For romance editors, love is in the air, 24/7 and 365 days, except for Sebastian Loyess who just sighed out of desperation and jealousy.
"Where's that coming from?" Millie asked, raising an eyebrow. She's amused at her friend's reaction. "You are ruining the luxury wedding vibe, my friend. FYI, this is worth six years of our combined salary! And we're talking gross income," she said, snorting. "The snobby bridesmaid's words, not mine."
"How can one be so blessed?" Sebastian replied bitterly. He took the champagne glass, and drank it empty; bottom-up like he does with a mug of beer on a TGIF get-together, when he's stressed from work. "But mine's as empty as this wine glass."
"If you chug champagne that way—" she snatched the glass away from his hand, "Any interested guy might think you're an alcoholic."
He drooped his head limply, sighing. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, with drained energy—as if his elbows were the only thing that supported the weight of his upper body.
"Hey, cheer up!"
No reaction from him.
She held Sebastian's cold hands tenderly and assured him, "You'll do fine. Mr. Right Guy is out there somewhere. Stuck in the goddamn Lake City traffic—"
Still no response. She's annoyed.
"Sebastian Loyess! Sit up straight or I'll give you a noogie! But first—"
Without warning, she clenched her hands so tight that his hands warmed up. Her strong grip almost crushed his fingers. He tensed up. He stared at her with a death glare.
"Hands. Off. Your. Brawny. Little. Hands."
Her mouth hung open from the shock of his mean remarks. Her hands were brawny, alright. That's her insecurity. She's been teased about it. She's incensed.
She smirked, "You sure? Your hands are warm now—"
He responded with a wicked smirk, "How am I gonna find Mr. Right Guy if you're holding me like a deranged lover in your She-Hulk aura?"
Feeling defeated in their friendly banter, she yanked her hands away from his.
"So… So mean!" she said, pouting. "Calling a woman's hands brawny… So mean—"
"Sorry, Okay?"
"Fine! Whatever! That's one strike—"
He arched his eyebrow as if urging her to explain.
"You'll see, my dear! Hehehe!"
Shivers washed all over him. He could only think of the shenanigans in store for him.
Having regained his composure, he sat straight, poised as if he were a dignified guest of honor, "I'm fine, Mill. I'm just a bit jealous…"
"There you are!" she said, admiring him. "You got charms, a lean physique, and an adorable face. Hmmm… The tuxedo looks good on you," she eyed him approvingly but sighed, "If only you're needs are satisfied by a woman—"
He blushed from such flattery. He tenderly covered his face with his hand.
"I'd still fall for that handsome face of yours. But, I'm not your type," she grinned at him, "So you're safe, haha!"
He waved his hand as if dismissing her flattery because he felt awkward hearing it.
"Remember high school? Our classmates used to tease her—" he pursed his lips and pointed them in the direction of the bride gracefully dancing with the groom. It's an unusual habit he couldn't break. "That no guy would marry her because of… you know… her unique beauty…"
She snortled. She almost choked on the caviar of the smoked salmon canape she was savoring. The guests from the next table stared at her, bemused and distracted from their preoccupations. Her cheeks went red with embarrassment.
Meanwhile, he let out a muffled pffft.
She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, "Believe me. In this day and age, face is irrelevant." She tapped her head and winked at him, "All you need is a shameless street smarts attitude. And yeah, a moneyed fiance."
"Oh!?"
"You, on the other hand, need a good whacking in the head!"
He uttered a dismissive "Hah!"
"I'm serious! Enough with that curse nonsense. No curse, alright?" She took the champagne glass and sipped elegantly. "It's all in your head, love. Just let go of that superstitious belief."
He just sighed. His mood turned pensive.
He hadn't told her the whole story. He did mention the curse and his fear of the number 9 to his close friends. But he withheld the devil in the details.
He told them that he was cursed to never find his one true love. It was the punishment for abandoning the promise he made to someone a long time ago. Nine years ago, to be exact. He was cagey when telling the whole story. He deliberately omitted the parts considered unbelievable and supernatural because doing so saved him from being labeled a loony.
Would you believe that I made a promise to a vampire but failed to fulfill it? He wanted to ask Millie.
That creature cursed him, and rightly so. Vampire or not, what he did was unacceptable. He made a promise but his misplaced passion got the better of him. That night, he wasn't just rejected by a man he was crushing on for a long time. He was cursed too.
He never experienced a steady, fulfilling relationship.
If only he could turn back time, he'd rather skip that summer camping trip in the mountains with his college friends. Then he wouldn't have met that vampire. He wouldn't have confessed his feelings.
