker" —Bim lifted his glass of beer— "and get my ass home."

Three hours later, Noah and I lay partly naked on my brown couch, sweating, panting, and tipsy. Instead of going slow with drinking, we opened a bottle of rum when we arrived at my place and took a turn in gulping it while we chilled on my balcony, talking and watching the city that never slept. It didn't take long until we started to feel funny and became touchy all over.

Once we reached our climaxes, I rolled on my tummy, eyes on the TV screen that was playing Legally Blonde. When I saw Reese Witherspoon asking questions to a witness at a court, my mind jumped to another blonde I saw this evening at the bar. So, no red-haired chick this time.

"I thought Roger and his fiancé were there too in the bar," Noah said, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"She couldn't make it." I picked up the remote control and checked other channels, but none was better. I settled on a boring sports talk show. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing."

"Spill. You never ask me without reasons." If anything, Noah wasn't a very smooth guy when it came to digging information.

"Fine. I'm just curious if Bim has feelings for you." When he saw me frown at him, he added. "I mean, you guys seem very close and have been hanging out quite often. Like tonight, he stayed back for you until I came. Not to mention that he hasn't dated anyone for a while. It just made me think that he probably has a thing for you."

I scoffed and giggled at the same time. "Bim? Having a thing for me? In his eyes, I'm just one of the boys."

Noah shrugged. "I don't know. I just...maybe it's just in my head."

"Yep. I can confirm that."

"Okay," he said, but I could tell he wasn't satisfied with my reply.

Despite Noah's patience in dealing with my reluctance to open up to him, he was always suspicious of any guys I befriended, at work or outside work. But since we weren't exclusive, he couldn't go further than he could ask now, and there was nothing I could do to help him. He knew what I could offer him, and agreed to be in it.

I wonder how he would react if he found out his new boss and I were in a relationship for years. Would he pull off drama? Or would he not let me come to his company events ever again? It wasn't that I cared.

"I saw your new boss at the bar today," I said.

"Oh?"

"I mean the son, not Mr. Andrew senior." I wasn't sure why I even brought up the topic. We just had sex, and did Blake have to enter our pillow talk? Drop it, Jenny!

"Huh? Drop what?" Noah asked, looking confused.

I smacked myself inwardly when I realized I talked to myself audibly. "Oh, I mean I dropped the" —I rubbed my rug to find any object I could grab— "condom box." With that, I threw the box onto my coffee table.

"So, was Mr. Andrew alone in the bar?"

"No. He came with a woman, tall and blonde. I saw them being escorted to the VIP room."

"Ah yeah, I heard about her. People have been gushing over him being betrothed with his father's business connection."

"He's what?" As far as I knew Blake, he wouldn't go with this kind of arrangement, especially when it had anything to do with his father. What happened to him lately? Was he in some kind of trouble? Had he changed this much? "Classic rich people story."

"I know right?" He chuckled. "You worked with Blake Andrew before. What was he like?"

"I was just working in the Assessment Center as a temporary front desk. I didn't get to interact with him a lot, but from what I saw, he was a strict man, and wasn't that likable." I was surprised by how flawlessly I lied. "Maybe he's improved now."

"Okay. I can't really tell yet what sort of person he is because he's not around that much," he said. "Maybe not yet. But in all honesty, we're glad that Blake Andrew is acting as the partner right now, because from what I heard, his father is a nasty man. It's scary how people hope he stays in the hospital forever."

I wouldn't be surprised by the amount of hatred that people had for him. I never believed Blake every time he described how unpleasant his old man was. Once I met him, I knew Blake wasn't exaggerating.