A Collection of Odds & Ends

Kærestefolk Pt. 3 (Alex Høgh Andersen)

It was lonely at the bar, by himself, he could sit with the group but Alex was better off on his own nursing his beer. The crowd of familiar faces were gathered around a couple of pushed together tables, eating and drinking to the joyous news. His eyes roamed the faces of his friends and co-workers, gaze landing on her. The smile on her face was the kind that could stop his heart and make everything melt away, except this time it wasn't for him.

Her husband held her hand, keeping her as close as possible and she didn't look to be too bothered, as she usually was. Leaning into him; Alex would catch her whispering in the other man's ear. He watched as a smile broke out onto the husband's face, leaning in to give her a kiss. Across the room, his eyes met Alex's stare, giving the younger man a friendly nod. Alex jutted his chin outward, in a short nod, laughing inside at the irony.

If he only knew the reason for Alex's distance this evening.

Alex watched her leave her husband's side, bee lining it for the bar – for him. A breath caught in Alex's chest, as she approached. Her dress was perfectly cut, fitting as if it had been made just for her. Her stained lips were a lighter shade of red than she usually wore, and her eyes were like Alex had never saw them before. If this were any other night, this is the bit where he'd make an excuse to go home and have her follow.

"Come here often?" She asked carefully sliding onto a stool beside Alex. Her hand resting on his shoulder, Alex quickly shrugged it off.

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world ." Alex tipped his beer bottle in her direction.

Catching the bar tender's attention, she asked for a fizzy water, no ice and preferably warm. A far cry from her usual gin and tonic. Alex wrinkled his nose, afraid of what would happen if he opened his mouth to speak. He wanted to yell and scream at her, at his stupidity, in frustration but this was neither the time nor the place.

"Not feeling in the party mood?" She asked sipping on the warm carbonated drink that the bar tender had been kind enough to get her.

"Not in the mood for a lot." Alex answered dully. "What about you? Did you not want to stay over there and have your moment in the sun?"

"Please," She rolled her eyes and smiled, "I can only take so much attention. You know that."

Alex chewed his bottom lip, pushing his hair out of his eyes. The attention she was used to was certainly of a different variety.

She stole a glance over her shoulder at their group, the people around the table were laughing and chatting, not seeming to notice or care about the absence of the two at the bar. She sat next to Alex, watching him finish his beer and order another with the flip of a hand.

He was mad and rightfully so. Although he had no true right to be upset with her.

"So?"

"Hmm." Alex grunted.

"I...I...was..." She groaned in frustration, not that it went heard over the noise of the pub. Trying to find something to say, to somehow ease this tension, she took the coward's way and turned to her drink.

The noisy pub drowned out the internal screaming that as ragging inside of Alex. How dare she sit here, trying to make nice, when moments ago she had ripped his heart out. His head was down, hair hanging in his face, secretly wishing she would walk away.

They sat like that for a few more minutes, before Alex heard his name. Jerking his head up, he looked around to find Marco strolling toward them. Waving to the large group at the table, Marco smiled and continued over to the bar and his friend.