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Chapter 6 - The Realization

"Ueegh."

I glanced skeptically at Kat who was sitting on my couch with a dumbfounded expression on her face as she held a shot glass tightly in her hands.

On my right, Mikael was rolling his eyes and I focused my attention back on Kat who seemed to be on the verge of hyperventilating

"I'll give you a call?" Mikael murmured in my ear and I nodded my head and offered him a smile.

He smiled before shooting my best friend a dirty look before shutting the door behind him as he left.

When he left, my shoulders slumped and I pursed my lips, mourning inwardly at the loss of what would have definitely been a good kiss. I might not have kissed him yet, but I could tell that Mikael certainly knew what to do.

Now, I could still feel the way his hands rested on my waist as the other cupped the back of my neck as his lips lowered down to mine and instead of the best kiss I was sure to have received, Kat ruined it.

I grimaced before slipping off my coat and boots. "Kat, will you snap out of it?"

My best friend shuddered before jerking and slammed the shot glass on the table. "You didn't tell me you were out with Mikael!"

"Well, I didn't know you knew him," I pointed and Kat blinked. "Surely I must have mentioned him? I swore I did!"

"No."

Kat frowned and began pacing like a caged animal whose only intention was to escape. "I didn't?"

I shrugged and tucked my hair behind my ears. "Nope. You didn't." And before Kat could continue her irrational tirade, I added, "Don't you want to hear everything?"

I loved my best friend, I really did. But Kat had the tendency to jump from one point to the other without thinking about the middle points that she had missed.

My best friend stopped and she gaped at me as I had suggested she abstained from alcohol for a month. "Of course, I want to hear all about it. Wait a minute, this girl needs alcohol!"

I choked back laughter as Kat sprinted to the small pantry in my kitchen and began hauling out the alcohol stash I had there for when she came over. Patiently, I waited and it wasn't long before Kat came bearing two glasses and pouring out the gin.

"Gin and tonic from bartender Kat," she announced before plonking the glass into my hand and I wrinkled my nose.

"I didn't say I wanted a drink." I peered at my glass, which I was sure consisted more gin than the usual gin and tonic beverages in bars.

Kat sniffed before shooting me a supercilious look that dared me to refute. "I'm drinking and so are you. We're celebrating!"

"Celebrating?" I echoed bewilderedly as Kat cheered.

"Yes, celebrating. You and Mikael," she said in a matter of fact tone and I couldn't help but be taken by her infectious happiness. "I fucking hate myself for not introducing the both of you!" she moaned and stuffed her face with a pillow. "I could have won matchmaker bragging rights!"

I took a sip from my drink and winced. Yes, there was more gin than usual. "Matchmaking bragging rights? What?"

Kat raised an eyebrow. "Of course. Why didn't I think about it? Both of you would have been perfect!"

"Really?" I asked as I settled back on my couch, tucking my legs underneath me.

Kat nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. He's older, more mature, stupidly idiotic with his jokes and I know he'll appreciate you," she added softly and I swallowed hard.

"I see."

Her words warmed my heart and somehow, they assured me that I wasn't in over my head for going out with Mikael. Because, sometimes, I was rather doubtful as to whatever I was doing. Quickly, I blinked, trying to force back the tears that were stinging in the back of my eyes. Any longer and I would be bursting into tears.

Kat, being my best friend could tell that I was on the verge of noisy emotional tears and she hastily cleared her throat and threw a pillow at me. "Anyway, enough sappiness, tell me everything. And don't you dare leave a single thing out because I will kill you."

"What do you want to know?" I asked as I darted my eyes around the room in efforts to clear the tears away.

"Everything! How did you guys meet? When did he ask you out? Is this your first meeting? Arrghhhh! Just everything! Stop stalling! Spill the juice! Share the tea!"

I almost laughed from how exasperated and irritated Kat was from me holding on to my explanations. Leaving her in suspense was too tempting and satisfying. She was always edgy when she didn't know things. This was always something my brother, Raphael complained about when he wanted to surprise her.

Kat looked ready to murder me and I began the tale.

"At my first bachelorette party? Lex!"

Of course, Kat wouldn't be Kat if she didn't interrupt here and there with indignation and amusement from time to time.

"Wait," Kat paused and looked as if she was about to have a coronary heart attack. "It was your first date today and I interrupted the kiss? Oh my god, you should have shot me. Why didn't you shoot me? LEXI!"

