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A Sordid Little Tale...
Written by Enigma and Sorrow R.
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"You're on."
Alec knocked his knuckles on the table, gave Original Cindy a cocky grin and moved toward the pool table. OC sat back and lent against the railing behind her, a satisfied smile moving across her face. There was no way he was going to win this bet.
Max walked onto the platform where OC sat and placed a pitcher of beer on the table. She took a seat, looked at Cindy and then to the direction OC was staring. Why was Cindy staring at Alec with such a smug grin?
"Why are you staring at Alec with such a smug grin?" Max had to know. "Please tell me you are not changing camps for that?"
"Original Cindy is changing camps for no boy sugar, even if he is a fine specimen like ya boy there."
"He's not my boy."
Cindy rolled her eyes and slowly looked at Max. "And have we explained this to Logan yet?"
Max fell into silence and looked down at the floor. "It's complicated."
"Whatever boo." Cindy returned her gaze to Alec. "But just watch."
"Watch what?" Sketchy came bounding haphazardly to the table and flung himself down on a chair.
"Alec makin' a fool of himself." Cindy smiled at the thought as she saw Max's head shoot up from the ground.
"Well if you'd told me that before."
A smile moved across Max's face and she mirrored Cindy's position on the opposite side of the table. Back against the railing, satisfied grin. Sketchy looked at the two girls slightly confused. He then looked in the direction they were staring and saw Alec playing pool with a very attractive blonde girl.
"Hmmm. Nice view."
"Yes Sketch it is." Cindy laughed quietly to herself.
"You've got a bet going?" It was more of a question then a statement, but Max knew her roommate all too well.
"That I do Boo." The smile on OC's face got wider.
Sketchy turned still confused, "So what did you bet?"
"That he couldn't pick up that fine lady he's playin' pool with."
"You kidding right?" Sketchy couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What, you want to give your money away or something? This is Alec you know?"
"Sketch my boy, I do know. I also know that girl." She looked at Max who was smiling back at her. "I know her very well."
"Vixen." Max was so proud of her friend. It would be a delight to see Alec get knocked back for a night of…Max didn't even want to think what it was he did with the ladies. All she could hear in her mind was 'We're breeding partners" and "Take off your clothes." Oh, the romance!
The three Jam Pony messengers sat back and happily watched the scene playing out before them.
Alec was putting on all the suave moves. He would move past the girl before taking his shot, just close enough to brush her side. He'd take just that little bit longer to line up his cue, attempting to ooze sex appeal as he put on his thinking face. And of course he'd stick his butt out, just that little bit further then usual. He knew that one was a winner.
The girls chuckled as they watched his obvious attempts to woo the girl. Max laughed at the thought. Alec couldn't woo a cat out of a paper bag. He'd just hit it on the head and drag it back to his cave!
"So whadidya bet?" Sketchy asked the question, without taking his eyes off the scene.
"Original Cindy has not yet informed the boy of his debt, but let her assure you that it will be the single most satisfyin' collection she ever made."
Sketchy turned to OC, eyebrows raised high on his forehead.
"Not that fool!" OC slapped him across the head.
"Then what?" Sketchy rubbed the back of his skull.
"All in good time Sketch. All in good time."
Cindy's smile widened further as she saw Alec lean in to the blonde's ear and whisper what she could only imagine being a come on. She looked over at Max as she too surveyed the scene, smile wide but her eyes telling a slightly different story. An almost jealous tale. OC would slot that moment into the memory banks for later discussion.
Cindy returned her attention to Alec and the bet. She watched closely as the blonde leant into Alec and returned a whisper. His smirk grew large and his eyes revealing what he thought to be a win. The blonde girl's hand pressed against his chest and he watched it sit there, skin leaning on cotton, leaning on skin. As Cindy's smile grew, Alec's faded as the girl's hand began to push him away. She moved an arm length away, waved and left. Alec was stunned. He turned to see his three so called friends laughing. At him.
He strolled across to the table, hands in his pockets.
"You knew that would happen didn't you?" Alec's voice was low and quiet.
"What's the matter Alec? Get knocked back by someone who would prefer to take me home?" Max couldn't help herself.
"I'm not into Logan, Max." Alec shot her a quick dismissive grin. He then returned his gaze to OC. "Well?"
