the celebration
Niall hasn't seen or heard from Astrid since they parted ways at the curb of the airport.
Matt and Oscar finally met Astrid when they came to pick Niall up. The introduction was brief — quick hugs followed by goodbyes — because Astrid's uber arrived a few minutes later. She ordered it whilst they waited for their luggages. Somehow, in that short amount of time Oscar managed to make Astrid promise that she'll come and hang out with them soon. Just as she got into the uber, Niall leaned against the open window and told her that she didn't have to follow through with the promise unless she wanted to.
"I'd love to hang out with three of you soon," she had said to him before the uber driver started driving away.
That was over two weeks ago.
It's Thursday today and Niall has just gotten out of a meeting with the members of Chelsea's executive board. They're adamant on keeping him on the team so they offered a higher pay (higher than Manchester City's offer). They also made sure to tell him how valuable he is in the team and how he is possibly the best player, which he humbly denied because he could think of a few other names who could be considered as the best players.
There's Oscar and then there's Matt who are both very skillful on the field. There's also Tom who has improved tremendously since last season. That said, knowing that the executive board members think he's the best player is exactly the boost he needs for his confidence. As long as he does not let it get to his head and affect the way he plays. Overconfidence is not a good trait.
Niall makes his way to his car and as soon as he climbs into it, his phone starts ringing. Oscar's name flashes on the screen. No doubt he wants to know what Niall's decision was.
Instead of answering the phone call straightaway, Niall waits for a few more seconds. When he finally presses on the green button, he doesn't get the chance to say his hello.
"So, did you decide to stay with us or leave us?" Oscar asks.
"What'd you think?"
"I think that you're staying with us 'cause we're a fucking great team and you'd be an idiot to transfer to a different club."
Niall lets out a chuckle. Ever since his friends found out that Manchester City has taken interest in him, they have been making their feelings about this whole transfer thing very clear. They don't want him to accept the offer. But of course, they'd still support him if he thinks that transferring to another team is the best thing for him.
"You know me well, then."
"Damn right I do. Just like how I know you'd say yes to celebrating this news." Before Niall has the chance to protest, Oscar quickly adds, "Your place. Tonight."
And then he ends the call.
Niall pulls his phone away from his ear and looks at the screen. He could message Oscar and let him know that he'd rather not celebrate it but the thoughts of having people come over to his place don't sound so bad to him. He is feeling good about staying with Chelsea, after all, so there's no harm in celebrating it with a few of his friends. Well he hopes for a few but you'd never know when it comes to Oscar.
///
"If we're celebrating me, why do I have to help? Aren't I supposed to just sit around and do nothing?" Niall asks as he walks into the kitchen, carrying a few brown bags in his arms, with Oscar and Matt following closely behind.
They came over a couple of hours ago and dragged him out of his house a few minutes later so they could get some essentials for the party: beer, chips, beer, ingredients to make guacamole and tomato salsa dip (Oscar is surprisingly amazing at making those two because he learned it from his grandma who always insisted on making him work in the kitchen when he's younger), and more beer.
"Like you'd trust us in your kitchen," Oscar counters as he places the brown bags on the counter. Some avocados spill out of the bag and Niall quickly catches them before they hit the floor and hands them to Matt. He trusts Matt more than he trusts Oscar in this kitchen. "Besides, maybe you'd finally learn to make something else other than your infamous roasted chicken and pasta."
"You love my chicken and pasta," Niall replies. Sounding slightly less confident, he turns to Matt and asks, "Don't you?"
Matt nods. "Yeah."
He's aware that he's not the best cook; in fact, he knows Oscar is a better cook and Matt agrees with that, but his roasted chicken and pasta are well-loved by people he knows. He's surrounded by people who aren't afraid to take him down a peg or two so when they said they liked his cooking, he knew they're telling the truth.
"Of course, but it'd be nice to change things up every now and then," Oscar pats Niall's back as he passes him to get to the fridge.
