David plopped down on his mattress, face beaming with a victorious shit-eating, as Simon calls it, grin.

Today's episode was terrific, given that there were more performances with more no's than yesses, furious auditioners, yet David found it refreshing. Callista was back at her usual position, in the middle, and just having her there made David thrice more energetic than he usually is, which was saying something.

The crowd welcomed Callista warmly and to be honest, it appears that the lot of them feels the same way as he does.

Callie would address him from time to time, cracking a few jokes. David would throw one back and openly flirt with her to which the youngest judge would shake her head off with a small smile.

At least, he's getting somewhere with this plan of his. Albeit, Callie seems to be very skeptic about David's otherworldly actions, she didn't question and gave him the benefit of the doubt.

His phone buzzed on his nightstand. Picking it up, he opened it and revealed a text from Simon.

Monday, 6:04 pm.

How did it go? You better did it because it wasn't easy taming Alesha and Amanda in the car earlier.

He guffawed before his fingers hovered on the screen.

Monday, 6:04 pm.

I got a date.

His phone instantly dinged and David could vividly see Simon's surprised face.

Monday, 6:05 pm.

Are you serious? That was quick. Where are you off to?

Monday, 6:07 pm.

Well, it isn't exactly a date. I just told her that I wanted to make it up to her after my dick move. So, yeah, she offered if I could come with her some day this week.

Monday, 6:10 pm.

Rubbish. Do good this time, David. Don't ruin this chance.

"I won't." He promised before opting to have a warm bath and start on his new novel.

•••

"I don't get him. One day, he's cold and the next he goes on being goody-two-shoes. What the hell is wrong with him? I thought he didn't want to be friends with me. Now, look at him! What's he playing at?" Callista rambled, combing her hair with her fingers, clearly agitated.

Cleopatra blinked her large blue eyes up at her, tilting her head.

Callista's bottom lip jutted. "He's unpredictable, Cleo. I don't know what his intentions are."

The white feline meowed at her owner.

Callie sighed and kneeled down, hoisting Cleo up as she sat on her bed.

"Things are so much easier when you're a cat." She whispered.

Cleo, clearly sensing her owner's glumness, licked her right thumb.

Callie brought Cleo close to her and the cat purred, pleased with Callie's body heat.

"But I still love him, you know. I can't resist him, I really thought I could move on but I-I can't." Callie muttered. "What's much worse is pretending the night at the airport never happened."

'It's like rubbing more salt on a freshly cut wound.' It did hurt, she admits. Seeing him once more, she realized how much she missed him. Her heart soared when David talks to her, when he smiles her way. Sometimes, Callista wished she could control her own heart so she shouldn't worry about anything at all.

She laughed, finding the whole thing comical. "Being this heartbroken do make you go bonkers, right? Here I am, having my cat as my unpaid therapist."

Cleo meowed again and licked her chin to which Callie responded with a giggle.

"Yeah, let's just wait and see." She says, standing up and carrying Cleo.

Her glass window was illuminating the London lights, with the dark velvet skies littered with shimmering dusts.

"I just wish things will be better this time." She murmurs.

•••

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but it's a no." She smiled tightly as the auditioner was seconds away from crying and stormed off the stage.

"God, I hate this."

"Not me." Simon quipped, taking a sip from his beverage.

The girls rolled their eyes.

"It's because your heart is cold and distant, old man."

Simon's eyebrow raised. Although his tone was serious, the corners of his mouth were twitching. "You're really going there, Callista?"

Callie bit her lip to stop herself from snickering and held up her hands in mock surrender.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I forgot you can't catch up sometimes."

Amanda and Alesha guffawed whilst David smiled fondly at the philanthropist's direction.

Was it possible to fall for her harder than David already is? His heart was constantly thundering inside his chest, fearing he might garner a heart attack.

David felt happy.

Four bulky looking men came up on stage, each wearing similar black jackets. They were all tall with curly hair and tan skin, almost identical.

"Hello." Alesha addressed. "What are your names and where do you live?"

Amanda and Callista glanced at each other, noting that the men were good looking in a rugged kind of way. Amanda winked playfully.