"Well what?" Original Cindy thought this could be fun.
"You've met her before!"
"Original Cindy has never been formally introduced to the girl." She gave Alec a 'matter of fact' look.
"But you said you knew her very well." Poor Sketchy, always two steps behind.
OC rolled her eyes. "So maybe Original Cindy had intimate relations with the girl, but who was to know if she could resist your charm?"
"You were." Alec's answer was short and simple.
"Oh, you're just trying to weasel out of losing the bet." Max finally chirped up again.
"What kind of bet is it if there's not a fifty/fifty chance that either party could win?" Alec scrunched his shoulders and raised his palms in innocence. He also raised the pitch of his voice as he glanced at Max.
"You've got to be kidding me." Max snickered at the comment. "Two words Alec. Monty Cora!"
Max rose from her chair and stood just inches away from Alec. Hands moving to her hips, eyebrows raised, lips pursed and hair ready to be flung. Alec couldn't help it. He burst into laughter. Max scrunched her face.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I'm sorry Max," Alec held his hands out in front of him and tried to stop his laughter. "It's just…the attitude! I'm just waiting for you to raise a hand for me to talk to."
"How about I raise one to shut you up?" Max drew her hand back in a fist, ready to connect it with his face.
"Ooh! Down girl!" Alec stopped laughing, but his face still held the remains of a cocky smirk. "Geeze Max, what's the matter? Not getting any?"
Alec was ready for the fist he received to the shoulder. Heck, the day was incomplete without one.
"Would you two stop with the catty cat ways?!" OC stood between them. She pushed Max back and turned to Alec. She pulled a piece of paper from the side of her bra and handed it to him.
"Hmmm. Kinky." Alec bounced his eyebrows a couple of times. "What is it?"
"Those are directions of where you're to go tomorrow night." Cindy pointed a finger to his chest.
"So is it kinky?" Alec wore his trademark grin.
"Okay who is it that isn't getting any?" OC looked between her two transgenic friends. "Maybe you two should iron out your kinks together?"
Original Cindy could not help herself, nor could she help laughing at the horrified look on both their faces or their collective snorts at the idea.
"He wishes!"
"She wishes!"
They spoke in unison, looked at one another, then swiftly turned away. Cindy just continued to laugh, Sketchy now joining in.
"Just be at that address tomorrow night at ten." Cindy spoke with a 'no further discussion' tone to her voice. "We'll meet you there. I'm callin' it a night. You comin' Boo?"
Max nodded and grabbed her coat. She made sure to knock into Alec's shoulder as she moved toward the door and into the night.
Alec stood and watched her leave, shaking his head at her lame attempt to cop a feel. All she had to do was ask.
Alec groaned as he stepped through the doorway and stared into the room before him. Here lay the conclusion to half a night's worth of trying to figure out Original Cindy's scribble - and the source of those torturous sounds he'd been hearing upon his approach. (And here he had thought it was simply someone being murdered in a back alley. If only.)
Little wonder the bartender at Crash had laughed when asked if he knew the place. Initially Alec was astounded. Why would he laugh? After all, the only intelligible thing Cindy had written was the word 'Kinky' - how could that be a bad thing? He decided the barman must have read the paper upside down - it was an easy mistake to make with OC's handwriting.
Alec smacked his hand against his head. Ooh yeah. This was kinky - just the wrong kind. A prickle of nervous apprehension slid down his spine as the realisation of OC's payment dawned on him. He had truly been outfoxed.
Alec couldn't bear to take that final step over the threshold and into the arms of impending doom. Manticore had ways of making you scream, but this was a sheer assault on his dignity unlike any he'd ever faced before. Never in his little word association game could he have come up with this.
No, he'd pay his debt to OC in some other humiliating manner - drop to his knees before Normal in the middle of Jam Pony and declare his undying love perhaps. But not this - never this. He took a step back, already preparing a cunning excuse for her inside his devious mind.
"Going somewhere Alec?"
He jumped at the voice and spun around to encounter Jiminy Cricket standing with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. Behind her in a similar pose stood the instigator of this charade, Medusa - with her scary mass of hair and fiery stare capable of turning any foolhardy man into stone.
Both stood on the pavement waiting expectantly for some kind of explanation as to why Alec was obviously about to beat a hasty retreat. Now would be a good time for him to deliver that cunning excuse…
"Hell no girls! Just stepping back to admire the sign."
