Chapter 12 Encountering Brianna at the Bar
After lunch, Willow dragged Patrick out for some shopping. She needed a new computer, claiming hers was broken. After an afternoon of shopping, she found one for over ten thousand, and Patrick paid for it. Willow was over the moon. She had enjoyed a delicious meal, and Patrick had bought her a computer. She was bouncing with joy.
The duo arrived at Nightshade Bar, where the server recognized them and ushered them straight to an exclusive private booth. Patrick, who was taking care of the two young ladies and planned to drive them home safely later, didn't intend to drink any alcohol and ordered a soft drink. Willow ordered a cocktail; knowing Patrick was her ride, she felt free to enjoy herself, especially since she had no school the next day. She planned to have Patrick drop her off at Quinn's small apartment so she could sleep over.
After the server brought over their drinks, Quinn arrived.
Willow, bubbling with excitement, skipped over and grabbed Quinn's arm. "Quinn, you're quick! I was just about to call you."
"I was supposed to go to set, but the lead actress had something come up at the last minute, so here I am after work," Quinn explained.
"Now that you're here, Quinn, what would you like to drink?" asked Patrick.
"Same as Willow is fine for me," Quinn replied, settling in. Patrick summoned the server and ordered Quinn the same cocktail as Willow.
Willow and Quinn, being close in age, naturally found themselves sharing everything. Quinn, who mingled daily with the big stars of the entertainment industry, had a wealth of little scandals at her fingertips, which allowed Willow to understand the complexity of showbiz. Some stars appeared warm and lovely in public but were divas with terrible temperaments behind the scenes, treating those around them with arrogance. The fallout was considerable if they got involved in even a whiff of gossip with Liam. Consequently, Willow had shaken off several of her previous idols and now indulged purely in gossip, resolving to stop being a fan of anyone.
"Who's the female lead?" Willow asked casually.
"Who else but Coco? She’s been popular lately, but she has a terrible temperament. It's hard to tell she's that difficult to work with normally," Quinn whispered to Willow.
"The one who just made the entertainment headlines yesterday with Liam? The new award-winning actress? Tsk tsk, Liam's quite the ladies' man," Willow commented unabashedly.
Head bowed, Willow listened to Quinn dish on the latest entertainment gossip.
Suddenly, Quinn mentioned her brother. "My brother’s been in Europe for almost a week; have you contacted him?"
"I... why... should I contact... him?" Willow stuttered nervously when Quinn brought up Mitchell.
"Have you decided to give up on my brother?" Quinn, known for her frankness, thought that since Willow liked her brother, she should pursue him. She found the prospect of her best friend becoming her sister-in-law ideal. There would be no issues between them as sisters-in-law, and her mom was very fond of Willow, which would theoretically resolve any mother-in-law and daughter-in-law issues.
"Keep it down." Willow hurried to cover Quinn's mouth as she loudly revealed her secret crush. She relaxed only after verifying that Patrick, who was carrying the drinks, hadn't noticed their conversation.
Quinn only knew about Willow's feelings for Quinn's brother Mitchell because she had let it slip during a drunken night at Quinn's apartment. She never dared to express her thoughts openly, always treating him as she would any of the other guys, without revealing the slightest hint of her crush.
Meanwhile, Patrick, carrying drinks and scanning the bar, thought he spotted Brianna, Matthew's old flame. He tried to get a more precise look, but she was gone in a flash. He didn't dwell on it and turned to the whispering pair, asking, "What's with the secret talk? Wanna go dance?"
"Patrick, when's my brother coming back?" Quinn asked on Willow's behalf, voicing the question on her mind.
"Don't you know what your brother is doing?"
"He won't tell me. My parents might not even know," said Quinn, speaking the truth. Mitchell often ran outside and lived alone, only giving his parents a heads-up when he planned to return. He had been independent from a young age and had never been a source of worry for his parents, so they were used to it.
"I'm not too sure either. I had an online meeting with Matthew and the others yesterday, and we pretty much resolved all the issues. I think they'll all be back soon."
Willow felt a pang of happiness at the thought of Mitchell returning home soon.
"When Matthew comes back, I bet Madison will be back too. Once Madison’s home, I'll take you two out to eat at Madison’s home," suggested Patrick. He could hardly wait a day to eat.
The two snack enthusiasts were looking forward to it. But they unanimously agreed to wait until Matthew wasn’t in. They didn't dare face his icy aura, fearing being frozen on the spot just to get a free meal.
The three of them chatted happily when a woman's voice interrupted them.
"Patrick, is that you? I saw you just now but wasn't sure. I thought I'd come over to check, and it really is you. These two must be Willow and Quinn, right? You've both grown up so much. You must be close to graduating." Brianna approached with a warm and familiar greeting, speaking in a tone one might expect from an elder, which nearly made Willow and Quinn gag. Seeing that Patrick didn't respond, they remained silent as well.
Patrick looked up to see Brianna standing beside him with a glass of wine, realizing he hadn't been mistaken. It really was her.
Brianna, receiving no response from anyone, asked brazenly, "May I sit down?"
"Of course," replied Patrick, unsure of what Matthew now thought about Brianna, especially since he provided her with an apartment. It wouldn't be right to be too disrespectful.
Willow and Quinn followed Patrick's lead and didn't say much. They'd only met Brianna once, many years before, and weren't familiar with her. She hadn't appeared at Matthew's engagement ceremony, and now that he was married and she had reappeared, they both had a hunch that Brianna was up to no good. They'd formed their opinion of her a long time ago and naturally weren't too enthused to engage, opting instead to keep to their conversation.
Brianna noticed the two young ladies chatting among themselves and didn't intend to intrude. She turned to make small talk with Patrick, seizing the opportunity to inquire about Matthew.
She had messaged him recently but got no reply, and her calls weren’t answered either. She had been arranging to meet a few friends here every day, hoping to run into Matthew and the guys. After waiting for several days, she had finally seen Patrick. Patrick was probably the easiest to talk to among them.
She knew this bar belonged to Mitchell, and they had an exclusive private area reserved for them, which was the best spot in the place. Even when the business was booming, this spot remained off-limits to anyone else and was available only to them. It had become a signature feature of the bar, attracting many who hoped for a chance to encounter them, as the five of them were known to be the hot guys of Horizon City. Plus, besides Matthew, the rest of them were single. Matthew might be married, but the absence of a wedding and rumors of his indifference toward his wife, especially following the quick retraction of his news with the beautiful Brianna, led many to believe it was a sign of guilt.
Therefore, the young ladies, who indulged in daydreams, felt content with just a glimpse.
Brianna came with a few friends she hadn't known for long. When everyone saw her walk up to the private area confidently with a drink in hand and sit down, looking very familiar with them, they all suspected that Matthew must still have feelings for her. Their conversations with her became more complimentary, and their eyes revealed their envy. Brianna relished the attention and admiration.
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