14th June 2019

"That's why I wrote this song for her.

Life is fleeting, all mixed and blurred,"

I was irritated. There was nothing more I could tell you. My friends and Evie were at a concert and I was enduring a dinner with Alexa's friends.

"Chamonix is the best ski resort without question."

"Then you've never been to Zermatt."

The men were gathered at one end of the table and the women at the other. Which meant whilst I was saved from snide gossip, I was not saved from what Jaxon had conned 'big dick talk'. All the men cared about was one upping each other.

Of course the women did it too, but they had perfected the art of subtly. These men had clearly not.

If they drew attention to their pricey watches or expensive glasses once more, I was going to run from the restaurant screaming.

Why was it a thing to wear glasses inside, anyway?

The only consolation prize was that I was far below their radar to be included in the conversation. I wasn't sure whether it was my ripped skinny jeans or unstyled hair that spoke to my financial situations. Or maybe wealthy people had an innate sense of seeking each other out, but either way I was grateful to be excluded.

I didn't know the best ski resort to attend or which car was the must have toy of the month. I didn't know and, in fact, didn't particularly care.

Perhaps sensing that I was withdrawing into my cocoon, Alexa leaned forward and laughed at something one man had said, somehow drawing herself into conversation immediately.

"Samuel, Brad just bought a new guitar, you would love it." Alexa faked a gush.

"It's a Fender Telecaster," he boasted.

I sighed in relief. I had no idea which of the rich idiotas was Brad. At least now I knew who to direct the conversation to. Alexa hated when I couldn't remember her friend's names. But who really had time to memorize the names of over twenty people who would change in a month's time.

"Wow, that's a solid guitar, man. Is the finger-board maple or rosewood?" Finally, a conversation that I could join in.

Brad just looked at me in confusion. "It's an electric guitar," he said slowly.

I wasn't sure if he was joking, but something told me he really had no clue what he'd bought. It took a lot to avoid gritting my teeth in annoyance.

The Fender Telecaster was one of the world's greatest electric guitars with a hefty price attached to it. I would have loved to have one, and this idiot didn't even realise just how good it was.

"The fingerboard is the top part of the neck on your guitar," I explained.

He waved his tumbler of whiskey round dismissively. "Does it really matter?"

I went to retort, but Alexa stepped on my foot and glared at me.

"You said Jimi Hendrix had one, didn't you Brad?" Alexa turned her head to Brad - who I was beginning to call King Big Dick in my head - and smiled.

"I only get the best, Lexy." And he winked at her, making her giggle.

I looked between them, feeling uncomfortable.

Was something going on between those two?

I was pretty sure I'd never met Brad before, never heard Alexa mention him either, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was up.

The worst thing was the idea caused me no pain. I had already decided that this would be my last night with Alexa. I would attend the dinner not to hurt her feelings and then I was out. After the way she'd behaved at the beach towards Evie, I couldn't look past the person she was anymore.

"Technically Jimi Hendrix used a Fender Stratocaster not a Telecaster," I answered back.

The look of death from Alexa would have scared me a few months ago, but I wasn't going to sit back and let someone get away with sprouting facts about guitars that were wrong.

King Big Dick looked affronted. "You're wrong."

"Sorry, but the Telecaster is a pretty popular choice for country music. So it's less Jimi Hendrix and more Keith Urban."

"You're such a liar," King Big Dick growled.

I shrugged, not caring if he'd got his feelings hurt. I didn't understand why he was getting so upset because I'd called him out. He still had an epic guitar and Keith Urban wasn't some small fish selling CDs on the strip to tourists. Sure he was no Jimi Hendrix, but who was. It's effing Jimi Hendrix.

"I'm only telling it like it is, dude. It's still a great guitar," I admitted.

"Better than you can afford, I expect," he sneered in my direction, swigging back his whiskey like it was water.

"At least I know how to play it, Pendejo." Maybe it was overboard to call him an asshole, but my last nerve had just been picked raw.

He sat forward, slamming his glass onto the table where it cracked. "What'd you call me?"

"Samuel, can I have a word?" Alexa hissed in my ear before dragging me from the room.

We'd moved to the area outside the toilet when she rounded on me, and despite my earlier admission of not being scared, I took a step away from her.

Anger radiated out of her. If she had been a cartoon, she would have had steam coming out of ears. Unfortunately, there was nothing remotely funny about this situation.

"What. The. Actual. Fuck?" I flinched away from her like she'd screamed. "Are you trying to make a fool out of me?"

I stared at her. "Make a fool out of you? What are you talking about?"

"Back there. Why'd you talk to Brad like that? Don't you realise who he is?" she demanded.

"Because he's a gigantic asshole, and why should I care who he is?" As far as I was concerned I would be happy to never see King Big Dick for the rest of my life, and after today I was going to make sure that happened.

