One Wild Night

"Wow! It must have been tough for you all," Matt said when Bryan finished giving him a detailed summary of all that had happened in his absence after they saw off Mia and Jeff.

"It was," Bryan agreed.

"If you hadn't shown me that clip, I really would never have believed that Simon was behind that shit. I'm still shocked! I feel so disappointed," Matt said as he walked over to the bar to pour himself a glass of wine.

"You should be thankful he didn't release any stories of you," Bryan said as he did the same, and they both carried their glasses to the living room.

"There was nothing for him to release. It's not like he has a camera planted in my apartment."

"Don't be so sure. He could have released news of you and your stripper girlfriend when you brought her here," Bryan pointed out.

"Oh, that's true! Perhaps the camera wasn't on when I came in with her that night. Or maybe he knew if he released such, we would have suspected something," Matt said thoughtfully and raised a brow when Bryan suddenly chuckled.

"What's funny?" Matt asked when he noticed the mirth dancing in his eyes.

"Listen. Don't insult me, okay? I think I just figured out why he didn't sell your story to the media," Bryan said, and Matt sighed, knowing that Bryan was about to say something stupid.

"It's either Simon doesn't think you are a celebrity worthy of note, or maybe nobody wants to buy your story because they think your life is boring," Bryan said with a grin, and Matt pressed his lips together as he thought of a befitting comeback.

"Yet instead of being flattered that he considered you a celebrity worthy of note, you're pissed. What an ingrate! You had better be nice to him. You never can tell how many nude photos of you he has. We don't want the world to see your tiny pee-pee now, do we?" Matt asked, and Bryan chuckled.

"Is that the best comeback you have? This heartbreak must have affected you more than I imagined--poor guy. Even with the monstrous size of your pee-pee, you can't keep a lady," Bryan said with a tsk, and Matt swore under his breath.

"You are a bastard. You know that, right?" Matt asked, and Bryan howled with laughter.

"Yeah, I do. By the way, did I mention that your dumper left her son with Tom?" He asked, and Matt raised a brow as he picked up his glass of wine.

"Why did she leave Jamal behind? Isn't your brother always busy? Who is going to look after him?" Matt asked as he sipped from his glass, unable to stop himself from being concerned about the kid even if he no longer wanted to be involved in Candace's business.

"You will have to ask her yourself. What's the deal with her though?" Bryan asked as he also sipped from his glass of wine.

"Why didn't you ask your sister about it? Why are you asking me?" Matt asked with a scowl.

"You dragged Jade into this..."

"No, I didn't. Your sister was her lawyer. It was a coincidence that I just happened to reconnect them," Matt said, and Bryan cocked his head to the side.

"Lately, I don't believe in coincidence anymore. Not after all that has happened between me, Tom, Sonia, and Lucy. You both were probably fated to meet and..."

"Oh, please! Stop sounding like a romantic fool. It doesn't suit your bad boy image," Matt said, and Bryan grinned.

"Bad boy? Nah. I've given up that lifestyle, my friend. I'm now a changed man. A one-woman kind of man," Bryan said with a proud smile, and Matt raised a brow.

"So this thing you have with Sonia... I take it you are in it for the long run, huh?" Matt asked, and Bryan similarly raised a brow.

"Why do you ask? Are you interested in her now that your relationship didn't work out with your stripper girl?" Bryan asked, and Matt scowled at him.

"Idiot. Don't call her that," Matt hissed.

"Too soon? Oh, my bad! I actually thought this was the point in our friendship where I get to play the best friend role and get you ice cream to cry over your heartbreak, and then we badmouth her together and call her names," Bryan said with a straight face, and Matt chuckled.

"You're such a fool. Hold on. I need to get something," Matt said as he excused himself and walked over to the kitchen.

Bryan waited patiently as he heard Matt rummage through the kitchen cabinets, and soon he returned holding a butcher's knife.

"What's that for? Don't tell me you want to take your life because of her! For Christ's sake, man!" Bryan exclaimed dramatically as he eyed both Matt and the knife.

"It's for you. Remember what you said? I'd rather cut off my dick than fuck that witch. I'm sure you've been doing a lot of fucking. So you should just cut off your minute pee-pee. Be a man of your word," Matt said, and Bryan grinned at him sheepishly.

