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CHAPTER FOUR:
Alex finished up his dinner, wiping his mouth with his napkin before putting it on the table. He looked around at his friends, all decked out in their new duds, courtesy of Maria and some of the last of Michael's pay off money. Looking down at himself, he had to admit that Maria knew how to buy a snazzy outfit. He had always wondered what it would be like to spend a night on the town in Las Vegas. So far, he hadn't really been having a lot of fun. Between blowing a ton of money gambling (stupidly betting it all in one hand), going with Maria to an audition that turned out to be for a position as a stripper, watching Kyle gamble and win pretty big, Alex wondered when the fun would begin.
Of course, the one thing that bothered him the most this evening was seeing Isabel with another guy. He and Maria came up to the hotel suite she had rented with Michael's money, and saw Isabel with some guy she met at a wedding. Some bride needed a bride's maid, and she stood in. From what he saw when he left the suite to re-join Kyle at the gambling tables, it looked like Isabel was getting closer to the best man from that same wedding. As he thought back, Alex thought he covered up his discomfort with what he saw pretty well. But now, he was asking himself why he didn't like seeing Isabel with another guy. He was over her, right? Granted, it didn't hurt as much as it would have before going to Sweden, but it still knawed at him a little.
Hearing Tess giggle snapped him out of his reflections on Isabel and brought him back to the present. Alex inwardly kicked himself for dwelling on what Isabel may or may not be doing now. This dinner was the first hint of fun he had experienced since arriving in this city of sin, and he wasn't about to waist it. He was with his friends, they looked great, and they were having fun. Sentimental as he is, Alex decided to start taking some pictures.
After taking a picture of the group at the table, Alex sat down and checked his camera to make sure it was working properly. Michael got up to go somewhere, leaving Maria to complain to Liz about her failed attempts to civilize her on the edge boyfriend. Then, Michael got up on stage, and announced that Margarita Salt was going to sing (Margarita Salt being Maria's fake name he assigned her for the trip).
Maria went up on stage, and Alex got up to get some better pictures. This would be an event long remembered-Maria's first big performance in Las Vegas. As Maria began to sing, Alex began snapping pictures.
Out of the corner of his eye, Alex could see a familiar figure approaching him. It took everything he had in him not to stare at Isabel, as she approached him in an elegant gown, her hair styled, looking more beautiful than Alex had ever seen her. And that was saying a lot, because he always thought Isabel looked beautiful. He didn't let on that he noticed how she looked, and instead thought back to who she was with a few hours ago. Thinking about the possibilities of where she had been, he rather bitterly asked her the question pressing on his mind.
"I thought you had OTHER plans," said Alex, as he continued to take pictures.
"I thought I did, too," said Isabel. "You know, he was everything I was looking for from this town. A smart talking wise ass that I could chew up and spit out, you know."
Alex turned his attention fully to Isabel now. "But?" he asked.
"But, he ended up going to get some ice, and I...left to go find a cab," said Isabel.
Alex let out a small sigh of relief, hearing that Isabel had not slept with that looser. He did his best not to let on he was relieved. Alex remaind totally cool about it.
"So here I am," said Isabel. "Alone...again. God I must be the biggest freak on the planet."
For a split second, who thought about spitting back with "who's fault is that?". But Alex could hear pain in Isabel's voice, and it brought his gentle, compassionate side out. She needed to hear him reassure her. "Well, I'm sorry," said Alex, "but that's just not true."
The next words formulating in his mind were hard to say, because he knew in his heart that the person he was going to reference wasn't him. "And someday you'll meet someone, and when you're ready for it...you'll make him the happiest man ever."
Isabel looked at Alex with eyes filled with questions. She couldn't believe what she had just heard from Alex. Isabel had almost expected Alex to be bitter about things, but he wasn't at all. He was the same caring, compassionate, gentle Alex, and he had saved her from her depression again.
"Dance?" she found herself asking.
Alex held out his arm. "Love to," he said.
They stepped out on the dance floor, and Alex took Isabel into his embrace. She smiled as they began their cadence to Maria's song, genuinenly enjoying each other's company. For Isabel, she was looking at Alex with thoughts of the future. For Alex, he was looking at Isabel with thoughts of the past, and fought with himself to remember to not repeat past mistakes that led to a broken heart.
End of Chapter Four. Chapter Five coming soon.
Kay, one of the people who reviewed the last chapter, correctly predicted this past chapter. Well, I wonder who can predict what is going to happen next. You'll just have to stay tuned for the next chapter to find out. In the meantime, please keep those reviews coming. Feedback is always appreciated.
