After Ever After

Chapter Twelve

The Golden Flower

Thursday Afternoon

"What is wrong with women?" asked Aladdin, as Flynn set his second Casablanca beer bottle in front of him. "It's like no matter how much you love them, how much you support them...it's never enough. Never."

"Tell me about it," Eric slurred in agreement. "You love them more than anything and then what do they do? Th-they s-stab you in the back!"

Flynn chuckled at the display in front of him. Aladdin, Eric, Shang, and Naveen had stopped by for a little visit with their favorite bartender and somehow their friendly conversation turned into drunken complaints and whining. (Mostly from Eric and Al, Naveen and Shang were barely tipsy).

"Alright, I'll bite. What's the matter with you two?" Flynn asked, polishing some glasses from behind the counter.

"Jasmine's such a spoiled little brat!" "Ariel thinks I'm an idiot!" Al and Eric yelled at the same time.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, one at a time." Flynn pointed to Al, "You go first."

"Jasmine is going to drive me to drink!" exclaims Al as he finishes the final swig of his beer. "All she does is nag, nag, nag. Day in and day out. I'm sick of it! 'Al you need to do this, Al you need to do that, don't forget to do this, how many times do I have to tell you to do this. Blah, blah, blah.' I wish she'd give it a rest."

"So I guess your plans on proposing to her are on hold?" Naveen asked, swirling his glass of wine around.

"You're going to ask her again?" Eric questioned with a bemused smirk. "This is what? Your third time asking?"

"I know, I know. It's just...I love her man. I love her so much. But if this is what I'm gonna have to deal with, I may not even ask her."

Shang scoffed, popping the top off his second Tsingtao. "That's what you get for dating a girl outside your price range."

"What the hell did you just say?" Al jumped to his feet, too inebriated to make sense of his better judgment.

Shang pulled Al back to his seat. "Calm down. I'm saying, you knew she was bossy from the very beginning, and you also knew she was used to dealing with a certain type of guy. Her behavior shouldn't surprise you."

"Yeah well, that 'certain type of guy' almost killed her!" Al fumed. Just thinking of Jafar made him furious. "I hate it when she compares me to him."

"She compares you to Jafar? In what way?" asked Naveen, highly offended for Aladdin.

"Money. How he had no problem getting her what she needed and whatnot. A bunch of other bullshit too."

"That's not cool Al. Have you talked to her about it?" Flynn said.

"Well if she'd shut her mouth for a second, I might be able to!" Al leaned over onto the counter of the bar. "I don't know what to do anymore man."

"Sounds like it might not be worth asking her to marry you then," stated Shang.

"I hate to admit it, but you might be right," Al muttered.

Naveen reached around and put his hand on Al's shoulder, giving a reassuring squeeze. "Don't say things you don't mean."

Flynn turned his attention to Eric. "Alright, what's your problem?"

"Ariel is trying to cheat on me," Eric answered bitterly, swirling his drink around in his cup.

"Trying? Dude, she either is or she isn't."

"Nothing's happened yet. There's no real clear evidence, but I know it's going to happen."