Addicted

Chapter 3.

The Garden of Eden was only a couple of streets away, so we only walked, the boys talked the whole way filling in the silence. 

The Garden of Eden was a small restaurant located on the corner of two streets and the sound of chattering and laughter was audible from a street away. Chairs and tables lingered out the front of the restaurant, the bright lights of the restaurant gave an almost halo like appearance. The small restaurant was made with walls of a dark brown, an almost black, along with large glass windows circling around the restaurant. A wooden sign hung over the entrance of the restaurant reading ‘The Garden of Eden’, written in white cursive writing, the sign was surrounded by green vines. 

I almost laughed when I read the sign, thinking that Zac was only exaggerating when he was calling the restaurant the Garden of Eden.

“Argh! Isn’t it beautiful?” Zac spoke when we stood at the front. I watched his eyes glisten as he looked over the restaurant with appreciation. “I want to be married and buried here, okay guys? Make my wishes come true.” Making us all laugh.

“Too bad you weren’t born here,” Emmet said making Zac look at him in shock.

“If only!” he laughed.

Wide steps lead to the large front door, which Emmet opened for all of us and I thanked him as I walked past. 

“Hey beautiful!” Zac spoke, walking up to a woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The small pang of jealously rose in my chest, until I noticed her swollen belly.

“What are you doing working? You should be at home with your feet propped up,” Zac spoke with affection laced within his voice.

“You’re too kind, Zac,” she smiled at him. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, only leaving a fringe to hang on her delicate round face. She wore a dark grey uniform that was very tight around her midsection.

“What are you doing here tonight, it’s not Tuesday?” She laughed. 

“We’re celebrating the arrival of our new roommate!” Zac declared, looking over to me which made her gaze look over towards me.

“Oh! She’s stunning,” she smiled at me. “Hi, I’m Tracey, I’ll be your waiter tonight and probably every Tuesday for the rest of your life,” she laughed again, it was a nervous laugh but one that made everyone smile around her.

“So, just the usual tonight?” She looked over at all of us.

“Yes, please!” Zac spoke, cheerfully.

“Okay, well find a table and make yourself comfortable. It should be ready in fifteen minutes, give or take,” she smiled a broad smile at all of us, brushing Emmet’s shoulder as she walked past to go towards the kitchen. 

We found a table next to the window, large enough for the four of us. Once I sat down, I placed my handbag on the back of my chair. Zac sat in front of me, Emmet to my left and Burney to my right.

“So, you come here every Tuesday?” I asked, not to anyone in particular.

“Yep!” Zac replied almost immediately while fiddling with his napkin.

“It’s the only night that we all have off.” Burney responded. “It started off as a once a month type of thing, but we liked it so much that we kept coming back,” he laughed.

Tracey came back then with a bottle of red wine and four red wine glasses and placed them in front of us all and we thanked her individually when she poured us a glass of wine each. 

“I would like to make a toast,” Zac spoke with his glass raised in the air.

“Oh no,” Emmet said making us all laugh.

Zac looked over at Emmet with a pout, but he couldn’t contain it for long as a broad smile broke over his face.

“Here’s to our new roommate!” We all raised our glasses together to clink in the middle with a laugh.

“Thanks.” I smiled over my cup after taking a large sip.

Tracey comes over then holding two large bowels of spaghetti and places them in front of Burney and Zac, left and then came back with two other large bowels and placed them in front of Emmet and myself. 

“I put extra parmesan cheese on it for you guys, just how you like it,” Tracey laughed and put her hand on Zac’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Trace! You’re a saint,” Zac said, already picking up his cutlery.

“Enjoy guys!” Tracey said, before walking away back into the kitchen area. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait, guys…” Zac said with his hands up to the guys next to him to stop them from eating. “The newbie needs to take the first bite…”

They all turned their heads towards me, their eyes eager and waiting.

I picked my fork up slowly trying to contain a straight face as I dig into the spaghetti slowly.

“Today, please, Ali!” Zac almost groaned, which made me laugh.

As soon as I placed the forkful of spaghetti into my mouth I moaned with appreciation.

