The Royal Contract

As the night went on, the boys enjoyed their drinks and banter, not minding the time and the people around them.

"Anyway, any of you guys want a date tonight?" Marcus asked as they all had their fourth drink or fifth, except for Alex, who was still in his second one.

"If you want one or two, no one is stopping you." Evan eyed the two girls that kept on flirting with them, just waiting for the opportunity to join them.

"I think he is just heartbroken, so we should let him deal with that in his way." Alex taunted his friend, who still seemed to be dealing with his loss. Although, he did not realize it yet.

Alex believed that his friend was hiding behind his mask of masculinity, not wanting to face the fact that his breakup with Jacky affected him as much as Jacky did.

"No, I am not. What gave you that idea? Jacky and I are over, and I am glad because she turned out to be like the other girls. Clingy and demanding." Marcus said in disgust.

In his opinion, Jacky was not the girl that would tie him down. He only had a lapse of judgment when he thought that he wanted her back. Now, he was completely over her. 

"Are you sure that is what you truly feel?" Alex kept taunting him, wanting to get the genuine reaction from him and not the scripted monologues he kept telling them.

"You know how much I hated when those girls started to feel that my world will revolve around them." Marcus reiterated that he knew what he was saying.

"Fine." Alex gave up, knowing that Marcus was not drunk enough to admit his true feelings. But it would be hard for him to get wasted because he knew how to handle his alcohol.

"What about you, David? Any plans of finding the right girl." Alex asked, hoping that his two other friends had found the correct path.

"I am still dating Rosella, but I doubt if we are going anywhere," David admitted since he was not into a committed type of relationship. Although he seldom went astray compared to the other two.

"Why not? She is the longest relationship you have. Maybe she is different compared to the others." Alex pointed out. But David only shrugged his shoulder as if he could not answer his question.

"What about you, Evan? Have you considered getting serious with a woman?" Alex turned to his other friend.

"Wait a minute, is this a dating game or a therapy session? What are you doing, man? Not because you turned into a 'yes, Maam,' you want us also to follow your lead. I don't know about these two clowns, but I am still young to consider that." Evan shoved his drink into his mouth and ordered some more.

"What about our bet? Is it still on?" Evan suddenly remembered the contract that they all signed.

If Alex was serious about his relationship with Dani, should they terminate the contract as null and void? He questioned in his mind.

"Of course, the bet is still on. It will only get terminated when the time is up." David interjected since he was the, who drew up the contract. "Well, unless everyone would agree to end it without declaring the winner."

"About the bet, I am willing to pay each one of you what I owe if I lose the bet. But I wish to nullify the contract and for all of us to forget it ever happened. I don't want this stupid idea to get back to Dani." Alex asked his friends.

"As the by-laws said, everyone must agree. Here is my answer. No." Marcus said as he took a sip of his drink. "You will thank me later, my friend, when things did not work out with you and Dani."

"I guess that concludes the question. The bet will remain in place." David stated since there was no other way to nullify the agreement without everyone's vote. They had lived with this rule, and they could not change it now just for one.

"I understand," Alex said, knowing that there was no way he could convince his friend to change their mind.

If he would put himself in their situation, he would probably do the same. He would not want them to coerce his decision. It was a rule for a reason. So that everybody's opinion would matter. Until there was a consensus to change it, then the agreement would apply.

"So, are we done being girls and chitchatting? Can we start the party?" Marcus shouted as he ordered another set of drinks, and this time, signaled for the two girls to join them.

"What are your names, ladies?" Marcus asked when they stood in front of them with their skimpy, sexy dress. The first girl who answered was the brunette named Ester. The other girl was Ruby with jet black hair.

"Would you like to join us?" Evan asked, making a space beside him. 

"Sure." The black hair sat beside Evan while the brunette sat on Marcus' lap.

David and Alex could only look at each other with their friends' antics. But for Alex, he believed that his friends' womanizing days were about to end. 

One by one, they would eventually find their match, and they would not get away that easily, just like what happened to him. But he believed that David already had his match. He just had not realized it yet.

"So, what about another shot?" Evan ordered more before excusing himself to go to the bathroom.

"What about a dance?" The girl next to Evan asked Alex. 

He had been avoiding her gaze since they entered the room, but he knew that the girl's real target was him from the very beginning.

"I'm sorry, but I am not interested." Alex smiled at her but politely declined her offer. He was only here to take care of his friends. After this, he was out of here.

He suddenly regretted telling Dani not to wait up for him. He wished that he could go to her after this. But then again, he remembered that she was also out with Jacky. He suddenly wondered where they went. 

Maybe he could pick them up. That would be a wonderful surprise.