When (he)arts Prevail

35

The rest of the week had flown by. It was already Friday and Kaylee hadn't yet responded to Alexander about his invite for the next day. Kaylee wasn't sure what she was going to tell him. Part of her wanted to go. She had exchanged a few more texts and calls with Alexander and he seemed interested in her. Every time they talked he almost begged her to show up to his party.

She needed a second opinion, though, and for this Brian wouldn't do. They had been talking as usual but Kaylee hadn't yet had the courage to tell him about Alexander, because she suspected he wouldn't be too happy about it. And she didn't want to hear it and make things messy.

Kaylee headed to Alyssa's shop after work and surprised her friend with a visit. She had been excited, of course. Alyssa heard all about Alexander, and the night at the studio, the invite, and at the end of it, Kaylee waited for the final verdict.

"What about Brian?"

Kaylee's eyebrows knitted together in a frown. "What about him?"

"Won't he be there?"

"Does that matter?"

Alyssa sighed. "If you're interested, I think you should go."

"Will you come with me?"

It took a bit of persuasion, but eventually Alyssa gave in to Kaylee's request and agreed to come with her.

Kaylee was much more relieved to know she would have a back up in case things didn't go as planned. Of course Alexander was over the moon when Kaylee gave him the news and that also made her happy. Maybe this might be good.

Kaylee knew that at some point she had to tell Brian about it. Especially if he showed up there and saw her, knowing she didn't tell him. He was her best friend after all. Whether he approved or not was irrelevant and maybe he didn't even care at all and would be okay with it. Maybe she was just thinking too much into it.

She texted Brian that night, finally asking him if he was going to the Alexander thing and shockingly (not) Brian called immediately after.

"He invited you?!" He sounded confused, alarmed even, like it was the most abhorrent thing ever.

"Uh— yeah. Are you going?"

"When did you give him your number?"

Kaylee ignored Brian's question and insisted again, "Are you going?"

"I wasn't going to, honestly."

"Oh. Why not?"

Brian's sigh was heavy. "I don't like mixing business with pleasure."

"Sounds kinky," Kaylee joked in hopes it would brighten Brian's mood.

He did let out a small chuckle and Kaylee smiled at the tiny victory.

"Will you go?"

"Do you want me to?" he asked back.

Kaylee hesitated for a moment and heard Brian snort a humorless laugh on the other end of the phone. 

"Of course not..."

"Shut up, don't be ridiculous. I want you there," Kaylee said.

"You want a wingman."

"Aly will be my wingman."

"So you don't need me."

Kaylee had no reply to that and Brian sighed again, sounding as if he had put the phone away from his mouth. She started to regret talking to him about this.

"I will scare pretty boy away if I go. You're better off without me," Brian told her after a while.

"It's not about that."

"Come on, Kaylee... seriously?"

She couldn't lie to him. "Maybe it's a little bit."

Brian groaned and Kaylee didn't know what that meant. Was he going or not?

"Well?"

"I don't know... I'll think about it tomorrow."

He sounded deflated and Kaylee felt bad for it. She wasn't sure she was the cause of it, but the mere possibility that she might be was a kick to her spirits.