I laughed all through this chapter!!

Chapter 25.

Alex can dance to Beyoncé's Single Ladies.

~~

"Act normal."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Alex hand left mine as he stepped out of the elevator on the top floor. He didn't even glance back. "Just don't be." He paused. "-you."

I scoffed, walking at a brisk pace trying to match his pace. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Alex ignored my question. He stopped briefly at the door of the rooftop lounge. "Under the name Ricci or asshole."

The desk staff was a pretty lady dressed in navy blue vest and skirt uniform with a golden bow tie. She seemed taken aback at Alex's words. "Sorry Sir. What was the reservation name again?"

Alex exhaled loudly as if tired of taking the name over a hundred times already. "Ricci. Sebastian Asshole Ricci."

She wanted to laugh but instead nodded, her light brown hair dancing over her shoulders as she looked down at the iPad in her hand. I stared at her flawless skin in awe. She really was pretty. Were everyone in hospitality management this pretty?

"They are waiting for you." She smiled, a perfect shape on her red lips. She bowed and motioned for us to follow her.

"She looks good." I whispered under my breath as I stared at her backside.

I almost stumbled in my absence of mind. "Ow." I lightly squeaked, rubbing my shoulder. I glared at Alex's passive face. "What?" I hissed.

He blinked down at me. "Are you seriously ogling over her?" his thumb pointed at the desk lady, patiently looking at us to follow her.

I quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it down, faking a smile at her. "Don't point." I lightly pinched his hand.

"Don't stare." Alex snapped back. And with that he walked away, pushing past the surprised desk lady.

I pressed my fingers to my forehead and lightly smiled at her, my face fuming with embarrassment. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "We found them." I bowed slightly. "Thanks."

She bowed back politely, her previous courteous smile had now turned rigid and fake. "Have a great dinner and a lovely night."

"You too." I whispered, too ashamed to even look at her. What was wrong with Alex? She clearly knew we were talking about her.

I walked past the tables to see Seb sitting with an amused face staring at Alex's sullen face.

"Who ate his pancakes?" Seb mocked as I came and sat with a furious expression.

"He burnt them." I replied mockingly.

Seb's smile widened. He clearly enjoyed the brooding Alex. "What a shame! I was hoping Alex would be smiling tonight."

He definitely wasn't.

I rolled my eyes at Seb's fakeness. "Where's Zivah?"

"She went to click photos. Something about the view being nice and all." Seb replied, looking around for any sign of her. He pointed at the end. "There, in that black jacket. That's her."

"Oh look at that. She's wearing a jacket." I clapped in fake excitement.

Seb's eyes creased together in bafflement. "Yeah? It's chilly out."

I smiled and blinked energetically at Seb. "I bet you told her to wear a jacket because you care for her."

I could feel the side of my face burning from the heated glare Alex was sending my direction. But I ignored it.

Seb looked even more perplexed now. He looked at me and then at Alex and then at me and then at Alex, his eyes then dropped to my jacketless shoulders and his eyes widened as he finally comprehended the situation.

His smile grew bigger. "Yes of course I told her to get a jacket. I do care for her. I didn't want her to feel cold." He then innocently pointed at me. "You aren't wearing a jacket? Aww does no one care if you get cold?"

Before I could, I heard Alex snort from beside me. "If you really cared, you would have given her your jacket."

Seb linked innocently. "I don't see you giving Myra her jacket."

Alex licked his lower lip, glancing at me and quickly looking away as he saw my smug face. "Now?"

"I am so cold." I commented, feigning innocence as I wrapped my arms around myself and pretended to shiver.

Alex glared at me as I continued to rub my arms. I blinked at him and pouted my lower lip. "So cold." I said.

I could practically hear Alex gritting his teeth in annoyance.

Seb, who seemed be enjoying this immensely, quickly got up. "Poor Myra. I'll give you my jacket." He barely got one hand out of his jacket when Alex jumped up. "No need."

He hastily removed his jacket and gave it me. I pressed my lips together to fight the smile that wanted to spread all over my face. I took the jacket from his hand, looking at Alex who was looking away in the other direction.

"Let me help you with the jacket." Seb offered, barely moving an inch.

