c h a p t e r | 13
EDIBLE FLIRTATIONS
'Darling, you're eating a burger.'
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- WARNING LONG CHAPTER AHEAD -
- Enjoy ! (; -

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"IS THIS A BAD TIME?" A melodious voice wondered over the phone and Tessa's heart skipped to her throat, and for the first time in hours she looked at the clock.

Alexander Casey was calling her at nine o'clock at night.

"No, no. Not at all, I was just... Working," she said and let go of the photo she'd picked up and began to smoothen out the hem of her shirt.

"Working?" Alexander spoke hesitantly as if he was checking his watch at the same time.

"Yeah, someone gotta work for a living you know," she retorted with a laugh, and she could almost visualize the smile on his face.

"Well, does work get in the way of you eating?" He inquired and Tessa bit her lower lip, recalling yesterday where she had to turn him down as she had to style Parker for his Sun Kissed reveal.

She pushed away Hale's stab at the 3 day rule. Why was she even thinking of him now? She scowled down at the pictures on her borrowed desk. Hale's smolder eyeing her teasingly until she turned the picture around facedown.

"I had a sandwich," she answered bleakly and felt her cheeks redden. Alexander did not seem like a guy who ate something as common as a sandwich. He was too sophisticated for that.

"When?"

"Um..." She hummed as she was not even sure when.

"How about grabbing a late bite? Or is prying you away from work for an evening too much to ask for?" He teased and she smiled into the phone.

"I guess I could go for a bite, but I just—" she trailed off as she looked down at her attire.

"I'm sure you look beautiful," Alexander voiced, intuitive enough to know what was on her mind, and she felt another shiver of giddiness run through her.

"Where shall I meet you?" She asked, ignoring the compliment as she was not sure she could thank him without sounding like an air headed school girl.

"Meet me? Nonsense I'm picking you up," he chided over the phone and Tessa sucked in her lips. Alexander truly was a gentlemen in every sense of the word. The closest she had ever gotten to that before was when Sean shared his donut with her in 3rd grade.

"Tessa?" Alexander spoke up as she apparently had stayed quiet for too long and she quickly shook off her stupor.

"I'm packing up. I'll send you the address," she said and made sure of her promise as they hung up and she hurriedly packed up her stuff when he wrote he would be there in three.

She had been crammed up in one of the offices of the agency after she could not concentrate with Indy's obsessive blabbing and flippant suggestions to Hale's new image.

Hale might be up for some thong stripping in a paper hat, but Tessa definitely did not see the relevance as to how that would make him appear more mature, responsible and dependable.

Surely, she knew the sex appeal of Hale Westbrook was a trademark she could not let go unexplored but still she believed it would be better delivered with taste.

Just as she descended the stairs, a car pulled up front. A sleek black Mercedes that bore no recognizable features, but was beautiful nonetheless. Nothing that could compare to Alexander who stepped out from the back seat though.

His charcoal suit was perfectly tailored and went great with his complexion and neatly styled hair. It was almost as if he had just walked out of a hallmark movie, and Tessa could not help the girlish grin as she skipped down the stairs, reaching out to take the hand he offered her before leading her to the car.

"Beautiful, like I said," he murmured as he gestured her inside, and she shot him an affectionate smile. His chivalrousness never seemed to amaze her. 

"I did not know real estate agents were carted around by a driver these days." She sent a fleeting look toward the driver before focussing on Alexander who had taken place beside her, their thighs brushing.

The driver seemed to know where they were heading, and pulled away from the curb the minute the seatbelt was in place.

"I'm not...." He trailed off sending her a sideways glance, "Oh.. Oh yeah, the house. Yeah I'm not a real estate agent, I was merely showing it for my parents."

"So what do you do?" Her brows furrowed in confusion, and he gently smiled at her.

"I'm an equity partner at Casey & Casey," he answered while running his hand over the back of his neck and Tessa's mind spun with the information and clutched her bag a little tighter as she knew what sort of lifestyle that led to.

A lifestyle she had long since abandoned. Of course, she was knee-deep in models and celebrities who certainly knew and loved the taste of the sweet life, but the same did not go for her. There was a reason as to why her and Indy were roommates living in an already stuffed closet.

