Lucas & Alex

The light shone brightly in the grand office, casting a sharp contrast against the dark furniture. A figure sat at a large, polished desk, his suit impeccably tailored, his black hair swept neatly back, and his expression marred by a small frown.

This was Lucas, and opposite him sat another man, a striking figure with blonde hair streaked with black, blue eyes gleaming under the office lights, and a small piercing on his lip.

The blonde-haired man, Alex, suddenly stood up, his movements deliberate as he strode toward a small bar cabinet where an array of fine wines was lined up. He selected a bottle, then moved to the mini-fridge, extracting a handful of ice cubes.

He picked up two glasses, returning to Lucas with a casual grace that belied the tension in the room. Lucas remained seated, visibly annoyed, the aftermath of his recent dates hanging over him like a dark cloud.

"You know," Alex began, his voice low and probing as he poured wine into both glasses, "I'm finding it hard to believe that you didn't find at least one person who shares your goals…"

He handed one of the glasses to Lucas, taking a sip from his own as he settled back into the couch, crossing his legs with an air of nonchalance.

"You're definitely hiding something," he added, his tone laced with curiosity.

"What? What could I possibly hide? You weren't even there with me," Lucas replied, his voice strained, betraying the lie in his words.

Alex watched him calmly, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "You know, if this keeps on going, you might end up marrying Isabelle. And I believe you don't want that…"

"I'll find someone. Isabelle is not an option, and certainly not that last lady, if that's what's been bothering you," Lucas finally conceded, taking a small sip from his wine before setting the glass down on the table.

He rose from his seat, walking over to the large, transparent window, his gaze fixed on the sprawling city below.

"Finally decided to talk," Alex noted, standing up to join Lucas by the window.

His voice was measured as he continued, "I specifically picked her because, after doing a background check, I found that she was compatible with your preferences."

Ruffling his hair in frustration, Alex ran a finger over his piercing before asking, "So, what exactly did you say to her? What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Lucas shrugged, his expression unreadable as he took another sip of wine. "She just kind of left without saying anything."

"Without you doing something that warranted that?" Alex questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"If telling her that I want three kids counts, perhaps?" Lucas replied, feigning ignorance as he walked back to his desk.

"Three kids?" Alex repeated, his eyes widening in disbelief. In this era, it was common knowledge that most women didn't want more than one or two children. Lucas, who wasn't even keen on having kids, knew this well.

Fury flashed in Alex's eyes as he stared at Lucas. "You knew exactly what you were doing. You told her that on purpose, knowing full well you don't even want a child! You're being pressured to have one, so why on earth would you claim three? Even I wouldn't say that."

Lucas leaned back against his desk, spreading his hands in a gesture of annoyance as he met Alex's anger head-on. "I didn't like her attitude. She was giving off this arrogant vibe, so I said something that would put her off—and it worked."

"Seriously, Lucas?" Alex scoffed, sarcasm dripping from his words. "Do you know how much effort I've put into finding matches for you? If this keeps up, you'll have to start flying to other cities for dates because you've exhausted all the eligible women in Washington. And I don't even care anymore!"

"You say you don't want love, that you value your time more. I tried talking you out of it, but you wouldn't listen. So, I decided to help you appease your parents. And now, after finding a perfect match, you just decide to trifle with it? Do you know how hard it was to get in touch with her? Do you even realize how busy I am?"

Lucas winced internally, realizing how much he had messed up. Alex was genuinely upset, and it was all because of him.

"Actually… it's just that… I'm afraid to get married. I don't want to have anything to do with the opposite gender right now," Lucas admitted, his voice softening at the end as he looked at his friend.

"Look, I really appreciate everything you're doing for me. I'm not trying to disregard your efforts, but I just need some time to think about it," Lucas added, trying to calm Alex down. But instead of calming him, Alex merely gave him an odd look before sitting back down.

Alex downed the contents of his glass before looking at Lucas with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "How about we go to the club and have some fun? It's been a while."

"Were you even angry at all?" Lucas asked, shaking his head as he realized his friend had tricked him again.

"I'm efficient in the entertainment industry for a reason," Alex responded with a grin. "You know, sometimes you have to push and prod before you finally spill what's really bothering you. Why couldn't you just tell me you're feeling pressured and need to cool off?"

He clapped Lucas on the shoulder, his mood lightening. "Let's just have fun tonight and forget about everything else."

"And what about her?" Lucas asked, a twinge of guilt creeping into his voice. "I kind of feel bad now about how I treated her."

"Now you're getting soft on me, huh?" Alex joked, nudging Lucas playfully. "Don't worry too much. She's a tough one. Trust me, if she was truly upset, she would've let you know right then and there."

"She's damn sassy!" Alex added with a laugh, pouring another glass of wine.

"I noticed that," Lucas admitted with a chuckle as the two of them began discussing other matters, the tension from earlier slowly dissipating into the night.