Isabella Bellucci pursed her lips as she nursed the drink she had in her hand. The taste wasn't bad. It's that she wasn't a large drinker. Actually, she didn't really care for the feeling it gave her, but watching Lucy Stillman flirt with one Desmond Miles had her teeth grinding, and her anger reaching new heights, the drink was needed at that time.
"I swear that woman…" her words coming more like growls, and she heard a laugh coming from her left side.
"If you like him that much, Isabella, you should ask him out." Alanna looked at her over the rim of her glass, and smirked. Her gray eyes twinkling with laughter.
"Oh, like you have any room to talk." She snapped, took another sip of her cocktail, and watched in satisfaction as her new friend looked away. They had become friends her third day of work, and had even had a girl's movie night over at Alanna's over the weekend. That's when she found out about her secret crush.
Lucy smiled at Desmond, handed him the money for her drink, and walked over to where Rebecca Crane, and some other woman was sitting. She thought her name was Aveline, but she wasn't sure. They were the 'in' kids she wanted to beat up in high school. Just thinking about those days made her fingers curl around her glass, threatening to smash it to pieces.
Alanna looked at her, brow raised. "I'll make you deal. If I go over and talk to the guy I like, you have to go over and talk to Desmond." And from the way her face was paling as she even thought about it, Isabella knew it took guts to volunteer to do that.
Letting her anger leave her with a sigh, she sat her head down on the table. "Naw, he sees me as a little sister. We've known each other for a few years now, and he pals around with Seth. I should just let it go."
A laugh made her raise her head, and look at the California girl. "You know what? We're pathetic. Here we are, single, in a bar, and we are too big of wussies to go talk to guys. I don't know about you, but I find it kind of sad."
She knew the other woman was right, but damn it! If he didn't like her the way she liked him, she would never be able to show her face in the bar again. Or even in public! "We are pathetic." She added, and leaned her head back staring at the ceiling.
"Salute ladies, is this seat taken?" The suave voice of Ezio reached her ears and made her look in that direction.
Now, Isabella would admit Ezio looked damn good, but she had never been into the playboy type. Besides, her father would throw her ass in a deep, dark hole if she ever showed up with an Italian boy. Her father was Italian, born and raised in Venice, until coming to the States in his teens, then meeting her mother. He knew how they were, and had told her she, under no circumstances, was to ever date one.
Alanna, who was almost always smiling, waved to the vacant chair. "Have a seat. Join our little pity party."
He gave his best smile, and took the offered chair. "And what are you two lovelies having a pity party for? You could have any man in this room, including myself," causing Isabella to roll her eyes, "yet you hide in the corner and watch the room."
She was about to open her mouth when Alanna interjected. "She won't ask a certain guy out because she's afraid that it'll ruin a non-existent relationship." Her eyes turned to steel, and then took a swig from her drink. "And I'm the same way."
Throwing his head back and laughing, Ezio shook his head in amusement. "You two are afraid to approach a guy?" Both of them shot him death looks, but he ignored them. "Take a chance. You will never know until you try."
"Yeah, that's what scares me." She mumbled and her eyes once again looked over at the bar, watching Desmond serve drinks, and smile at the patrons. Oh she had it so bad.
A hand was laid on her arm, and she looked at the person it was attached to. Alanna smiled evilly. "Give me a few more shots, and I might ask him for you. Either that, or pass out drunk at this table."
Isabella won't put it passed the other woman to do it. "Why don't you worry about your own problem first? We can deal with mine later."
Ezio, who was looking from one woman to the next, had to ask. "Alright, normally I know all about everyone. It's kind of my thing. You," pointing to Alanna, "are still a bit of a mystery. You have only been here a few times, and every time it is either alone, or you came with Kadar the first time." Giving her a sly smile, he asked. "It's not Kadar, is it? Your secret crush?"
Isabella began to laugh when Alanna's face went beat red. "No!" she sputtered. "He's dating some girl that works at the coffee shop on the corner. Cute little brunette. Really, really perky. Cannot recall her name though." And Isabella opened her mouth, but Alanna snapped. "Don't you dare tell him! I will spill your secret, woman!"
Not being able to resist, she blurted out. "She's crushing on her neighbor!" And clamped her hand over her own mouth, watching Alanna's eyes widen.