"A lawyer who secretly operates as a real estate agent for the directionally challenged, got it," she quickly composed herself and Alexander threw his head back and laughed.

"Yeah, I stayed there a few nights, so when I got the call I saw no reason to get another one to show it. In hindsight it definitely was the right call on my part," he spoke knowingly, and turned in his seat, so once again his green golden eyes could drown her blue ones.

Grabbing her hand tentatively, he placed a gentle kiss that made goosebumps run along her arm before stabbing her straight in the heart.

The car came to a halt shortly after, and once again Alexander showed off his gentleman ways, not straying out of character as they entered an elegant restaurant with low hanging chandeliers, wine colored walls, and white decked tables with the evening's selection of deliciously expensive wine together with a menu written in delicate calligraphy.

Definitely not a place with cheese fingers and chicken nuggets.

The waiters stumbled over themselves to pull out the couple's chairs and pour a mouthwatering aroma of wine into the beautiful crystal glasses, but it also had Tessa continuously flattening out her skirt.

"I hope it is okay, but I already took the pleasantry of ordering for us," Alexander said as Tessa reached for the menu, though it got plucked from her hands by a waiter before retreating and leaving them to themselves.

"You come here a lot?" She could not help but ask.

"Maybe one too many, but truly the food is quite exquisite here. I promise you, you will not be disappointed," he reassured.

It was not that she felt uncomfortable in his presence, because Alexander was every bit as appealing as he was gallant, but the grandeur of the restaurant felt almost claustrophobic to her, and she kept glancing this way and that. The exclusiveness of the restaurant was also assured by the wide space between the tables, making sure the different parties could speak privately, but it also made the silence that much more palpable.

Fidgeting with the stem of her wine glass, while still smoothening out her skirt, and tugging in her heels, she felt tongue tied. That was until Alexanders nimble fingers fell onto hers, slightly squeezing them in comfort.

"I'm sorry if you feel uncomfortable. I should have asked—"

"No, no it's fine truly it's just..." She looked around again, the rosy tint once again settling on her cheekbones, "With my work I'm surrounded by models and celebrities who live these kind of lives, but I have seen them red faced, drowsy and borderline drunk off their ass and it has been my job to make them look respective in spite of it, but now I'm sitting here with you and you seem perfect. Too perfect. The opening doors for me, the attentiveness, the generosity, I'm not sure how to... act." She made a face as she spilled the words, immediately regretting them as she met his gaze which again drank her in with an intensity she was not used to.

"Too perfect, you say?" He mused after a moment and Tessa's gaze fell to the table, ready to pull her hand away.

"Waiter?" Alexander called and immediately a waiter appeared out of nowhere. He tightened his hold on her hand as he felt her wanting to withdraw it.

"Cancel the order and instead how about... Burger and fries?" Alexander quirked his brows at Tessa, his eyes sparkling as she gaped at him. "Yes, burgers and do not go easy on the fries," he said firmly.

If the waiter was surprised he did not let on as he merely nodded and left them again.

"Alexander," she breathed bewildered though she could not contain her laugh as he quirked his brows at her.

"I want you to feel comfortable."

"And burgers is the way to go?" She questioned with a smile and leaned forward.

"Well, since I don't exactly have models on speed dial to make you comfortable," he shrugged and untied his tie. A thoughtful expression ran over his astounding features, before his eyes narrowed and lips turned lopsided.

"What are you doing?" Tessa laughed again as he jumped up from the chair and moved it around the table towards her.

"How's this for relaxed?"

Tessa shook her head hiding it in her hands for a brief minute before shyly eyeing an expectant Alexander.

"Perfect."

"Damn, can't do anything right, can I?" He subtly shook his head and crossed his arms before slouching back on the chair, molding his features into a pout which made Tessa laugh louder.

"So tell me about yourself. You want to work with interior design yet you swaray with models for a living." The sincerity in his voice was not lost on her.

"Temporarily," she quickly interjected and his eyes turned teasing.

"So a woman can get too much of being surrounded by the world's most beautiful people. Not to forget the opposite sex."

"Oh believe me one can be fed up. In fact, I am more than fed up, but it pays the bills, and you won't believe how unsexy it becomes when you're stuffing people into the most uncomfortable pieces which they pass as art while breathing in intoxicating amounts of hairspray. Not to forget people fishing for a boost of confidence left and right," she responded lightly and took a sip of the red liquid that exploded on her tastebuds with such force she almost moaned.

