The thorn in my side

As the sun began its descent, two luxurious vehicles glided to a graceful stop in front of the opulent hotel. A sleek, crimson sports car led the way, followed closely by a sleek, menacing black sedan. Two attendants, anticipating their arrival, hastened to the driver's side as the vehicles came to a standstill. A ravishingly beautiful woman emerged from the sports car, turning to offer a radiant smile to the man exiting the black sedan, his silhouette stark against the setting sun. Her gaze swept over him, a mysterious smile playing on her lips, 'Zephyr'. The crystal chandelier cast a warm glow throughout the restaurant. Some diners were enjoying their wine and food, laughing and chatting, while others were dozing off. The girl in the brown sweater startled as the man beside her asked, "Anything else?" Travis smiled as she shook her head and handed the menu back to the head chef. Glancing towards the entrance, where a man and woman had just arrived, Travis leaned in closer to the girl, "Dinner ends at nine," he stated, his tone a subtle nudge. Liesel, arm in arm with Zephyr, followed the waiter, the clack of her heels announcing her arrival. Heads turned as she swept into the restaurant. A satisfied smile playing on her lips. However, her gaze fell upon Travis, who was leaning in close to a girl in a brown dress. A moment of hesitation flickered across her face before she regained her composure and continued towards their table. Zephyr, noticing her pause, glanced at her. A flash of anger crossed her features before she quickly masked it with her usual air of confidence. As Zephyr and Liesel approached, Travis and the girl in the brown dress stood up to greet them. The girl's usually indifferent eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the man who was arm in arm with Liesel. Her reaction at seeing Zephyr seemed to amuse Travis. Liesel moved closer to Travis, her arm slipping around his waist. Her eyes met those of the girl in the brown dress, a knowing glint in her own, a knowing glint in her own. In a seductive French whisper, she purred, [Don't forget our date this weekend, my love.] Liesel released Travis and turned to the girl in the brown dress, a smirk playing on her lips. In French, she quipped, [What an ugly duckling we have here.] She offered her hand, but the other girl ignored it. Zephyr watched the unfolding drama, sensing a silent war between the two girls. One was Travis's ex, the other his fiancée. He remembered Liesel's earlier comment when they first arrived. She had remarked, "I have to look my best. After all, I'm here to meet my boyfriend's fiancée." Boyfriend, not ex-boyfriend. What a tangled web they were weaving. Zephyr glanced at Travis, who seemed more amused than concerned by the situation. Feeling she'd made her point, Liesel covered her mouth, feigning surprise. "Oh dear, force of habit. I was speaking in French. What I meant was, that dress looks lovely on you. I'm a friend of..." She paused, pulling Zephyr and Travis closer, "these two charming gentlemen." To ease the tension, Zephyr stepped forward, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm so sorry I couldn't make your engagement party. I'm Zephyr." The girl in the brown dress looked at his outstretched hand but didn't respond. Her gaze was distant, unlike the expectant look she'd had earlier. Zephyr realized that as Liesel's friend, he was probably not welcome. Travis smirked and slung an arm around Zephyr. "Come, let's sit down." --- Travis clinked his glass with Zephyr's and said, "It's about time you came back. My mom's been asking about you non-stop. She heard her friends were looking for suitable matches for their daughters." Liesel butted in, "You know how he is. He only goes for girls who've been hurt before, just like me." Zephyr thought to himself, 'Isn't it Travis's fiancée who's been cheated on?' But he just shook his head and chuckled. The waiter rolled a serving cart over to their table. He pulled a bottle of wine from the ice bucket and smiled at Travis and Liesel, who was sitting on his right. "This is a complimentary bottle for couples dining with us today." he explained. Zephyr panicked. Hadn't anyone told the waiter that Travis's fiancée the girl in the brown sweater, was sitting on his left? Liesel giggled, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at Travis then the girl in the brown sweater. ""Well, I guess we make quite a pair, don't we?" She thought to herself, 'If it weren't for that girl's wealthy family, Travis would never have looked twice at someone as plain as her.' Liesel turned to Travis's fiancée and said, "I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding earlier. Please let me apologize on behalf of the waiter." Liesel extended her hand across Travis to clink glasses with Travis's fiancée. