Page 120 of One Nightstand With My Ex's Uncle

LucAS’ POV.

“Hey.” I said, nudging Tray with my foot. “You’re going to have a party, right?”

“Nope. This new year, I’m staying alone.” He replied, scrolling through social media.

“Why?” That was quite odd. “You have parties every year for Christmas and New year.”

“I feel dull.”

“You can’t feel dull. You’ll be holding a party.” I said. Not after I told Emily he was holding a party.

“Says who?”

“Says me.”

“Why?”

“I will give you the money you need for everything. You don’t have enough money, that’s why you’re not throwing a party, right?” I asked, and he turned to me slowly, and just as slowly, his straight face broke into a smile.

“You got me. Now why do you need a party?”

“Because I told Emily you were having one. So, do you have people to invite?”

“So many! About thirteen people have asked if I was having a party or not.”

“Great. You’ll create the order of events, right? I told her the party is overnight, but the real deal starts in the morning by ten. Just invite twenty to twenty-five people. Three or four hours should be enough.”

“Alright. So how much are you dropping for this party?” He asked, with a large, eager smile.

“I’m dropping my card. Do whatever you like with it. For the party, and… it’s also my new year gift to my best employee. The card is all yours for the first day of the year. Ladies, food, later outings… I’ll be expecting an empty bank account.” I said.

“Oh my Gosh! You deserve a hug!” He shouted, and proceeded to hug me, which made me cringe. He eventually forced himself on me.

“You actually made the end of the year special for me. Let’s go out to buy groceries. We’re cooking tonight.” He said, grabbing his hoodie, which he had dumped on the table.

I shook my head with a smile, and followed him out.

The streets were beautiful, and everyone seemed to be in good spirits, awaiting the new year.

“I’m thinking Emily’s with John.” I said, and Tray looked at me.

“Why do you think so?” He asked me.

“It’s obvious. She’s not home, and when I asked, she quickly dismissed it because she doesn’t want to say she’s with John.”

“Why are you so concerned? After all, you don’t like her…”

“Fine, I like her!” I blurted out, and Tray laughed.

“Finally. You admit it.”

“Yes, I do. I keep liking her each day, and it makes me worry. I fell for my nephew’s ex fiancée. Isn’t that just so annoying?”

“She’s a free lady.”

“It’s not something to be proud of. If the public hears about it, they’ll go crazy.”

“You’re not dating for the public, are you?” He asked.

“That’s if she even wants to date me.”

“I’m a hundred percent sure she likes you.”

“Maybe she just likes being friends.”

“No girl is that happy to be with a guy friend the way Emily is with you. I can sense it in what you tell me about you two.”

“You think she likes me?”

“I’m completely sure about it. And you shouldn’t stop liking her too. If this makes you happy, then do it. Who knows when next you’ll see another lady you fancy. That will definitely be in the next hundred years.”

He said, and we walked into the grocery store close to his place. We bought ingredients for the chicken shawarma, we had intended to order in the first place, and back at his home, we proceeded to cook dinner together.

“Sometimes I wonder, what if I met her first? She’s so… I don’t know. The way she laughs is so free, unlike me.”

“It’s natural to like people who are completely different from you.” He replied, washing the chicken.

“Is it? Have you ever met her?”

“Nope.”

“She blushes a lot.” I said, suddenly getting the urge to talk about Emily.

“Okay, wait. Does she smile when she sees you?” He asked, and I recalled her running to me, with an excited look on her face when she returned early from her three-day trip with John.

“Yes, a lot.” I replied, smiling.

“Does she blush when you stare at her directly in the eye?” He asked, and I recalled again the time I had carried her into the room when John had pushed her into the wall. She had blushed hard.

“Yes, she does.” I chuckled.

“Does she talk a lot?”

“Of course.”

“Is she shy sometimes?”

“Most of the time.” I replied.

“I think she likes you.” He said, but I wasn’t ready to be that bold yet. There was still John making his move on her.

At the Christmas party, he sat next to her, and she had been so free, so happy. She had laughed the way she laughed when she was with me. They had built a house of cards together, and she had looked so happy while doing it.

That night, I caught a glimpse of what they were probably like when they had dated. It was unsatisfying to say, but I couldn’t help but admit how good they looked together.

“Why do you look so distracted? I just told you she likes you.” Tray said, nudging me with his elbow.

“Maybe that’s how she is with everyone. Maybe she just likes to blush, and laugh. Maybe she likes being free with whoever she’s with. I would not like to jump to the conclusion that she likes me, knowing it would hurt to discover she doesn’t.”

“Then ask her.” He suggested.

“I’m not crazy. Why would I ask her?”

“Because John wouldn’t hesitate to.”

“They made up after that three-day trip, and I can’t help but wonder what happened on that trip. Why did they become so close? Was it really only an apology it took to get her smiling at him again?” I picked up cooking gloves, only to keep holding them without putting them on.

“Then ask her, man.”

“You don’t think they kissed, do you? He back hugged her the next day.” I said, staring into space.

“Then ask him.” Tray said, tiredly.

“She’s not hiding anything from me, is she?”

“Then ask her.” He said, handing me the chopping board to chop the bell peppers, but just like the gloves which stayed jobless on my hands, the chopping board stayed idle.

“Maybe she doesn’t want me to be uncomfortable, or she doesn’t want to seem like someone who goes back on her words, or doesn’t mean what she says.” I said, and he took the chopping board from me, chopping quickly.

“Honestly, she doesn’t seem like the type to…”

“Just ask her, gosh.” He cut in, chopping the Bell peppers with much more noise than before.

“If they’re together on New year. Tray…”

“Just ask one of them!” He shouted in frustration. “Why are you asking me?” He asked, and carried his things off to the other side of the kitchen, but something was still bugging me.

With all John was doing— being nice, careful, and charming…

Emily was just a lady.

There was a probability that since she once liked him, she could like him again.

She could fall for him.