"I did not think they were people who needed confirmation," Alexander commented with wonder.

"Like you wouldn't believe. Unless they hide behind obnoxious cockiness that is." She rolled her eyes, when her thoughts briefly strayed to Hale again it made her take another gulp of wine.

"Hates cockiness, got it," Alexander summed up, just as their burgers arrived and Tessa's mouth instantly watered by the feast. To drown out the growl from her stomach she quickly reached for her utensils.

"What are you doing?" Alexander interrupted and looked at her wide-eyed.

"What?"

"Darling, you're eating a burger," he spoke in a tone as if he was scolding a child and she looked down at her plate confused before looking over at Alexander who eyed her with a wry smile before grabbing his burger to take a huge bite of it which had half the condiments overflow on the other side. "No one eats burgers with a knife and fork," he winked after he had downed his bite, and Tessa laughed. If she still felt tense before she certainly did not anymore and ditched the utensils.

"So etiquette aside," she started between bites, "Apparently, I know absolutely nothing about you. Well, except for your impressively gallant ways and now you being a partner at a law firm, which really would have been nice to know before assuming you were a real estate agent—"

"Why would that have been nice to assume?" He interjected and Tessa wiped her bottom lip as a cheeky smile made it twitch.

"Because I might have been contemplating a break in at my superior's office for your information if it wasn't for me spilling your coffee."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Why are you sorry? It was me who ran into you, not the other way around," she intervened and once again a taint of red caressed her cheeks by the embarrassing moment.

"It wasn't me the coffee spilled on," Alexander reminded and she cringed slightly as she had to throw out the shirt afterwards.

"Anyways, doesn't matter, you're being evasive."

"What can I say..." He started slowly and leaned back in his chair as if thinking hard about it.

"Don't be cocky, you're on a streak here. Don't spoil it," she dared him with a challenging smile and plucked a fry off her plate and threw it in her mouth nonchalantly.

"Oh okay, so that is how it is. Well then, I won't say I'm rich, tall and gorgeous..." He grinned as Tessa slapped his arm.

"Really though, I don't ever say that," He said schooling his features into a proper expression, and Tessa raised her brow, forgetting about the other fry she had just picked up.

"Usually me smiling is enough," he showed off his perfect white pearls before he bent forward, snatching the fry with his teeth. 

As he devoured the defenseless fry in one bite, Tessa once again found herself stunned by the gorgeous dimple.

"Now, that was cocky," Tessa narrowed her eyes, and he gave her a non-committing one shouldered shrug, "And you ate my fry," she stated.

"Does that mean I can pass as a model?" He asked and tilted his head, showing her his profile while aiming for an artistic pout.

"Nah," she said and stole a fry from his plate, making a number out of dipping it in ketchup.

"What do you mean no?" He had to ask as the ketchup seemed more interesting than him.

"You got too much class for that," she spoke cryptically.

"Now, that sounds like a compliment," he surveyed with a self-pleased smirk.

"Because it is," she spoke bluntly before plopping the ketchup covered fry into her mouth, which had Alexander clear his throat.

"Huh?" She uttered unladylike when he merely looked at her in silence.

"You have some ketchup—" he spoke and raised his thumb to wipe ketchup from her bottom lip, and her breath hitched as she noticed just how close they had gotten. It was not helped by the way her eyes seemed to flutter down to his inviting pink lips.

Even though her mind circuited it did not take a genius to know where the hackneyed moment led, as they both subtly scooted even closer. So close Alexander's breath fanned her face in a weird mix of ketchup and red wine, and yet it turned her brain into even more mush.

Her eyes closed shut as his lips ghosted hers only to spring open by an all too familiar angry tone blowing up from her phone.

Alexander quickly looked away, while Tessa pulled out her phone, her features turning confused as she picked up.

"Tessa? Tessa?" Hale asked before she had the phone all the way to her ear.

"Look Hale, can't whatever it is wait?" Tessa heaved a sigh and looked apologetically at Alexander.

"Tessa, I— Oh, shit!" Hale voice came out of focus for a minute as it got interrupted by static that had her relieve the phone from her ear for a minute until it settled back down.

