“Jeez! What is he doing here?” My head snapped in Jack’s direction when I saw my brother walk into our mini office with David tailing behind him.
I met my brother outside before going in, but I didn’t ask him where he was going. I didn’t know he went out to pick up David.
“What is going on?” I asked Jack in almost a whisper as my eyes never left the two men as they approached our seats.
“I don’t know,” she also replied in a whisper.
“Sis,” I raised an eyebrow when Dale greeted me. I don’t know but I felt that was something fishy playing in his mind judging by the smile he was giving me at that moment.
“Yes, big brother?” I asked him back. He sat down next to Jack who was sitting across my seat.
“David is here,” he grinned.
“Yeah, I know,” I said nodding as I slowly turned to David who walked in my direction and sat down next to me without even saying a word. So the four of us were sitting facing each other with Jack in front of me and Dale in front of David who was sitting next to me. “What is this? What is going on?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“Nah!” Dale replied, shaking his head. “I just invited him so we can have a get together, a small chit-chat… you know,” he shrugged which made my eyebrows form a straight line.
“Invited him? You invited him? I thought you just met at the parking lot as what David told me earlier?”
“Y-Yes, that’s what I meant! We just met in the parking lot earlier, that’s why I invited him to come for a while so we could talk, hang out and, you know, have a little conversation.
Hang out? A little conversation? Huh— since when had the two of them gotten close to each other? I wanted to ask him because, as far as I know, David and Dale have never had an hour-long conversation before because he was my ex-husband’s best friend, so how did this happen?
“Ahh…” Instead, I just said.
“I invited him to come to my birthday next month,”
“Hmm…” I nodded.
“What do you think?”
“Why do you ask me? It’s your birthday, though.”
“I just want you know,” He added grinning again.
“Well, you wish David’s schedule is free that day because he doesn’t spend the weekend outside the hospital,” I turned to David as I gave emphasis on every word.
“Hey, I told you, I’ve changed,” David chuckled. “In fact, I no longer accept Saturday and Sunday schedules. And since Dale’s birthday is on a Saturday, I can definitely come that day.”
“What if you get a call— an emergency call?”
But instead of David answering my question, it was Jack who bit him and answered.
“Sam? He already said he no longer accepts schedules during weekends.”
“I just want to make sure he would come!”
“I will,” My head instantly turned in David’s direction. “I will, Sam,”
“But how will you be able to come when it’s going to be held in San Francisco?”
“Who said I’m going to celebrate my birthday in San Francisco?” I turned to Dale with a frown. “We will just have a simple celebration and I’ll just send you the address before then.”
My gaze flew to Jack who simply shrugged her shoulders at me and then to my brother who I didn’t understand what was going through his head at that moment.
“Well…” The only word I had formed and able to say.
“David, are you free tomorrow?” Dale asked David much to my surprise.
“Yes, I’m free tomorrow,”
David replied and I felt my mouth slowly form an O shape as they started to talk as if they had known each other for a long time… oh, well, yes they had known each other for a long time but I don’t remember them being close because they hadn’t had the chance to be close to each other back then. From the way they talk, you wouldn’t think they just met again or that they just saw each other in the parking lot earlier.
“Ahm… Dale, can I talk to you for a second?”
All eyes were on me when I suddenly spoke in the middle of their conversation. I couldn’t stand it anymore so I decided to snatch my brother because, aside from Jack, I believe he was the mastermind of what was happening in front of me at that time.
“And guys, do you mind if I borrow my brother for a few seconds?”
“Oh, no, sure!”
“Go ahead!”
Jack and David’s responses at the same time. David was grinning but when I looked at Jack, she’s more than just grinning… she’s beaming.
“Dale?” I asked my brother again and he shrugged before getting up and following me out of the office.
“Why? What do you want to talk about?” he asked as soon as he closed the door behind him.
I took a deep breath before placing my hands on both my hips and throwing him a death glare.
“Hey, what is it? Why aren’t you talking?” Even though he was a little surprised by my reaction, he still managed to laugh at me.
“Dale, what are you doing? What are you and your girlfriend doing?” I started firing him.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” he shook his head.
“You don’t understand— my foot! You were setting me up with someone who’s already in a relationship!”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” he continued to play innocent.
“Then now you know! And by the way, since when you two had become close to each other?”
“But we’re not,”
“Oh, really? You were talking as if you’d known each other for a along time! I thought you just met at the parking lot earlier?”
“Yes, we did. We had just met earlier and honestly, I was surprised to see him again after… how many years has it been— two years? Is that right?”
“Come on, Dale Sebastian, don’t play innocent! I know you too well!”
“Because I’m your brother,” he grinned that it made me more annoyed at him.
“Why are you inviting him to your birthday?”
“Why? What is wrong if I invite him to my birthday celebration? It’s my birthday after all.”
“I know but, what for? I don’t get it besides, you said you’re not close so, why do you have to invite him?”
“Yes we are not that close but we have become friends somehow,”
“Since when?”
“Well… he’s one of my girlfriend’s friends so, he’s become my friend too.”
“Whoa! Really—”
“Wait a second! Do you have a problem with David because I can sense that you have since you don’t want me to invite him to my birthday party?”
“I don’t have a problem with him and I don’t mind if you invite him to your party—”
“Then what is the meaning of this? Your reactions seemed the opposite.”
I sighed. It seemed like I was now in the hot seat.
“Like I said, I have no problems with him— none at all! I just don’t like the idea of you and your girlfriend plotting something behind my back!”
“Oh, oh, oh—”
“Dale, you know that David is already in a relationship, so what you and Jack are doing to get us together is no longer possible.”
“Sam…”
“I don’t want to make a mistake Dale, I don’t want to make the same mistake again. I’ve been telling Jack about it. I made a mistake once and we all know it didn’t end well, so please, whatever you and Jack are planning, stop it. I don’t want to ruin someone else’s relationship again.
“I understand, sis, but I promise, I have no intention of playing with you and your feelings. Hurting you is the last thing I would want to happen, so trust me because I won’t do anything to make you feel that way.”
“Hmmp! Can I really trust you, knowing how much Jack has influenced you over the years?”
“Whoa!” He laughed hilariously. “Yes, somehow she did, but you’re my sister and like I said I won’t do anything to make you hurt or to hurt you.”
“Alright,” I sighed, pouting at him like I used to do when I was younger.
“Come on, let’s get inside or else David would really think you don’t want him to be friends with me,”
“Tss!” I snorted, rolling my eyes at him. He placed his arm around my shoulder as he opened the door and as we walked into the office again.