Guest UnfortuNATE

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Call

"Babe, you've got a call," Diamond said as she handed Ace her phone.
"Unknown number," Ace frowned as she looked upon her screen displaying a number she ain't familiar with.
"Just answer it already. This had been the fourth time they had been calling you. Maybe it's an emergency or something important."
"Why didn't you answered it, then?"
The two just shrugged as she finally pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
"Hey there, Heart." A man's voice boomed on the other line.
Ace furrowed her brows as she tapped on the loud speaker for her friends to hear.
"May I know who is this, please?"
"Ouch, I take offense. You seemed to have forgotten about me already." A pause. "I can't blame you though, it has been what? A couple of years since we last talked to each other," he replied with a light laugh. "This is Nate."
The girls all turned to look at Heart grinning annoyingly that made her face flush red.
"Oh, Nate. Sorry but this ain't Heart. You've got the wrong number, I think."
"Oh." A hint of surprise and disappointment trailed off Nate's voice and they can't help but stifle their laughters.
"This is Ace."
A hearty laugh was let out on the other end of the line following a loud sigh of relief.
"Well, thank goodness it's you and not somebody else. I might have to smack Riley for giving me yours when I asked for Heart's number."
It's the girls turn to laugh as Heart only blushed even redder with the revelation.
"No worries there, mate. Anyway, you want to talk to Heart? She's right here-..."
Heart snatched the phone away from Ace before she could say something even more embarrassing knowing how playful her friends could get that made them laugh even harder.
"Hi Nate, how have you been?"
"Never been better, thank you. Sorry about that." She can hear Nate sheepishly smiling through the phone and she couldn't help but chuckle.
Whipped. Spade mouthed at her, rolling her eyes to which she could only glare back.
"Nah, it's all goods. Just like you said its a good thing that it's Ace and not somebody else."
Nate laughed once again.
"And how have you girls been? The last thing I've heard of you was that you finally move in to your dream house just a month ago."
"Yeah, that. We've all been doing great."
"That's good to hear."
"How about you? We haven't really heard anything about you since two years ago when we bumped at you at the airport. How was London?"
"Living there had been great but you know, as the saying goes, there's no place like home so I came back. Actually, I just arrived yesterday."
"Oh, I see. For good?" Heart asked.
"I am still thinking about it. Maybe. Yeah, it depends. But, I'm on vacation for three months. I'll come up on a decision until then."
"Yeah, decisions like that really need to be thought over and articulately."
Nate hummed in response and seem to be contemplating with what to say next.
"I was wondering if I could pay you girls a quick visit. That is, if it's okay with you?"
Heart turned to look at her friends who are quick to nod their heads in agreement, rather excited and she can't help but glare at them again when she saw their knowing looks that she came to hate.
"They'd love it."
Diamond gave a sickening whoop at her reply and she's itching to just smack her friend's head with the phone she's holding but she held back when she realized it's not her own. It's Ace's phone, she reminded herself.
"Just don't forget our pasalubong." She teased Nate instead.
"Of course, can I have your address then?"
Heart gave him the address to their private villa and after a few more small talks, they ended the call.
And now, she had to face the teasing of her annoying friends.
It was no secret to them that she had a crush on him during their college years but she never had the chance to tell him about it. She had been contented admiring him from afar and they just let her be.
"Guys, shut up. I moved on from him already."
"Really? Ha, think we don't know you enough, Heart, eh?" Diamond tilted her head and threw her a nasty grin.
"Don't you dare fucking breath a word about it." She warned them through gritted teeth to which Spade only snickered.
"Maybe you really are meant to be! Imagine this, after all those years and then fate suddenly crossing your paths again?" Spade shrieked rather excitedly.
"Well, yeah. We can't deny that you both look good together, too!" Diamond chimed in.
"Shut up!"
"Yiee, how red could you get, tomato-face?" Spade laughed when Heart turned even more beet-red with the nonstop teasing.
"Ace will finally get to become a bridesmaid soon," Diamond turned at the other whom she noticed got quiet all of a sudden.
"Just don't get your hopes up high though, darling. You might end up breaking your heart."
Ace's remark caught them by surprise but that ended the teasing.
"Well, yeah. We don't know much about him anymore. Two years could change him a lot from the old Nate we used to know." Spade agreed a little while later, the excitement in her voice gradually died down.
"He might be married or you know, have someone special already." Diamond chimed in, looking at Heart sadly.
"Look, I'm so sorry I obviously burst your bubbles but, I'm just being-..." Ace give them an apologetic smile but Heart was quick to reassure her. "You're right, Ace. Like you've always been. No worries." Heart now clings to her and tried to hide the disappointment in her face.
To be honest, she was a bit hurt but she knew that her friends are right. She knew they were just being protective over her because in the group, she was the one who tends to get her heart broken the most. Her friends, especially Ace was rather disapproving of her romantic ventures because most of the time, she just lets herself be carried by her emotions. The curse that her name brings upon her. Heart. The one who tends to follow her heart more than her mind. Good thing she has her friends to always keep her in check to which she is thankful for.
But what bothered her was Ace's reaction and sudden shift in mood when she took the phone from her. It seemed like Nate had said something that she was only able to hear before ending the call. Ace stiffened, her smile changed to shock then quickly masking it off with another smile to hide it from them but not quick enough that Heart took the time to notice.
"I'll go feed Cheska," Ace announced walking to where her dog is before Heart could have had the chance to inquire about it.
"Oh wait, when was he supposed to come though?" Diamond asked Heart who shook her head at the question, realizing she didn't really asked him about it. Just then, Ace's phone vibrated.
"Heart, was that my phone? Can you check it for me, please?" Ace called out from the kitchen, busy preparing her dog's food to which the other girl obliged.
"It's from Nate. It says here that he's planning to come right away, maybe later this evening."
"Oh okay. Well then, you be the one to reply him."
"What will I say?"
"Oh dear, don't ask me. I don't know either." Ace's head popped from the kitchen, sending her a knowing smile to which the others found amusing, making them laugh.
Heart rolled her eyes playfully before sending a "take care, see you" reply.
"I think we've got enough time to prepare a dinner for a guest." Diamond said, standing up and going inside, the others following suit.

The evening came and all was set. They are just waiting for the guest to arrive.
Heart kept on checking her watch, brows furrowed, sighing in frustration.
"What time did he said he's coming again?" Spade asked.
"He said we'll expect him around 1900H."
"And now, it's already half past 2100H." Diamond can't hide her annoyance as she glance at her phone.
"Where could he be? Was he lost? He's not replying to my messages and he's not even picking up his phone when I tried calling him." Heart was now growing worried ang agitated, checking Ace's phone that displayed their conversation 8 hours ago.
"I'm already hungry and feeling quite sleepy," Spade pouts and as if in cue, her stomach grumbled followed by a yawn.
"Something just doesn't feel right, come now, let's eat then go to bed. We've waited long enough."
Ace walked away from the door where she had stood for the last five minutes, watching nothing but the night sky growing darker.
The others felt a chill run down their spine as strong rains suddenly poured so they quickly followed her to the dining room.