"You can't be saying the those words! How can you can seriously said that out loudly," Liam said in a loud voice. Sitting across Andy on the sofa in his office.
"I'm saying and repeating. The Eagles are superior to the dragon," he maintained his stance.
He was sitting, legs crossed one over the other, and one hand resting beside him with the other on the hand chair. They were both dressed on a black formal three piece suit but Liam had his jacket off his shoulders. Left on him was a white shirt.
"What non sense is this? Have you watch their match for the qualification for the national tournament?" Liam asked not believing his friend could be so delusional.
They were arguing about who was the strongest basketball team while waiting for Ivy arrival and as always, their opinion were diverging. Each were supporting their favorite team.
"Yes I did and that's why I say it. The recruited amazing players like the number ten. His ball play is so amazing and number four, his jump was remarkable, no one were able to stop him," he defended his team.
"Yeah, but individual talent is nothing against excellent team work with each member be talented like in the dragon team,"
"You must be joking, have you see his jump. I bet they will win this year," Andy was confident about his favorite team. May be in the past the dragon were slightly better but now with the new recruits, they became undoubtedly better.
"I bet one million the dragons would win," they looked at the door, giving their attention to the sudden intruder.
Standing by the door were Ivy. Liam stood up, coming to her. He didn't need to question how she could entered his office without his knowledge. How could he when he gave her open access. Better to say, she had open access long before he even became the head.
"It took you long enough to reach here. Lunch would soon end," Andy said getting up his feet.
"Sorry. Things took longer than planned," she apologized, closing the door behind her.
"Not an issue. What is important here is that finally someone is able to appreciate great talent," Liam said.
"I bet the double," he added. He was sure of the victory of his team.
"Tell this guy how inferior his team is against our," he dodged her with a grinned on his face.
"Ivy don't know a thing. She is just supporting you," Andy said.
"Don't know anything? Let me tell you, I didn't miss a single match of neither team even thought I were abroad and I can say the Eagles improved with the new member-"
"What did I tell you..?" Andy said to Liam, interrupting ivy.
"-But even that won't save them from the dragon amazing team work," she added.
"Yes!! In your face," Liam said and shrugged his hand over Ivy.
"Ivy good you are back, at two, we can finally knock some sense in this guy. And I finally have someone to watch my match with," he added.
"No she will watch it with me." Andy dragged Ivy to him.
"We support the same thing she should watch it with me." Liam took her other hand.
And the two continued to argue with the smiling Ivy in the middle, she was clearly enjoying it. She about to say something when Bella and Shirley stepped in. Freezing at the scene in front of them.
At the sight of Ivy in the middle of both their men, they frowned. Bella more than Shirley. Bella sent her a looked, Shirley rolled her eyes ignoring her.
"I can watch it with you, you don't have to argued in who would Ivy accompany," Bella said. She didn't like the idea of her man fighting for another woman even if that person is ivy.
Andy looked at her weirdly because he knew she hated it.
"I can accompany you as well Liam," Shirley said. Even though she didn't fear Ivy to take her man, she didn't like to see them so close to each other.
"Really? but you don't like basketball at all. It's not fun to watch it with someone who don't enjoy it as much as you do," Liam said.
He tried to watch it with her but she was so bore that she would have felt asleep if not of the noise in the basketball field. In the end they had to head back and go else way because he couldn't force her to something she didn't enjoy to.
Andy and Bella were the same thing as Bella didn't shared Andy passion for basketball. He as well tried but just like Liam it wasn't fun at all.
"I can learn to," Bella said.
"If it's what you like, I would learn to like it as well," she added.
"Me as well," Shirley said. The two men watched their partners confused. They never showed an interest in their passion for basketball but now, out of the sudden, they were ready to watch it with them.
Ivy lips lifted up at the scene in front of her.
'They are jealous' she thought as she saw the girls trying to convince their partner to bring them with them and not her. She wasn't even angry. Amusement was all she felt at the sight of their desperate actions to distant them from her. A lost battle if you asked her.
A minute later, tired of being left out by the couples she said,
"What are you guys doing here anyway?" she asked.
"I invited them. I first wanted it to be just the three of us but I realize the group have expanded. We aren't anymore three but five now. You were absent for three years so it did be a good opportunity for you to bond with all of us," Liam explained.
Hearing his words, Ivy could only smile. What else were left for her to say. It was true they were no more the three of them and it was a truth she should start to accept.
.
.
.
In the restaurants...
"This place didn't change a little," Ivy said as she took a seat around the round table in the private corner of the restaurant they booked.
It was the restaurant they used to frequent when they were in the university and afterward. Each time they were going out the three of them, they came here, it was what can be called their secret place. Even when Liam started dating Shirley, they never brought her there in the past. Ivy thought it was only for the three of them but now they were brining not only Shirley but Bella. It was a sign for her that their relation was totality serious, they were now part of the group.
"Even they design are still the same," Andy said. He pulled the chair for Bella and pushed it after she sat before taking his seat. Liam did the same thing with Shirley.
It was a small restaurant, at the far if the city center. A sector people of their status couldn't be seen eating. The small restaurant had no star, no grand name but they fell in love with the restaurant and the owner since the one. The first time was a hazard but the next times was with joy.
