13 ALICIA

Rage, anger, the urge to murder him – yes, that's what I felt when I heard all of Elijah's nonsense. How could I have a baby and leave it to him? Hell no! Despite his desire to marry me and have a child, he had the audacity to ask Monica out on a date.

God, he's an idiot!

But it was your decision to push him away, that voice inside my head said.

My phone starts ringing in the pocket of my apron, and without the manager noticing, I move away from the diners and answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, dear Alicia!" exclaims the voice on the other end. "It's Mike Scott."

"Wow, how did you get my number?"

"Walters," he responds. "You have the night off tonight, right?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm throwing a party at the club, and since I really like you, I want you to come. Plus, we have some unfinished business, don't we?"

I had completely forgotten about the money from the bet!

"Yeah, I haven't forgotten," I lie. "But wouldn't it be better if we met somewhere else to talk calmly?"

"Darling, after the party, I'm planning to go on vacation to Mykonos. It has to be tonight, so don't miss it. And you can bring some friends too; I'll put you on the guest list."

"Alright, I'll see you there," I hang up the call and my gaze goes straight to the table where Elijah, Harold, and Monica are chatting like old friends.

I roll my eyes and continue attending tables, especially the one where Arthur, the guy I went out with a few weeks ago, is sitting. He's cute, affectionate, has a good sense of humor, and doesn't flirt with other women in front of me.

"Beautiful," Arthur calls me over with his characteristic smile and friendliness. I approach him in the same way.

"Do you know what you'd like to order?" I ask, pulling out my order pad.

"Yes," he nods. "I'd like to schedule another date with you."

I suppress the urge to jump on him and nod my head. Then I think that it would be the right thing to bring Arthur to Mike's party.

A mischievous smile crosses my face as I imagine the look of anger on Elijah's face when he sees me entering with Arthur.

"That sounds great!" I respond excitedly. "Hey, I have a friend who invited me to a party tonight. Would you like to go with me?"

"I'm not much of a party person, but for you, I'd do anything."

"You're so sweet," I reach out and gently touch Arthur's cheek.

And right at that moment, I hear something crash to the floor. The entire restaurant falls into complete silence. I look in the direction of the accident, and my eyes widen so much they're about to pop out of their sockets.

Elijah is looking in our direction with a red and angry face. His hands grip the table, clearly holding back the urge to get up and head our way. Harold is talking to him, but it's clear he's tuning him out. He can't seem to take his eyes off my hand on Arthur's cheek.

I watch as Monica rushes over with a broom and a dustpan to clean up the mess that Elijah caused due to his jealousy.

I remove my hand from Arthur's cheek and look in another direction to avoid having to endure Elijah's childish behavior.

"Sir," I hear the manager's voice. "You'll have to pay for the glass."

"I can buy you the whole set if you want," he responds curtly.

And I have no doubt about that. In the weeks I've known him, I know he could buy the entire restaurant if he wanted.

"So?" Arthur stops looking at Elijah and turns to me with his beautiful smile. "What time should I pick you up?"

"9:00 PM?"

"I'll be there," he winks.

"Are you seriously not going to order anything to eat?"

"Actually, yes, but I got lost in your gaze and ended up asking for another date." We both chuckle softly.

"Sir, you need to wait for your change!"

I roll my eyes upon hearing the manager's shout. I look again in Elijah's direction, and our eyes meet. Arthur is seated near the exit, so of course we're going to see each other. Elijah shoots me his best look of hatred and storms out of the restaurant, leaving the other diners somewhat uncomfortable.

...

I touch up my makeup while waiting for Arthur to arrive. Tonight, I've decided it's going to be the best night in a long time. So, I dip into my savings and buy a beautiful black dress with a deep back neckline, revealing my fair skin. My hair is completely straight on either side of my face. I've gone for bold makeup, with black eyeshadow on my eyelids and a red lipstick. The heels I'm wearing match the color of the dress and are pencil-thin.

I smile at myself in the mirror, knowing perfectly well that I look like a woman ready to put everything on the line.

The doorbell rings, and I hurry to open the door. Arthur is standing there, his beautiful smile transforming into an expression of surprise when he sees me.

"Wow," he's the first to speak. "God, Alicia, I'm going to have to fight off all the guys who come near you!"

I chuckle shyly and step out of the house.

"No need for that, because I'm only going to be with you," despite the heels, Arthur is still taller than me. "But I do want to warn you."

"Go ahead."

"This friend of mine is a bit... explosive and extroverted, so don't be surprised by his behavior."

"Relax, I totally understand," he reassures me. "Now, let's go." He offers me his arm, and I take it as we head towards his car.

Throughout the ride to GOTIC, we laugh and enjoy the songs playing on the radio. Tonight, I discovered that Arthur is a big Taylor Swift fan.

'Cause karma is my boyfriend

Karma is a god

Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend

Karma's a relaxing thought

Aren't you envious that for you it's not?

Sweet like honey, karma is a cat

Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me

Flexing like a goddamn acrobat

Me and karma vibe like that

We sing along to the song, enjoying the start of the evening. Although deep down, I know that Elijah Morgan is going to make a big scene when he sees me arrive with Arthur, just like he did at the restaurant.

Soon, we arrive at the club and park a little further away. As we step out, I notice a lot of stares.

"I told you they'd be looking at you like a piece of meat," Arthur puts his arm around my shoulders protectively.

"I don't care if they look or not, I'm only with you, anyway," I remind him affectionately.

"Has anyone ever told you how seductive you are?" For the first time, Arthur looks at me with desire.

"I think I've heard that before," I pretend to be coy.

"Well, you are. It's like you have a little bell on top of your head that's constantly ringing, attracting attention from everyone."

"It doesn't matter," I shrug. "They can look, but they can't touch."

I finish talking just as we stop at the entrance.

"Hey, Ali!" Agusto, a tall, muscular man with dark skin, greets me cheerfully.

"Hey, Agus, my friend!" I hug him. "I want you to meet my friend Arthur."

"Pleasure to meet you, young man," his expression of warmth changes to one of terror, then back to warmth as he looks at me again. "I saw your name on Mike's list."

"That's right, making the most of my night off."

"Go ahead," he steps aside to let me pass. "And you, young man, take good care of her, or I'll come after you and split your skinny body into two." Agusto warns.

"Relax, big guy, he's harmless, unlike your boss who always seems to have a thorn in his side," I tease. The guard laughs.

Arthur and I move on.

"I didn't know you worked here too," Arthur says as we walk down a long corridor.

"I need to keep supplying my father's medications."

"Well, all the more reason for us to have fun tonight."

"Yes!" I celebrate as the music fills my ears.

And what I see surprises me. Tonight, the club looks completely different – it's like we're in The Great Gatsby. Among the crowd, I can spot some influential people – actors, singers, and athletes.

"My beautiful Alicia!"

Among the people, I catch sight of the most eccentric man I've ever known. Mike Scott is dressed just like Mr. Gatsby. Mike grabs my face and plants a kiss on my cheek.

"You look radiant," he says, pulling away before looking at Arthur. "Who's he?" He sizes Arthur up and down with curiosity.

"He's Arthur, and he's my date tonight."

"Date?" He looks at me puzzled, then over my shoulder. He rolls his eyes, pinches the bridge of his nose, and says, "I get it."

I turn around, and down the hallway, I see Elijah walking with Monica, hand in hand. I bite the inside of my cheek to contain myself

, but then remember that I'm with Arthur. So, I move closer to him, seeking his embrace.

If Elijah wants a war, well, he's going to get one.