He grinned in what he hoped was a devilishly convincing manner and walked over to stand between them, slinging his arms around their shoulders and indicating towards the board above the doorway that read "Kinky's".
"Would someone like to tell me where the 's' went to on this scrap of paper here?" He let go of OC so he could take the directions out of his cargo pocket and waved the note in front of her face. "I was expecting something… different."
"Oh please!" She waved his hand away, "You lost the bet remember?"
He grimaced and rubbed his hand across his throat, "Well ladies, I'm sorry to disappoint, but uh… I appear to have developed acute pharyngitis. Perhaps I could write an IOU?"
"Whatever." OC looked over to Max who was busy trying to remove Alec's unwanted limb from around her neck. "I think hot boy here is trying to wriggle his way out of following through on his payment - yet again."
"Yeah well, I'd live with that if I could just wriggle my way out from under hot boy's arm." Max twisted her shoulders and smacked at his chest, but to little avail.
"Oh you can't fool me Maxie - I know you enjoy any excuse to get close to me - uuumph!"
Alec's release of Max was sudden as he crumbled to the ground, clutching his pride and joy. "Holy shit Max! Leave the sterilisation to McKinley! He'd be kinder…"
Max bit back the smile that had begun to crack her face at his wounded expression, it was a low-blow, she had to admit. But damn, it was amusing. "Come on Mr Hot Shot, it's time for you to strut your stuff."
She shoved him towards the doorway and forced him unwillingly inside the room he'd tried so recently to escape.
"Can we make it double or nothing?"
"Shut up!"
It was futile to try and argue with this pair of masochists. Anyone would think Cindy had been a drill instructor at Manticore the way she seemed to enjoy making him suffer at this moment. And as for Max… She would never ever let him live this down.
Why is Karma always using me as it's inflatable doll? Alec drooped his shoulder's in defeat and allowed himself to be herded to a spare table, close enough to the medieval torture device he would soon be hooked up to, to make his skin crawl.
"So who's for a beer?" OC eyes were on a leggy blonde who sat at the bar.
"I'll have a double scotch." Somehow, Alec felt that wouldn't be enough to dull the pain. "With a splash of cyanide for added zest."
"Hey why not? We've got some time to kill before the party starts."
Max's voice, close to his ear and surprisingly chirpy, caused Alec to jump. God he was edgy tonight. He looked up from his feet and realised by the large grin that adorned her face, she too had noticed his reaction.
"What's the matter?" Max's smile deepened as she picked up on the chance to taunt him. "Scared?"
'Hell no! I can't wait to get this show on the road!" Alec forced a grin, conjuring the look of a carefree easy-going man as he leant close to her ear and whispered, "Perhaps I could teach you one or two things from this experience…"
"Yeah - teach me how to fine tune my senses so I can block out the sound of your voice!" Max grimaced and pushed his face away before rising from her seat and heading with Cindy towards the bar.
"Hey Alec, hear you're gonna be the star attraction tonight?"
Alec turned to encounter one of his Jam Pony co-workers, Stephanie… Lucy… Monique… something like that.
"I'm the star attraction every night babe." He softened his face with a sultry pout - all the better to enhance his full lips - as he allowed his voice to become low and husky. "You wanna go somewhere and find that out for yourself?"
The girl flashed him a smile, but it was tight lipped and icy cold. "Why - so you can tell me I'm a unique creature unlike any other? I'm sorry, but like many other's before me, I've heard that line already. Or don't you remember?"
"Oh. Yeah, yeah I remember…" Actually, he had no idea. "But hey, my character has developed and strengthened greatly since then. I'm like a whole new man now!"
"Save it for the next one, I'm just here to watch you fall on your ass."
Alec gulped. Then he spotted Max as she approached them, a strange expression shadowing her face, and he gulped louder.
"Hey, Little Suki. How's it going?" Max sat down at her stool, pulling it a little closer to Alec as she did so. "Looking forward to seeing my boy be made the fool?"
Max spoke in an upbeat tone but her face held a warning that the girl understood loud and clear. Back off. "Uh, yeah. Just came to wish him luck. Well I'll catch ya later."
