Closing Time: 11 PM

4. Like One of Those Nights

You don't know about me

But I bet you want to

Everything will be alright

We'll just keep dancing like we're...

-22, Taylor Swift

#

Chad immediately took his coffee and went to their table.

"Can I join you guys?" he asked them. The others were obviously wondering why he chose to sit with them when someone surely looked more gorgeous than the three. The two ladies were suppressing their giggles.

"Sure!" Bettina and Eliza answered in chorus.

"No!" Kara said, her tone slightly higher than the two. Her two friends glared at her.

A stare that meant murder.

"I mean... A-Are you sure you want to join us? They're noisy, very noisy... Super noisy, mind you... And you might prefer to be alone."

"I'm okay with noise. I live in a very quiet place. Some noise once in a while does not bother me," he flashed a melting smile. "By the way, let me introduce myself. I'm Chad."

Bettina accepted his handshake right away. "Bettina. Bettina Castro. Single."

Chad laughed.

"Hi, I'm Eliza Manlapaz," she also introduced herself.

"Nice meeting you ladies," he told them and looked at her. "And you are?"

Kara swallowed. Telling her name is like saying that she has been proven guilty in the middle of a court trial.

"She's Kara. Kara Benavidez. She's our friend," Bettina answered for her. She felt like she wanted to kill her friend at that point.

"Hi Kara," he said and fired his deadly weapon - his smile - which showed his dimples.

"It seems that they know you. Do you often go here?" Bettina asked. Kara is having a hint as to where they would spend a lot of time in the next days to come.

"Sort of. Before, yes. Daily. But I just came back and I am only having a vacation so... There."

"Vacation? Why? Where are you from?"

"I am from New Jersey originally then I moved here. I attended college here then I moved back to Texas," he explained.

"Oh really? Until when would you be staying here?"

"I don't know. Until I can maybe," he laughed. "So what do you guys do?"

"I work for a bank. The three of us are high school best friends. Bettina works as a professional make up artist. Then Kara works as a high school teacher," Eliza explained.

"What do you teach Kara?"

She remained silent.

"I'm sorry, my friend's mute or maybe learned to be mute recently," Bettina apologized and pinched her. "She teaches Biochemistry."

"Wow, brainy," Chad smiled.

"Yeah, she is. But she is as stupid when it comes to love and romance," Bettina answered. It took Chad's attention.

"Why?"

Her two friends started narrating her story to the man they just met. She was so irritated and ashamed of what they were doing. They were talking about HER.

"Would you mind sparing me some pride?" she demanded. "You guys are sharing with him MY life!"

"It's okay. I find their stories amusing. I didn't realize that you're really entertaining. You looked weird the first time I saw you."