"No need." Alex instantly snapped back, throwing a glare at Seb. He grabbed the jacket back from my hand and threw it across my shoulder. He lightly patted the covered shoulder. "There. Done."

I couldn't help the huge triumph smile that overcame my joy. I lightly tapped where he had tapped on the jacket. "Thanks." I said, staring at lap to hide my smile and the slight blush stretching across my neck to my face.

Seb leaned back, folding his arms with a satisfied grin on his face. "Look at that. Alex giving away his jacket. Alex getting jealous. Is this a parallel universe?"

Alex's eyes narrowed at Seb. His legs gently moved and then Seb winced, leaning down to grab his leg. Alex grinned. "Look at that. Alex kicking Seb. Looks like it's the same universe."

"Alex still an asshole. Definitely same." Seb retorted, still rubbing his shin.

"Seb still a loser."

I stared at them. "You two sound like best friends." I observed.

Both of them flinched away, as if burnt by my words.

"They sure do." Zivah agreed, joining us.

"My choice is not that bad." Alex argued.

"And he isn't even in my choices." Seb countered back, as if physically hurt at having Alex as a best friend.

Zivah lightly patted Seb's back, rolling her eyes. "Sure he isn't."

"Let's order." Alex said, changing the subject.

"Anything is fine with me." I informed, turning to Zivah. "You clicked pics?"

Zivah grinned, nodding enthusiastically. She took her phone out of her pocket and opened the gallery. "So pretty right?"

I scanned through the photos, not blinking. There were almost 50 pictures. "Is this all you clicked?"

"Yeah. Why you want more?"

I sighed, placing the phone back on the table. "You didn't click a single photo of the view. Just the view? These are all your photos, your selfies."

Zivah took back her phone, showing me the 50 plus selfies she had taken. "What are you taking about? I am the view."

I shook my head in resignation. I'll have to remember to click some pictures of the view myself.

"We are ordering some steak, Fajitas and deep dish pizza. Anything else?" Sebastian asked.

"I want fries and a veg burger." Zivah said. "Trying to quit eating meat." She justified as the confused glances thrown in her direction.

"Why would you try that!" Seb exclaimed, taken aback at her words.

Zivah scowled at Seb. "Hey you eat your steak. I am not stopping you."

Seb sighed. "You sure you won't be tempted?"

"Shouldn't you be supporting me?"

"I will when your decisions make sense."

"Maybe you just don't understand them." Zivah's tone has increased a notch and I knew that she was close to shouting at Seb.

"Okay Fries, burger, pizza, steak and what else?" I rubbed my hands, changing the topic.

"Fajitas." Alex prompted.

"Let's order then." I looked around for a waiter until my eyes stopped at the desk lady again.

I leaned towards Zivah. "Look at her. She looks good right?"

Zivah turned to where I pointed with my eyes. She softly whistled. "Wow she is yum."

"Why don't you date her?" Alex's irritated tone made me snap back.

"Huh?"

"Date. Her." He pointed at the lady with his hand and with our luck, she just glanced at our table. Glaring at us as she saw all four pair of eyes on her.

I instantly lowered my face in embarrassment. "Will you stop pointing?" I shushed.

"Will you stop drooling?"

I looked at Alex with narrowed eyes. "I am not drooling over her."

"Nice butt. So good looking. Oh yum. Oh. Oh. Oh." Alex mimicked in a nasal voice, trying to imitate a high pitched fan girl voice.

I blinked, confused in between feeling offended and laughing out loud at the hilarious mimicry.

Seb beat me to it by banging his hand on the table and letting out a laugh so loud that two tables down it could be heard. He guffawed, not caring about the people staring at us.

Zivah slapped his arm. "Shush."

Seb shook his head, wiping away a fake tear. "Ah. It's so good to see Alex jealous that too of a woman."

"I am not jealous." Alex argued, pressing his together in frustration.

Seb just waved him off. "Sure you aren't."

A waiter finally came and took our orders.

Seb rubbed his palms together smiling at me and Alex. "So all good between you two?"

I smiled softly. "Yes."

"You know how miserable Alex was the past two months?" Seb said, grinning widely.