So how can he let go of something ingrained in his brain for nine years?
The thought of it made him anxious.
He enjoyed reading fiction romance because it filled the void in his heart. But based on his previous experiences, romance is superficial. And love is like an unreachable summit.
He murmured, "Damn."
It's that time of the year again when he should be hiking in that mountain. It's a summer pilgrimage, an excursion he has done for the past four years, following the advice of a shaman regarding his bad luck.
He furrowed his brows. He'd be seeing that shaman again. He better not tell that to his friend. Otherwise, he'd get an earful, like she did four years ago. And that almost broke their friendship.
"Hey, Mr. Romance Editor! Why the glum face?"
"It's nothing. Well, just thinking about summer, that's all."
"Oooh!?"
"What?"
"Are you sure you're not thinking of going to a shaman for a consultation?"
"Jeez! I stopped four years ago…"
"Good," she said, "Our trip to the shaman is still giving me the creeps when I think about it…" she said as if squirming. She extended her arms for him to check. "See? Goosebumps!"
"I'm sorry about that…"
His eyes started to get watery. He was dumb and selfish by involving his friend on his trip to that shaman. That time, he and Millie thought they'd die.
"Hey! Stop that. I'm gonna kick your leg if you go crybaby on me!"
The liquor must have gotten into him. Earlier, at the urging of his friend, they sampled some liquor at the bar before they settled in this table. He gets emotional when he's drunk. He nodded and poured champagne into his glass. He'll drown his sorrows with this expensive drink.
"We've made up. Past is past, okay?" She winked at him. "I'm just angry that after what we went through, that curse wasn't lifted, hah!"
She drank the red wine with unabashed gusto like a habitue at the pop-up bar.
"Hey, go easy on the wine—"
"Ugh! I'm still pissed off at that old perverted hag—"
Suddenly, someone came to their table.
"This table is giving me the chills," the newcomer said. "Are we in a wedding reception or a what?"
Sebastian and Millie turned around to face the newcomer. They were surprised and delighted. They both exclaimed "Lucy!"
They hugged each other, warmly, tightly like they'd been reunited having been separated for eons. Lucy kissed each of them on the cheeks. "So how's my high school besties doin'?"
Sebastian said "Nothing much", while Millie elaborated with a sighful "Same old, same old…"
"I mean, in the romance department, that is…"
Sebastian and Millie just sighed and shook their heads.
"We're on the same boat, my friends. Who knew weddings could be this stressful on my lonely heart?" Lucy laughed. "I cannot believe it," she said as she sat beside Sebastian. She looked at the newlywed's entertaining photos with guests. "Our Grinch just got hitched. Meanwhile, look at us—"
The three of them let out an exasperated sigh.
"Anyway, let's enjoy the luxury wedding," Lucy said while eyeing the couple. After savoring the champagne, she commented, "Trust me, there's more to it than meets the eye…"
Sebastian and Millie eyed Lucy a quizzical, wary look.
Lucy grinned mischievously, warming up before spilling the tea.
Millie urged Lucy to go on. Meanwhile, Sebastian's attention shifted to the flavorful brie and prosciutto shortbread—as if it was a popcorn alternative he could gobble up while listening to his friend ramble on.
Lucy smiled wryly, "Wanna hear something juicy to wash it down?"
Sebastian chided on them, "Good, Lord! How can we be so low—"
"Just to be clear, I'm not after our bride. It's the groom—"
Sebastian and Millie exclaimed in tandem, "Ohhh!"
"In fact, I'd say kudos to the bride for playing her cards well. Who would have thought that elitist politician had met his match? As a gossipy taxpayer, I raise the glass to our one hell of a bride!"
Sebastian and Millie exchanged confused glances.
Lucy is a professional gossip. She writes the entertainment section of the lifestyle online magazine and hosts a viral podcast about celebrity goings-on and political commentary. When they wanted an update on the latest events, she was the one person who could give them a juicy rundown.
"Anyway, Henry is coming. What better way to show off how she had gotten over her unrequited love for him? I saw him at the opening of the movie he directed. He's gorgeous as always. No wonder he was the campus crush back then! So Sebastian, darling…" she grinned at him, "Will your gay heart be okay?"
Millie squeezed Lucy's hand causing the latter to let out a muffled cry of pain.
Millie told her off, "You should work on your segue, b*tch…"
Lucy mouthed 'sorry' to Sebastian. She faced Millie and said, "Girl, your death grip is unreal!"
Meanwhile, Sebastian closed his eyes, pinched his temple, and mumbled, "Lucy, dear… How can you be so cruel."