Rose, Ash and Monika turned as the tall figure entered the café followed by two smaller figures.
"Sitting on the couch isn't very productive for a coffee shop." Lane said in a joking tone.
"It's a slow day. Everyone is busy with the Mating Run." Jenny replied as she sat down next to Ash on the love seat.
Simon walked to Rose, behind the counter and started to make himself a cup of espresso and poured Lane a large cup of dark roast coffee. The pleasant atmosphere and sound of light banter made Rose happy to be a part of this group of friends, but she still kept on thinking about the Mating Run and about her love life, or more so lack of. Sure, she told everyone that she didn't mind having been single but in times like these, where both Monika and Ash were with their significant other, it was hard to not feel a little left out.
"Well, I have to go back to the station so have fun kids." Lane said before walking to the door with his cup of dark roast in hand.
"We're not kids anymore Lane." Replied Jenny.
"You're always going to be kids to me." He replied while walking out the door.
"Well, since it's the end of the school year and we worked our asses off this semester, we should go out and have a night of intense partying." Monika said completely out of the blue.
"Monika, we finished our semester two to three weeks ago. High school students are finishing right now, not university students." Rose replied.
"Details! It's never too late to celebrate. So, Ash and I heard about a club in our city called 'DDL' and their holding a huge party since it's under new management. It's the new 'it' place. We have to go."
"You're all underage..." Rose started.
"We have fake IDs." Monika interrupted her.
"And when is this big party?" Jenny asked feeling a catch coming up.
"Well, that's the thing it's tonight and starts at 10h30 but there's going to be a huge line so we should try to be in city at 8h. We'll eat close by and then go to the club."
"Monika it's almost a two-hour drive from here to downtown main city." Rose groaned. "I really don't want to go. I'm not a club person. Hell, I'm barely a social gathering person."
"Come on Rose it's going to be fun and don't say you have something planned I know for a fact that you have nothing. Ash and Jenny were willing to come."
"Wait so all of you knew about this event but me?" Rose asked while looking at her friends in stupefaction. "Why was I the only one not informed?"
Everyone avoided making eye contact except for Monika who told her that it was because had she known before, she would have planned something else to avoid going, so telling her last minute was the only way to get her to go.
After a lot of complaining and being pressured by her sister with speeches of responsible driver and need to let loose, Rose finally gave in and agreed to go to the club with them. Monika was trilled and was already planning out her outfit for the occasion.
"Wait. If we're going to be there so late and you'll all be drinking, that means that I have to drive back. No way! You and Ash are horrible drunks and I'm not driving for two hours with you two in the car."
"I already booked 3 hotel rooms so that's not a problem. You have no excuses so give up and just agree."
Rose tried to come up with reasons not to go for the next hour, but Monika always found a counter and it was finally time to close the café and go home to get ready.
It took Monika half an hour to find something decent to wear. All Rose shirts were old and worn out and not the fashionable kind. Her black shirts were becoming grey, and her jeans were all plain. It took digging into the back of her closet to find some of the clothes Monika and Ash had gotten her for her birthday and Christmas to find something new and appropriate. The outfit was simple for most people, but this wasn't part of Rose comfort zone. The skinny jeans were black but too tight in her opinion and the dark grey t-shirt had a V-neck instead of a round one and was clinging to her body unlike her "one size to big" regular ones. Still, she got dressed and waited after Monika who was talking for ever to choose what she was going to wear. She apparently didn't want to wear her original choice of a black body con dress. Then there was a red jumpsuit, a forest green mini dress, a few other outfits and after what seemed like forever, she settled her choice on a silver mini dress. Ash, Jenny and Simon arrived just as Monika was finishing her makeup and a few minutes later they were all packed into Simon's van, on their way to main city.
"We're here! OMG people are already waiting in line and it's barely 8h30. We should go wait in line, but I don't really want to wait for two hours and I'm hungry." Monika whined.
The whole group agreed. None of them were willing to wait for two hours on an empty stomach. They were trying to figure out what to do when a man in a well-tailored suit past by them, bumping Monika in the process.
"Forgive me Miss. It wasn't my intention to bump into you." The man said in a very polite tone.
"Oh no it was my mistake we were blocking the sidewalk. We were just debating something, sorry."
"What could you be debating in the middle of the sidewalk?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.
"We wanted to go to 'DDL' tonight, but the line is already forming, and we were hoping to grab a bite before going but we think that the line will reach around the block by then."
"Ah! Yes, indeed. The line will be very long in about an hour. Well, I think I can fix your problem, I'll just add you to the guest list and you won't have to worry about the line. As an apology for running into you." He said walking towards the door of the club. "Please follow me."
"Ram. Please add these fine people to the guest list for tonight."
"Sure Mr. Ray. What names do I have to add?"
Getting over the shock of having their dilemma solved each gave their name to Ram and showed him their (fake) IDs.
"Thank you so much! Oh, I didn't get your name."
"I'm Ray. I'm friends with the new owner of the club. Well, I must take care of the finishing touches for tonight so goodbye and hope to see all of you later. As for a good place to eat, I would recommend the Thai restaurant, two streets down."
Ray entered the club, leaving them at the door with Ram, completely bewildered. What were the odds? They then went to eat at the Thai restaurant he had recommended and had a blast. They then went for froyo across the street because Jenny and Monika wanted a cup with plenty of toppings and once, they were finished, it was 10h45 and they headed back to "DDL".
