Chapter 84 The Trouble with Friends
Blake: POV
I hurried up the stairs of The Jade Lounge, my mind still reeling from the encounter with Sophia.
The second-floor hallway was dimly lit with wall sconces casting amber shadows across plush carpeting. Room 207 was at the end—a private lounge reserved for VIPs and those willing to pay the premium.
I knocked once before pushing the door open. The room was exactly what you'd expect from an upscale San Francisco bar—leather couches, modern art on the walls, and a small private bar stocked with top-shelf liquor. Alex was sprawled on one of the couches, scrolling through his phone with a half-empty whiskey glass balanced on his knee.
"Look who finally decided to show up," he said without looking up. "I was about to send a search party."
"Sorry," I said, dropping into the chair across from him. "Got held up downstairs."
Alex finally glanced up, his eyebrows shooting toward his hairline. "Holy shit, you look like you've seen a ghost. What happened? Olivia okay?"
"Olivia's fine," I assured him quickly. "Just ran into someone I wasn't expecting to see."
He leaned forward, suddenly interested. "Who?"
"Sophia."
Alex let out a low whistle. "Who is that?”
"One of my middle school friends," I said.
"Damn." He got up and moved behind the small bar. "You need a drink. What'll it be?"
"Bourbon. Neat."
Alex poured generously from a crystal decanter and slid the glass across to me. "So what happened? "
I took a long swallow, letting the alcohol burn down my throat. "She was... in trouble. Two guys were hassling her in the alley."
"Shit, is she okay?"
I nodded, not wanting to get into the details of Sophia's situation. It wasn't my story to tell. "She'll be fine. I gave her some resources, people who can help."
"Always the white knight," Alex snerred.
Alex then studied me for a moment, then seemed to accept my desire to change the subject. "Well, thanks for finally gracing me with your presence. I've been sitting here drowning my sorrows alone."
"Yeah, about that," I said, leaning back in my chair. "Your text was cryptic as hell. What's going on with Daniel?"
Alex's face darkened as he dropped back onto the couch. "That's what I'm trying to figure out. He's been giving me the cold shoulder for weeks now, ever since Victoria's party."
"The birthday thing where you crashed our dance performance?" I couldn't help the slight smirk. "Real smooth move, by the way."
"Fuck off," Alex muttered, but there was no heat behind it. "We were curious. You get married without telling your best friends, what did you expect?"
"Fair point," I conceded. "So what happened with Daniel?"
Alex ran a hand through his hair, looking genuinely troubled. "I don't know, man. After the party, I was all excited about Victoria. You saw her, right? The way she danced with me? There was definitely something there."
I remembered the way Victoria had singled Alex out, pulling him onto the dance floor. There had been chemistry, no doubt about it. But I'd also noticed Daniel's expression as he watched them—a mixture of hurt and resignation.
"So naturally, I wanted to follow up," Alex continued. "I asked Daniel to help me get her number, maybe put in a good word since they seemed friendly. But he completely shut me down. Said he didn't think Victoria was interested and I should move on."
"And you didn't listen," I guessed.
"Of course not!" Alex exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "I've been dragging him to Moonlight Lounge—Victoria's bar—for weeks, hoping to run into her. And every time, she's super friendly with Daniel and barely acknowledges me. It's like the complete opposite of how she was at the party."
I took another sip of bourbon, considering how much to reveal. Daniel's feelings weren't mine to expose, but Alex was clearly hurting and confused.
"Then last week, I finally confronted him about it," Alex continued, his voice dropping. "I accused him of sabotaging me with Victoria, maybe even talking shit about me behind my back."
"You didn't," I groaned.
"I did," he admitted, looking ashamed. "We were outside her bar, and I'd had a few drinks. I was frustrated because she'd spent the whole night chatting with Daniel about some new restaurant concept while barely looking my way."
"What did Daniel do?"
Alex's expression turned pained. "He just stood there, looking at me like I'd stabbed him. Then I said something really stupid."
"How stupid?"
"I accused him of always stealing the women I'm interested in. Said he does it on purpose, gets them to like him just to prove he can, then dumps them after a few days."
I winced. "Jesus, Alex."
"I know, I know." He drained his glass and poured another. "It was a dick move. But I was drunk and pissed off."
"What did Daniel say?"
"That's the weird part," Alex said, frowning. "He just asked, 'Is that what you really think of me? That I'd hurt you over some woman?' And when I didn't back down, he said, 'You clearly don't know me at all,' and walked away."
I leaned back, processing this. Daniel had been in love with Alex for years, silently supporting him through countless crushes on women, never revealing his own feelings. To be accused of deliberately hurting Alex must have been devastating.
"I tried texting him to apologize," Alex continued. "But he just reads the messages and doesn't respond. I even went by his restaurant, but the staff said he was busy. I don't get it, Blake. We've been friends since college. Why is he taking this so personally?"
I swirled the bourbon in my glass, choosing my words carefully. "Have you considered that maybe Daniel's upset for reasons that have nothing to do with Victoria?"
Alex looked confused. "Like what?"
"Like maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do," I suggested. "People can surprise you."