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“Hello there.” She said as she sat down, far more graceful than he recalled her ever being. The woman in front of him had been paraded around by Owen all afternoon. At first, Alejandro had presumed that she was Owen’s date for the night- some of them had brought partners and children with them after all. It was supposed to be their 15-year reunion. Most of them were unable to make their 10 year one, Alejandro included. And yet, here he was at this one completely alone at the bar. Not one person had even come to approach him. Unlike the woman across the room, the one he did not know the name of.
However, all it took was one look at the woman and how familiar she was (the lazy drawl of her body and movements, the sharp and all-seeing gleam in her eye, the snarky comments audible from the other side of the room). That, and Owen’s insistence on showing everyone how ‘awesome and pretty his little buddy is now’.
Alejandro would have been disappointed in himself if he didn’t work out who she was like some of the others. Instead, he just sat at the bar, watching as she sipped her drink and laughed along with whatever the group was talking about. That was one thing that was different, much less familiar. She was animated while she talked, a smile ever present smile on her face that wasn’t just a grimace or smirk. It suited her, Alejandro thought to himself, the lack of heaviness she used to carry with her. it was weird, they were in their thirties and yet, she looked younger than he had ever seen her. he supposed the saying about stress aging you was true after all.
Their eyes had locked a total of five times (he had counted) before she excused herself from the group and slunk over, which led her to taking that seat in next to him, cradling her drink.
“Why hello.” Alejandro returned, taking a sip of his drink.
“What? No romance and flirting for little old me? I’m hurt.” She deadpanned, but the teasing glint in her eye gave her away.
“Ah, but as I remember, you always found it so…distasteful whenever I did.” Alejandro returned once more.
She smirked. “Colour me impressed. Didn’t think you’d recognise me or remember all of that. It’s been quite a while.”
“That it has.” He agreed, returning her smirk. “and it was hard not to, you were always quite vocal in your opinion.”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t like anyone took any real weight to what I said or did.” She brushed off then paused. “It was nice actually, the weird feeling of anonymity. I could say whatever the fuck I wanted and no one would notice, or remember it.”
“I cannot resound with that. You were always quite memorable to me. Your words especially.” He raised his eyebrow as he leant across the bar, not at all subtly hinting towards how they left off. She winced.
“Yeaahh, sorry about that. I was such a little shithead, you know?” Alejandro laughed at the bluntness, at the way she shrugged her shoulders carelessly but still kept that small smile on her face.
“I was not much better.” Alejandro admitted. “Unfortunately.”
She chuckled and raised her glass up. “Well, here’s to our shithead teen years.”
He tapped his glass against hers lightly with his own chuckle. “Cheers to that amiga. And cheers to a new start for Alejandro and…?”
She grinned at him like he had said something particularly good. “Neha. Its Neha now. I had debated going for Noa-without-an-h but I decided to just stick with my legal name instead. Nehal, but my friends can call me Neha.”
“Are we friends then?”
“I don’t see why not. You did look kinda lonely over here all by yourself.”
“Gracias.” He deadpanned. She threw her head back in a laugh, clutching her side slightly. Alejandro just stared at her, then without thinking the words “….you look happy,” came out of his mouth.
Her laughter died down and she looked at him curiously still smiling slightly, head resting on her palm and leaning in to his space. “I feel happy.”
Alejandro cleared his throat, suddenly a tad bit warm- perhaps the alcohol had finally kicked in. Or it was basic attraction. It could have been either. “How has life been treating you then?”
She leaned back, shrugging slightly. “Not too bad actually. Finally won a competition called ‘The Faithfuls’. Used the money to finally get the surgeries done. Been living my best life ever since.”
“Ah, was that the reasoning behind…” he trailed off, not entirely sure if that was the reason behind her applying to Total Drama in the first place. In which case he might have felt bad. If he had won it, he wouldn’t have, but he didn’t.
“Kinda, yeah. But I’m not complaining, I got a geat pair of tits out of it.” She gestured to her breasts and Alejandro laughed again. This time, he finally allpwed himself to look there, to let his eyes wander down the V-necked dress she was wearing. Far less modest than he would have expected considering her love for layers. But this? It was scant in the way that it also wasn’t, draping across her figure giving the illusion that it was hugging her.
