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   The ambiance was festive. The coolness of the breeze clashed with the heat rising under my skin with every sip of wine I savored. Alek and Sephora were now having one of those playful arguments which is exactly what I'd expect their foreplay to look like.  Alek recently asked her to move in with him but she refused and never gave him a reason. He's convinced that she wants him to work for it, an allegation that Sephora strongly denies, "I don't do that!" she laughed, trying to convince a determined Alek who looked anything but.

"You live in a bungalow."

"And what's wrong with that? There's nothing wrong with saving money. Some of us weren't born in luxury."

"Yet you always enjoy staying over."

"True, but..."

"But nothing. You're just trying to make me work for it."

I laughed, shaking my head, "If you knew that was her intention, you fell in her trap regardless," I shrugged, leaning back in my chair as he dropped his head in defeat.

   I chuckled at his action and Sephora winked at me. Alek may have been the difficult one at the start of their relationship, but now, Sephora was the one that required convincing about almost anything, even though her mind would be made up from the very beginning. Those qualities make her such a great leader, the kind of person who doesn't need to go out of their way to be a tyrant to be respected. It also makes her one hell of a challenge. Judging by the playfulness in Alek's eyes, it was nothing he couldn't handle.

"What exactly seems to be the problem with the penthouse? You were just gushing about it five minutes ago," Jarred said.

All heads turned in his direction. Alek sat back in relief, "My man to the rescue. He gets it."

Sephora sent him a playful glare, which made Jarred and I laugh, "It's nice in all the ways that a hotel suit is nice. But... I don't know. I never felt "at home" there," she added the air coats for emphasis. 

   Sephora looked at me. I nodded my head slowly, understanding very well where she was coming from. Even with all the money I was currently making, I wouldn't trade a cozy home for one of those huge, white-everything mansions that appeal to the most fortunate. I'm raising a small child, and if Jarred and I were to move in together, there'd be two of those little tornadoes on foot that we'd have to look out for. Modern houses just weren't my style.  I liked colorful walls and intricate wallpaper decorating my house, and the knowledge that my child could accidentally spill something and it wouldn't be a misery to clean up.

   Alek sighed and nodded. The playfulness on Sephora's face vanished for a moment, replaced by pure concern. That was until he looked at her, his gaze soft while his lips were drawn up into an unmistakable smirk, "I guess we have some redecorating to do. That or we could find us a new play to make our own."

Sephora lowered her head, trying desperately to hold back a smile. Alek cocked his head, humming to her questioningly. She nodded her head.

   Touch down! He had her right where he wanted her and she gave in. The puppy eyes she gave him couldn't hide the shimmer in her gaze. This meant a lot to her, but hell would freeze over before she admitted that even to herself. 

"Looks like we found an agreement. We should start as soon as possible, don't you think?" Alek said as he placed an arm around her.

They exchanged a few looks and Sephora's smile widened before she turned toward Jarred and me. "You guys are fine if we leave early?"

I looked between Alek, Sephora, and then Jarred before registering what was going on.

"Oh," I said, raising a suggestive eyebrow. 

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