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she managed to spill some wine on Travis's sleeve. "Oh dear, I'm so clumsy!" she exclaimed. Pretending to be flustered, Liesel grabbed a napkin and then pulled Travis to his feet, said, "Luckily, you left some clothes at my place last Saturday, and I just happened to have them in my car."" Zephyr watched as Liesel and Travis hurried away. Travis's fiancée, the girl in the brown dress, remained completely unfazed, calmly cutting her steak. He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Was she suppressing her anger? And if so, how long would she be able to keep it bottled up? The parking garage was deserted. A man in a white shirt and a woman in a dress were alone behind a car. Liesel rested her knees on the trunk. Travis's bag of clothes was right at the edge, but she deliberately pushed it deeper inside. She stretched, feigning an attempt to reach something out of sight. Travis crossed his arms, his eyes lingering on the curve of her hips. Slowly, he approached, unbuttoning his shirt. Liesel turned around and collided with Travis’s chest. He had been standing right behind her. She looked up at him, and for a moment, the only sound was their ragged breathing. Zephyr and the girl in the brown dress were the only ones left at the table. He'd never felt so awkward. Zephyr had a strange habit of attracting women who were going through breakups. Whenever he met one, he would feel compelled to comfort them, which often led to them falling for him. Feeling obligated, he would reciprocate those feelings, but these relationships were always short-lived and ended amicably. Once again, he found himself in a situation where he was the only man around a heartbroken woman. His instincts told him to comfort her, but his conscience warned him shouldn't cross that line, especially since she was his friend's fiancée. To make matters worse, he didn't even know her name. Travis had never bothered to introduce him to his fiancée. How could he have a conversation with someone he didn't know? As he pondered what to say to break the awkward silence, Travis's fiancée put down her knife and fork, looked directly at Zephyr, and asked an unexpected question. "Why did you decide to study abroad?" Zephyr stiffened. He took a sip of wine and looked away to hide his discomfort. The question had struck a sensitive nerve. Trying to sound casual, he replied, "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision." The girl in the brown dress seemed unsatisfied with his answer but quickly realized she was making him uncomfortable and dropped the subject. Zephyr changed the topic, trying to show interest in her. "I'm curious, how did you two meet?" Meanwhile, behind the red sports car, two figures were locked in a passionate embrace. Liesel bit Travis's lip gently before pulling away. She grabbed the crumpled collar of his shirt and looked up at him with pleading eyes, her voice still raspy from their kisses. "Tell me," she demanded. "Tell me it's all because of your mother. That she's forcing you to marry her." Travis stroked her cheek soothingly. "We should probably head back to the party soon. My fiancée might get suspicious." Liesel pulled away, her expression turning sullen. "If you want to go back so badly, go by yourself." Travis pulled her back, his grip firm. She punched him lightly in the chest. "You're such a liar. What are you trying to do?" He glanced up at the security camera before leaning in close, his breath hot against her skin. "I mean we should go back after we take care of some unfinished business." His fingers trailed down her side as he nuzzled her rose-scented neck. --- Zephyr sighed as Travis handed his credit card to the waiter to pay the bill. The dinner had left him feeling more exhausted than a night shift. While Travis and Liesel had suddenly disappeared, leaving him alone with Travis's fiancée, Zephyr had tried to lighten the mood by making small talk about wine and food. After half an hour, Travis and Liesel returned, both dressed in new outfits and walking arm in arm. What were they trying to do? If they wanted to provoke or taunt Travis's fiancée, they shouldn't have dragged him into it. Travis's fiancée seemed so pitiful. Was there a particular reason why she was putting up with this? Zephyr followed the three of them to the lobby. Finally, this nightmarish dinner was over. While he was thinking that everyone could go home, Liesel's game wasn't over yet. She grabbed Travis's arm and whined, "I don't think I can drive myself home." Zephyr, who had just received the car keys from the waiter, walked over to them. "Alright, I'll give you a ride." Then, turning to Travis and his fiancée, he added, "Ly seems pretty drunk." Liesel waved her hand dismissively. "We can't exploit Dr. Zephyr like that." Then, turning to Travis's fiancée, she asked provocatively, "I'm sure Icelind won't mind, will she?" Suddenly a key clattered onto the marble floor. The three others turned to look at Zephyr. He quickly bent down to pick it up, avoiding their gaze. Liesel laughed. "Are you drunk too?" Zephyr wished he was. Anything to forget this night. Liesel looked at Icelind, her arm still around Travis. "You won't mind, right Icelind?" As Zephyr heard the name "Icelind" again, he couldn't help but look at Travis's fiancée. Travis was the cause of the conflict between Liesel and Icelind, yet he seemed indifferent, like a bystander watching a show. He glanced at Zephyr, who was still kneeling on the floor, clutching the dropped car keys. Zephyr, who was supposed to be an outsider in the love triangle between Travis, Liesel, and Icelind, now seemed to be the most troubled. His eyes fixed on Icelind, filled with confusion, shock, and a sense of loss. The clock on the wall chimed nine o'clock. Icelind's gaze locked onto Liesel's as she took Travis's other arm, her expression a mix of amusement and disdain. "Of course I mind," she replied lightly.