Niall opens his mouth to reply, to tell his friends that occasionally he makes curry so pasta and chicken aren't the only things he could cook, but the sound of his home phone ringing interrupts him. Brows furrowing in confusion, he turns to his two friends. "I thought we're not expecting anyone until after 8?" It's a little after four and it's too early for anyone to show up.
Matt shrugs and then turns to Oscar, "You did tell everyone that we start at 8, right?"
Oscar rolls his eyes. "Yes, I did. But that's probably Adriana. She's come to help."
"Adriana?" Niall repeats. Oscar nods as he slices the ripe avocados they bought from the supermarket just now. "Why's she here early?"
Still focused on the avocados, he replies, "I told her that she could come early if she wanted to help. Looks like she took the offer."
Niall gives his friend one last look before he slips out of the kitchen to answer the home phone. He's told that an Adriana Ferreira is at the lobby and he's asked if she'd like her to be sent up. He tells them that she's one of the expected guests for the party and if someone else who is on the list shows up early they should be sent up to his place too, and a few minutes later, Adriana steps out of the lift.
"Hey there, stranger," Adriana says as they greet each other with a hug. Stepping back, she keeps his hands on his arms, assessing him. "How're you?"
Niall smiles. "Great. You?" Adriana lets out a heavy sigh as she retracts her hands. "Tough day?"
"I had to deal with the most annoying client today. I thought I was gonna go mad," she groans. The distaste quickly disappears, however, when she shoots him a wide smile and adds, "Let's just say I'm glad I'm here now."
Niall can't fight the warmth that spreads through his chest at the way she's smiling at him. He's not sure what to think of that reaction because it's a pretty new development for him. Sure he's felt his heart beating slightly faster when Adriana leans closer to him or when she laughs at his jokes or when she touches him, but feeling warmth pooling at his chest at the mere sight of her smile? That's new.
Niall quickly snaps out of it, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind. He'll deal with them later when he's alone.
"Sounds like you could use a drink or two," Niall replies as he leads Adriana inside. They head straight for the kitchen where Niall takes out two bottles of beer for him and Adriana.
"Hey, you started without me," Adriana comments when she sees Oscar is already adding other ingredients into the large bowl that Niall forgot existed and stirring them together with the mashed avocados.
Oscar looks up, an apologetic look written on his face. That's a look Niall doesn't see much because around him and Matt, he's unapologetic most of the time. Oscar gives Adriana a hug before he continues with his guacamole. "You can help me with the salsa dip."
Adriana claps her hands in excitement -- as well as she could since she's holding a beer in one hand -- before she takes a few sips then puts the bottle down. She takes a place beside Oscar and asks him how she could help him.
"Are we gonna make it spicy?"
"I'd love to but I'm afraid our Niall won't be able to handle the spice."
Niall wants to open his mouth and protest. Lets them know that he can handle the spice but the last time he did that, he had to chug down two glasses of milk after trying out a really spicy food Oscar made -- if he thinks long and hard about it, he can still feel his tongue and throat burning. It was another food he learned from his grandma -- bless Grandma Carrera.
"We could make a spicy and non-spicy dips," Adriana suggests. "If that's okay with you?"
"Yeah, of course."
Adriana beams. "Great! I'll get started on it now."
Suddenly feeling weird for not doing anything in his own kitchen, Niall asks, "Is there anything I can do to help?" With Oscar preparing guacamole and Adriana helping him with the salsa dip and Matt preparing a cheese platter, Niall can't be the only one in here who is not doing anything.
"I thought you wanted to sit around and do nothing?" Oscar quizzes with a raised brow and an amused smile. "What changed?"
Niall rolls his eyes at his friend, but otherwise doesn't say anything else.
Adriana pulls her lower lip between her teeth as she looks around the kitchen. Niall hates how his eyes are drawn to her lips at the moment. Not now eyes, Niall reprimands himself, not when your friends are in the same room and are probably watching you like hawks even though they pretend like they're focused on something else.
"You can help me with the non-spicy dip if you'd like," Adriana says. That, he could do. Niall takes a few sips of his beer then puts it down on the counter and makes his way to stand next to Adriana who then tells him what to do for the dip.