As the girl disappeared back into the ever-increasing crowd (filled with many a familiar face, Alec couldn't help but grimly observe), he turned to Max. "Since when did I become your boy?"
"Your not!" Max's retort was a little too loud, even to her own ears. "I simply felt it was time once again to dig your ass out of your own shit. What better way to get rid of an unwelcome pest?"
Max nearly choked on her own words. Is that why she had allowed Logan to believe she was kickin' it with Alec - because he was an unwelcome pest?
"But who says she was unwelcome Max? How do you know I wasn't lining her up for a night of long hot monkey sex 'til you came along and blew it for me?"
Max blushed as she looked down at the ground. She hadn't actually considered that - had she? No, she had thought only of… how Logan would react if he walked in to find her supposed 'boyfriend' chatting up the ladies. But she could hardly tell Alec this - could she?
Suddenly the room exploded into cheers and applause as a man's voice rang out over a microphone. "And now we have our next performance by our very own Russell Crowe… ladies and gents, give it up for Reagan Ronald!"
The awkward silence between Alec and Max was forgotten as both heads spun towards the stage. Max's surprised expression turned to amusement at the sight of a familiar figure standing on the platform dressed as…
A gladiator. Alec shrank back in his seat as his horrified stare collided with the adoring gaze of none other than his number one fan. Normal.
"Looks like he's living the dream." Sniggered Cindy, who had finished exchanging numbers with the blonde and rejoined her two friends at the table.
Normal's face was alight with fanatical joy as he smiled at Alec and spoke into the microphone, "This one's for you Monty Cora."
Oh God help me… Alec tried to move from his seat and escape, but a hand snaked out and grabbed his wrist, holding him in place. He turned to Max, pleading for release from this torment, but she merely smiled wickedly and shook her head.
As the contraption to the right of stage kicked into life and music began to play from its speakers, Alec could only sit and stare helplessly as Normal, in earnest, and with his heart in his eyes… began to sing.
Body...wanna feel my body?
Body...such a thrill my body
Body...wanna touch my body?
Body...it's too much my body
The night had only just begun.
Check it out my body body.
Don't you doubt my body body.
talkin' bout my body body
check it out my body
Alec turned to the bar.
"Bar keep!!!!"
Every man wants to be a macho macho man
to have the kind of body always in demand
Jogging in the mornings go man go
works out in the health spa muscles glow
You can best believe that he's a macho man
ready to get down with, anyone he can
His eyes grew wider as he heard Normal's words.
"Another Scotch! And bring the bottle!"
He watched as Normal started swinging his ass across the stage.
Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey!
Macho, macho man
I've got to be, a macho man…
"Make that two bottles!"
You can tell a macho, he has a funky walk
his western shirts and leather, always look so boss
Funky with his body, he's a king
call him MONTY CORA, dig his shorts
You can best believe that, he's a macho man…
Alec's heart leapt into his throat as Normal moved dangerously near. He quickly grabbed Max from her seat and sat her on his lap.
"Protect me Max! Please!"
She had never heard such a little boys plea before. She couldn't help but pout her lips and grab Alec's cheeks.
"Oh what's da matter?" She put on her best baby voice. "Normal scaring poor Alecky Walecky?"
Just to step up the tease, Max pulled Alec's face in and rubbed her nose against his.
A fitting sight for Logan to see as he entered the club.
Logan's body filled with fury as he saw the scene play out before him. Why had she asked him to come tonight if she was going to flaunt her new relationship in his face? Did she actually invite him there? Or had he just gotten wind of the evenings plans and formed the invite in his head?
"Logan buddy!" Sketchy's arm came around his shoulder. "I didn't know you were coming tonight!"
"Well hey - I was invited!" Logan puffed up in indignation, aware that he had perhaps been a little too defensive in his reply.
"Yeah well, whatever buddy… Just got here myself. Think I'll go and uh, join the fun company." And with that Sketchy bounded off into the crowd towards the table where Alec was busy using Max to fend off Normal.
After some deliberation, Logan followed. But unlike Sketchy, his steps were measured by logic and revenge.
"Look at him Max! Doesn't that scare you!" Alec moved up to Max's ear. "He's wearing a Gladiator outfit!"
Ugh! Macho..baby!
