"Hey, you're still not awake?!"
"I am up already!" Alex replied half frowning.
Alex, with tousled hair, penguin pattern pajamas, came out of the room. Adrian's room to be exact. With a big yawn, she walked into the living room, and plopped down on the long sofa that was facing the flat-screen television that was attached to the wall.
While Adrian himself is busy in his kitchen which is opposite the living room, with a set of dining tables separating the two. The man could only shake his head when he saw the woman reconnecting to sleep on the sofa. He transferred the cooked sausages to a plate, which had been lined with absorbent paper towels.
Turning off the stove, he brought two plates of his cooked fried rice, which was completed with sausage and eggs, to the dining table. He arranged it well, then returned to the kitchen. A few seconds later, he appeared with a glass of chocolate milk in his right hand, and a glass of orange juice in his left hand.
"Adrian!"
Adrian turned his head in a huff, and found Alex already standing with a fully conscious face, with no drowsiness left at all.
"What?" he asked lazily. He wanted to have breakfast before he go to work.
"You have to see this!" the woman said urgently. "Come here, quick!"
Lazily, the man approached his best friend who was sitting upright on the sofa. He decided to stand on the side of the sofa, not intending to join the woman at all.
"Look at that," Alex said, pointing to the television.
At the first screening of the film The Last Hope last night, James Hidalgo was seen attending with the famous model, Dominique. The two of them looked good together because they were wearing clothes of the same color. Both of them always smiled even when the reporters asked about their relationship. The actor's management said that the two were indeed been close for a while. It seems like this proves that the relationship between James Hidalgo and Alex Sullivan, the daughter of the owner of one of the well-known television stations in the country, has indeed ended."
"Did you hear it? Did you hear what he said?" Alex shook Adrian's hand with a big smile. "Gosh! I've never been this happy when I saw my ex-boyfriend have a new girlfriend."
Adrian winced when he heard the woman's satisfied laugh. "Are you okay?" he asked doubtfully. The last time he remembered, Alex had a big tantrum because her ex-boyfriend dated another girl a month after their relationship has ended. The reason that the woman was angry was because her ex's lover was a different person from his side chick. But, isn't James like that too?
"Do I look like I am unwell?" Alex replied with a frown. Half running, she headed to the dining table. Still with a big smile, she ate her breakfast. As she eat, she looked at Adrian who was watching her with furrowed brows. "Why? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm sure there's something wrong in your system because you're fine even after seeing your ex with other girl."
Alex took a sip of her chocolate milk then said, "Listen, first, I am not a machine or what to have a system problem. Second, I am sure I am one hundred percent fine and happy. Well, maybe it doesn't make sense for you, but I'm really happy that he has a new girlfriend. Apart from the fact that the reporters won't be after me anymore, that means there really isn't a chance for us to come back."
Adrian frowned even more.
Alex put down her spoon and fork, then looked at the man seriously. "I've been dating James for quite a long time. Six months? Or seven? No, I think six. That's the longest record considering my relationship with my ex-lover who previously never reached the fifth month. As soon as I broke up with him, I cried. Like usual." she shrugged casually. Crying after a relationship with a lover ends is normal. "I was annoyed, angry, and even wanted to beat him when I saw him sleeping with his personal assistant. But as soon as I met him and broke our relationship, I think that was when I realized that it was all over. Including my feelings. Then I returned to my normal life without him. And in the end I got to a point where I didn't really love him. I didn't really like him until I didn't miss him at all, even though I spent six months of my life with him."
Adrian really gaped at the woman's explanation. He didn't think at all that Alex would say that. What she said didn't make any sense at all. If she really doesn't have feelings for the man at all, why did she stay in a relationship for even six months? Was it for breaking records with her previous boyfriends? But considering that it was Alex who spoke, he just believed it. Because the woman is sometimes just like that. No explanation needed.
Alex put a spoonful of fried rice back into her mouth. "I guess what I told you the night I caught him sleeping with his personal assistant was right, I think the reason why we were able to last long enough is because we're compatible. Don't put on that creepy look," she muttered when the man glared at her. "We do get along in a lot of ways. Our favorite foods, hobbies, movies, and various other things. Now that I think about it, that can't be a reason to start a relationship. It seems that we deserve to be friends and not lovers. Isn't that right?"
"But sometimes, friends also deserve to be a lover," replied the man flatly.
She looked at her best friend lazily. "Well, you never really agree with what I say."
Adrian wiped his lips with a tissue, then got up from his seat. "I go first."
"Yeah, you better go away," she said while drinking her chocolate milk. "I want to enjoy my time off before going back to work tomorrow."
Yesterday afternoon, she received an email from the school stating that she had been accepted as a teacher at her former school.
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "I'll chase you to hell if my apartment falls apart as soon as I get home from work. That's a promise."
Alex winked. "Don't worry Mr. Herrera. I will take good care of our apartment."
*****
Alex entered the apartment password hastily. Once inside, she immediately changed her sneakers in to the white pig-headed sandals in front of her. She then put the soju she bought at the supermarket on the first floor of the apartment on the dining table.
She could have arrived at the apartment five minutes earlier if the cashier hadn't caused trouble. She was used to buy soju there, but this time the cashier was a new employee so she didn't know her. The female employee forced her to show her identification card - because she was being suspected of being a minor - which she didn't bring at all. She only brought the money that Adrian gave him, and left her wallet.
"The employee really can't believe that I'll be twenty eight this year," she grumbled as she poured the beer with low alcohol into the glass. She swallowed it in one gulp. "Do I look like a seventeen year old teenager? Huh?!"
