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“We’re out of food and drinks,” Mateo mutters. “I will order something for us.” He gets up to walk towards the counter.

Noel jumps up to follow him. “Wait, I want to decide on my own food. You don’t really have the hang of ordering for others.”

Mateo argues something back, but I can’t hear what he says.

“So, why?” Sterling asks.

I gaze at the whisky in my hand. “I lost my muse,” I finally say. “Something in me just died that day. I don’t want to say that I lost my spark, but it just wasn’t the same anymore. My style and the whole atmosphere in my drawings changed.”

“But is that bad?”

“Is it?” I toss the question back at him before turning my full attention to Sterling. “It shows a side of me now that I don’t want others to see. It’s too private.”

Sterling remains quiet before he nods. “I understand.”

We don’t say any more, just sit in silence. Eventually, my phone vibrates. I am almost scared it might be Kayden again, or Oliver, but to my surprise, it’s Lynn.

“Work?” Noel asks.

I look up, only noticing now that he and Mateo have returned. “Yes and no.” I pull him to my side again. “It’s Lynn. She just left work.”

“Tell her to join us,” Noel offers. “I’d love to get to know her better, too.”

“Your friend?” Mateo asks.

“My co-CEO and best friend,” I explain.

“We’d love to have her here,” Sterling says.

“Well, if you truly don’t mind.” I swiftly send a message to Lynn, inviting her over. Deep down inside, she is a party gal, so I am not surprised when her answer comes soon, agreeing to join us and saying she will bring Cedric along.

seventeen

*ADEN*

Lynn tosses her bag on an empty chair and drops down on the seat between Mateo and Sterling, with a loud ‘umpf’. “Just so we are clear,” she says, pointing at Cedric, whose huge, innocent eyes look at me hopefully. “I truly just bumped into Cedric,” She narrows her eyes to a glare, as if to dare me to tease her about it. “Don’t ask! It was really just a coincidence.”

“We don’t mind,” Mateo says. “The more the merrier.”

“And wehavemet before,” Sterling adds.

Cedric looks at me. “It’s really okay if I join you?”

“You heard them,” I tell him. “It’s fine.”

“Thank you, sir!” he exclaims before settling down between Lynn and Sterling.

What a funny group we are right now. I can’t remember the last time I hung out with people like this, and with such a relaxedand genuinely fun group to boot. Usually, I only go to exhibitions or mandatory events, or I meet with Lynn for a drink. Both Lynn and I usually keep our dates away from each other, mostly because it’s never been something serious.

With Noel, I have crossed a lot of new bridges, it seems, and I have only known him for such a short time. Mateo takes off once more to order drinks and food for Cedric and Lynn. He really seems to have a caring gene in him. From what I heard from Noel, he looks out both for him and Sterling.

“Your food should be here in a couple of minutes,” he says once he is back. “Here are your drinks for now.”

“Wow, thank you!” Cedric’s eyes are wide.

“That was really kind,” Lynn says. “Much appreciated.”

“Don’t mention it,” Mateo says. “Besides, it’s easy to order food for people who are not picky eaters.”