Ray, who was being forced against his will to finish a school assignment by Alex, whined petulantly, "Can't I take a break already?" but was ignored. Ken watched his best friend walk off with raised eyebrows."Where are you going?""Getting something to drink.""And you didn't offer Ray anything?" Ken paused, waiting for a reply from Alex but received none so assumed he was being ignored now, and in his own house no less. "Rude. Rie, sweetie, I'm so sorry, you can take a break and go help yourself to anything in there. Boss will be fine.""Don't let him hear you." Alex chuckled as he stood up and stretched. It's been almost a month now since he's started hanging out with Ray together with Alex, and already the friendship that budded between them was fully bloomed thanks to their shared interests and the connecting link they cared for, Alex. "What are you drinking?""Cider.""You have cinnamon?" Ray asked and walked over to his bag. He leafed through it and pulled something out that Ken
"Wow, I'd bang you."Alex spluttered indignantly before slamming the door shut on Ray's face. "How's this for a bang."Ken tutted, bumped Alex aside with a sassy hip and opened his front door again which swung open revealing Ray who stood on the cozy 'Welcome' rug wearing a breezy smirk. Alex wanted to wipe it off with his lips. Of course, he didn't admit this to himself though. The jock was a mouthwatering meal in skintight black jeans that hugged every muscle dipped crevice in his thighs and the length of his legs. The black shirt he wore, tucked in his pants and secured by the simple black belt cinched around his trim waist, left little to no room, the fabric glued snug to Ray's broad chest like second layer. He donned a leather jacket, the collars flipped up neat around his neck and collaborated well with the black Timbs that completed his look. Try as he may, discreetly as possible (what's discreet, Ken was openly judging him), Alex couldn't stop himself from ogling even he wante
The shuddering relief Alex felt ooze into his body was enough to get him to stumble back onto his feet and poke his head around the shelf. Ray stood in the center with his head facing one side of the room as he searched for Alex."Ray." Alex called out, voice soft and broken. The way Ray snapped his head forward so fast, the jolt of comfort that rushed through Alex when familiar dark eyes locked on him and the long, quick strides Ray closed Ray." Alex called out, voice soft and broken. The way Ray snapped his head forward so fast, the jolt of comfort that rushed through Alex when familiar dark eyes locked on him and the long, quick strides Ray closed their distance with, eased the frantic nerves Alex had been panicking with."You idiot." Ray whispered angrily though his tone washed in relief. He cupped Alex's cheeks and gently swiped his thumbs beneath Alex's eyes, collecting stray tears. "What the fuck are you doing? They announced the warning lockdown, what were you thinking?""I di
"Fuck."He ended up in the library (ironically the place where this chasing game with Ray began) which was on the third floor which meant the safest distance from the cafeteria since that was on the lowest level. Alex felt the stares but avoided eye contact knowing well he looked a panting mess from taking the stairs two and three at a time in haste to get away from Ray. Fucking Alex, God. Ever since the 'incident' Alex's mind refused to get rid of the memory no matter how hard he shoved it down. He tried to forget the sensation of Ray's mouth on his, yet his lips still tingled from Ray's tongue. He tried to stop thinking about how physically good it felt to be pressed against Ray's firm body like two puzzle pieces, tried to erase the feel of those large hands holding him tight but his body had a mind of its own and ached to be held again, touched again.It was maddening.From the start, Ray made it blatantly clear he wanted in his pants and Alex would not bend over so damn easily. Th
Class ended shortly after and Alex walked out of the room, phone out in his hand. He was in the middle of reading a text Ken had sent him as he walked down the hall to his locker when someone grabbed his shoulder and yanked him around. "Hey!" Alex glared up at Ray once he was facing him and tugged himself free. "You can't go around grabbing people, asshole!" he snapped his gum irritably.Ray was unperturbed, eyes dark. He crowded into Alex who began to flush and tried to shuffle back. Ray stilled him by gripping his hips and cocked his head down closer to Alex's level. "You've got jokes, Alex." Ray casually waved the crushed pack of gum in Alex's face before tugging said boy closer. Alex froze when he felt Ray's hand spread over the back of his ass, dip into his pocket, and drop the packet there. Ray gave it a pat when he was done before resting both hands-on Alex's cheeks. "Now, I want my piece."Before Alex could protest, Ray leaned down, tipped Alex's face up, and captured his lips
Side story (Alexander and Rose oldest son Ray)Alex wanted to wipe the stupid smirk off Ray's face. He settled for forcefully stuffing the crumpled notebook paper balled in his tiny right fist into the jock's mouth before stomping around the spluttering other, face flushed heatedly. "The answer is no!" Alex threw over his shoulder sassily before scurrying down the rest of the hall, leaving Ray behind who was taking his damp saliva crinkly paper out of the cavern of his mouth. "Fucking Alex." But there was only amusement laced in Ray's tone as he unfolded his paper, he'd wrote his little message down on for Alex, his handwriting only slightly damaged from all its past abuse. Ray scoffs when he sees a little mad face drawn in Alex's small, neat handwriting underneath his kindergarten message and leans against a locker just as a boy with a heavy looking book bag weighing his back down was about to open. He squeaks in despair when Ray's heavy body went lazily slack against the rusty sur