Magic Ball: the Billionaire in Ranch

35 Dinner of The Past

The boys and Noah went to a restaurant that had an overlooking view of the sea. Fitch handled the arrangement for all of them. Mike and Andy brought their girlfriends who arrived earlier at the venue than the four of them. Robert called Noah again. The guy couldn't help but apologize for tricking him that it was his bachelor's party, but he knew Noah wouldn't attend if it weren't for anyone's wedding.

Noah didn’t specifically tell him that he was pissed about what they did, but since he already vacated two weeks of his schedule, he would go along with their plans.

"Here," Fitch poured him a glass of wine. Noah gladly drank it with one gulp.

Andy threw him an unsure stare, “You’re not angry about us conning you?”

Noah snatched the bottle from Fitch’s hand. He gave them a lop-sided smile. “No. I just happen to miss the wine here in Italy.”

“You should try visiting Spain. You’d probably drown in pleasure because of their wines.” He wagged his eyebrows, the blonde girl beside him, to which Noah assumed as his girlfriend, gave him a smug smile.

“Don’t you just love that?” she said in a low voice that was too hard not to recognize that she’s implying something s****l.

Mike stared at her blue eyes, his smile widening, “How about that…” he said as he snatched a kiss on her pumped lips. The blonde caressed his cheeks as they engage in a passionate kiss that lasted for seconds before Fitch faked a cough.

“There are appropriate times for that.” He reminded them that there are available rooms to be rented downstairs if they feel like they're in heat.

“Animals,” Noah mumbled to himself, and it was also audible to only him.

“I didn’t catch what you said,” Andy said as he turned around to whisper something to the brunette beside him.

Fitch reiterated that both weren't as serious as Mike and his girlfriend and that they just started seeing each other when they first met as co-workers.

“It’s been what, five years since we’ve gathered in one place.” Fitch started reminiscing about the good old days the lot of them would just fool around the school.

Mike nodded, “Remember that one time the teacher wanted me to go to detention because I threw a chalk at him?”

“Hey!” the blonde woman smacked him on his muscled arms.

Mike raised an eyebrow, “What?”

The blonde woman gave him a look as if asking if he's dangerous, "That's rude. You shouldn't have done that."

“You should’ve known what he did to Noah when he pissed him off about the math problem,” Andy added.

The blonde woman leveled her ocean-colored eyes at him, “Punched the handsome guy?”

Mike rolled his eyes, “I did. And he’s not that handsome.”

"Why do you always need to punch someone?" asked the blonde woman while he stole a peek at Noah's face, "and you're telling me that face ain’t handsome?!”

Everyone laughed, Noah, chuckling a bit as he wore his newsboy hat down his eyes. He rummages through his side pockets. A box outlined on his side, and he quickly pulled it.

Fitch’s glanced at the object in his hand. The look he gave Noah was a surprise. Noah didn’t mind. Maybe he didn’t come out as someone who would smoke.

“Since when did you start smoking?” Mike called from the other end of the table. Noah sat next to the railings right in front of the beach. The sunset’s hues covered the white cloth table they had, the orange spreading on the window’s reflection.

Noah placed the stick between his lips. He reached the box to Mike, "Want some?" his eyes were colder, a little bit speckled with greens and yellows. It was lovely to behold. Even the women on the table couldn't take their eyes off him.

Mike shook his head, “No, thanks.”

The blonde woman beside him sighed loudly, and Mike had to crane his neck at her, his stare becoming venomous.

"What?" the blonde woman asked, her face was still going and forth to Noah's form behind the sunset's colors.

“You’re staring at him too much.”

“Am I?”

Andy laughed, “This one’s doing that, too,” he patted the brunette woman’s back.

“Why are you all staring at Noah like he’s some celebrity?”

“But he is!” the blonde woman argued, “Look at him?” she gestured her palms toward Noah. “He’s like that summer beach painting you would place above your bed.”

Mike’s face paled, “What the hell are you saying?”