"Hale, what the hell are you doing?" She asked into the phone, her patience abnormally thin with him.

"Nothing. Look, would it be unethical and against the so-called plan you so eloquently cooked up with John that I—" Again he's voice strayed so far away from the phone she could not hear him finish the sentence.

"Hale?"

"Tessa?" Tessa felt a surging feel of annoyance settle into her stomach as she realized how his s's slurred.

"Are you drunk?" She gritted out her teeth.

"Maybe?"

"For fu—" She started only to get cut off before she could finish cursing and Alexander looked at her with wonder, which had her hold up her hand.

"Fine, fine!" Hale interrupted her, "Guilty as charged!" Hale exclaimed on the other end, and Tessa smacked her forehead.

"Where are you?" She asked, already getting up from her seat and Alexander signaled the waiter who immediately sidled up to them.

Hale could not afford to land in the magazines already. She had promised several of his upcoming shoots and attachments that there would be no more immature indecency from his side leading up to.

"Grant," he barely finished saying, before she heard chatter in the background.

"Tessa?" Her name was called once again, only this time it wasn't Hale, but Tristan and she furrowed her brows as she heard bickering on the other end of the phone.

"Let's go," Alexander spoke in her ear, resting his hand on the small of her back leading her outside.

"Hello? Hello? Hale! Tristan!" She tried cutting through the muffled bickering and took place in Alexander's car.

"Where to?" Alexander asked simply to Tessa's gratitude.

"Grant," she said with a frown, feeling sorry for doing this to him, before focussing back on the insufficient conversation on the phone. "Tristan, what's going on?"

"He's wasted out of his mind, can you come and get him? I'll keep him here and make sure, the paparazzi outside wont get a whiff of it, but you still need to hurry."

"Yeah, I'm on my way. Thank you, T."

"No problem," he spoke before hanging up.

"Trouble?" Alexander asked concerned as Tessa looked out the window to determine how far away they were.

"Call it a nuisance," she muttered and he chuckled in response. "Look, I am really sorry, this definitely wasn't how I thought this evening would go," she said and felt lame that she couldn't come up with anything more original, but her thoughts to her dismay kept swirling about the predicaments Hale might just find himself in if she didn't get there fast enough.

"Well, I think we're off to a good start," Alexander spoke up as her attention turned elsewhere for a minute, and lightly brushed her arm.

Tessa looking down at his lean fingers, felt a hopeful shiver run through her and as she looked up at him she begged to god that Hale had not just ruined it for her.

"We're here," the driver informed just as Tessa contemplated if it was too late to have their kiss, and as a cherry on top, the paparazzi out front of Grant turned around to see if they could sniff out another juicy story.

"Thanks, Alexander," she sighed and she made her way out of the car, the cameras already blitzing away, only to hear an unanimous groan of disappointment when she turned out to be no one on their radar. Using it to her advantage she quickly dodged around them and into the club to locate Hale.

"Tessa, over here!" Tristan motioned for her to pass through the bar around to the backroom of the club. "— Don't be stupid, you're in no condition to—"

"Hale, what the hell?" She asked interrupting Tristan's sentence as she noticed a disoriented but glaring Hale.

"I don't have time for this. Tessa, here, take his drunken ass home will ya?" Tristan shook his head and placed a set of keys in her hands, which that Hale scowling even more. Tristan wasn't exactly one to turn impatient, but clearly Hale had him on the edge. "You're not driving, get it? Tessa is gonna take you home."

"I ain't letting her take my car. Do you even know how to drive?" Hale pouted and disagreed childishly, his tall framing needing support and he clung onto the doorframe which had Tessa raise her brows at him in disbelief. "Can you even look over the steering wheel?"

She knew Hale was usually seen at parties but never had she actually seen him that disheveled and drunk out of his mind. She even faintly recalled through her own haze that he had been pretty collected the last time, when she, herself, was living on the drunken bliss.

"Hale, knock it off. Let her take you home to sleep it off, okay?" Tristan spoke again this time pleadingly.

"Let's get you home," Tessa said and took a step towards him, which had him back up to her irritation.

"No driving the lambo," he persisted wagging a finger in her face and Tessa groaned before turning to Tristan.

"Hand me your keys."

