Present
"What's so funny?" Arthur threw his questioning gaze.
"Nothing is, then everything is," the answer didn't make any sense but Joshua kept it that way. He loved to talk in riddles.
"Not in the mood today," Arthur's warning gaze bore into Joshua.
"I mean it's not funny in an amusing way, but more like… I don't know… sarcastic way?"
"Don't talk in riddles," Arthur warned.
Joshua sighed audibly. "I haven't seen any man let alone a woman ignoring you like that."
Arthur almost rolled his eyes. "First time?"
"For me? No, of course. I can't effort the ignorance of my darling," Joshua leaned beside him where Rebecca was sitting.
"Sometimes I don't understand what or who you guys talk about. And guess what? I don't think it's worth understanding anyway," Rebecca butted her opinion although no one asked.
"Beck, darling, why bother understanding men's language? It's just filled with pensive sorrow and grief," Joshua's tone took a dramatic turn as his eyes flew from Arthur who was sitting opposite of him to towards the door. Alexis was standing there.
"What an unexpected crowd," Alexis was a bit taken aback, seeing Rebecca and Joshua chilling with Arthur just after the wedding ceremony.
"It's not unexpected, you just seem to miss out on fun just to fill up your silly little travel journal," Joshua replied, as if he was some best buddy of hers. So casual that it was almost rude. But something about him didn't make it feel rude.
"Ah, Josh! You just saw her once or twice and acting all shameless already?....just ignore him Alexis, you will get used to it," Rebecca pinched on Josh's back as she scooted a little to make space on the sofa for her.
Alexis couldn't help but look towards the sofa opposite of them which occupied none other than Arthur Davenport. She stepped forward and decided to sit on an empty sofa beside that man, as if it was the most natural action of hers.
"So? What's going on?" She finally started, glancing back to forth on three of them as Arthur's eyes fixated on her for that second, then returning to elsewhere.
"I don't know, really! Just heard some girl ignoring Arhur and all," Rebecca rolled her eyes again.
"Huh?" Alexis couldn't stop herself from feeling surprised as she could definitely guess who they were talking about. If what she was thinking was right then, Rebecca shouldn't need to know further about it, does she?
"Uh, let's talk about that later. How do you know Arthur, Rebecca?" Alexis played a clever move; at least that's what she thought; and tried to drift the topic elsewhere. She winked at Arthur in between as if signaling 'I got you there'.
"Oh, I didn't even get to introduce you to him. Look at me? So forgetful! I assumed you already knew each other when I saw you two chatting in the bar today…"
"She does."
Suddenly a new voice emerged from the door as all four pairs of eyes found the owner of the voice.
"Am I wrong, Alex? Isn't he your plus one?" Stefan spoke out.
Arthur's eyes shifted instantly towards Alexis after seeing who was the owner of the voice. Alexis seemed normal, a bit too normal in fact.
"Sure, I don't change partners that often now, do I? Be it an event partner or life partner," Alexis relaxed her stiff back on the sofa, almost vanishing inside the comfort. Her back was hurting, keeping it straight and proud from all the staring the man standing before her has offered her today.
It felt as if the temperature dropped a few degrees as Alexis's reply was quite unexpected. At least Rebecca never saw her best friend sizzle her brother in spices with words. Good job, Alexis.
"Hey, come on, Stef. That's how you talk when you meet my best friend after all this time," Rebecca nudged her brother, almost succeeding to sound playful. But there was a clear warning in her eyes.
"I didn't mean it that way, Alex. Hope you're having fun after coming back," Alexis almost felt she could hear Stefan's jaw clench.
"It's fine, I was joking anyway," Alexis smiled a little.
"There's an after-party today. You don't wanna miss this out, Alex. And take your plus one with you, please. You might need him for real this time," Joshua went on with his usual gummy tone as all of them excused themselves from the room.
Arthur's eyes didn't leave Alexis the whole time when she was interacting with Stefan just now. Alexis could feel the gaze, although it didn't feel uncomfortable. "Hey, Arthur. I'm so sorry that I wasn't able to finish my conversation with you at the bar. Rebecca needed just then and I had to leave the bar like that. And just now it was just a joke, about the plus one thing you know."
Arthur looked directly at her eyes. Somehow he didn't know she was saying sorry for something he wanted himself. He wasn't the perfect person for chitchat and she wasn't the type to stop talking that easily. Silence fell between them.
"I don't mind," suddenly Arthur replied.
"Huh? What do you not mind?" She was a bit taken aback.
"Whatever you said, being your plus one," Arthur would have never an unfinished sentence if it was his usual self. He hated explaining all over after all. But somehow he felt like explaining it to her. "We can continue our conversation that way," he added.
"Woah, what?"