The blonde woman grinned at him, her pear-like teeth glinting with the sun’s light, “Oh, I’d put him above our headrest, and you wouldn’t anything about it.”

“The hell am I to just sleep there with him above us!” Mike said, his face growing hot. He tore away his gaze from the blonde woman. The brown of his irises found Noah. “This is all your fault!” he pointed a finger on Noah.

Noah blew smoke his way, “She loves you.”

“We all know that,” Andy seconded.

The blonde woman hugged his muscled arm between her chest, “Oh, you know I love you.” She teased as Mike hummed and closed his eyes.

She tugged at his arms deeper until her lips found his ears. She whispered something long, and Noah was guessing it was sensual and promising to Mike’s taste.

The blonde friend they call Mike beamed like the stars upon hearing what his girlfriend had told him. He moved away to have a good look at her tanned face.

“Looking forward to it,” then, he squeezed her into a bear hug. The blonde woman squealed as Mike smothered her with kisses on the cheeks and neck.

Noah wouldn’t normally stand such a thing, but for the sake of this meet-up, he’d huff his chest and blow smoke all over the place.

Soon, the food came. They ate while reminiscing the good old days, Noah’s cigarette box thinning with two hours. He’d have to purchase new ones on the way home.

“I thought we had two more people coming?”

The tapping of heels on wood resonated with the crashing waves of the ocean. Noah didn't have to look who had just arrived in front of him.

He didn’t know if the people around him had been that curious for his reaction when they see each other again.

“Hi,” the woman’s voice was low. Noah could see the way her dress flowed with the wind’s grace.

He looked up, and those protruding, green eyes met with his brown ones.

“Victoria!” Fitch shouted. He stood up and jogged to where she was. Fitch embraced her for a long time, but Noah knew her eyes lingered on him for longer than she intends to. 

It had always been like that for the past six years or so. She would come pleading to him when she doesn’t have anyone to replace guy to replace him anymore. Noah tired of her ways, and soon, he didn’t respond to her attempt at getting back together. There was only an extent as to how much he can accept from her. The worst part about their relationship was that Victoria continued dating other men. At the same time, she slept with Noah, lying to him that she hadn't seen other people while continuously showing him pleasure. 

In all honesty, Noah didn't mind. If she wants to use his body, he will allow it. But, what didn't sit with him was that she lied to the men she was currently dating.

When Fitch broke their embrace, Victoria craned her neck back to where Noah is. Her smile that always got him was plastered on her heart-shaped face.

"It's been years, Noah," she started. She pulled the chair by its headrest and sat in front of a smoking Noah.

He remained quiet as he assessed her body language. “I haven’t heard anything from you since college freshman year.”

Noah took a swig from his beer bottle, “Indeed.” He drank again before letting out a refreshing sigh. “How’s college back then?”

Victoria looked taken aback by the brassiness of his words.

Her beautiful face immediately masked into kindness. Noah thought inwardly that it was one of her traits to best someone with her true intentions. Deep down, Noah knows that she had always used that method to other men she’d met.

Footsteps came from behind her, and then a man appeared and kissed her on the cheek. She gestured her hand at him. The man enclosed her into a tight embrace with one of his muscular arms. The man was two inches smaller than Noah, but he did look like the type that Victoria would have dated.

“This is—” she mentioned a name, and Noah didn’t quite hear it due to the ocean crashing on the sand. “He’s my husband. We’ve been together for four years now.”

Noah almost snorted. The stick he had on his mouth almost fell from the laughter he tried to suppress.

She was still sleeping with him four years ago, and now she dared to tell her friends that she'd been with him for four years?

He took the cigarette from his mouth and placed it between his fingers.

“Nice to meet you,” he reached his palm toward the man.

Victoria’s husband stared at it with an awkward smile. Then, he took it and smiled once more, “Pleased to meet you.”

“The pleasure…” he said as he caught Victoria’s anxious look, “…is all mine.”

The man scratched at his head, “Are you a celebrity or something? You’re emanating that kind of vibe.”