"Why is my car being pull into this?" Tristan complained but reluctantly dug his hand in his pocket to draw out his keys when Tessa shot him a look.

"I'll have it back to you before your shift ends," she ensured and took a firm grip on Hale as he started rocking back and forth and pulled him with her, only to stumble forward as he seemed to have lost contact with his feet.

"Really, can you help a little?" she huffed as he leaned his weight on her.

"Can you be a little taller?" He slurred, and Tessa felt even more of his weight on her shoulders, which had her grit her teeth in concentration as she focussed on dragging him out the door. In the back of her head she was cursing Tristan for not being a gentleman like Alexander and help her get Hale out and into the car.

"Gosh, you weigh a tonne," Tessa huffed and felt like the time Parker had dragged her to the gym and made her work out for an hour. Spaghetti legs and gorilla arms really weren't a good look on her. 

"I'm a high fashion model, I do not weigh a tonne!" Hale objected with a face that would have made Tessa crack up in any other situation, instead she ducked under his arm and unlocked the car only to sigh when Hale aimlessly tried to open the door, but failed since he couldn't locate the door handle.

"Seriously, who drives such a crap car? It's freaking America, how about getting a car one can actually fit in?" Hale whined after she finally got him stuffed in the car and he tried to get comfortable in the car, while leaning his forehead against the cool window.

"Have you considered that not everyone is as tall as a tree?" She huffed and kept checking the mirrors to see if any paparazzi had sniffed them out, but so far they seemed in the clear and she let out another sigh this time of relief only to feel it dissipate into a new round of annoyance as she glanced at Hale who played with his zipper.

"Do you have any idea of what would have happened if the paparazzi got their hands on you tonight?" She scolded, "Don't you give a shit about what we're trying do here? I've spent days. Days! On trying to figure out the best possible way to go at it and that does not include you to go Jack Sparrow on me!"

"Stop the car!" Hale suddenly interrupted.

"What, no!" She shrieked, "Put on your seat belt!" She insisted as Hale quickly took it off.

"Stop. Car!" Hale groaned and Tessa caught on, immediately hammering the brakes. The car had barely stopped before Hale had pushed the door open and started blowing chunks that had Tessa mewl and look away as she started to feel sick too.

"Why me, oh why me?" She muttered under her breath, her hand firmly held over her own mouth as Hale slowly straightened up and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Don't be squeamish," Hale rolled his eyes and Tessa looked at him indignantly.

"Here I am actually helping you. The least you can do is show some appreciation!" She yelled and started the car again, her foot stepping a little too hard on the accelerator.

"You helping me?" Hale sniggered darkly, and Tessa shoot him a fleeting look, however he had turned his head so she couldn't actually see his expression.

"Look, you were the one calling m—"

"I did no such thing," Hale denied instantly, and Tessa quirked her brows. "The phone called by itself," he shrugged indifferently, before smirking. "It's not like you were actually doing anything, right?"

Tessa bit the inside of her cheek as her patience was wearing thin and she internally counted the miles until they were at the house. At some point she was certain she had drawn blood and she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the driveway come into view.

"Let's get you inside," she said and jumped out of the car, groaning when Hale didn't move to get out himself.

"Hale!" She whined and went over to his side to open the door only to have Hale shut it again and lock the doors. "Really mature!" She yelled and hammered on the window, when Hale merely grinned at her.

"Really eager to get me inside, huh?" Hale chuckled as he rolled down the window, looking up at her expectantly.

She was seconds away from blowing a fuse and motioned to unlock the car, only to have Hale slap her hand away.

"You know I'm not just some sex toy to help you relieve your sexual fantasies," Hale mused thoughtfully, causing Tessa's nostrils to flare, before she instead of going for the lock, gripped Hale by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Let go, you crazy woman!" Hale howled, and sluggishly got out of the car, as Tessa finally got it unlocked, only to once again feel his weight on her as he couldn't even stand straight.

"I'm the sex fanatic? Really? I think, I'm in more need of aspirins than you are, or will be," Tessa gritted as she tried heaving him with her.

"Aspirin?" Hale chuckled amused, and they went sideways as Tessa battled the extra weight, "If you were aspirin, I would take you every four to six hours," he laughed out loud obviously finding it hilarious.

