Mersan : Thanks for your review. You totally made my day ! I'm happy you like the idea of the book club. And Merlin without his powers would not be the same. Plus I'm convinced he has the heart of a matchmaker, even if he probably would make a lot of mistakes along the way ;-)

Ellie had always thought she was stronger than most people – including her best friends – assumed. Of course, she wasn't nearly as indestructible as Superman's chest, Captain America's shield or Nokia 3210's cover. But she was tough enough to take most blows and still stand up at the end of the day.

Turned out, finding her former fiancé waiting for Nimueh with a dozen red roses near the elevator was a little harder to take than most blows.

She had to admit she had been kinda happy when her gorgeous co-worker got that sudden skin rash. It wasn't a very pleasant emotion, but compared to the hurt and betrayal Ellie felt when finding both of them naked in her own bed, it really was nothing. Nevertheless, the rash soon passed, while the couple Valiant now formed with Nimueh stayed. And Ellie couldn't help but feeling Nimueh's wasn't her replacement at all. It was way worse than that. It actually looked like she had been the draft and Nimueh the masterpiece.

Truth be told, the gorgeous brunette was all Ellie wasn't: beautiful, poised, self-confident, graceful, with naturally elegant curls instead of the total mess Ellie wore on her own head… The girl had a lot in common with Morgana and Mithian, actually. Except that Ellie's friends had a good deal of qualities – and some flaws too – to make up for their apparent perfection. When Nimueh was just plain mean.

Of course, Valiant had to choose the afternoon when Ellie was livid, with dark circles under her eyes due to weariness and lack of sleep, completely dishevelled like… well every day, really – not to mention the huge coffee stain on the front of her white blouse – to show up with a beaming smile and an impeccable dark suit.

Ellie froze and briefly considered running away before he could actually see her, but it was too late. Nimueh already spotted her. She gave her an once-over, plastered the usual fake pity smile on her lips then rushed to her new stolen boyfriend, who had the nerves to scoop her in his arms before kissing her like they were at the end of some cheesy movie.

No even bothering to hide her disgust, Ellie passed them by without looking, went to her office, took her coat and bag, and told her colleague Freya she was going home early. Except when finally on the street, she decided that what she really needed right now weren't chocolate and sympathy from her girlfriends. Not yet, anyway. Drowning her sorrow and self-pity under a lot of beverage – preferably the alcoholic type – and keep its head under the liquid until it ceased hurting seemed a much better idea. So when Ellie got out of the tube station, instead of turning right to go back to her new building, she went left and walked to the end of the street, where there was a little Irish pub.

Since it was still the afternoon, there were not too many people, so she had plenty of choice regarding where to sit. Determined to embrace the gruesome, the girl went straight to the bar.

- A double scotch without ice, she said to the bartender, an old fellow with a weird eye, while putting herself on a stool.

She always wanted to say that.

Unfortunately, scotch turned out to be one of the most awful beverages she ever drank. Ellie was more a fruit cocktail or plain beer type of girl, anyway. But those did not seem to apply to her current situation, so she persisted on scotch and, at the bottom of her second glass, an hour or so later, it didn't seem so foul anymore.

That's when two guys came to sit on both sides of her stool. The first one gave her a smile that reminded her of Bruce, the shark in finding Nemo – but not as cute – and said:

- Well hello, Miss! I'm Oswald; this is my good friend Ethan. Can we join you, and perhaps offer you another drink?

Ellie wasn't born yesterday. Since snorting and rolling her eyes at the same time proved extremely difficult, she managed to do each one at a time.

- No thanks, she said. Although I completely agree with you about fishes, you know?

- I beg your pardon?

She gave him a sweet smile and added:

- Fishes are friends, not food. Remember?

The bloke stared at her wide-eyed, as if she just lost her mind. This wasn't completely impossible since she didn't seem to remember where she last put it.

- Where you put… your mind?

The man looking like a shark seemed baffled. Ellie realised she must have spoken her thoughts aloud. Which kinda proved she did still have her mind, in definitive. She did stuff like that all the time when sober.

- I'm okay; I think I just found it back! She proudly said.

- Clearly you do, love. Folks, I believe the lady wants to be left alone. Why don't you go someplace else?

Not-Bruce looked at the bartender – who seemed a lot cuter than before – with very angry eyes.

- And I suppose if we don't want to, you'll be the one who make us leave?

