41. he asked

'I thought a small party means small?'

'Janet, this is Imane we're talking about.' Rae said taking a sip of the wine. 'Her small party means huge.'

'Yes. There's literally 100 people here.' Janet giggled, helping herself with the snacks. 'Look she's giving us those glares from all right there.'

Rae glanced at where Janet was pointing, truly Imane was with Alex, greeting the guests but she was glaring at the duo because she knew they were ill talking about her.

'Let's disperse before she reaches out to us.' Rae said, smiling at few of the people around her. 'How she always manages to look this pretty is beyond me.'

Janet and she looked at Imane again, the birthday girl was dressed in a long beautiful baby pink cocktail dress, her hair neatly pinned in a bun. Alex on the other hand looked incredibly handsome in his casual suit with his pink shirt matching Imane's dress.

Both Rae and Janet gave Imane a thumbs up, adoring her and Imane smiled almost immediately. Janet was dressed in a frill maxi sky blue dress, her hair left open.

'Rae, you literally look second prettiest, shut the fuck up. Okay.'

They looked down at Rae's simple soft purple, off shoulder midi dress. Her brown hair tied to one side, left in frilly natural curls.

'Rae, whatever happened with your ex, is over.' Janet said, holding her hand. 'Your moping over someone who isn't even worth it. I swear.' Rae looked at Janet, almost teary eyed. 'And yesterday we weren't kidding about James. He's a good guy and we really think he likes you.'

Last evening the girls were talking about how Rae and James could actually be a good couple and how she should move on. The more Rae thought about James and she, the more her head messed up with a hundred thousand scenarios and possibilities.

Although Imane and Janet only wanted Rae to move on, Rae wasn't sure why was she feeling whatever she was feeling for James, all of a sudden.

Can a mere letter change so much?

'I know, I know.' Janet held her hands up in surrender. 'You don't really like him that way, but we're just messing around you know. It doesn't have to be him.' Janet smiled at the thoughtful girl, 'Anyone would do. Look around, live this life, Rae.'

'Someone talking about living life?'

Both the girls turned around and beamed at a smirking Simon, arms open for a hug and Rae smiled, hugging the charming guy.

'Yes, we're here to let Rae live her life, you know.' Janet said, standing besides Simon. 'You tell her, Sim.'

'Rae, now that I'm here, you're going to live the best time of your life baby.' He tried hugging her and she laughed, squatting his arms away.

'She doesn't want you, duh.' Janet shrugged, while Simon raised his brow at Rae.

'If not me then who?'

And while Rae rolled her eyes, drinking the wine in her hand, her eyes dawned upon a familiar tall figure at the entrance. His handsome form fitting well in the casual black waistcoat he wore on his black jeans, the blazer resting on his hand and his hair messily falling over his forehead.

If that wasn't enough, his black eyes scanning the room, and then landing on hers. Rae felt captive even though he was across the busy room, and she held the eyelock.

But then something happened.

James smiled at her.

A full etched, genuine and hearty smile.

And her fluttering heart skipped a beat.

_

'Speech!' Leslie screamed from the crowd, Lily, Scarra and Toast shouting too.

Imane was just about to cut the cake, Rae standing with the streamer group of friends with Janet and others.

'Give a mother fucking speech.' Michael screamed too but it was followed by Lily screaming Mykul.

'What am I supposed to say?' Imane said, shrugging at them.

'We don't want to hear from you.' Toast said, in distaste ignoring Imane's shocked expressions, 'We want to hear it from Alex.'

Everyone chuckled, Rae beaming at the guy who stood smiling besides Imane. He held the champagne glass, his one hand around Imane and his eyes only pasted on her. Everyone couldn't not be in complete awe about these two newly engaged.

'Imane's 25 today.' Alex said, as Imane looked at Alex with adornment. 'And I've known this girl for 20 years now. We met at the age of 5. I remember, she coming upto me in her pigtails as I stood behind my mother. She always been confident, the outgoing and the most irritating person ever.' Imane rolled her eyes playfully at him. 'Little Imane wanted someone to help her fix her dollhouse and by fix she meant watch me do the entire thing and she did nothing.' Everyone chuckled, as Imane playfully hit his shoulder. 'Our childhood pretty much was just us bickering. And then we grew up and became best friends.' Alex sighed, 'I couldn't literally do anything without her. She's managed her life so well, rising up while still falling and getting up, trying. And not just for her, Imane's built my life for me too.'

Rae smiled, tilting her head as she remembered the first time she saw Imane and Alex and mistook them for a couple when they were only best friends. She glanced at everyone else, awwing at the couple and then at James who had his eyes on the duo too. Before he could catch her, she turned her gaze back to the couple.

'And I was completely oblivious to what's happening. Trust me. She fell in love first FYI, because look at me, who wouldn't.' The chuckles and cheering brightened the mood, 'Then one month, Imane went all meta on me...' The streamer group chuckled at that, Imane hiding her blush. 'She was so adamant in letting me know that we're more than best friends, more than just this adorable bestie duo and her meta month was a disaster.'

'Alex!'

'What, I'm telling the truth!'

'Let the man tell the truth.' Toast added, from the crowd, Scarra backing up.

Imane showed him the finger and then glanced at Alex who chuckled. 'Alright,  alright. But fast forward to the day I realized how incomplete I am without this potato in my life.'

Rae and Janet chuckled, alongside the family of the couple knowing Imane was a fat kid back in the yesteryears.

'Wrap it up. Wrap it up.' Simon whisper yelled, 'Before you get killed, wrap it up.'

Alex and Imane laughed, as Alex raised his champagne glass in the air. 'To Imane, the girl without whom, there'd be no Alex Hartman. To Poki, who built a solid image for all female streamers out there. And to my Imo, my potato, the love of my life, who's fucking just the best.'

'Cheers!'

The drinks were downed, the cake was cut and the rhythm was set for a romantic waltz. Imane dancing with Alex, Simon with Janet, Lily with Micheal and Leslie with Edison. Toast stood next to Rae, watching all the couples dance to the slow music.

'Wow. This is so cheesy.' Toast commented and Rae chuckled.

'Toast, I'm waiting for the day some girl would sweep your heart one day and you'd be all head over heels.'

Toast shrugged, 'If ever in the future, Rae. But what about now.'

'What do you mean?'

He eyed James who was looking at them, mainly her, and Rae averted her gaze from him. 'Hey James?'

'Toast?'

But the ever stubborn and playful Jeremy, ignored Rae's protest and James walked towards them.

'Toast! Don't.'

'Smile, Rae. He's coming here.' Toast smirked, as Rae held back her rants, watching James now approach them. 'How are you?'

'I'm good. How are you?'

Toast nodded, 'I'm good.' He then looked at Scarra, standing a few feet away from them. 'Oh Scarra, you want me there, don't you?'

Scarra was confused, 'What? I'm just drinking my whiskey here?'

Rae mentally face palmed herself, as James watched Toast walk away with a confused Scarra. While Rae stood in front of the tall James, Toast winked from behind him, Scarra still confused.

'Hey, Rachel.'

'Hie James.'

He gulped, nervously, raising his palm towards her, 'Um, you care for a dance?'

Rae felt her heart fluttering again. Her brain so against this but her hand almost immediately clasped into his firm ones and it was game over.

_

A/N

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Video: Toast defending Rae