I could feel Alex's leg moving beneath and I figured it was to kick Seb but Seb was faster, he instantly leaned back, expecting the attack. "He drunk called me over five times."

"No way!" I gasped, my eyes widening. I turned to Alex who seemed to be drowning in embarrassment.

"And I regret it so much." Alex gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes at a jolly Seb.

"He said and I quote – 'I miss her. I miss her so much Sebby. I just want her back. I will listen to her excuses. I will be okay with her explanations. I will forgive her. I just want her back.'" Seb then did a weeping sound, and wiped a fake tear for extra effect.

I couldn't help the throaty laugh that left me. But at Alex's glare I instantly sobered up, keeping a hand over my mouth to hide the laughter. "He said that?"

Seb took out his phone, waving it. "I have recorded it."

"Sebastian Ricci you are so dead." Alex warned, his hands gripping the table. I could see the veins popping out of his neck. He was furious. And of course humiliated.

"You won't kill your Sebby." Seb taunted, winking at Alex.

Alex breathed out, narrowing his eyes. He then crossed his hands and leaned back. "You want to play dirty? Okay. Let's play dirty." He turned to Zivah, who was enjoying this just as much as me. "Seb doesn't like cats or dogs. He hates them."

Seb gasped, pointing a finger at Alex. "You!" the tables had now turned and he didn't like it at all.

Zivah raised her eyebrows. "Really Seb? Pets? You said we could get a pet dog in the future."

"Oh he lied." Alex said, smiling at the fuming Seb.

"You promised that would be a secret." Seb said, glowering at Alex.

Alex simply shrugged one shoulder. "You started it."

Seb nodded, pressing his lip together. "Okay then. I'll tell Myra that you once wore just a shirt and no pants in college. And sat through the entire lecture like that."

"I forgot to wear pants! And it was late." Alex argued.

I pressed my hand more forcefully on my lips to stop myself from laughing out like a hyena. I was already trying hard to laugh and this was not helping.

"Sebastian had sex with our teacher." Alex countered. "She was 50 years old."

"Hey! She looked like she was thirty." Seb argued.

Alex scoffed. "She had a mustache."

Seb's hands formed fists, glaring at Alex. I could see he was fighting the urge to punch Alex. "Alex crashed three weddings. And got caught all three times."

"Seb puked after having just one drink. In the final year party!"

"I told you, I wasn't feeling well." Seb excused. "Alex can dance to Beyoncé's Single Ladies."

I felt my eyes almost popping out of the socket while Alex leaned back as if stuck. "You taught me that dance."

Seb paused, blinking as if just realizing that was the truth. He scratched his head, thinking of something else that could embarrass Alex. "Zivah hugged a beggar and said he smelt nice!"

"Hey!"

"What?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else for Alex." Seb looked at Zivah with guilty eyes.

Zivah narrowed her eyes at him, shaking her head. "You are such a loser."

Seb sighed. "I am sorry."

"Alex wins." Alex declared, chuckling to himself.

I gave him a 'Are you serious?' look. "You went to college without pants." I reminded him.

Alex looked down, his neck slowly turning a light shade of pink. "I told you I was late."

"Uh huh. And a scatterbrain."

"That's enough for now." Zivah said. "Too much information in five minutes." She smiled mockingly at Seb. "Unwanted information."

Seb sighed in defeat. "We will get a pet dog."

"I can't train two dogs." Zivah countered, turning her attention to the food that arrived on our table.

Seb opened his mouth to respond but realizing that he was one of those two dogs, he wisely kept quiet. He placed a slice of pizza on Zivah's plate first as a sign of remorse.

I bit my lip from smiling at the action. I also knew that later in the night I was going to think of all the embarrassing stuff and have a nice big laugh.

Alex inclined towards my ears. "Are you thinking of me without pants?"

I raised one eyebrow in challenge. "Yes dancing to Beyoncé's Single ladies."

That shut him up.

The rest of the night was spent in random bickering and laughing at lame jokes and clicking a few pictures, of us and the view.

It was a beautiful night.

And the moon was bright.

But that's the thing about the moon, on some days it disappears too.

~~~

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