Four-Letter Word

Fate: April 22, 2009

fate \fāt\ n. 1 : the cause or will that is held to determine events: DESTINY 2 : LOT, FORTUNE 3 : DISASTER, esp. : DEATH 4 : END, OUTCOME 5 : cap, pl: the three goddesses of classical mythology who determine the course of human life

Merriam-Webster and Garfield Dictionary (1999)

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They came together, alternately holding hands and his arm over her shoulder and her arm draped around his waist, eyes only on each other. The bouncer allowed them to enter the already jam-packed and rocking bar, the lights vaudevillian and blinking, the music drumming the heartbeats of everyone in the room. It was the fifteenth anniversary party of their talent management agency, Paddy Talent Management, and Patty and Arnold, the owners of the agency, sure do know how to throw a bash.

Alec was on the other side of the bar, but he noticed them because she was wearing the brightest smile in the room, and he was smiling the I-got-the-best-woman-in-the-world-in-my-arms smile. He knew the guy as they have the same management agency, but that's all there was. Well, maybe there was something more—they do have the same ex-girlfriend, Tricia, but that's another story, one that wasn't of significance today.

They weren't even friends, just mere acquaintances, but he heard a lot of things about the guy the girl was with (not from Tricia, as they rarely talked exes).

Alec shook his head. Fate = 4, Alec = 0, he thought. How many times tonight had he found a girl he would like to talk to and she's taken? Is there a shortage of single women in this planet? I thought women outnumbered the men? And in parties like this which Paddy Talent Management holds, the events are teeming with women, most of them single, but there seemed to be some shortage of that tonight. Why?

WHY? Alec asked himself, his smile grim.

But this one, this girl, for Alec, was different.

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On the other side of the bar, despite being in Richard's arms and holding hands with one of the best-looking guys in the party, Callie was searching for a way out. She didn't like parties—well, she does, but not this one in particular, as this was a party of Richard's crowd. Richard's crowd wasn't Callie's crowd, no matter how much she and Richard jive so well and no matter how many models and talents from Paddy Talent Management she had worked with in the past five years she had burned in the ad agency where she worked. And she knew the minute they step onto the floor, Richard would drift away to socialize with his model friends. It wasn't always the case, but it was always better to be prepared when it happened.

It didn't surprise her—Richard was the social animal, Callie wasn't, and it's not like she was Richard's date in this party. He just brought her because he wanted her to loosen up because she had been stressed the entire week. If she had a choice, she'd rather loosen up in Richard's place, watching DVDs or playing video games on his Xbox. Or cuddling—an option that has been available to her the minute she asked him for a huge not-so-common favor you ask from a friend. But Richard has this party, and he wants her to meet other people. Frankly, she has met more than her fair share of models, but she didn't have the heart to tell Richard that.

"Will you be okay?" Richard asked, turning to her. He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a sweet, gentle fleeting kiss on the lips. "Yep," she replied, winking at him, thinking she was getting really good at fooling Richard with her emotions. She tiptoed for one more kiss. It was always 'twin kisses' with Callie and Richard—it never was just one kiss; it should always be two or three or more. Richard deepened the kiss, pulling her close by grabbing her nape and molding her body towards his and then releasing her, heading to the bar to get a drink.