Chapter 6

• "Tita, where are Kenzi and the others?" Tristan asked the beautiful woman sitting enjoying her lemon tea.
• As usual, every weekend was a fixed schedule for Tristan and his friends to gather. If last week they spent time having dinner together followed by bowling, tonight they all chose Heist Bank in Paddington, West London, to gather and play billiards.
• Kenzi and Nicholas were seen with their respective partners. Whether Edward brought a date or not remained uncertain because upon arrival, Tristan only noticed Tita and Claire deeply engaged in a serious conversation.
• "Kenzi and Nicholas are inside. They're busy playing billiards," Tita replied after taking a sip of her lemon tea.
• "Is Edward inside too?"
• Tita shook her head.
• "Not yet. Maybe he'll be here soon. You know, among all of us, Edward is always the one who comes late."
• Tristan chuckled softly. What Tita said was indeed true. For some reason, Edward always liked to arrive last. Nicholas had even lost count of how many times he'd complained about the Scottish-blooded man.
• "Never trust Edward if you don't want to be disappointed," Nicholas scoffed. His face clearly showing annoyance.
• "Why is that?" Kenzi asked curiously.
• "Every time we plan to meet and ask about his whereabouts, that damned kid always says he's 'on the way'. Turns out, he's still lying comfortably in bed. Seriously, Edward is the only friend whose word can't be trusted."
• Up until now, it was difficult to believe that Edward could ever arrive on time. Almost never once was he on time. That's why, whenever they planned a meeting, Nicholas always came 30 minutes after the agreed time to avoid waiting too long for Edward.
• "Tristan, did you come alone? Why didn't you bring Kimberly?" Kenzi queried upon seeing Tristan entering the billiard room.
• "I'm sure we'll be out late tonight. You know I don't like bringing a woman---"
• "Out too late?" Kenzi cut in, as if knowing exactly what Tristan was going to say. "Honestly, you're a good man, Tristan. I'm sure whoever ends up with you will be happy. You really respect women."
• "What can I say, that's what my late mother taught me."
• Nevertheless, among the four of them, none liked to play with women. They were all raised to respect and honor women. Even Edward, as troublesome as he was, would never dare to bring his date to have sex or sleep together before having an official bond.
• "Surely you've been waiting for my arrival," Edward joked as he just arrived at the meeting place. A sweet smile graced his pink lips. There was no hint of guilt or regret for making his friends wait.
• "Just so you know ..." Nicholas said while aiming the ball on the billiard table. "I didn't even consider your presence tonight."
• Edward laughed. He quickly approached Nicholas and unabashedly hugged him from behind. This was how he acted when he was teasing his friend.
• "Oh, come on, sweetheart. Don't be angry like this. You make me love you more."
• "Stop it, Edward!" Nicholas exclaimed, his face showing disgust. "You're making me cringe."
• "What can I do? I really love you, Nicholas Alistair. If you don't marry Claire Roland, I'm ready to take her place."
• Nicholas hissed. He forced his friend to release his grip on him. It was really annoying to be treated like this by Edward.
• "If you dare hug me again, I'll break your neck!" he threatened without hesitation.
• Everyone burst into laughter. Edward even raised both hands in surrender, indicating he gave up on Nicholas' threat.
• "Are you alone tonight?" Tristan deliberately changed the subject.
• "No, I'm with Olivia. She's out front with Tita and Claire."
• Tristan nodded. Then he approached Kenzi and Nicholas to join the billiard game.
• They played for almost an hour. Meanwhile, the women were busy chatting in the cafe while enjoying some snacks.
• "About your proposal to Olivia, have you told your parents about this important matter?" Kenzi asked during their game.
• "Not yet," Edward replied, focusing on the game. "I plan to tell them after proposing to Olivia."
• "And are you sure Olivia will accept you? You're quite the player, Edward Martin, or should I say you belong to the species of land dinosaurs," Nicholas teased without holding back. "If I were Olivia, I would definitely reject you outright. What will my marriage be like if I have to pair up with a rascal like you?"
• "Fortunately, Olivia isn't you. So I'm sure she won't reject me," Edward joked, sticking out his tongue. He was clearly enjoying retaliating against his friend's remarks.
• "But Nicholas is right, Ed. Are you sure about Olivia's feelings?" Kenzi appeared doubtful. "Besides, you've only just met. I'm not convinced she'll accept you just like that. Unless Olivia is a materialistic woman who likes men based on their popularity and wealth alone."
• "Don't worry," Edward interjected. "I'm sure Olivia isn't the kind of woman you're accusing her of being. In this coming month, I'll be intensifying our closeness."
• While the others were engrossed in discussion, Tristan silently listened attentively. He absorbed all of Edward's plans and pondered what he should do to divert Olivia's attention towards himself.
• "I'm thirsty," Edward complained. "Let's end this game. Besides, the ladies out front must be tired of waiting for us."
• "Yeah," Kenzi agreed. "I'm sure Tita will scold us after this."
• They all agreed to stop playing. Then they joined the women who had been waiting in the front cafe.
• Tristan could clearly see how beautiful Olivia looked that night in her casual attire. When their eyes met, they unintentionally smiled at each other. Olivia even smiled and greeted him without hesitation.
• "Tristan, you're here too, I see."
• "Of course, dear," Edward replied instead of Tristan. He approached and took a seat right next to Olivia. "We're all friends here. So, wherever we go, we're always together."
• Tristan nodded in agreement with Edward's words. Pulling out a chair, he sat down at the same table, directly facing Olivia.
• "How are you, Olivia?"
• "I'm doing very well," the woman replied with a meaningful smile. "Did you come alone?"
• Tristan nodded.
• "Yes, I came alone. Besides, I'm not fond of taking women out late into the night."
• "Tristan is indeed old-fashioned," Edward chimed in. "I've introduced him to many beautiful and sexy women. But none has caught his attention."
• "Don't corrupt Tristan into behaving like you, Edward Martin. Tristan is a gentleman. He's the faithful type, like me and Kenzi," Nicholas said sarcastically.
• "So you think I'm not a faithful man?"
• Nicholas shrugged. Unwilling to answer Edward's question.
• As everyone was engrossed in conversation, Edward's phone suddenly rang. An emergency call forced him to leave immediately.
• "Everyone, I have to leave now. My dad just had an accident. He's currently being treated by a team of doctors at the hospital."
• Everyone was shocked, especially Tristan. Worry immediately creased his face. Thoughts of the fatal accident his father had once experienced haunted Tristan instantly. He certainly didn't want such a tragic event to happen again, especially to his own friend.
• "Ed, I'll take you to the hospital right away. You shouldn't drive yourself in such a distressed state," Tristan offered. He was already getting ready to leave.
• "No." Edward shook his head. "You stay here. I need you to take Olivia home. I promise, once I know how Dad is, I'll contact all of you."
• "You must keep us updated on Uncle Alexander's condition. And when possible, we'll all come straight to the hospital with you."
• Edward nodded without speaking. After getting up, he immediately ran to his car, leaving all his friends looking shocked by the news he had just delivered.
• ***