Sin Contrato • Maluma

Chapter 5 ● The Night They Were All Jealous

"Less is more," she smiles. "You look amazing in navy," she puts her hand on my chest after fixing my jacket.

I look up and lock eyes with Eva who raises an eyebrow at me.

"What have you been up to?" I ask.

"Nothing much," Anto shrugs. "Anyway, what do you think this is all about?" She gestures to the room.

"She's pregnant," I lean in and joke.

"God forbid," Anto crosses her arms.

"So, tell me," I say. "What it's really about."

"Well-"

"If everyone could take a seat, that'd be great!" Melissa cheers after calling everyone's attention with some taps of the silverware on her champagne glass.

"Oh, look who finally arrived," I joke.

The room filled with well over twenty people began filling in the seats of the long rectangular table and Anto and I headed over to sit down next to one another, Eva running and quickly taking the other seat to my right straight from under another guests hands.

"When did they get here?" I whisper and Eva chuckles.

○○○

Felipe and Melissa thanked everyone for arriving and we all got to dinner. It was a giant hangout and I got to meet some of Felipe's coworkers and the friends Meli has made since arriving to town.

I was having a laugh with Antonella when Eva put her hand on my thigh and the thought ran through my head.

Does Antonella know that I'm sleeping with her roommate?

"What's up?" I turn to face Eva when Anto's attention gets called over at the other end of the table.

"Wanna go to the bathroom?" Eva asks.

"I'm eating," I nod over at the plate.

"Just a bit bored is all," Eva shrugs just as Felipe gets up on his feet.

"Meli and I wanted to thank you all for coming again. We sometimes have dinner over at our place with some of you guys, but we all know we've never reserved a party room and had all our close friends with us. That being said, there is a special occasion to this all," Felipe puts his hand out for Melissa to take, encouraging her to stand up next to him. "Meli, I know you'd love to break the news," he adds and we all chuckle.

"Well, guys," she smiles and I catch Eva rolling her eyes. "Felipe and I are getting married!"

Gasps and cheers were heard all around the room and those closest to the couple got up to congratulate them. Antonella was clapping, Eva was nodding, and I was getting to my feet to go over to them both.

"Congratulations," I gave Melissa a kiss on the cheek and a hug to Felipe.

Antonella followed me and did the same, everyone in the room was excited and the waiters came around with glasses of champagne for everyone.

"A wedding!" Antonella cheered as we came back to sit down. "I'm so excited."

"I don't know what to say," I chuckle and shake my head.

"A total surprise," Eva nodded, still sitting.

○○○

We all had cake to celebrate the announcement, I was waiting in line to use the bathroom when Antonella came out.

"Can you believe this?" Antonella was still super elevated, even if it wasn't her wedding.

"I can," I nod. "You're more excited than Melissa," I mock her.

"Not to be selfish or anything," Anto gets closer and begins to whisper. "But I think I'm finally a shoe-in for the maid of honor."

We stay silent for a second before bursting into laughter.

"No, yeah," I shake my head. "Melissa would be crazy to pass up on you."

"Wanna get out of here?" Eva came into the hall. "That champagne gave me a headache and I just said congrats and goodbye to Felipe and Meli."

"Oh," Anto starts. "Did you want me to call you a cab, or-"

"No, Juan offered to take me home," Eva lies and Anto and I look at one another. "You can stay."

"I'll come with if you're feeling that bad-"

"No," Eva says once again. "We're going," she grabs my arm and begins to drag me away from Anto who I can only wave at.

○○○

"Can I ask what all that was about?" I start once we start walking down the boulevard and to Eva's.

"Hurry, because Anto will be home soon," she ignores my question. "Knowing her."

"Do you really have a headache?"

"Yeah, kind of," Eva turns to face me.

"So, why'd you really wanna get out of there?" I put my hand around her waist and start guiding her.

"It's not even wedding season," she shrugs. "This is all obnoxious."

"Do you even like Melissa?" I ask.

"Yeah," she simply states.

"You didn't seem so happy at the news."

"I'm just," she stops then shakes her head and starts walking without me.

"Eva," I call out after her. "Eva, what is it?"

"I'm just a bit mad that she's younger than me and is already getting her life together and getting married."

"Yeah, she's younger than us," I shrug. "But she's twenty and getting married. She doesn't have her life together, she's just speeding through it," Eva rolls her eyes and keeps on walking. "Don't you think that it's a bit young?" I call out after her. "When you were twenty you wouldn't have wanted to get married."

"And?"

"So you're just jealous is all," I say. "It'll pass."

"I'm not jealous-"

"It's fine to admit it. I am too," I explain. "I'm jealous that my friend found the one and he's getting married and I'm not even close to doing so."

"The one," Eva cocks an eyebrow. "You really are a romantic."

"Eva," I try to get her to talk to me.

"Now hurry up," she hisses. "Before Antonella gets home."