Ezio's smile turned into a full blown evil grin. "You like Altair?" and gestured to the man in the back of the bar. Slowly, the gray eyed woman nodded, her cheeks scarlet from embarrassment. "So go talk to him. He may be an ass, but he's not that bad of a guy. Or so I've heard. He's a dick to me, but I think I annoy him."
Isabella rolled her eyes. "You annoy a lot of people, so how's that any different?"
Mocking hurt, he placed his hand over his chest. "You wound me with such words, Bella. That barbed tongue should come with a warning."
Smirking, she tossed back the remainder of the glass, and sat it down on the table with a bit more force than need be. The ice rattled in the cup, and her eyes met his. "You like it, admit it."
Giving her a small shrug, he spoke. "Maybe, but that is all you'll ever get from me."
"Hey, I'll be back. Quit flirting with each other." Alanna smacked the table, grabbed her purse, stood, and headed for the bar.
"What is she doing?" Isabella watched her friend, almost, but not quite, about to panic. She was now standing at the bar, talking to Desmond. Her smile was wicked, and something exchanged hands. With a small nod, Alanna grabbed a tray and brought it back to the table. Looking at the five shot glasses, and the three beers, she asked. "What the hell is all of that?"
Setting a beer in front of her, and another one in Ezio, she lifted one of the glasses filled with an amber liquid. "This is a shot of liquid courage. Here's to my insanity." And before anyone could stop her, the woman had all five of them gone in under a minute.
"I am so glad I drove." Isabella shook her head in disbelief. "You are going to be fucked up in a little bit."
A slow grin passed over Alanna's face as she took a swig of the beer. "Yup." Leaning over, she pressed a kiss to Ezio's cheek, stood, and leaned on the table. "Well, wish me luck. I have an apology to make." And she walked, surprisingly straight, to the table in the back where Altair was sitting.
They both began to laugh. "Ten bucks says she gets him to take her home." Ezio laid his wallet on the table.
Isabella grinned. "Ten bucks says you're wrong. Alanna won't abandon me like that." Five minutes later, she was handing a ten to the smirking man as Altair escorted a completely intoxicated Alanna out the front door. She glowered. "Fuck you."
"When and where?" he asked, but she knew he was only messing with her. "Oh, and for the record, he has no intentions of asking Lucy out. He likes the fact that she comes in just to flirt with him."
Her jaw hit the table. "How did you…?" Then the growl came out. "Alanna." That girl was so dead when she saw her next.
Shaking his head, Ezio drained the last of his bottle, sat it on the table, and stood. "Nope. You aren't that subtle when watching him." And with a wave, he turned and walked out the door, leaving her there alone.
And about that time, Desmond walked up, and took over Ezio's empty chair. "So, everyone abandoned you, huh Izzy?" Using her childhood nickname, he gave her a smile, and she felt her heart skip. He was the only one, besides her brother, that could call her that.
"Yeah." Her eyes went to the beer that she hadn't even touched. It wasn't her thing.
"Hey, I just got off, and well, you wanna go grab a cup of coffee? I really don't want to head home just yet." She raised her eyes from the bottle, and watched him in fascination as he rubbed the back of his neck. He was always doing that when he talked to her, and she had always wondered why.
But not really caring, Isabella gave a nod. "Sure." It was a small step, but maybe she might get up the courage at some point.
As they walked down the street, she could hear guys hooting and hollering in the background. It was normal for a Saturday night. "So what's up with Alanna? She got pretty wasted just to go talk to Altair."
Shoving her hands in her pockets, she grinned. "She likes him, but was too big of a chicken to talk to him sober. Guess when people call liquor 'liquid courage', they're not kidding."
Desmond laughed at the comment. "Don't worry, he likes her too, but as well, he's too big of a wuss to talk to her. Guess that puts them on even ground."
Well that was news. "Huh. I guess you learn something new every day."
"I know, right? You know, I heard a rumor that people have been wondering if he was gay, and then he and Malik have been secretly dating. Hailey found it hilarious when she first heard." They rounded the corner, and she spotted IHOP. It was best place to get coffee that late at night, and she was in love with their stuffed French toast.
"Hailey?" she asked, wondering who that was.
"Mal's girlfriend of like seven months. She's on a tour of Europe right now with her family. She should be getting back soon." They walked up to the front door, and like a gentlemen, he held the door for her. "They don't make their private life public."
That's why she never knew. "Guess I will just have to wait and meet her."