Chapter 7: Dangerous Flirting

8:07, Lena sent me the address. By 8:19, we were heading down from our room and walking toward the pizzeria. Around 8:25, we arrived. I tend to walk fast, which forced Levi to keep up. We spotted Lena and Yvonne already there. Lena wore a fitted graphic tee tucked into high-waisted mom jeans, topped with an oversized denim jacket. She accessorized with layered necklaces and statement earrings, and her white sneakers and Yvonne opted for a flowy blouse paired with tailored trousers, adding ankle boots for a touch of sophistication. Minimalistic jewelry kept her look elegant, and she carried a structured handbag. As we got closer, I noticed Yvonne narrowing her eyes, a slightly confused look crossing her face—probably surprised to see Levi there. I couldn't help but smile as we approached.

"Hi," I greeted them.

"Hello," Lena replied first, followed by Yvonne's soft "Hi."

Levi stepped out from behind me, moving closer to the girls to introduce himself.

"Hi, I'm Levi Cro—" he began, but Lena quickly cut him off.

"Cross, Levi Cross, we know. Now sit your a** down," she joked.

"Stalking is fun, right?" I teased Lena, a playful grin on my face.

"I know, right?" she laughed in agreement.

Then she added, "Anyway, I'm sorry for the last-minute invite. I know I didn't give you guys much time."

"Don't worry about it," I assured her, my tone light. "Honestly, a night out with you two is worth a little spontaneity, right, Levi?"

"Yeah, absolutely!" Levi agreed enthusiastically, glancing at Yvonne. "We couldn't resist the chance to join you ladies." Yvonne raised an eyebrow but didn't look away, clearly intrigued despite her skepticism.

I shifted my focus back to Yvonne. "So, Yvonne, any chance you're going to make this a regular thing?"

Yvonne crossed her arms, a teasing smile creeping onto her lips. "Are you saying you want it to be a regular thing, Felix?"

Levi burst out laughing. "Oh, he totally does!"

I shot him a look but laughed it off. "Anyway," I said, "let's grab a seat. So, Lena, are you planning to keep surprising us like this?"

The group settled in, the atmosphere turning casual as they browsed the menu. At one point, Levi brought up my dropshipping side hustle, capturing Yvonne's attention.

"Wait, so you're basically running a business?" she asked, a mix of surprise and curiosity in her voice.

I leaned back, pretending to be modest. "Just a little something to keep the bills paid. Not all of us can survive on charisma alone," I quipped, glancing at Levi with a smirk.

Levi shrugged, grinning widely. "Some of us just have natural charm," he shot back, earning a laugh from Lena.

"What about you, Yvonne? Do you do something similar?" I asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" she replied, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You seemed intrigued when Levi mentioned dropshipping," I pointed out.

"Oh, right." Yvonne smiled, her expression brightening.

"Yeah, we run an online business where we sell clothes and stuff," Lena chimed in.

"That's great," Levi replied, his enthusiasm evident. I gave Yvonne a sidelong glance and rolled my eyes, but she just smiled back at me.

At that moment, the waiter approached. "Oh, do we have two couples here?" he asked enthusiastically.

"If we were two couples, do you really think I'd be sitting next to this ugly a**?" I joked.

Levi and Lena laughed, and Yvonne giggled.

"Haha." The waiter laughed. "Fair enough," he added.

"Alright, get me a 12-inch cheese pizza and a Coke, please." I ordered first, then Lena, Levi, and finally Yvonne. The waiter left with the orders.

"Yvonne, want to give me your number?" I asked, hope bubbling within me.

"You know what? Sure," she smirked. Then she handed me her phone. "I'm too lazy to type it. Just type yours in my phone. I'm just taking a friend's number, alright?"

"Sure thing," I said, trying to hide my intense happiness.

"Here you go." I gave her phone back.

"Should we give you a standing ovation?" Levi teased us.

"I think we should," Lena continued.

"Just shut up," Yvonne added, laughing.

Suddenly, I heard a voice I recognized from behind. I turned to see a guy staring at me—one of the top performers from the martial arts club. He was renowned for his skills in capoeira, and we had a history of rivalry that stemmed from our numerous fights. We couldn't stand each other. He got up and walked toward us.

"I heard someone was trying to impress a girl," he came over, provoking me.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Yvonne asked politely. As she said that, Lena murmured, "Where did this guy come from?"

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Marcus Silva. I'm in the same martial arts club as Felix—"

"That information was supposed to be for later, stupid," I mocked him, adopting a crybaby voice.

"Oh, was it? I'm sorry for that. Anyway, Yvonne, you're really beautiful. May I please get your number?" he asked, giving me a provoking glance. I was furious but kept my slight smile.

"This guy is a weakling anyway," he added.

"Oh, am I? When have you ever won, buddy?" I stood up, speaking loudly. Lena got up too.

"Felix, please." She pushed me gently with her hand on my chest. "Yvonne, give Marcus his answer."

"Sure. Give me your phone," Yvonne stated.

"What are you doing, Yvonne?" Lena sounded angry.

"It's my choice," Yvonne replied while Marcus took his phone out. He handed it to Yvonne, who started typing in her number.

"That's how it's done," Marcus provoked me.

"Call me so it's registered, hun," Yvonne flirted. I maintained a smile on my face.

"You got that, hun. Goodnight for now." He started walking off.

"I can't believe you," Lena said, sitting down.

While Marcus was walking to his table, he called the number.