- I will indeed. Although I feel obligated to mention that I'm pretty good at bar fights, having been partially raised in this place. Plus my mates over there would be more than happy to help me kicking you out of here if necessary, the bartender said with a dazzling smile.

- Don't I know you? Asked Ellie.

- That you do, my drunk yet pretty hobbit Princess.

More than the nickname, it was the cute guy's even and white teeth that made something click inside Ellie's fuzzy head.

- Shirtless guy! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier!

- Well, you have a pretty good excuse. My currently wearing a shirt makes it more difficult for you to identify me, he said with a wink.

- That's true, nodded Ellie. You know, you're way cuter than the other bartender. Your eyes look like almond chocolate.

That made him throw his head back with a boisterous laugh. Strangely proud of herself, Ellie thought that his laughter felt like chocolate too… or a warm blanket on a winter night. Hot, comforting and sweet.

- Let it go, Oswald, said the other shark, taking his friend by the arm. The girl is clearly a drunken tease. And she's not that pretty.

With another bad comment about her looks and a vicious gaze to shirtless guy, Not-Bruce went away, leaving the two of them alone.

- Okay, love, care to tell me what's going on?

- What do you mean?

Ellie suddenly felt dizzy and put her hands on the sides of her head.

- Seems you got it pretty bad. Do you want me to call one of your friends and tell them to come and fetch you?

- I'd rather not. Pretty sure Morgana's going to nag me about drinking alone and feeling sorry for myself, Ellie said, rubbing her temples.

- And why are you drinking alone, feeling sorry for yourself?

- It's complicated, she sighed.

- I've got all the time in the world. Plus, have you never heard that telling all your troubles to a bartender magically made them go away?

Usually, Ellie didn't feel comfortable with people she didn't know very well – or more accurately, they didn't feel comfortable with her ranting which in turn made her feel weird. But shirtless guy didn't give that impression at all. On the contrary, talking to him felt very natural. Almost like with Merlin and the girls.

- I'm not sure I believe in magic anymore.

- Don't say that! Don't you know it's going to kill a fairy somewhere?

Horrified, Ellie put both her hands on her mouth. Then she saw the shit eating grin on shirtless guy face and gave him a pat on the forearm.

- Jerk!

- Sorry, couldn't help myself, he said, his smile widening. Especially when it makes you look that adorable.

She crossed her arms and pouted.

- You almost manage to look adorable when you sulk like a baby. I'm impressed.

Ellie's mother would have strongly disapproved the sound of derision her daughter then made. It didn't seem to bother shirtless guy, though.

- If not in magic, then what do you believe in, my drunken hobbit princess?

- Well… Santa Claus, unicorns, bubble wrapper and Linux.

- Linux?

- It's an operating system.

- I know what Linux is. I just wouldn't have pictured you as a computer geek.

- Who says I am? I might just have layers. You know, like a petticoat or those freaky dolls that enter in each other.

- Point taken.

Shirtless guy casually put a bowl full of pretzels and a glass full of a sparkling drink with a slice of lime in front of her.

- What is it?

- Sprite and Alka-Seltzer with a hint of mint. Totally drinkable and prone to avoid hangover.

- Shirtless guy, I totally love you right now.

He winked at her.

- So, he said after she had drunk half her glass in one gulp and eaten a handful of pretzels, which made her feel a lot better. What did upset you so much?

- Ex-fiancé-turned-co-worker's-new-doting-boyfriend.

- In fact, it's not that long a story.

- I guess not, she shrugged. Although if you really want, I can tell you everything in details from our very first kiss until this afternoon when I ran into him looking like that – she gestured towards her own figure, emphasis on the coffee stain and dark circles under the eyes – while he was waiting for my gorgeous and bitchy co-worker with roses. Red roses.

- He never offered you flowers? shirtless guy guessed.

- I hate cut flowers, she said, wrinkling her nose. It's so sad, because they're already dead, you see?

He looked at her for a few seconds without saying a word, then took her hand in his. She noticed his palms were warm and a little callused.

- Ellie?

- Yup?

- I think you ex is a moron.

His almond chocolate eyes looked serious for a moment before showing a glint of mischief.

- And I'm totally offering myself for rebound sex, he added with a grin.

Ellie rolled her eyes.

- I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet. But when I do, I promise you'll be the first one to know...