"Will you please start moving by yourself," she wheezed out as Hale couldn't laugh and walk at the same time, which had Tessa look like a chipmunk trying to drag a nutella jar.

"You must admit that was a good one," he lifted up a finger only to accidentally poke her in the cheek, and Tessa groaned and let go, leaving Hale to tumble forward, barely catching himself by grabbing the doorframe.

"Where's the keys?" Tessa muttered under her breath as she searched her pockets for the keys.

"That eager to get me in bed, huh?" He spoke with head rested drunkenly on the doorframe. He quirked his brows in what could only be seduction, but considering the meltdown his brain had suffered by the liquid toxics, it only made him look like a preteen with no game.

Maybe she could just leave him out there, the house were after all really secluded.

"As the matter of fact— Argh there they are," she said, seeing them lying on the ground and bent down to retrieve them. As she straightened, she noticed Hale watching her a bit too closely and narrowed her eyes at him, "You need to sleep it off. You know I said for you to be ready—"

"Oh, I'm always ready for you," he cut her off with a chuckle that made her shove him aside to unlock the door and Hale half stood, half crouched beside her, the wall clearly supporting him. "Ow."

"Presumptuous ass," she muttered as she opened the door.

"All those compliments about my ass. Is it what you dream about? In that case I can assure you that my front is even better," he slurred and tried to pick himself up again, only to have Tessa take a deep breath before helping him up.

"Does it ever get old?" she questioned as he again draped his arm over her shoulder.

Hale kept squinting his eyes as if he was seeing double, barely acknowledging her and she therefore took a firm hold of his jacket and forced him inside.

Relieved, they made it halfway through the house, and she could finally see the end of her otherwise perfect night turned nightmare.

"Umpf!"

The sound resounded in the room, as they both tumbled down the step, as Hale hadn't been able to stop dragging his feet and therefore sent them both down for the count. Both gasping for air as the wind was knocked out of them, before Hale's chuckle penetrated the silence.

"Sweeping me off my feet twice, Tessa? Can't say that has happened before," he laughed, his voice surprisingly steady in the moment though his eyes still seemed foggy.

"Just like a movie isn't it? Romantic?" He said after his laughter died, rolling the r, and his gaze dropped to her lips as he stood to realize their current position, his eyes already closing.

"Yeah, being squashed to death while smelling barf breath is really romantic," Tessa huffed when she got her breath somewhat back, since Hale had yet to move. "Get off me!" She whined and kicked out with her legs and arms that had Hale roll off her to the side on an heavy exhale.

"No, Hale don't you dare go to sleep here. You need to get to bed!" Tessa stomped her feet as she got up and pulled at his arm though she barely got a response.

"Tired, just have to sleep," he retorted and swatted at her arm when she bent down to pick him up again.

"Yes, in your bed. Now come on," she persisted and Hale reluctantly moved his body, settling with both his arms around her neck and she almost dragged him like a heavy cape the rest of the way into the bedroom.

"I'm so not getting paid enough for this," she heaved after feeling perspiration gloss over her forehead when she finally managed to dump him down on the bed. She was almost devoured by the comfort of the carefully handpicked pillows when Hale didn't let go.

Squirming under his firm grip, she awkwardly got free as Hale snuggled into the pillow mess with a light snore.

"You better be damn ready in the morning, Hale," Tessa huffed and smoothed the hair away from her forehead with a grimace. Setting the alarm clock, she made sure to make no noise as she went for the door, not that it seemed to make that much of a difference as his heavy breathing continued.

"Clash terminated the contact," Hale mumbled into the pillows, so low she almost couldn't hear him and turned to glance his way. His mop of hair, puffed down onto his forehead, long enough to lift delicately with every exhale. "They pulled out."

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A/N: *wipes sweat* How's that for a chapter ? My god, that was by far the longest I've ever written, but really I had no idea where to cut it off.

And poor drunken Hale. Nothing seems to be going his way lately, now does it? Can Tessa really help him or is it already too late?

But Tessa and Alexander *squeals* was that cute or what? Totally date goals! Except for a interruption by a drunken Hale that is... Or? xD

So if this chapter hasn't tired you out, well then I aim for publishing the next chap on Friday !

Toodles for now !

*peeks in* Don't forget to vote, comment and share if you liked this ! Thanks !