While the Sun Shines

12.

Thankfully, Lara didn't give Nick shit or even meaningful glances for being on the balcony alone with Alex—he'd already half steeled himself for it when he and Alex went back into the living room. But Lara had found something, or rather, someone, else to occupy herself with. 

For a woman who claimed she didn't want to spend the night 'just being hit on all the time', she sure was doing an awful lot of it herself with Carson. Lara and Carson were laughing together about literally nothing when they all put their coats and shoes on in the hallway. 

"Should we say bye to Blake, or ask him one last time if he wants to come?" Mia asked. 

Nick darted a glance at Blake's closed bedroom door. "No, just leave him alone. He's studying," Nick replied. 

Blake must've heard them talk in the hallway, but there was no response. The door stayed shut while Nick walked to the front door and stepped outside. All the way downstairs, Carson was teasing Lara by playfully trying to ruffle her hair to mess up the braids Lara claimed she'd spend ages on. It wasn't like she was really mad—she kept giggling. 

Nick and Alex made eye contact for a brief moment while they followed the two lovebirds down, and Alex shook his head with a grin as if saying 'they always do this.' 

Once upon a time, actually earlier that very same day, Nick had hoped to be alone with Lara and make her like him. Carson swooping in should've ruined his good mood, but it didn't tonight. 

When Lara started inviting other people, Nick had already given up on getting anywhere with her because her behaviour reminded him of his ex. He wasn't about to spend yet another night running after a girl and trying to get their attention while she wasn't into him. Lara wouldn't be another Emma. Not tonight. 

It was clearly the right call; Carson spent the entire way to the inner city tugging on Lara's proverbial pigtails while Lara giggled and pretended she found it annoying. Nick just walked with Alex and Mia, who were both friendly enough to casually chat with about school and games. Nick learned Mia and Alex both studied something in law. Mia went abroad for a semester to boost her resume, and Alex went for fun. Nick dodged around questions about his reasons for being here by staying vague, and thankfully, they arrived at the Ace of Spades before anyone could ask more. 

The Ace of Spades wasn't really a club, at least, not one with a dance floor visible when stepping inside. It looked more like a cozy living room with warm, red, and brown colors and a logo, obviously an ace, painted on the wall. It was the kind of place where you sat, drank beer, and played games. True to its name, there were piles of board games stored on wooden shelves attached to the wall, including many stacks of cards. In the back, Nick saw old arcade machines, and an unoccupied pool table stood left from the bar. 

"Oh my god, pacman!" Lara called out enthusiastically the moment she set foot inside the club. "Carson, we have to try!" 

Promptly, Lara ran off to the back and Carson followed right behind her, laughing. 

Alex snorted. "A table for three it is," he said. "It feels wrong to not play at least one game of cards while in the 'Ace of Spades.' Want to play? I think we're allowed to just grab any game we want to play from the shelves." 

Nick shrugged. "Sure," he said. 

Mia walked over to the shelves and grabbed one of the many sets of cards. When she set it down on their table and took a seat, Alex immediately took the cards out of their box. He then started shuffling them the same way professionals at a casino did. 

Alex grinned when he saw Nick and Mia watching him."Just so you know: I worked at a casino for three years and I know everything there is to know about card games," he said. "Prepare to lose."

"But what are we actually playing?" Mia asked. "We haven't even decided yet." 

"Rummy," Nick promptly replied. He'd spent an embarrassing amount of time playing Rummy with his grandmother, grandfather, and other old timers in their nursing home. It'd surprise people how sharp eighty-year-olds could suddenly be when it came to their card games.

Alex tilted his head back and smiled, exuding confidence. "Doesn't matter which game, I'll beat you all." 

Nick smiled back. "We'll see." 

"Uh, I'll just watch for the first round because I've never played this game before, okay?" Mia asked. 

"Sure, no problem, we'll play a round and explain it all," Alex promised without taking his eyes off of Nick. "But just because it's a practice round doesn't mean we can't make it interesting. What are we betting for?" 

"A beer?" Nick suggested. 

"You're on." Alex extended his hand to Nick over the table, and Nick shook it solemnly. 

As promised, Alex explained every step of the game to Mia, who nodded along politely, but didn't seem that interested in the old-fashioned card games like Rummy. Nick had ample experience with seeing women's eyes glaze over and knew she wasn't going to play next round either. 

But Nick forgot all about Mia and her not seeming to have fun the moment he won the first round. 

"Hah!" Nick called out triumphantly as he laid down his last cards and held up his empty hands. 

"That's not fair, I was distracted because I had to explain the rules," Alex protested, all but puffing up his cheeks in indigence. "I demand a rematch." 

Beating people who couldn't handle losing was even more fun, so Nick happily agreed. "Sure, I'll beat you again," he teased. "After you get me that beer." 

Alex grumbled something under his breath as he got up, but Nick caught a flash of a smile before he turned to walk to the bar. 

"I... think I'm going to check what Lara and Carson are doing, okay?" Mia said, also getting up. "This game isn't really my thing." 

"Alright, have fun," Nick replied, waving her off. 

Wow. If third-wheeling for Lara and Carson sounded more appealing to Mia than sitting at the table and playing Rummy, then she had to really hate card games that didn't involve explosions and cute kittens. Nick would've happily played a different game with her and Alex after the rematch, but it was too late for that now. 

A few moment later Alex returned to the table carrying three beers. "Hey, where did Mia go?" he asked as he sat down and slid one of the beers in Nick's direction across the table. 

"Said she wanted to check out what Lara and Carson were doing," Nick said with a shrug. 

Alex grimaced. "They're doing nothing they want Mia around for, trust me," he said. "She really hated Rummy that much, huh?" 

"Guess so," Nick said. "She'd rather third-wheel than play a single round of Rummy." 

Alex took a sip of his beer. "Right. Then again, she'd be kind of third-wheeling here as well." 

"What do you mean?" Nick blurted, feeling his face grow hot.

Alex raised a surprised brow at Nick's startled reaction. "Playing Rummy with two people who both have a lot of experience while you've never played before is also kind of third-wheeling? Why? What were you thinking about?" 

"I just..." Nick stammered, while a slow smile spread on Alex' features as he watched Nick struggle. 

Nick cleared his throat. "I was just thinking about how the third beer is for the person who wins the next round," he lamely said, about five seconds too late to have any semblance of credibility left. 

"Sure, Nick." Alex replied, a smile still lingering on his lips. "The beer is for the person who wins the second round. Yup. I totally believe you were thinking that." 

Nick's face felt so hot it must've turned purple at this point. Fuck his life, seriously. How did he manage to keep creating strange tensions? Because honestly, he couldn't blame the balcony or this on Alex. Nick just hid behind his beer glass, drinking continuously while Alex dealt the cards for another round.