"We don't fuck. We make love," Bryan said as he quickly got off the couch and moved away when Matt drew closer to him with the knife.

"Don't come any closer. Else I'm going to call my mom," Bryan warned.

"You're such a mummy's boy," Matt said with a tsk as he threw the knife on the table, "I told you she was going to be good for you, didn't I?"

"Yeah. First time I don't mind hearing an I told you so. I'm crazy about her, Matt. Like head over heels crazy. For the first time in my life, I can't imagine my life without someone. And it's even crazier that I've barely known her for long, and I feel this way about her," Bryan confessed, looking serious all of a sudden, and Matt smiled.

"Crazy enough to wife her?" Matt asked, and Bryan grinned.

"Crazy enough to mother her," Bryan said, and Matt didn't need an explanation to know what he meant. Being married to someone didn't exactly mean they couldn't divorce or go their separate ways later. But having a child with her would mean something would always tie them to each other.

"Good. I love Sonia, and I'm happy for you," Matt said, and Bryan smiled.

"Thanks, man."

"Just make sure you don't mess it up. And be sure to properly cut off ties with all your flings," Matt warned.

"I haven't spoken with any of them since Sonia came into my life. Besides, I'm sure they all saw the news of my engagement and the interview..."

"I said properly, Bryan. End things officially. And tell Sonia about them too, just in case any of them is crazy enough to want to act up like your brother's insane ex. You have been occupied since you met Sonia, and as a result, you haven't even had time to meet with them or do anything. Soon you will return to your celebrity lifestyle and start running into all the temptations that come with being Bryan Hank. If you really don't want to ruin what you have with Sonia, make it clear to them that you have given up that lifestyle. Else there will be lots of misunderstanding, trust me. And I'm not going to plead with Sonia on your behalf if you screw this up," Matt warned before taking a sip of his wine.

"Fine. I've heard you. Thanks," Bryan said, and Matt gave him a thumb up.

"So what have you been up to lately aside from getting dumped? What project are you working on?" Bryan asked curiously.

Matt sighed, knowing that Bryan wouldn't let him hear the end of being dumped. If he didn't already know that it was Bryan's usual way of rubbing your problem in your face until you faced it and got over it, he would have sucker-punched him by now.

"Apart from learning to mind my business, I've been busy on set. We started shooting 'Forever Your Boyfriend' today, and you won't believe Trevor showed up as usual to give me the talk about not getting too close to Lena," Matt said, and Bryan chuckled.

"Poor guy. Every time he gave me that talk, I made sure to be extra close to Lena," Bryan said, making Matt chuckle.

"You've always been a jerk."

"That's why I'm glad that Sonia is not an actress. I know many of them would want to get back at me," Bryan said with a grin.

"By the way, what's your career plan now? And what were you talking about with Jeff and Mia earlier about meeting with your brother's best friend?" Matt asked curiously, and Bryan explained Tom's plan to him as they both reached for their gamepads more out of habit than because they wanted to play.

"It's not difficult to understand why Tom is so successful. Imagine starting an entertainment agency with an A-list actor like you? That's going to be huge," Matt said, and Bryan grinned.

"And having someone like Jeff in charge? I have nothing to worry about. You should join me," Bryan offered.

"Unlike you, I have many pending assignments, and my contracts are still very valid. Making a move like that would have too many consequences and attract penalties I have no desire to pay," Matt said, and Bryan nodded in understanding.

"True. I will be moving to Ludus by the end of the week after I have wrapped up things at the agency. I will only come down here when I need a break," Bryan said, and Matt nodded as he turned on the PlayStation.

"Let's play."

"Give me a minute, I need to check on Sonia, and then we can play," Bryan said as he dropped his pad and went to Sonia's bedroom to check on her.

Once he got to the bedroom, he saw his father seated on the couch beside Sonia while she laughed at something he was saying, "I thought you were feeling drowsy?" Bryan asked, and they both glanced at him.

"I thought so too until Desmond came to keep me company," Sonia said, smiling at the old man who, after consoling her, had told her funny stories to cheer her up.

"Go and keep your wife company. Leave my girlfriend alone," Bryan complained.

"Now that you are here, I will. Eve finds it difficult to sleep when I'm not holding her. We will continue later, dear," Desmond said with a smile at Sonia as he stood and pecked her cheek.