Noah managed a laugh, “Not at all!” Then, he inhaled the end of his stick. The smoke came out from his nose and mouth.

“I didn’t catch your name!” the man said, looking embarrassed. “What’s your name, again?” 

Noah tipped his newsboy hat as he folded his arms on his chest, “It’s Noah.” His voice came out calm.

Victoria shrieked a little. She began looking unsure of what to react.

The man’s face began looking bothered. He looked between Victoria and a smiling Noah.

Realization flashed on his eyes. “You mean…?”

“Exactly…” Noah said as he sipped from his wine glass. He looked up from the brim of the cup and gave them his infamous half-smile.

Victoria masked her face into a jolly expression as if she was happy about two men in her life meeting for the first time.

“Oh…” the man answered as he looked between Noah and Victoria.

"It's been so long since we last saw each other," said Victoria, her eyes seeking their other friends.

“Yeah!” Fitch answered.

Noah’s eyes looked at her left hand, and he saw the little band of gold circling her ring finger.

So, she had already gone to that stage? He thought inwardly.

“Come sit,” Victoria patted the chair beside her.

Her husband smiled and sat beside her. The two of them exchanged glances on Noah, but he pretended he didn’t see them.

“It’s been years…” Andy said, the nostalgia drifting in his eyes, and the sun’s orange hues made it more dramatic than it should be.

“I heard you have a Stream Ranch now?” Victoria asked, her eyes fixed on Fitch even though everyone knew who she was referring to.

“I do,” Noah said. His eyes lingered on the meal served in front of them when the waiter came with the food trolley.

The smell of risotto scourged his nostrils, and his tummy responded with a growl.

“It’s in America,”

“Are you leasing the land?” asked the brunette beside Andy.

“I’m almost done paying it. Probably…” he thought for a moment. “Oh, I’m already done this month.”

“That meant it’s yours?” Mike added. “Cool! Who would’ve thought you’d own your own land at such a young age?”

Noah chuckled, “Well, you need to strive hard.”

“I’ve been working hard for the past years, and look at me,” Mike pointed at his shirt, “I’m a certified white-collar employee who gets bossed around by the CEO.”

“I heard from Robert that you’re the CEO’s assistant now. That’s quite an achievement already.” Fitch said.

Mike rubbed his nose as if blushing because of the compliment, "Thanks, guys."

“How about you, Fitch?” Noah asked while taking a mouthful of risotto in his mouth.

“I’m a professor at an Ivy-league school.”

“If that ain’t cool, I don’t know what is,” Andy said.

“You tell me,” Fitch drank from his wine, “you’re way ahead of me, Ands.”

“Yeah.” Noah agreed and added, “You’re now a chemist,”

“It’s no big deal. I’ve been keen with chemicals ever since Noah and I accidentally made our vials explode during science class.”

“Ha!” exclaimed Mike, “I remember that. Noah had this blank look on his face while you cry from shock.”

“I didn’t cry,” Andy countered, “I was…shocked!”

"And Victoria?" Noah glanced in front of him to a smiling Victoria who's enjoying the developments that were happening in their lives.

“I’m a part time model of Eco and Trees," she smiled at Noah. And Noah returned it.

There was no point in feeling awkward about their pass. After all, they’re taking different paths now.

“That’s a high-end brand, right?” Fitch inquired, “So, you have two jobs?”

Victoria nodded earnestly, “One’s a volunteering and the other one’s modelling.”

“Cool!” the blonde woman exclaimed.

The sky faded into an obsidian black, and soon, twinkling stars began resurfacing.

Noah didn’t expect that he’d be able to relax while Victoria is around, let alone her husband was beside her. But the situation and humble dinner party they had proved him wrong.

He enjoyed listening to what his friends had been doing for the past years. He was delighted more to know that they’re winning against their hardships in life. He even offered them to stay at his Stream Ranch when they happen to visit America. All they’d have to do is give him a call.

The night went on, and when he went to the restroom, Victoria leaned on the wall beside the men’s section.

Noah stood a few meters away from her.

“Do you have a minute?”