"Let me think about it," Derek Hall said, patting his head a couple of times as the mild effects of the alcohol seemed to wear off. "Listen carefully, Adrian: you, who were always a firm, almost immovable oak, suddenly blossom... It doesn't just happen."
His expression, for once serious, had an unusual weight.
"This isn't a whim, nor a passing fancy out of loneliness or boredom. It shows in your face, in your gaze... It's not something you decided just because. Adrián, are you going to tell me you fell in love with someone?"
His friend's solemn tone made him laugh. Adrian Foster smiled a frank, clear, radiant smile. A smile that spoke volumes. He nodded slowly.
"It can't be!" Derek opened his eyes and mouth as if he'd just witnessed a miracle. His shock was so great that he froze for a few seconds, before his tongue whipped out like a machine gun. "Who is that?! Do I know her? How old is she? Is she from New York? Is she blonde, brunette, or redheaded? What family does she come from? Where did you meet her? Where does she work?"
Adrian looked at him with annoyance.
—What's this, Derek? Are you interviewing me for the civil registry?
Derek laughed out loud, but his eyes sparkled with pure curiosity.
Before he could press any further, a figure interrupted the scene: Anna, Derek's girlfriend, walked over with a confident stride and a big smile. She took Derek's hand and said sweetly,
—Honey, it's almost midnight and everyone is waiting for the birthday boy to cut the cake.
Derek paused for a second, looked at Anna's hand intertwined with his, and then looked back at Adrian. The normal thing would have been to drop everything and go cut the cake, but his instinct betrayed him.
—Wait a minute, babe. This is more important.
Anna raised an eyebrow, though she knew how to read the atmosphere. With all her characteristic emotional intelligence, she left without protest.
"Keep talking, I'll wait for you on the dance floor," he said, smiling naturally.
The deafening noise of the club rose again, the music vibrated in every corner, and the dance floor exploded with light and movement. Adrian and Derek were alone again, surrounded by chaos, but isolated in their own bubble of conversation.
"Good," Derek said, getting back to the point. "Now, spill it. I want to know what kind of woman achieved the seemingly impossible. Who was able to conquer Adrian Foster himself?"
Adrian sighed, and although he had no obligation to give her details, he wasn't going to avoid it.
—She's not a celebrity, nor an Instagram girl looking for fame. She's someone who works with me. An executive, a department head at my company. Intelligent, serious, independent. And yes, I'm attracted to her.
Derek whistled, amused.
"Well, well! So the office paid off. And I thought you only signed checks and played the stock market." She leaned toward him brazenly. "Tell me she's at least as beautiful as the models you're chasing."
"It is for me." Adrian's firmness made it clear. "But I'm not here to make fun of you, but to ask for your advice."
Derek raised his hands, feigning innocence.
—Brother, you know me. I've never had to chase a woman. They always come to me. What advice could I give you?
"Exactly." Adrian smiled ironically. "You're shameless."
Derek took a sip of beer, and suddenly his tone changed. Although he tended to boast, there was a certain worldly wisdom about him.
—Okay, listen. I'm serious: the first thing is never to be a bootlicker. Men who do that end up humiliated. If you chase a woman around like a lapdog, all you achieve is losing respect for you.
Adrian listened to him in silence.
"Love," Derek continued, "is a two-way street. It's not about her being moved by you sending her flowers every day, or about you killing yourself to please her. It's about both of you inspiring each other. If there's no reciprocity, there's nothing."
For once, Adrian admitted that his friend was right.
"I suppose even you, with your playboy life, can have a moment of clarity," he said, half-joking.
"Of course. I'm an expert," Derek replied, puffing out his chest as if he'd just given a college lecture. "I may not pursue anyone, but I know how they think. Believe me, I can tell when a woman is truly interested... and when she's just after a last name or a bank account."
The conversation was interrupted when the shouting in the club increased. The music abruptly dropped and the lights shone on the center of the venue. There, a huge cake shaped like a pirate ship was brought in amid applause and cheers.
Derek was gently pushed forward. Everyone looked at him expectantly.
"Oh, time to cut the cake," Adrian said, giving in to the crowd.
With a wide smile, Derek took the knife and raised his voice:
—I only asked for one wish today: a peaceful life. But since greed is never lacking, I'll ask for another… that my brother Adrián's immediate success in this new phase of his life.
Everyone applauded, and the lights enveloped him as if he were the star of a movie. Adrián raised his glass of beer and toasted with him.
The atmosphere erupted in euphoria. The music blasted again, people rushed the dance floor, and the cake ended up turned into ammunition. Frosting everywhere, girls laughing with their dresses ruined, boys with their faces covered in chocolate. The chaos was absolute.
Adrian, however, stepped back. He ate a bite in silence, watching from the sidelines. He didn't fit in with that kind of madness.
It was then that the woman in the black dress reappeared. Her silhouette, highlighted by the lights, walked confidently toward him.
"You always seem out of place, even here," he said, smiling.
"Maybe because I don't need to fit in with everything," Adrian replied calmly.
She laughed softly.
"I like you for that." He handed her a card. "Are you coming with me tonight?"
Her eyes shone like a seductive weapon. Most men would have accepted without a second thought. Derek, surely, would have her in his arms by now.
But Adrian shook his head.
—I don't feel anything for you. I'm sorry.
The woman looked at him incredulously, as if she had never been rejected before.
Adrian finished his glass, put it on the table and added:
—I have something else to do. Have a good time.
He simply turned around and left the club. The noise, the excess, the chaos… it was enough. He had clearer goals than all of that.
Derek watched him leave and smiled resignedly. He knew him too well: even staying until midnight was an achievement for him.
When Anna asked him, surprised, if Adrian had really left him the Rolls-Royce, Derek tossed the key in the air and caught it with a wink.
—Of course. I'm his best friend. For him, a luxury car is just a drop in the ocean.
Anna tried to persist, implying that her best friend—the woman in the black dress—still wanted another chance with Adrian. But Derek cut her off.
—Don't even think about it. Adrian already has someone he truly cares about. And believe me, those kinds of women… don't interest him.