He allowed his gaze slowly make his way back up to her face, stopping a little bit too long on a spec of glitter on her neck that he knew came from Lindsay and her outfit. They locked eyes again and he took note of the slight flush on her face, as well as the satisfaction dripping off of it. Oh. If Alejandro played his cards right, then perhaps he may not need to go home alone tonight. “Oh, they certainly are. The best I’ve ever seen.”
“Better be, I paid a shit ton of money for them.” This time when he laughed it was louder than before as it burst out of him unexpectedly, his ribs were aching and she was snickering away from behind her hand, eyes not once leaving him.
“What else have you been up to then? Now that you have left the screens.” Alejandro probed.
“Oh right. I work as a dominatrix at a club across the street.” She circled her drink slowly with her finger and when Alejandro finally brought himself to bring his eyes away and look up instead, the intensity of her eyes bore through him making him feel far too pinned. The flushed heat returned. Her lips curved up slightly. Alejandro choked on his drink.
“You jest.”
The seriousness on her face broke into a carefree smile. “I do.” She laughed. “I haven’t even been to this city before despite all the traveling I do.”
He coughed, tapping his chest to ensure he had no liquids in his lungs. “Must you scare me like that.”
“Oh please, you were into it.” She smirked. “You have a type Mister eel, one that has not changed in the slightest.” Alejandro rolled his eyes and skated around the comment.
“What do you really do then?”
“If I tell you I'll have to kill you.”
He raised his eyebrow and she laughed again.
“Fine, fine. I do bits and bobs. Officially I work as a manager- have my own agency.” She slid a card across the bar to him and winked. “If you’re interested you should check it out.” He looked at it then put it in his back pocket.
“And unofficially?”
“A private consultant for some very important people. A left-over remnant from some shit Chris got into. Trust me, you don’t want to know the details.”
“It wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with his numerous stays in prison?”
“Mayhaps.” She shrugged teasinglt. “So what have you been up to? Settled down yet? Working a seven zero job with a model wife a son and a daughter with a white picket fence house?”
Alejandro brought up his hand to his chest and gasped dramatically, “oh my, how could you tell. Is it my extravagant ring?” he waved his hand, his hand that very much did not have any jewellery on it. Neither of them did.
“Must have been worth a pretty penny.” She commented in faux impressment.
“It was.” He nodded seriously before cracking up while she did. “I am quite single in actuality. Heather and I did not work out for very long at all. I have not had much luck for long term relationships after that unfortunately. Not for a lack of trying. As for work, I currently work as a professor in palaeontology.” Unfortunately, after the lava incident anything physical was no longer in the cards for him. All Stars made that clear to him.
“I do remember you being quite fascinated with them. Though it is a shame, I never thought you would be single at this age.”
“And you?”
“What about me?”
“You have not mentioned any particular partner as of yet. Is it safe for me to assume that you are…”
“Single? Yep. I wanted to focus on moving up in my career, so I never really had the time- didn’t want any distractions either.”
“You had your priorities clear then I see. What about now, is it something you are interested in?”
“Someone is very invested.” She smirked, leaning in.
“Just returning the favour, mi amiga.” He mimicked her body.
“Well then, I guess it just depends. I’m not actively searching for something but if something happens then I won’t be opposed to it, you know?”
“I am well aware of what you mean.” He agreed, watching as she uncrossed her legs and stepped off the bar stool, brushing her dress slightly in a way that definitely called for his attention to her body. Her glass left empty at on the bar. She then paused in her action, looked at him and offered a hand out.
“Hey…do you want to get out of here?”
“Hm?” Alejandro looked up from his blatant staring. She smirked at him, but the look in her eyes were softer. Happy.
“I just so happen to have a keycard to a shitty hotel who don’t care about who comes in and out of the doors.” Her other hand flourished the card to him, a scratchy 022 printed on it.
“Oh my, are you propositioning me?” Alejandro crooned to her as if he was not immediately on board.
“Maybe I am. What are you gonna do about it, eel?” she taunted back.
“I might just take you up on that offer.”
He grabbed her open hand and let himself be led away.