The Heart System

Chapter 809: Chapter 809

The event wasn’t quite a party. Stingy Ladies was celebrating the long-awaited opening of the karaoke rooms they had built in the smaller building behind the main bar.

The two buildings were connected by a cozy little outdoor area. Once you stepped through the double doors at the back of the bar, you entered a small garden enclosed by brick walls and wooden fencing. Warm string lights had been hung overhead, stretching from one side to the other and giving the area a soft glow despite the evening darkness. A few small tables were scattered around the garden, each surrounded by simple wooden chairs. Some had small lamps sitting in the middle, while others had candles inside glass holders.

The garden was noticeably quieter than the main bar. The music coming from inside was muffled by the walls, leaving the outdoor area with a relaxed atmosphere. Small bushes and potted plants lined the edges, and a narrow stone path ran through the center of the garden toward the second building. The karaoke building was smaller than Stingy Ladies itself, but its entrance was brightly lit, with a sign above the door announcing the new rooms.

I sat at one of the tables with Melvin, holding my beer while I looked toward the entrance.

"She isn’t here yet," I muttered. "We’re early, Melvin."

Melvin looked up from his drink and shook his head. "No, no. I think she’s late."

"Or we’re early."

"She’ll come, right?"

"Why are you asking me?" I scoffed. "It was your plan to come here."

"Yeah, I know." He glanced toward the entrance again. "She’ll come."

I took another sip of my beer and leaned back while Melvin did the same. From inside the main bar, the sound of a band playing live music drifted through the open doors. Every so often, someone would step outside to smoke or talk with their friends before heading back inside.

We sat there for another few minutes, mostly watching people come and go.

Then the double doors opened again.

Penelope stepped outside.

She wasn’t alone. A man walked beside her, dressed casually in a dark shirt and jeans. Penelope was talking to him when she suddenly noticed me sitting at the table.

Our eyes met and I gave her a small nod. She immediately looked surprised. She said something to the man beside her, and the two of them changed direction and walked toward us.

"Evan," Penelope said when she reached the table. "You came to the karaoke opening as well?"

"Yeah." I smiled. "We figured we’d check it out."

Penelope glanced at Melvin before looking back at me.

"Oh, Evan, this is my boyfriend, Julian. Julian, this is Evan. He’s Mendy’s friend, the one I told you about."

"Hey," Julian said with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

I gestured toward Melvin.

"This is Melvin. He’s a friend from work."

"Nice to meet you," Melvin said.

Julian nodded politely. "You too."

Penelope looked toward the karaoke building before turning back to us.

"Are you two just sitting here, or are you planning to try one of the new rooms? I heard they have a discount tonight because it’s the opening."

"Uh..." I rubbed the back of my head. "I don’t know yet."

"Well, come if you’d like to join us," Penelope said. "We’re in room 102."

"Right. We’ll swing by if we get bored of waiting."

Penelope gave me a small nod.

"Thanks. See you."

"Yeah. See you."

She turned and walked away with Julian, heading toward the karaoke building.

I watched them for a moment before turning back toward Melvin.

Damn, Penelope had a boyfriend. I had no idea. She had never mentioned him to me, although I couldn’t exactly blame her for keeping that part of her life private. Still, considering what I knew about Penelope’s personality, I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for the guy. He probably had his hands full keeping up with her. Her sexual drive was just... out of this world.

"Yooo," Melvin whispered, still watching Penelope walk away. "Were those real? The boobs I mean?"

"Boob..." I exhaled in disappointment. "Of course they weren’t," I replied, shaking my head. "Your jaw was practically on the floor, Melvin. I thought we were here for Isabella."

"Right, right. I need to focus."

"Yes, please."

Melvin took another drink of his beer and forced himself to look toward the entrance.

"Isabella will come."

"I hope so," I replied. "Because I’m starting to think you’re going to forget why we’re here."

The door opened, and Melvin perked up, but it was only the waiter coming to the table behind us. He collected the empty beer bottles from their table and walked away. Melvin then put both hands on our table and lowered his head.

"Aw, man."

"Does it have to be Iseballa?" I asked. "If I were you, I’d..."

"Yes." He cut me off. "It has to be her. I love her, Evan."

"Okay. Why?"

"How can I explain love?" he asked defensively. "I just love her. It’s that simple."

"Alright, alright. Whatever you say, lovebird."

"Do I smell like beer? Should I chew more gum?"

"We’re drinking beer, Melvin. We’re in a bar. Of course you’re going to smell like beer."

"I wanna smell good."

"Then don’t drink it."

"But I already paid for it."

"A single beer." I smiled. "It’s a price to pay for your love, Melvin. Trust me on that one."

He grabbed his beer bottle and lifted it toward his mouth, then stopped and seemed to think about something. After a few seconds, he shook his head and finished his beer. He then pulled some minty gum from his pocket and started chewing.

This guy was something else.

"I read that girls like mysterious men," he said. "Like cold, emotionless, cool."

"What?"

"Like, always calculating stuff. They like men who see them as pawns."

"Where did you read that? I Can’t Be This Idiotically Edgy Dot Com?" I scoffed. "Just be yourself. No pawns, no weird stuff. Be natural and let the rest follow."

"Yeah, I thought so." He nodded. "Act natural."

"You’re thirty, Melvin. Thirty. You’re a lot older than me." I pointed at him. "You should be the one giving me advice, not the other way around."

"Well, I’m sorry for not having that much experi..."

He stopped, his eyes suddenly widening. I followed his gaze and saw her. Finally... Iseballa had just entered the garden area. She was carrying a tray filled with empty bottles, glasses, and a couple of ashtrays, so she was obviously still working.

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