CHAPTER FOUR:
Alex finished up his dinner, wiping his mouth with his napkin before putting it on the table. He looked around at his friends, all decked out in their new duds, courtesy of Maria and some of the last of Michael's pay off money. Looking down at himself, he had to admit that Maria knew how to buy a snazzy outfit. He had always wondered what it would be like to spend a night on the town in Las Vegas. So far, he hadn't really been having a lot of fun. Between blowing a ton of money gambling (stupidly betting it all in one hand), going with Maria to an audition that turned out to be for a position as a stripper, watching Kyle gamble and win pretty big, Alex wondered when the fun would begin.
Of course, the one thing that bothered him the most this evening was seeing Isabel with another guy. He and Maria came up to the hotel suite she had rented with Michael's money, and saw Isabel with some guy she met at a wedding. Some bride needed a bride's maid, and she stood in. From what he saw when he left the suite to re-join Kyle at the gambling tables, it looked like Isabel was getting closer to the best man from that same wedding. As he thought back, Alex thought he covered up his discomfort with what he saw pretty well. But now, he was asking himself why he didn't like seeing Isabel with another guy. He was over her, right? Granted, it didn't hurt as much as it would have before going to Sweden, but it still knawed at him a little.
Hearing Tess giggle snapped him out of his reflections on Isabel and brought him back to the present. Alex inwardly kicked himself for dwelling on what Isabel may or may not be doing now. This dinner was the first hint of fun he had experienced since arriving in this city of sin, and he wasn't about to waist it. He was with his friends, they looked great, and they were having fun. Sentimental as he is, Alex decided to start taking some pictures.
After taking a picture of the group at the table, Alex sat down and checked his camera to make sure it was working properly. Michael got up to go somewhere, leaving Maria to complain to Liz about her failed attempts to civilize her on the edge boyfriend. Then, Michael got up on stage, and announced that Margarita Salt was going to sing (Margarita Salt being Maria's fake name he assigned her for the trip).
Maria went up on stage, and Alex got up to get some better pictures. This would be an event long remembered-Maria's first big performance in Las Vegas. As Maria began to sing, Alex began snapping pictures.
Out of the corner of his eye, Alex could see a familiar figure approaching him. It took everything he had in him not to stare at Isabel, as she approached him in an elegant gown, her hair styled, looking more beautiful than Alex had ever seen her. And that was saying a lot, because he always thought Isabel looked beautiful. He didn't let on that he noticed how she looked, and instead thought back to who she was with a few hours ago. Thinking about the possibilities of where she had been, he rather bitterly asked her the question pressing on his mind.
"I thought you had OTHER plans," said Alex, as he continued to take pictures.
"I thought I did, too," said Isabel. "You know, he was everything I was looking for from this town. A smart talking wise ass that I could chew up and spit out, you know."
Alex turned his attention fully to Isabel now. "But?" he asked.
"But, he ended up going to get some ice, and I...left to go find a cab," said Isabel.
Alex let out a small sigh of relief, hearing that Isabel had not slept with that looser. He did his best not to let on he was relieved. Alex remaind totally cool about it.
"So here I am," said Isabel. "Alone...again. God I must be the biggest freak on the planet."
For a split second, who thought about spitting back with "who's fault is that?". But Alex could hear pain in Isabel's voice, and it brought his gentle, compassionate side out. She needed to hear him reassure her. "Well, I'm sorry," said Alex, "but that's just not true."
The next words formulating in his mind were hard to say, because he knew in his heart that the person he was going to reference wasn't him. "And someday you'll meet someone, and when you're ready for it...you'll make him the happiest man ever."
Isabel looked at Alex with eyes filled with questions. She couldn't believe what she had just heard from Alex. Isabel had almost expected Alex to be bitter about things, but he wasn't at all. He was the same caring, compassionate, gentle Alex, and he had saved her from her depression again.
"Dance?" she found herself asking.
Alex held out his arm. "Love to," he said.
They stepped out on the dance floor, and Alex took Isabel into his embrace. She smiled as they began their cadence to Maria's song, genuinenly enjoying each other's company. For Isabel, she was looking at Alex with thoughts of the future. For Alex, he was looking at Isabel with thoughts of the past, and fought with himself to remember to not repeat past mistakes that led to a broken heart.
End of Chapter Four. Chapter Five coming soon.
Kay, one of the people who reviewed the last chapter, correctly predicted this past chapter. Well, I wonder who can predict what is going to happen next. You'll just have to stay tuned for the next chapter to find out. In the meantime, please keep those reviews coming. Feedback is always appreciated.