Body, body, body wanna feel my body,
Body, body, body gonna thrill my body…
She couldn't help but throw her head back in laughter, causing Alec's hands to have to hold her body in place. Strangely, she didn't seem too concerned by this, being that she was obviously having too much fun laughing at him to notice.
Macho, macho man
I've got to be, a macho man…
"Check it out, looks like my boo's finally got herself a real man." OC laughed as Sketchy came up to stand beside her and motioned towards the two transgenics.
Normal was now trying to push Max off Alec's knee so he could take her place, and Alec in turn, was holding onto her for dear life.
"Well the threesome appear to be enjoying themselves." Sketchy broad smile was suddenly wiped off his face as Cindy smacked across the head.
"What the hell was that for!" Sketchy stepped back from his friend, his fear for PMSing woman obvious.
"Your choice of wording fool!" Cindy clutched her stomach, hoping the sick feeling would pass. "Never ever speak of my boo, Alec and Normal being party to a threesome!"
Sketchy thought back on his comment and laughed at himself - then blanched as the double meaning of the word played an image inside his head. "Uurgh!"
The song came to an end as the whirling and chinking of Logan's exoskeleton was about to cut through the sound barrier. Upon seeing him, Alec reluctantly began to push Max from his knee, but was surprised when she grabbed his hands and wrapped them back around her waist.
"Uh…" Logan stood before them, unsure what to say and disappointed to see Max so happy with Alec. So much happier than when they had ever been 'not together'.
OC broke the awkward silence by being the one to welcome Logan into the group. "It's great ya made it here Log - I see the grapevine's still workin' overload."
Logan ignored the sniggers he heard around him as he tried to work out just what Cindy has meant by that remark. He never was good at interpreting her lingo.
"That's a neat little whirl whirl whirly gadget you got there Logan. What's it for?" Normal had shuffled away from Alec's feet and was endeavouring to find out what was attached to the straps around Logan's shoes.
"Well actually it's my exoskeleton. It enables me to walk." Logan blushed at the reminder of his disability.
Normal stood up and clasped his arm around Logan's shoulders. "There's nothing to be ashamed of Mr. Nothing… to be ashamed of. Nothing at all. Only few people in this world are perfect." He looked belatedly over at Alec, "And those that are, always seem to be taken. Here, I'll buy you a beer and we'll talk about that exo-thingy…"
Normal led Logan away, leaving his employee's to stare dumbfounded after them.
"Wow. That was weird." Sketchy pulled up a seat beside Max and Alec winked knowingly at OC.
"Wow Max, I may not be interested in Logan, but it seems Normal might be." Alec bounced his head slightly as his eyes smiled at her. "Wonder what his dreams of Logan will involve? Greasing up his exoskeleton and planning to save the world…with our help of course!"
Max quickly ripped his arms off her and slid back onto her own stool.
"Don't touch me jerk!"
Alec swung his head around at Max, astounded by her rapid switch of personalities. Ok, maybe not that astounded, Max and mood swings came hand in hand. But…
"What the hell are you talking about? You're the one who went all lovey-dovey on me when your boyfriend turned up!"
"Oh whatever asshole!"
Max folded her arms across her chest and pulled her stool further away from him, denial darkening her scowl.
Alec slammed down the glass he'd raised to his mouth and abruptly stood up, shaking off OC's hand as she tried to placate him.
"I didn't come here to put up with this shit from you okay? Sorry OC, I think you girls have humiliated me enough. Think of your debt as paid."
He started towards the door and Cindy turned pleading eyes on Max. "Apologise to your boy Boo, the fun hasn't even begun yet!"
"No!" She felt kinda bad about calling him an asshole but couldn't figure out why he was so wounded by the remark. "It's not as if the guy has feelings. He's just lookin' for some attention."
"No Boo. The guy does have feelings. Your just too dumb to notice when ya hurt 'em. Now go and bring your boy back!"
Max looked after Alec, who had already disappeared through the door. "It's too late."
She felt Cindy's foot connect with her shin and sighed heavily. "Fine then!"
"Those two have got to sort their shit out." OC rolled her eyes and looked into the remnants of glass, her words oblivious to Sketchy who was trying unsuccessfully to make eye contact with a brunette at a nearby table.
"Alec wait!"
Ignoring the voice that cried out behind him, Alec stepped up his pace. There was no way he was gonna let himself be subjected to anymore of Max's little mind games.