Adrian chuckled. He glanced at the woman's face which was clean from a brush of make-up. Even without using lip tint, her lips are already pink. He gently pushed Alex's head. "You should be grateful that your face looks youthful. A lot of people want to be like you. You know that?"
Alex smirked. "That's right. How about I start looking for an underage lover? Maybe a Senior High School student? Seems like fun."
The man looked his best friend's face again. "I'll take my word again," he said curtly. Then suddenly he sniffed something. He brought his face closer to the woman's coat. "You changed your perfume?"
Alex chuckles. "You're getting more and more like a bloodhound," she commented with a chuckle. "And no. I don't change perfume."
"But this is a man's perfume," the man hissed.
She sat on one of the chairs, then looked at her best friend. "Indeed. You wouldn't believe who I met at the supermarket earlier."
Adrian sat down. "Who?"
"I met Charles!" she said almost shouting.
"Charles?" the man parrots.
Charles was a classmate of her and Lia when they were still in SHS. They weren't very close either, just smiling occasionally at each other whenever they passed each other in the corridor. They never even eat at the same table in the school cafeteria. That's why she was surprised—very surprised actually - when Charles suddenly hugged her when they accidentally met at the supermarket earlier. Maybe it was during the hug that the man's perfume stuck to her coat.
"Yes. Charles. Don't you remember him?" she looked at Adrian expectantly. "He was the leader of the Baseball Team at SHS. Do you remember? Do you remember?"
The man snorted. "I'll remember him when you get rid of that hopeful face of yours! Why should I remember him?"
"Are you a senile? Isn't he very famous back then? Everyone knew him before."
Adrian snorted louder. "He's not more famous than me. Everyone knows me too at our Alma Mater," he replied.
Alex scowled but do not argue.
Even though Adrian didn't join any club, still everyone in their age knew him. Even some of their juniors also know the man. Maybe because he once sang at the senior farewell event when they were in their second year and third year. Maybe also because the guy is a type of person who is easy to make friends with. He befriends one person, then that person would introduce him to another person, then that person would introduce him to another person, and so on.
"So did he pay for this drink?" Adrian asked. He recalled the topic of his initial conversation with Alex. The cashier still didn't want to let her buy the soju before she showed her ID card.
"Yes," she replied, taking another sip of her own soju. "He appeared behind me. Showed his ID and paid for it."
Adrian took his hand away from the soju bottle, and got up from his seat. He walked over to the fridge, and took out a bottle of apple juice.
"Didn't you really want to drink soju?" Alex asked confused when she saw the man drinking the juice without stopping. "You even threatened to throw all my clothes away if I didn't buy you this soju. Then why don't you drink it now?"
"You're so talkative," said the man curtly as he threw the juice box into the trash.
"Yaaah, damn it! I'm asking you," Alex protested when Adrian casually sat on the sofa in front of the television without answering her question.
"I'm not interested in the soju anymore," he replied flatly. "And you, stop talking so rudely."
Alex snorted and sat beside the man. Then, she laid her head on the arm of the sofa, and rested her feet on her best friend's lap casually. "This is my mouth. I can talk as I please."
Adrian sneered. "If all those ex-boyfriends of yours knew what and who you really are, they'd be running as fast as lightning." the man was a little surprised because Alex always kept her words and attitude well in front of her lover. The woman really behaved like a princess, as if when she said a harsh word or cursed she would be hanged and her corpse would be handed over to a group of crocodiles that had not eaten for a long time.
"I have to show a good attitude in front of my lover, right?" Alex said sweetly. "But, as soon as I meet a man who is connected to me through an invisible red thread that links our little finger, I will show my true self to him. Only to him because later I will spend my whole life with him," she added dreamily and dramatically. Even the her eyes looked dreamy, proving that her mind had flown everywhere.
Adrian made a sound like someone was vomiting. "You're disgusting."
Alex looked at the man sharply. "Hey! That's called soulmate," she muttered. The woman raised the little finger of her right hand. "My finger is already tied to someone's finger. And when the time comes, I will meet him. That's why I'm looking for him."
"By going out with every guy who confessed his love and interest for you?" Adrian asked in a mocking tone.
"It's only a matter of time, Herrera." she glared even more. "You really don't believe in the concept of soulmate or destiny?"
"I do." Adrian admitted. "And I'm sure I've found her. Well, like you said, I've found the woman whose finger is connected to mine by an invisible red thread."
Alex suddenly changed her lying position into a sitting position. Although the man's tone of voice about fingers being connected by invisible red threads sounds very annoying, she is very curious about the woman that her best friend is referring to. "Who's the girl? How can you be so sure?"
Adrian smirked. "When I meet that person, I can feel it. Like everyone in this world is telling me at the same time: she is the one."
Alex looked at the man with her mouth agape. The next second she was already laughing so hard and loud. She knew it was rude of her, but Adrian's words were ridiculous. "Gosh! You are accusing me of being disgusting but you're even more ridiculous. Those are cheesy TV show words and you said them to me. Oh my God! How to unhear it?" and then she laughed again.
Adrian glared at the woman, but didn't say anything. Feeling better than before. His mood suddenly got worse because of the soju problem earlier, and now he's better because of Alex's laughter.
"So who is she?"
He cocked his chin at Alex, grinning. "You."
"Me?" Alex asked while pointing at herself. She quickly wiped away the tears that were dripping because of too much laughter. Since Adrian didn't show any expression other than a smirk, she lets out a chuckle. This man is really smart for his own good. "Oh, God! You're really not funny," she protested. "And if you want to know, I have no interest on being your match!"
At that time, Adrian wanted to strangle the woman so much that she would run out of breath.
*****