"Stop shouting," I chided before shooting her a dirty look, similar to the one Mikael had given her before he left. "It's not like I didn't want to kiss him. You interrupted and the moment was ruined."

Kat groaned and kicked her feet childishly in the air before smushing her face with my cushions. "I'm so sorry!" she burst out before moaning into the cushions. "Arrgh, I'm feeling anxious for you! So why the fuck do you look so calm?"

I drew back and took another sip of my drink before shrugging. "I don't really know. It was a nice date and he'll call me so I'm pretty relaxed?" I offered. "And I'll really like a second date with him," I added as an afterthought.

Kat softened as she threw me a wide smile. "I'm really happy for you, Lex. Mikael will treat you right and I wish the best for the both of you." She reached for her almost empty glass and downed it. "Oh, the both of you are so sweet that it makes me have cavities."

At that, I sputtered into laughter and threw a cushion at Kat and of course, she retaliated, which was not a surprise when it led to a full-scale pillow fight.

* * *

"So? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Mikael rolled his eyes so hard that it almost hurt.

"What are you talking about?" he sighed as he tilted his head and studied Kat who was shooting him disapproving looks from over her glass.

"Dating my best friend!"

"I thought I was your best friend," he pointed out and quirked up an eyebrow. "I knew you since we were in diapers."

She snorted and rested her chin on her palms. "So? Lexi is my best friend. Whom, you're dating."

He held out his hands in the universal gesture of surrender and shook his head. "I didn't even know she was your best friend. You didn't mention her before. Besides, you are in no position to complain or groan or moan. It's not my fault."

Kat made a face at him and frowned. "Why is everyone saying that I didn't mention either of you to each other before? I could have sworn I did!"

"You didn't." He deadpanned before dodging a cushion thrown at his head. "Watch it!" he shouted as he quickly snatched up the glass figurine before the cushion could hit it and become millions of glass pieces.

"Who the hell told you where I was living by the way?"

"I called the office and asked your personal assistant. Nice house, by the way."

Mikael sighed and placed the glass figurine on the dining table and crossed his arms. He was pissed.

Pissed that Kat - as usual - had barged in and ruined the end of the date three days ago. Lexi had been wide-eyed and unbearably enticing and he lost his grip on his control and lowered his mouth to hers and their lips had almost met if Kat hadn't ruined it.

"Well, what are you here for? Not that I'm not glad to see you or anything."

"You and Lexi. What are your intentions with her?" Kat demanded and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't believe it's any of your business," he retorted defensively.

He wasn't some sort of brute that stole hearts and left them broken in his wake. Hell, he might have some rather...interesting job scopes and skills but he wasn't some ruthless barbarian. He didn't believe in casual flings and he abhorred cheating and abusive relationships.

In fact, he was often the one that was left feeling disappointed once someone found out about the figures in his bank accounts. Kat knew all this and yet, she was treating him like some kind of miscreant.

Kat exhaled heavily and ran her fingers through her hair before fixing him with a solemn stare. That stare alone caused him to quieten down and made him restrain his tongue. Seeing that look on her face made him uncomfortable.

Kat was hardly ever that serious or sombre.

"Just..." she paused and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Just don't hurt her. If you want to be with her, tell her. If you don't, just let her know and walk away."

Mikael blinked as he stared at Kat who was watching him earnestly.

"I won't. I...I like her a lot," he confessed quietly.

"You do?"

"Yes."

Kat's mouth worked as she stared at him. "She's not the kind of girl you usually date and if you hurt her, you'll sorely regret it."

"I won't," he said quietly. "I won't hurt her," he repeated, eyes boring into Kat's, silently reassuring her that he meant every word.

Kat eyed him, narrowing them as she regarded him before she nodded curtly.

It was an unspoken promise.

Okay, being this serious with Kat was terribly odd and something that Mikael didn't care for.

"You ruined the kiss, you know," he commented lightly, hoping that she would take the bait.

She did.

Kat growled. "I KNOW!"  

* * *

A/N: Short filler chapter before the second date at Chez Lexi or Mikael's (I can't decide!) The next update should be in four days time! Ugh, you guys have no idea how hard writing this whole book is but I love you all so I'll sludge through this book as best and fast as I can!