David caught on to their actions and gripped his pen tightly.

"Hi, my name's Oliver." The one in the microphone answers, his tone a deep timbre.

"These are Matthew, Lucas, and next to me is Lawrence. We live in West London. We are called 'Bulky Bros'."

Callie covered her fascination with a cough.

"Welcome, Bulky Bros. Are you brothers?"

Oliver nodded, showing off his white pearly teeth. David restrained his eye-roll.

"It would be a shocker if you weren't." He commented.

They chuckled.

'It wasn't a joke.' He snapped in his head, easing his swelling vexation with a cup of water.

"And what are you going to do for us today?" Amanda butted in, smiling.

"We're going to sing a song for a very special person who we absolutely love and adore."

The crowd echoed an 'Oh'.

"Who would that be?"

Four of the men pointed to the female on the center of the panel. Alesha clapped her hands excitedly as Amanda nudged Callie teasingly.

"Me?" Callista asked, dumfounded.

David pursed his lips. Of course, it was Callie. He could tell the moment that Oliver guy would skim his eyes on her, like a piece of dessert.

"Yes."

Simon was sure that David was about to slam the red button. His jaw was tense and his face was placid with any emotion at all. If there was something visible in his eyes, it was plain annoyance.

He smirked as he deviced a devious plan.

"You know what, boys. Why don't we get Callista seated there on stage? Just to spice things up."

Almost simultaneously, David threw Simon a dirty glare. The older man could only clap his hands and shrug.

Everyone agreed, even Ant and Dec appeared and raised both their hands. David clicked his tongue, leaning back against his chair.

Callista was about to protest but begrudgingly stood up and nearly smacked Simon on the back of his head as he carried her seat and placed it on the star sign in the middle.

She sat down and fidgeted but smiled softly, growing a tad uncomfortable with four large men looming above her like gargantuan trees.

"Take it away, boys."

They all nodded their heads and said their thanks.

"This is going to be good."

"I doubt that." David replied stiffly to Alesha.

Alesha smirked knowingly. "Don't think you can hide it from me, Dave. Simon already told us." She whispered.

Before David could answer back, a smooth jazz blasted from the speakers and David had to gauge his eyes out when the four men on stage took off their hoods, completely bare on top.

"You have got to be kidding me." He growled lowly before smacking his red buzzer.

The three judges were enjoying David's torment. He crossed his arms across his chest and watched in utter mortification as the four men continued to roll their hips to the groove, showing off their rippling muscles.

"This is talent?" David asked disbelieving to his fellow judges who snickered. "Push the damn buzzers."

"Someone's jealous."

"I'm not." He hissed.

Simon cackled but complied David's wishes, pressing the red buzzer. The people behind their back 'booed'.

David twirled around. "Oh, shut it. You're just it in because they're hot."

After two torturous minutes, Callista descended from the stage bewildered, face crimsoned. David was shirty and the other three were completely chuffed.

"That was, erm, peculiar." Callista said awkwardly, rubbing her wrist. "But all I can say is you have brought wonderful smiles to our audience, especially the girls."

Most of the female ratio inside the London Poladium vociferated.

"You, boys, are sexy and amazing." Alesha articulated. "I think someone might be a bit envious."

David tensed.

"Wonder who." Simon sang.

"Let's vote." David blurted, settling on his seat.

"Obviously, it's a no from me." David tightly stated. Simon voted 'no', as well.

Alesha and Amanda opposed to the boys and had large grins on their faces as they said 'yes'.

Callie pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to her microphone, watching the four individuals before them who shared nervous glances.

"I'm sorry. No."

They nodded and waved, leaving the stage with their hoods in hand

"Nice guys, aren't they?"

"Absolutely." David replied sarcastically.

Callie frowned. "I'm sorry, am I missing something?"

Amanda giggled next to her, patting Callie's shoulder. "You have no idea, sweetheart."

"What?" Callie pressed. "What is it?"

They didn't reply to Callista's question and had opted to shut their mouths, just to tease the oblivious girl.

David took a sip on his coffee, hiding the smile that tug at his lips.

Jealousy is a nasty, green monster.