"His Dad is a news anchor!" Her voice became shrill.

A few servers paused as they were passing us, watching us with varying looks of disapproval. I only wished I knew who they were disapproving of; me, Alexa, or King Big Dick's news anchor Daddy.

"Why does that matter, Alexa? The guy is rude and a snob. His Daddy doesn't change that."

Her mouth thinned, and she stomped her foot.

"You are going to do exactly what I say and get back in there and apologise to him right now. Say that you were wrong, or that you made the whole thing up because you were jealous or something."

"You have got to be joking. I'm not apologising to that a-hole."

"When I get back you had better apologize to him or we're over." She stormed off to the toilets, leaving me standing in the hall.

Well, I knew a way out when I saw one.

If she wanted it over, then I was happy to give it to her.

I headed back to the table, determined to grab my jacket and leave.

The sound of Alexa's friends dominated the restaurant. I hadn't realised just how loud they'd become.

I could hear them long before I could see them.

I was about to step around one of the decorative screens when I heard my name and froze.

"I don't understand why she's even with Samuel. Talk about a hopeless case." A stream of laughter followed the man's admission.

"Well, it's so obvious. I can't believe you haven't figured it out." I frowned, not understanding what King Big Dick was talking about.

"Brad? You sneak. You know something. Spill." One girl practically screeched, her excitement palpable even from where I was hiding.

"Not sure, I should. Alexa told me in confidence." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I bet. Pillow talk, was it?" Came another male voice, obviously having the same idea that had come to me earlier.

"You know, I never kiss and tell."

One girl clapped, and another gasped. I kept myself silent, wondering what else he would say.

"Buttttt I think I can share this with you." I held myself still. "You know Alexa's parents are always on her case about being a responsible adult and to go to college and all that adulting stuff? Well, she found the perfect way of getting them to back off. So she goes to a real dive of a place, to find the most unsuitable guy there with the thought of dating him."

"How does that help with her parents?" One girl sounded as confused as I felt.

"Now this is where the real genius comes in. Her parents are so horrified by her choice they've backed off completely, afraid that she's going to elope with Samuel or something stupid like that. They've practically been showering her with gifts so that she leaves him."

"And they don't suspect a thing?" One guy asked.

"Nope. She's been leaving wedding magazines around and everything. It's got her parents so spooked. Genius, right?" King Big Dick finished.

"That girl is my new hero. Hey, maybe she'll let me borrow Samuel when she's done with him." The girls all laughed.

"Oh, Samuel has no idea and if you don't want to get on Alexa's bad side, you'd better keep it that way," King Big Dick suddenly warned, sounding worried that maybe he's said too much.

I hung my head in anger. She'd played me for a complete fool.

And I was a fool. I did the one thing I swore I would never do. I let my ego decide for me.

Alexa's attention had been flattering. I'd always seen her as a girl way out of my league and that I was lucky to have her. But she wasn't out of my league at all because she wasn't the girl I wanted.

The others were still laughing when I walked around and went to my seat. The sudden silence would have been a dead giveaway, even if I hadn't been standing a few metres away listening to their conversation.

"Samuel, where do you think you're going?" Alexa arrived, smiling tight lipped as I shrugged my jacket on.

"I'm leaving." I placed some money on the table for my meal.

"You can't do this," she shrieked, the smile slipping off her face.

Her friends' heads swiveled between us, a look of apprehension on everyone's face. No doubt they had realised what my sudden leaving meant; I had heard every word. Only I was the lucky one; I was escaping, and they were going to have to take Alexa's wrath after I'd gone.

I smirked, feeling lighter than I had in months. "Find some other deadbeat to piss your parents off. I quit." Just to rub it in a little, I turned to King Big Dick himself. "Thanks for telling me about her bro, I owe you." I had to hold in a laugh as he blanched.

Alexa said nothing as I headed out of the restaurant. I should have walked out like one of those cool action movie stars, but I couldn't help but look back and watch the bomb that I'd left. Sure enough, Alexa was grilling her friends within an inch of their lives.

I kept watching until she threw a glass at King Big Dick, at which point I dashed to the car park.

My phone pinged in my pocket before it started vibrating. I saw Tori's name flash up on the screen as I answered it.

"Where are you, Sam?" he snapped.

"Just getting in my car. Why what's wrong?" Something in his tone didn't sit right with me.

I heard a sigh on the other side of the phone. "Look, Sam, I've had to watch Evie all night, looking at the door and not seeing you walk through it. I think this girl likes you and the problem is you're not here."

Evie liked me. I felt like I was floating.

"Man, I know you like her and you've only got tonight to tell her." He pointed out.

"I know, I think I like her too...and I just broke up with Alexa." There was silence at the other end of the phone.

"How did that happen?"

"Long story. I'll explain it another time. Right now I need you to do something for me."

And I set my plan in motion.