They work well together, Niall finds, because less than thirty minutes later, both the spicy and non-spicy salsa dips are ready to be served. They could've taken less time but between chatting about his meeting earlier and Adriana talking about her latest client, they end up doing this whole more talk less work thing.
With everything prepared and refrigerated, Oscar and Matt take a bottle of beer with them to the living room, leaving Niall and Adriana alone in the kitchen.
"So--"
"So--"
Niall and Adriana share a laughter before he tells her to go first.
Leaning against the counter, Adriana asks, "So how was your New York trip?"
They've talked about this via text messages before but he supposes it doesn't feel the same as talking face to face about it. He did leave a lot of details out in those messages, only focusing on the event and the touristy things he did before he left. And for some reasons, he didn't, not once, mention Astrid to her.
"It was great," Niall replies. It's the same reply he gives to everyone who's asked him about his trip to New York. "Wished I could've been there longer."
"I bet," Adriana smiles.
"Have you been to the natural history museum?" Niall asks. He knows Adriana has been to New York before and since that museum is a popular place amongst the tourists, he figures she must've been there.
"I went there once when I was eight, I think, so I'm sure my memory isn't doing that place any justice."
Niall talks about the park he visited next and then he talks about Times Square, about how he finds that particular place fascinating. Niall also talks about GearUp's event and how psyched he was that he got to meet Omar Bryant. When he's done recalling (almost) everything that happened in New York, he says,
"God, sorry. I bored you, didn't I?" Niall's cheeks are warm with embarrassment. He's not usually one to dominate a conversation. He always prefers to listen rather than talk but he just spent twenty minutes or more talking about his trip to New York.
Adriana shakes her head as she replies, "No, no, absolutely not. I love hearing you talk." She must've suddenly realised what she just said because her eyes widen a second later and her entire face turns scarlet. Niall doesn't mean to be a tease but when she stammers to cover herself, he feels a smile tugging at his lips. Adriana notices it and when she gives him a little shove, the smile turns into a laugh.
"What?" Niall asks her.
She rolls her eyes at him. "Stop laughing at me," she says to him. And then to herself, she mumbles, "Stupid unfiltered mouth."
The warmth in his chest returns and this time, he welcomes it.
///
"So glad you're staying, man!" Tom exclaims as he pulls Niall in for a hug that knocks the breath out of Niall's lungs -- and not in a good way. He pats Niall's back three times before he pulls back and says, "The Foursome won't be the same without you."
"Four—" Niall clears his throat. He's afraid to ask but he has to or else, he'll spend the rest of the evening thinking about it. "The Foursome?"
"Yeah!" Tom replies, nodding. "You, me, Matt and Oscar. The Foursome. The Great Foursome."
Niall wishes so badly that he's heard Tom wrong but when he turns to Oscar and Matt, wondering if they're hearing the same thing, he gets his answer. The surprised look on Matt's face and the disgusted look on Oscar's face tell Niall that his ears didn't deceive him.
Niall is about to tell Tom to come up with a different name, a more appropriate one preferably, but stops himself. He doesn't want Tom to think that he wants him to give them a name. Oscar would probably have his head if Niall even so much as implies that Tom is considered as a part of their little group. So, instead, he nods and says, "Well. that's... That's an interesting name."
"Yeah," Matt chimes in, "Interesting."
"I know right?" Tom grins before he continues, "I came up with it myself."
He seems very pleased with himself that Niall doesn't have the heart to tell him that The Foursome is possibly the worst nickname he has ever heard.
"Anyway, later, man. Those chips are calling my name."
As soon as Tom excuses himself to get something to eat and drink, Oscar throws his head back and groans. "God, he's the worst."
Whereas Niall lets out a chuckle, Matt asks, "What'd the guy ever do to you?"
Oscar narrows his eyes at Matt. "He annoys me and I'm not the only one who thinks that. Niall thinks he's annoying too."