A hand grabbed his arm and swung him round and he saw himself looking down into the angry eyes of a wildcat. Great. Now what had he done?
"You can't just leave Alec! Come on, you know me, and you know I… don't like to apologise."
"Apologies can't help you."
Alec pushed her away and turned once more, throwing over his shoulder, "And you're right, I do know you. Perhaps if you ever took the time to get to know me, you'd stop treating me like shit."
Max stood rooted in her spot, afraid to take the step forward into a whole new part of Alec's life. Get to know him? What a strange and interesting notion. And one she wasn't near ready to consider.
But then she envisioned walking back into the bar alone, and the way OC would beat on her because of it. After all, this opportunity to cash in her winnings would never come again. Besides, she had to grudgingly admit she'd been having fun tonight. Until Logan came along…
"I'm sorry!"
She caught up to Alec and placed herself in front of him, halting him in his path. "I'm a bitch. I can't help it. I freely admit it!"
Alec couldn't be sure what expression he was reading on Max's face. Sulky, shitty and plain old sarcastic were about her limits when it came to contorting those facial muscles. He'd always blamed it on a genetic defect and tried not to bring up the delicate subject. She couldn't help it if she was a broken toy.
Sincerity - that was it. She looked sincere. Well hooray for the puppet! She'd developed another mask.
"…and I promise I'll leave you alone if you just come back. Please?"
Aware that Max was still speaking to him and holding a straight face, Alec sighed inwardly, kicking himself for giving in to her - yet again.
"I don't want you to leave me alone. I just want you to stop messing with my head."
Alec kicked himself again. Had he just said too much? He didn't want to let on just how much he cared about Max… about Max's opinion.
Hooking her arm through his, Max led Alec once again towards Kinky's, beaming widely at having snared her fish again.
OC's eyes lit up when she saw the two X5's approach. There was enough friends, co-workers, Manticore escapee's and assorted journalists in here now to bring on the star performance.
"Come on, time's a-wasting! Go choose your song and get that hot little ass of yours up on stage!"
Alec held his face in his hands and mumbled profanities. When he raised his head, he found the little group at the table had been joined by two others - Biggs and Cece. Oh this was just the proverbial icing on the cake.
Biggs was grinning widely at him and Cece gave him a wink. They were waiting until no one else was around to give him shit about this - he could feel it. Before he had a chance to say something in his defence, Max dragged him off once again, towards the object worthy of causing nightmares in a grown man…
"Now, you're not gonna to run off again if I leave you here are you?"
Alec looked down at Max's smiling face and gently flicked her on the nose. "You know I couldn't do that to you Maxie. Now run along and play with your friends. I have to steal the limelight from Normal's Grammy winning performance."
Grammy? Max shrugged her shoulders, not having any idea what a Grammy was. She was satisfied by this reply and gave Alec's hand a quick squeeze and turned back to the others.
"How did you manage to get him to do this?" Biggs gave her a high five as she sat back at her seat.
"Hey it wasn't me - the credit is entirely OC's!"
The group at the table all turned to her, waiting for an explanation. Sketchy worked it out at once.
"It's because of the other night isn't it? Did you promise you'd let him watch…"
"Oh shut up Sketch! God, what planet are you from?" Cindy rolled her eyes and turned back to Biggs, whose mind had been wallowing in the same gutter as Sketchy's.
"You men are all alike! I'm not talkin' to either one of ya!" She turned her back on them and looked to Max for sympathy.
"There, there." She patted her friend's arm reassuringly. "Remember what I said about men and dogs right?"
"No Boo! I said that about men and dogs! Remember, you were too busy bein' a bitch to your boy again!"
Max was stumped into silence, OC staring at her with raised brows. Best to fall back on a safe bet. "He's not my boy."
"You know sugar, you keep saying that and every time it sounds less true." OC placed a warm hand on Max's arm.
Max was searching for a rebuttal to the statement but was interrupted.
"Hey guys, check him out!" Cece perked up and pointed to the front of the room…
Alec strode into the centre of the stage, holding a microphone and grinning like a man who'd done this sort of thing all of his life.
He paused and looked around the room, making sure he had everyone's undivided attention. If he was gonna go through with this, he may as well give it his all…
.
To be continued...
If you want to hear Alec sing, be sure to let us know...