As the made themselves comfortable, an elderly man came to them. Carry a warm smile, softening his usual sharp gaze. The eyes of the three friends lighted up at his sight.
"You're still alive?" Liam said joking to the old man. Whites hairs was already seen on his head but his build were strong, promising you would get to see him for a long time.
"Yes I am Mr. Black," he said his eyes surveying on the table. It warmed his heart to see them once again at their usual table.
He was the owner of the restaurant. When he was told the group of three were back he rushed to come and greet them.
"Mr. Black," Liam chuckled "It make me feel like an old man," he said in between his laugh.
"Mr. Evans, Miss stone," he greeted the rest of the face he recognized.
"Always so polite old man," Andy said amused.
"Leave the old man alone, he came to greet us and you want to bully him," Ivy giggled.
The old man looked at the teenager who often came in his little restaurant even though being among the elite of their society. They have always been open and easy going that he some times wondered if they were really from those rich family.
"It seems as the little group increased," he said, looking at Bella and Shirley. The teenager he knew was always three. Never more or less. He was surprised at first seeing more people on their table. It didn't take him long to understand whom they were
"Yes." Liam said full of joy.
"Shirley, Bella, meet Mr. Walker. He is the owner of the restaurant. You can call him Old man. Old man, this is Shirley, my fiancée and Bella, Andy fiancée," Liam introduced them.
"So they babies became man. Happy to know you," he greeted them. They smiled and greet him back.
"And you Miss Stone, no partner to introduce to me?" he wondered.
"I already told you to call me simply Ivy," since day one they made the request but he never obligated.
She left out a sigh, and forced a smile on her face, "No partner for me. There's no one worthy of me out here," she decided to play it cool. Didn't want him to mourn over her.
Her response gained funny smile by all the men present, already us to the arrogant side of her. The girls on the contrary were left speechless by her behaviour.
They chatted for a while with the old man before he left, going back to work. He was the owner but also one of the cook. He had abandoned his post for too long. The waiter came to their table the moment he left,
"He didn't change at all," Liam said taking the menu on the table.
"You as well didn't change, always ready to bully him," she said amused, shaking her head at her friends.
She took the menu on the table and read through. Deciding on what to order she gave the menu to the waiter saying what she wanted.
She glanced at the couple beside her ordering, each man ordering for their woman.
Ivy pressed her lips in a thin line, she wasn't please by the sight in front of her. She was alone while her man was accompanying someone else. She clenched her hands under the table.
'Should I accept the true and give up?' was the question she kept asking herself since they entered the restaurant. Her heart was troubled and no matter how many time she asked herself, no answered was given.
The food were served In a minute and thoey all dig in. Ivy silently ate her food, she felt like the third wheel as the couple kept on whispering sweets nothing things, ignoring her completely. She felt left out,
"It's the last time I get out with you guys. You totally forget about me," she pouted while playing with the food in her plats with her fork. She wasn't able to stomach anything. Seeing them all lovey cut her appetite.
"Sorry!" Andy and Liam said at the same time. Shifting their eyes for the first time from their woman.
"It's like this when you're the third wheel, why not find yourself a boyfriend, you won't feel left out like this," Bella suggested. A mockery smile on her lips.
"That's right. We should find a man for you," Andy injected. He knew Bella said it just too provoked Ivy but it was really a great idea. Maybe this way, she would be able to forget Liam.
"Yes, both Andy and I are in couple now, you should find someone for yourself," Liam said, cutting Ivy heart into pieces. The man she love wanted to find her a man, what could hurt more?
"What's dating for? When I will be ready I would just passed through the list my mother just sent me to find the perfect candidate and get married," she said taking her phone on the table, she scrolled through the list of candidate with their profiles her mother sent her on the way to Liam office.
When she open the email, she was surprised to see that it was a list of favorable candidate for her to date, her blind date list. When she first saw it she was furious but the more she spent time with Liam and Shirley, they more she thought it would be better to do just this. She scrolled through the list a find the perfect candidate and be with him. There were no need for love as long as they are compatible.
"For real? You are ready to get married with a man you don't love?" Bella asked surprise. She could have never thought her capable of that.
"She is capable of that and far more," Liam chuckle
"As long as they match she got no problem with it. Love is the last thing for her. Her decisions are always taking, benefits in mind," he added.
Ivy were just like him and Andy in the past, they didn't care of love and never thought to fall in love in their life until they came across the right person.
"She make me think of the past me, but I'm sure she would change her mind when she find the right person like Andy and I did," he kissed Shirley cheek, glad to have crossed path with her.
"You are right. All she need it's for the right person to enter her life," Andy looked straight in Ivy eyes saying those words, he wanted her to understand what he meant.
"I wondered which type guy would make her fall for him, Ivy is quite special. The person for whom you would fall for would sure not be a normal person. He must be special to be able to gain your heart," he said genuinely.
He love Ivy and hope for her to find a good man who would take good care of her and cherish her. Ivy was not easy to understand that was why the person needed to be special to be able to understand her complex heart.
'You're praising yourself you fool,' everyone at the table thought. Everyone knew about Ivy love but the person of interest.