"I--" Niall opens his mouth to tell his friends that he doesn't think Tom's annoying but he can't lie to them. There are occasions when he finds Tom almost insufferable. He always says things that he should keep to himself like the things he said earlier and he doesn't seem to realise it. That said, Niall doesn't want to say those thoughts out loud. So he shakes his hands, holds his hands up and takes a couple of steps back from his friends, "Don't drag me into this."
Oscar regards him with an irritated look. "Well, Tom's annoying and I think everyone in this room agrees with me," Oscar stands firm with his point. He's not one to budge easily, anyway. Pointing openly at Tom, he adds, "Aaaaaand he's hitting on your girl right now."
Niall frowns. When he follows Oscar's line of sight, he finds Tom talking to Adriana. He's standing so close to her, invading her personal space. Although Adriana is laughing at something Tom just said to her, Niall could see discomfort in her body language and facial expressions. He doesn't know how he could recognise that but that doesn't matter, does it? He needs to go rescue her from Tom who if left alone for longer than five minutes might say something that would offend her or anyone around them. That has happened numerous times before.
But first, to Oscar, Niall says, "She's not my girl."
"Oh right. Astrid is."
Niall scowls at his friend. Before Niall could say something that he will probably regret, Matt steps in, clasps Oscar on the shoulder and says, "We need to refill the chips."
Niall shoots Matt a grateful look as the older friend steers Oscar towards one of the cabinets where they keep the chips they bought earlier. Before Niall crosses the room to get to Adriana, he pulls out his phone from his pocket and checks to see if he misses anything from a particular person whilst he's socialising with his guests.
Niall didn't tell anyone about it but a few hours ago, he texted Astrid and invited her to this little party they're throwing in the last minute. He still hasn't heard from her. Disappointment threatens to run through him but he shakes it off. He shouldn't feel disappointed that she didn't reply to his text messages or that she might not show up to this party at all or that he hasn't heard anything from her since they landed.
Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Niall looks around the room for Adriana. He finds her still talking to Tom and she looks even more uncomfortable than she did a few minutes ago. Tom also has leaned closer to her, completely unaware that he's making her uncomfortable.
Niall makes his way to Adriana and he gets there just as he hears the end of Tom's sentence.
"... it'll blow your mind, I promise you."
Niall could've sworn that Adriana visibly relaxes when he comes to stand next to her. He likes that he has that effect on her.
"Sorry, Tom, didn't mean to interrupt you and Adriana but I promised her that I'd give her a tour of my place."
Tom opens his mouth, closes it then opens it again. "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead." Then to Adriana, he smiles and says, "I'll find you later, yeah?"
Adriana simply gives him a tight-lipped smile. Niall leads her to the living room where a few of his teammates are hanging out on the couch, watching a movie on his big television. They ask Niall to join them but he turns down the offer and tells them that he'll join them later.
When he and Adriana reach the bottom of the stairs that lead them to his bedroom where no one is hanging around, he stops and turns to face her.
"Are you okay?" He asks, his voice is full of concern.
"Yeah," Adriana replies. "Thank you so much for that. I owe you one."
Niall shakes his head at her. "You owe me nothing," he says, "Did Tom say anything offensive?"
"No, not really." Adriana answers. Her forehead pucker and then she says, "But I think he just asked me out on a date."
"He... He did?" Niall asks. He shouldn't be surprised because they're talking about Tom after all and he's notorious for asking girls he just met out, but damn it he is. "And what'd you say?"
"I didn't give him an answer," Adriana tells him with a shake of her head. "He was just telling me how my mind will be blown if I go on a date with him and then you came and rescued me."
He has impeccable timing, Niall would say. But he'd be a liar if he says that he's not the least bit curious to know what Adriana would've said if he didn't rescue her.
As though she can read his mind, Adriana says, "I would've told him no, by the way."
Niall hates how he feels relieved when he hears that because why does he feel relieved? Why does the thoughts of Adriana going on a date with Tom bothers him? He and Adriana are just friends and he doesn't have feelings for her.
Or does he?