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CH 43: Babe, Honey... or Sweetie Pie?

Richard tsked.

He couldn't tell if his best friend spoke the truth or not. It wouldn't be unlike Ambryan to keep it a secret. He had always done that—especially when it concerned his childhood. Stories that happened outside of the city were off-limits. Not even Avery had shared anything.

It still had him curious after all these years.

"Look, I'm just saying what I know." He snorted, gulping a mouthful of wine.

Ambryan averted his eyes and drank some more. He only took a break only to respond briefly. He refused to let this theory be dragged longer. "She wasn't the only person who had red hair."

'That woman... Mila was it?' He thought, recalling the third woman he met, 'She had tight ginger curls. It was also natural compared to Evangeline's which seemed dyed.'

Richard choked on the wine. He coughed raspily as his throat burned from the sensation. He hadn't expected such a twist—not that he minded. Things became more interesting than he initially expected.

"Oh, really?" Richard smirked. He reached for a tissue. A box of them sat on the kitchen island. He wiped the corners of his mouth. "Then, she must be more special than the other one."

"She's the least troublesome one."

The immediate answer left him speechless. Any hope he had was crushed. Of course, that would be the reason. It surely sounded like his best friend. 'This was going nowhere, wasn't it?' he lamented.

"Coming from you, that's a compliment," Richard snorted, giving up on this interview. He decided to use a different approach. "When do I get to meet her?"

Ambryan refilled his glass. "Why would you need to meet her?"

"Shouldn't I have some input about this girlfriend of yours?" Richard exasperated. His best friend didn't plan to hide her from him, right? What would he say if others asked him about it? They'd expect him to know insider information because of their relationship.

Most of those were just excuses. He really just wanted to meet her.

She'd probably talk more than Ambryan ever would.

"Girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah. What else would you call her?" Richard questioned. A confused look painted over his face. "You did talk about that, right?"

Ambryan titled his head to one side and scowled. "Talk about...?"

"Oy vey...," Richard moaned with a sigh. He bowed his head and ruffled his own hair. The curls became messier than usual. They stuck out in different directions. Looking up, he grumbled out his concern. "What was the lunch discussion about then?"

Granted, he expected Ambryan to be this way. Although, he did expect the woman to lead this relationship. It would be her who would put this subject to light. A large portion of the female species found this a sensitive topic.

They wanted a clear line, not half-baked promises.

It seemed that this woman belonged to the small portion.

"Terms and conditions."

Richard closed his eyes and hung his head. He stayed that way for a moment. A growing headache throbbed at his temples. Now, he really wanted to meet this woman. Either she was meek and mild, letting Ambryan take the lead, or she was like his best friend, uncaring about the details.

Sighing, he brought his chin down and said, "Did you remember to put a label on it?"

Ambryan gave him the same bewildered expression.