A/N: If I thought last chapter was a struggle then this one was even more impossible to write. When I start having difficulties with a chapter, my English gets worse and I think you'll notice that at the beginning of the chapter. Half way through I get back on track. This chapter is slightly shorter than the others, but not much. And please don't start throwing things at me. I know, Alex isn't too pleasantin this chapter, but I needed both of them to get frustrated with each other to set up the next chapter. I needed them to be at crossroads at the end. I did give a little ofbackground of one of the characters, but not much yet. I will try to work that in. Again, don't get mad at me for this chapter. Remarks, suggestions, ideas and grammar mistakes are again welcomed in reviews.Enjoy even if you might get frustrated!

Part five

The bar was nice and cosy with good music. Upon entering the group found a table for all of them and the men were off to get drinks.

"What's up with you and Bobby?" Erica asked her voice loud enough to be heard over the music. Everybody had noticed the tension between the couple during dinner. Not that Alex and Bobby had been subtle about their apparent fight. Alex had tried her hardest to ignore her partner and Bobby had kept trying to get her attention. He had failed.

"Nothing. Can we just forget about it." Noticing the men, including Bobby, approach she quickly changed the conversation. "Lucy, tell us about your Patrick. Where did you meet him and how did he propose?"

"We met at high school and have been together ever since. From the first time I saw him I knew he was the one. He's my soul mate and there's no one as important as he is in my life. I love him and it's as simply as that. He proposed to me at the beach in Miami. He dragged me out of bed early in the morning. He wanted to watch the sunrise with me and I agreed even though I'm not at my best early in the morning. Watching the sunrise he told me that being able to share this with me was very precious to him. He told me the sunrise was beautiful but nothing compared to the beauty he saw ever single morning when he woke up with me in his arms. And then he asked me if I wanted to marry him and I said yes."

What she didn't tell them was that it had taken her a long time to convince Patrick that he did deserve her and that she wasn't going anywhere. Patrick had been put in a foster home when he was five because his parents couldn't take care of him. His foster parents had been kind and loving, but he had a hard time dealing with the fact that his parents had abandoned him. She'd been telling the truth that she knew he was her soul mate the first time they had met, but left out the part that they had been friends for two years before anything happened. It had taken a long time to break through the walls he'd built to protect himself. In the end, just like she'd known, it had been worth it.

Several drinks later the conversation was floating freely and even Bobby seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Incoming." Roy announced as a blond man walked up to the group. Curious who was going to get the attention all eyes turned to the stranger who in turn got uncomfortable with the attention.

"Wanna dance?" He asked Erica, trying to win her over with a dazzling smile.

"Sure. See you folks later." Taking the blond man's hand.

Roy noticed Alex eyeing the dance floor. Doubting that Bobby would ask his partner to dance he sacrificed himself. "Alex, sweetheart, let's go move our bodies to that sensual beat."

"Bobby, my man… how about we go do a little rockin' of our bodies ourselves?" Amanda wondered if that tall handsome man would be a good dancer.

Before he could give a proper reply Amanda had already dragged him on the dance floor next to Alex and Roy.

Amanda was pleasantly surprised to see the man did know how to move. However she didn't want that much distance between them. Turning around, so her back was to his front, she pulled him closer by placing her hand around his neck and placed his hands on her hips.

Roy had lost Alex to another man, who had intervened their dance after a just a few minutes. Alex clearly didn't mind, accepting the stranger's hand without any hesitation. The man, who looked Italian and was dressed entirely in black, had whisked her off to a slightly darker corner of the dance floor. Their dance started off close together and as the song continued their bodies touched. Alex who liked the attention wasn't fooled. This man, Enrique, was a player and she knew he thought she would end up in his bed at the end of the evening. He would be surprised, but for now she enjoyed the dance.

As the song ended and turned into a ballad, Bobby disentangled himself from Amanda and looked around for Alex. He saw Roy, but Roy wasn't with Alex. Walking around the dance floor he spotted her in the arms of a small dark haired man. He didn't like how the stranger's hands were placed precariously close to Alex's behind. Not given any time to contemplate a course of action he was pulled on the dance floor by none other than Lucy. Turning them around every once in a while he made sure he could check on Alex.

Back at their table, Bobby heard the topic of conversation was Alex and the Italian guy.

"That guy only wants to get her into his bed." He heard Roy say to Erica and the blond stranger at her side.

"What do you think, Bobby? You think he'll succeed?"

"Don't." He groused. He didn't like that tone and since he couldn't get angry at the man who was practically forcing himself on Alex, he went for the easy target. "Don't talk about her like that." Grabbing Roy by the collar. "You have no right."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Alex's raised voice called from behind him.

She had enjoyed her dance with Enrique, but found him to be a little too frisky. There was no mistaken his intentions and she wasn't going to be part of any of it. The scene at their table with Bobby practically ready to hit Roy shocked her.

Quickly he let Roy go and turned to Alex to apologize. "I.."

"No hard feelings, Alex. Tell us about your Italian friend." Roy tried.

"No, tell me what happened." Placing her hands on her hips she glared at Bobby.

Great, right when things started to improve, everything fell apart again. He knew his explanation would do him no good. He knew how she felt when he got protective. Saying she didn't appreciate it was an understatement.

"He was only defending your honour." Erica tried to help Bobby out.

"I don't need my.."

"Alex, don't sweat it okay. I was a jerk and Bobby had every right." Roy chimed in.

With a final glare she walked to the bar to get another drink.

"I'm sorry." Bobby apologized to Roy.

"Like I said, I was a jerk."

Lucy, who'd observed the whole scene, quietly sat down next to Bobby. In his actions she saw how much Alex meant to him. She wondered how Alex couldn't see that. Or maybe Alex felt the need to move things forward, but was waiting for Bobby to acknowledge that too.

"Don't worry." She whispered in Bobby's ear. " give her some time to cool off. Talk later." Nodding his agreement he thanked her with a smile.

The cosy moment between Bobby and Lucy didn't go unnoticed by Alex. She couldn't help the pang of jealousy that went through her. She knew it was ridiculous because she'd heard how much Lucy loved her fiancé.

She'd just taken her seat next to Lucy when Enrique appeared out of nowhere next to her. "Mi amore, another dance?" He asked, leering at Alex.

Bobby shot the Italian Casanova a threatening look which Alex and Enrique noticed. Both however reacted different. Enrique felt intimidated, looking for an excuse while Alex, who was still pissed off, just wanted to get back at Bobby.

"I'd love to Enrique." She grabbed his hand. "Show me some more of those exciting moves."

"Ooh I will Alex, I will."

Bobby who had enough of Alex's actions stood up. "I'm heading back. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Giving Lucy some cash to take care of his drinks he grabbed his coat and walked back to the hotel. He couldn't stand seeing Alex with that jerk. He was frustrated and angry with Alex. She was playing him and he didn't like that one bit. First he'd tried to talk to her, but she refused. After his confrontation with Roy he'd tried to apologize, but again she didn't want to hear it. In stead she went off with Enrique who's hands were probably all over her body. He didn't need to see that. He realized he'd over reacted by grabbing Roy, but her refusal to deal with him had gotten to him. She wanted him to react and so he did. It was her fault that it had gotten that far and he was pretty sure she knew. It had never crossed his mind that they would ever get to this point, both fed up with each other. Maybe their partnership wasn't as good as they thought. Back at his hotel room Bobby let himself fall back on his bed. Simply fact was they were at crossroads, both angry with each other and both unwilling to talk. There were some long days ahead of him.

TBC...