"Thank you," Sonia said, looking into those blue sage eyes she had fallen in love with in the last hour. True to his words, he had carved himself a permanent spot in her heart that had little to do with him being the father of the man she loved.

She suspected that he had also spoken to Lucy the previous night. That explained why Lucy, who had been in a foul mood after her fight with her mother, had been laughing lightheartedly when she saw them both walking into the house. The man was a gem.

"Don't mention it," Desmond said as he walked away, and Sonia followed him with her eyes.

"Why do you look like you're in love with my dad?" Bryan asked, and Sonia giggled.

"Because I am. Now you not only have to be jealous of Andrew, but you also have to be jealous of your dad too," Sonia said as she got off the bed.

"Your heart must be so large to accommodate three men," Bryan observed jealously, and Sonia grinned.

"You have no idea how large it is. It can accommodate even more," Sonia said as she walked over to the mirror to check her reflection.

"Matt is still around, right? I should say hello to him," Sonia said, feeling a bit better than she had been feeling earlier.

"Are you sure you don't need to rest? How are you feeling now?" Bryan asked as he went to stand beside her and feel her temperature.

"I don't know if it's the medicine or your father, but I feel better. I will come back inside to rest if I need to," Sonia said, and Bryan looked at her skeptically.

"Let's just make sure you are well covered first," he said as he led her back to the bed and made her sit before going inside the closet to take a hoodie and socks.

Sonia's heart was filled with love for him as she let him dress him up, and once he was done, he looked at her, "Can you walk? Or should I carry you?" He asked, and her eyes lit up at the thought of being carried.

"Is your ankle strong enough for that?"

"It has healed already. Hop on," Bryan said as he crouched down in front of her, and she climbed on his back.

"The last time I was carried this way was when my dad was alive," Sonia said as she rested her head on the crook of his neck.

"I will carry you every day then," Bryan said, and she giggled.

Once Matt saw Bryan walking in with Sonia on his back, he grinned at her as he stood, "The queen decided to grace me with her presence. I feel so honored," he greeted, and Sonia laughed as she tapped Bryan to let her down.

She embraced Matt once Bryan let her down, and he kissed her cheek, "I heard you're ill. You must be sick of this fool," Matt said, and Sonia giggled.

"It's good to see you. How have you been?" Sonia asked as she sat beside him.

"Not good. Candace dumped his sorry ass," Bryan said, and Matt sighed.

"What happened?" Sonia asked, looking at him with concern.

"She doesn't trust me to be able to handle her complicated life. I can't force myself on her," Matt said, and Sonia nodded.

"It must be tough on you both. Liking each other but unable to do anything about your feelings," she said with a sigh.

"I'm not sure she likes me that much if she can make such a decision so easily," Matt said as he picked up his glass of wine.

"Sonia decided to break up with me on the spot too. Was it tough on you?" Bryan asked Sonia, and she nodded.

"Very tough. Don't give up on her, Matt."

"She did say she likes you, but she's not ready for a relationship yet..."

"When did she tell you that?" Matt cut in.

"The night I called. You weren't in the mood to talk about her, so I didn't mention it. Listen, if you really love her, you should be patient with her. You can't expect her to be ready now just because you are ready," Bryan advised, and Matt glared at him.

"And you just decided to bless me with your wisdom now after taunting me all evening about being dumped?" He asked, and Bryan grinned.

"What fun would it be if I don't make you feel bad before making you feel good?"

"You're dating a jerk," Matt informed Sonia, making her sigh dramatically.

"I know. But what can I do? The heart wants what it wants," she said, making both guys laugh.

"What's this knife doing here, by the way?" Sonia asked as she stood and picked up the knife.

"It's there because of something Bryan said the first time he told me about you," Matt said, and Bryan glared at him.

"Shut up!"

"Tell me," Sonia urged him.

"He said he'd rather cut off his dick than fuck you," Matt said and waited to see Sonia's reaction.

"But we don't fuck. We only make love. So there's no need for it. You didn't tell him that, babe?" Sonia asked, making Bryan hoot with laughter as he stood up to kiss her.

"Damn! I love you!"

"Don't! You're going to get the flu," she warned as she pushed him away while Matt eyed the both of them.

"You are both a crazy duo. You deserve each other," he said, more amused than disappointed.