“OH MY GOD!” I almost screamed at the boys.

Zac laughed, “It’s good, right?”

I spooned another forkful into my mouth. 

“It’s like an orgasm in my mouth!” 

The boys laughed and quickly dug into their meals. I didn’t realise how hungry I was until I had my first mouthful and only a moment later the plate was clear. The boys soon finished their plates after me and we laughed as we licked the plates with our fingers.

“Here… drink up,” Zac said while pouring me another glass.

After my third glass of wine, I was already feeling the alcohol go to my head and we were almost done with the bottle.

“The only problem we have with having another person in the house is that the bottle goes far more quickly,” Zac laughed, his words were only slightly slurred. He poured Burney and Emmet the rest of the bottle before playing with it by spinning it on its bottom by holding the mouthpiece with his index finger.

Even Zac’s hands were beautiful. His thin fingers were like a pianist, the knuckles slightly protruding his clear skin. His denim jacket was folded up his arms revealing his wrists and a lavish silver watch on his left hand. His eyes were casted down looking at his hands working with the bottle, his long eyelashes casting a shadow over his cheeks. His hair was messy and falling into his eyes. He was so naturally beautiful that it almost hurt to look at him.

He snapped his head up at me, like he knew I was looking at him, and I quickly looked away, grabbing my glass of wine and taking a swig of it.

“So, Ali, what have you got planned for the week?” Burney asked, he was only on his second glass- not that I was counting.

“Umm… I start work on Tuesday, but I- uh- I might start looking for a car during the week,” I mattered, trying to look anywhere but at Zac sitting in front of me.

“Emmet mentioned you’ve been employed somewhere nearby?” Burney continued.

“I love it when he sounds so formal,” Emmet chuckled, he didn’t seem like the alcohol was affecting him at all.

“Yeah, I’m working at a bar called The Bar…” I spoke. Original name, I know. It took only one application, a bar license and two weeks to meet up with the owners to get a job there. 

“Oh, I know the place, it’s lovely there,” Burney continued with the conversation.

“It is,” I said, taking another sip of wine.

“Should we get another bottle?” Zac asked, still playing with the empty bottle. 

“I don’t think so,” Emmet said, looking between the three of us. “I think it’s time to go home. It’s getting late,” he laughed, before standing up and going to the front register to Tracey.

I watched him pay for the meal and then turned my eyes towards Zac in front of me, who was staring back at me, but instead of looking away he maintained the eye contact. I watched his eyes lower to my chest and then back up to my face, then he coughs in his throat and then shakes his head.

“Let’s go!” Emmet said when he got back to our table.

We walked home with the boys bickering against each other, while I stood to the side and laughed when one of them pushed the other hard enough, they almost fell. Aside from Emmet, we all talked in a roar of drunkenness, I could barely even walk straight, but thankfully Emmet came to my rescue and put his hand around me to keep me stable. Once we rounded the corner, we came to a stop at the front of the house when Zac came to a halt.

“We need to complete the ritual for our new roomie,” Zac spoke turning toward Burney with an all-knowing look in his eyes.

Burney put his hand into his pocket and fished out a small metal key and handed it over to Zac with a small smile on his face. Zac took it from him and held the key as if it were the most delicate thing in the world and turned to me with a serious look on his face.

“I hereby declare thee, Ali uh…” he paused and looked towards Emmet.

“Scott,” Emmet leaned down to whisper loudly into Zac’s ear.

“I hereby declare thee, Ali Scott, to be the fourth and final roommate we shall ever have.”

The two other boys had their heads casted down as if they were in a prayer, but the large smiles that spread across their face gave them away.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Zac tried to contain a laugh, but a snort came out and we all joined along in a laugh. He lifted up the key in the air as if it was the bread of Christ and placed it gently into my hands.

“Thank you,” I laughed.

“After you.” Zac moved aside and extended his hand to direct me towards the front door. I walked up the steps to the door and realised that none of the boys followed along with me but were waiting where they were. I slid the key into the keyhole and slowly turned before the door clicked open.

A roar of cheers erupted behind me and I looked behind me to see all the boys with their hands raised and jumping, which only made me laugh more.