We'll have the date in the car

Two striking men entered the club, their presence commanding attention. One, with a mischievous grin, flicked his tongue over a lip piercing, while the other, his dark hair slicked back, walked with his hands buried in his pockets and a scowl on his face.

Suddenly, Alex nudged Lucas on the shoulder, causing his frown to deepen.

"What the hell do you want? That hurts," Lucas growled in annoyance.

"Look over there," Alex said, excitement evident in his tone as his gaze remained glued to the bar.

"What? Where? What are you—" Lucas started, scanning the club before his eyes finally landed on the woman Alex was fixated on.

It was the woman he'd recently been on a date with. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly averted his gaze. Grabbing Alex by the arm, he dragged him to a more secluded spot.

"What's your problem? Why are you dragging me away from that beauty?" Alex protested, his face a mixture of confusion and frustration, though he soon noticed something off about Lucas's behavior.

Lucas looked... tense. Almost guilty, as if he didn't want to be seen by someone.

"What, did you spot your mom in here?" Alex muttered under his breath, watching Lucas with raised eyebrows.

After a few moments of heavy breathing, Lucas finally calmed down enough to explain.

"That woman over there? She's the one I went on a date with. She just stared daggers at me."

Alex blinked, incredulous. "That's why you dragged me away?" His voice rose with disbelief.

"Yes, isn't that a good enough reason?" Lucas snapped, striding over to the bar and sinking into one of the stools. He motioned for their usual drinks, then glanced at Alex, signaling for him to sit.

Alex sat down, unimpressed. "No, it isn't. What are you so afraid of? It's not like you did something terrible to her. Did you?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Lucas huffed and rolled his eyes. "It's not like that."

Alex smirked. "So, you did do something. Maybe your conscience is biting at you now. You left her pissed off and didn't even bother to drive her home."

"She brought her own car," Lucas replied matter-of-factly, but Alex's smirk only grew.

"Maybe she's annoyed because you didn't call her back or show any interest after the date…" Alex trailed off, sensing Lucas's rising frustration.

Finally, exasperated, he blurted, "Why don't you just apologize if you feel so guilty?"

"Apologize? To her? For what?" Lucas's eyes widened in disbelief as he downed his entire drink. "I'm not doing that."

"For being an ass!" Alex snapped, his patience wearing thin.

He took a long sip of his cocktail before adding, "Look, if you don't want to apologize, fine. But don't hide like a coward. Let me enjoy myself, and when I'm done, you can deal with your engagement that's happening this week."

Lucas groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not marrying that woman. I don't know why my mom even thinks she has a say."

Alex's expression turned serious, "You may not know, but your mom definitely has a say. She holds all the cards, remember? Your grandad left the company to you with that lovely little clause: marry before you turn thirty-five, or the company goes to someone else. Guess what? You turn thirty-five this weekend, and if you don't get engaged by then, everything you've worked for since you were eighteen is gone."

Lucas slouched in his seat, staring into his empty glass. "I still don't get why my old man made that clause."

"Probably because he knew you'd avoid marriage forever unless he tied you down with some ultimatum," Alex muttered, signaling the bartender for another round.

Lucas sighed, swirling the drink in his hand. "Maybe."

A mischievous grin suddenly crept onto Alex's face. "I think I've got the perfect solution for you."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "What now?"

"Come on." Alex stood up, grabbing Lucas's arm. "Trust me."

"Wait—let me pay first." Lucas quickly swiped his card on the terminal before being dragged off.

__________________

"Are they cowards?" Emily asked, twirling a lock of her hair and licking her lips in irritation.

"And what do you mean about the CEO?" she pressed, glaring at her friend Amelia .

Amelia , her cheeks flushed red, swayed slightly in her seat. "I don't know if I saw it or if it's just in my head, but I'm definitely not feeling too great."

Emily rolled her eyes, exasperated. "You're already drunk? I thought you could handle your liquor better than this."

"I see them coming over," Amelia slurred, pointing vaguely toward the two men.

Alex and Lucas reached the bar table where Amelia and Emily were seated. Standing before them, Alex started the conversation, "Mind if we sit beside you?"

"Not really," Emily responded, her voice trailing off as she nudged Amelia , who was lost in thought or perhaps checking out the other guy.

Emily's eyes raked over Lucas, and she couldn't help but think hard about where she had seen him before.

Or is he really the CEO, or is Amelia just drunk? Emily thought as she watched them both.

Emily attention snapped back to Alex as she heard his voice, his sweet mouth rolling out compliments to her.

"I couldn't help but notice you since I walked in," Alex said with a grin, though his voice faltered slightly.

"Oh… you did. I thought you ran away when you saw me, as if you'd done something wrong…" Emily said, not hiding her confusion about their earlier actions.

"My friend, not me. He dragged me with him because he was kind of... well…" Alex trailed off before adding, solving all of Emily's questions, "They both had a blind date this evening, it didn't end well, so he's trying to do something."

"Can we move somewhere else to talk?" Alex asked, his eyes glued on Emily. "To give them the privacy they deserve, and we could have ours."

Emily gave a sly smile as she said, her words taunting, "Who said I needed some privacy with you?"

Then, standing up from the chair, she added, "But let's go."

Meanwhile, Lucas stood before Amelia , his expression unreadable as he took in her flushed face.

'She looks drunk. Can I even talk to her like this?' he wondered, hesitating. But despite his reservations, he spoke anyway, his words brisk and firm.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," he began, his voice softer than usual. "I was just trying to lighten the mood with that child comment, not knowing it would annoy you so much. Maybe we could try another date?"

Amelia blinked at him, her head tilting slightly. "Another date, with you?"

Lucas nodded, though uncertainty laced his tone. "Yes."

Before he could say more, Amelia slumped forward, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer.

Lucas's breath hitched as he struggled to form a coherent thought. "Uh..."

"Drive me home," Amelia whispered into his ear, her breath hot against his skin. "We'll have the date in the car."