Just My Cup of Tea

twenty six

'Eric!' I managed to choke out after a long and agonizing moment of silence. All of a sudden, Alexander stiffened beside me as if he were no longer made of flesh and bone but rather clear and cold marble - a stiff and tense statue, held forever captured in the single second for eternity. 

Eric's lip trembled as he stared at my face. He looked good, in his dark blue suit and silver mask that covered a good two-thirds of his face and brought out the heart-wrenching colour of the million seas trapped inside those two orbs that swirled with the fury of a storm. And then his eyes moved away from my face as his gaze swept all over me, taking in every curve and ever edge before they settled back on my face, a look of plain pain hidden nicely behind his mask.

Alexander removed his arm from mine and instead, wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me right up to his side, his rigid form suddenly a lot more intimidating than I remembered. I frowned slightly and looked up at his face, slightly taken aback when I realized that he wasn't even looking at me. His jaw was clenched so hard I was convinced it was going to break. His posture was straight and rigid and his eyes were fixated on my ex-boyfriend with the coldest, hardest eyes I had ever seen on him. It was a wonder how those unmoving, stone eyes managed to throw so much fire. 

Alexander's grip on my waist tightened and he pressed me even closer to him as if that were possible. I looked at Eric again, only to see his eyes too had left my face and he was now glaring at Alexander full on, his fists clenched beside him and his chest puffed out as his eyes brewed up a storm. This was the most awkward situation I could ever recall myself in. After the incident in the school cafeteria but that was for another time when my levels of mortification weren't as high.

I coughed, before clearing my throat loudly. Eric's eyes snapped down to my face and I gave him a hard and stern look that commanded him to behave before I shifted a bit in Alexander's grip in attempts to move forward slightly but he seemed to forbid that completely because he didn't budge at all. Alexander hadn't moved an inch and his eyes were still trained on his prey. 

'Um, hi Eric. Fancy seeing you here.' I let out a nervous laugh, praying for the tension to die down a little at least. 

'It's the biggest ball one the season, Lanna, of course, I'd be here.' his eyes smothered mine and I heard the lowest sound from beside me that sounded almost identical to a growl? Gently elbowing Alexander, hoping he'd snap out of whatever lion-mode he's entered, I smiled back at my ex-boyfriend, trying desperately not to drown in his ocean eyes again. 

'Um, Eric, meet Alexander, my...husband. Alexander, meet Eric, my...old high school friend.' Eric's eyes pierced mine at the title he had been given but he wisely didn't comment on it. Suddenly, to my utter shock, Alexander's grip on my waist loosened slightly and he moved forward, putting out his hand for Eric to shake. 

I watched Eric hesitate for a second too long before moving and taking his hand. Alexander gripped it with a force that was visible even from here but Eric didn't even wince, only stared into his eyes with a clear challenge. It was obvious he didn't want to shake his hand but he couldn't exactly refuse it because one, it was the hand of one of the most powerful men in the world and two, in the social situation we were thrown into, he simply couldn't refuse. 

Alexander shook Eric's hand firmly, both of them clearly sizing up to each other before Alexander released Eric's poor hand and moved back beside me, even closer than we were before. 

'Eric. I've heard so much about you.' Alexander finally said. His voice had its usual professional tone but I could hear the hostility behind it.  I frowned in confusion and glanced at Alexander from the corner of my eye. I had never spoken about Eric in front of him, not even once. I may lack brain cells but I wasn't a complete idiot.