Beer, Spaghetti, and Pharmaceuticals ||COMPLETED||

Sixteen

HEY GUYS ANOTHER CHAPTER FINALLY! Please let me know if you notice any typos. :)

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"Alice, it was amazing," Blaise said as he poured himself a cup of the hot coffee that faintly smelled of mildew. The bright fluorescent lighting of the office's small breakroom washed out his tanned skin as he stirred a spoonful of sugar into the coffee, but it didn't take away from the dreamy smile that was plastered on his face.

Alice leaned against the shaky round table and rolled her eyes for what felt like the millionth time since meeting up with Blaise that morning. "Yeah, I heard. You've mentioned it a couple dozen times in the past three days."

"Really, though," he started, "I don't think you have fully grasped how amazing it was. Have you ever hooked up with a yoga instructor?"

"Nope. Can't say I have," she said flatly as she blew on her own piping hot coffee.

"Well, let me tell you," he said. "Her legs could go everywhere. I didn't think human bodies could bend like th – "

"Blaise, shut up," she groaned and threw her head back, not wanting to hear any more details about her two friends in the bedroom. "Do you get this annoying every time you sleep with a new girl?"

"No, never!" he said. "Flexibility aside, we had a bloody connection, I'm telling you. Even if she says that she's never going to speak to me again, she fuckin' loves me. I can tell."

"Is that so?"

"Yep," he said, puffing his chest out. "Mark my word: one day Emily and I are going to date. We are going to date harder than...I don't know...Mr. and Mrs. Santa Clause."

"Wow. That is officially the weirdest relationship goal I have ever heard."

"You know what I mean, though," he said. "Like, we are destined to be together forever like Mr. and Mrs. Clause."

"As much as I love your confidence," she said, "I wouldn't get your hopes up too much. She seemed pretty adamant about avoiding you for eternity."

"Meh. One of these days she's going to come marching into your house while I'm there, and you'll see, fireworks are going to fly," he said. He leaned against the counter across from Alice and tightened his lips, his cocky swagger diminishing for a moment. "But...for all intents and purposes, seeing as you are her best friend...do you think I have the slightest shot with her?"

Alice sighed and tutted her tongue slowly as she watched Blaise subtly grip the edge of the countertops, fearfully anticipating the response. If there was one thing Alice had learned from this ordeal, it was that she hated being the middle-man between Blaise and Emily. Blaise was so happy and sure of himself – she didn't want to be the bad guy to crush his hopeful thinking.

The memory of Emily's sad eyes as she opened up about her insecurities flashed before Alice's mind and she let out one more deep breath. "You really want to know what I think?"

"Absolutely," Blaise said, his eyes widening eagerly.

"You're positive?"

"Yes!"

"Fine," she said and gloomily shook her head, staring at Blaise's converse sneakers. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his and a small grin pulled at the corners of her lips. "Yes. I think you have a shot. Don't ask me how the hell you're going to get there...but yeah. There's a chance."

Blaise's eyes illuminated and he threw his fists in the air, mimicking a football player who scored a touchdown. It was impossible to deny that his enthusiasm was contagious. Even if it was barely nine in the morning, Alice was beginning to feel energized. She was ready to start the day with no distractions.