Leaning against one of the support pillars at the lodge, Alex would find his phone still in his hand, mindlessly scrolling through his social media feed, a familiar knot slowly forming within his chest, along with an irregular heartbeat. Why was Alex so nervous? He was simply meeting up with an old friend, it wasn't like they were exes or meeting up for a date, or having some sort of affair. It was a simple hang out, just like they would always do back in the day. So why was this so hard? Taking in a slow breath, Alex's mind began to kick into overdrive, a horrendous habit that he simply couldn't seem to shake. Did he look good? Was what he wore appropriate? Should he have dressed up a bit more? Opening the camera app on his phone, he looked at his reflection, going over his features. Perhaps he should've shaved? Maybe gotten a haircut? Damn it, there wasn't enough time in the day for him to get ready for this. Maybe he could get a quick shot at the lodge bar before-<br/><br/><i>"Hey you." </i><br/><br/>The moment the words hit his ears, time seemed to slow. A warmth began to spread within the core of his body, and Alex nearly cursed himself. Her voice was comparable to a melody that ensnared Alex completely. Regardless of what he had been going through, he simply couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice, regardless if she was happy or upset with him. It was strange, the hold she had on him. With how long they had spent together, there shouldn't have been anything that would've surprised him with Kelsie, and yet here she was, still taking him by surprise at every moment.<br/><br/>"Hey!" Alex replied, his sapphire eyes meeting her own. Turning to fully face her, his own eyes had looked over her body, perhaps for a bit<i>too </i>long before quickly cutting his eyes back up to her own. It was obvious that they had both changed, physically and mentally. Yet, his mind wouldn't dare let himself think of anything else<i>but </i>Kelsie in the moment. Just how much had she changed? His eyes almost dared to go back down towards her chest before he broke himself out of the intent. They were simply friends, and he didn't dare try to cross that boundary.<br/><br/>"It wasn't too bad. Little bit of a rush here and there, but nothing we couldn't handle." Alex replied, with her arm looping around his bicep. A familiar act, as they were used to doing so back when they were still living near one another. But this time, it had felt different. Her touch was comforting, inviting, and it only caused the warmth in his core to surge around the insides of his body. Nodding at her question of walking, Alex would take the lead, walking her towards the same double doors that served as an entrance to the lodge. Opening it with his free hand, he let Kelsie out first before following behind her.<br/><br/>"I think you might be right on that one. Although, if we do get one, we could always have another 'sleepover'". Alex teased, followed by a small chortle. During their younger years, their parents had also grown close, considering one another best friends, similar to Alex and Kelsie, to the point where their weekly hang outs would span into the late hours of night, causing Alex and Kelsie to often fall asleep in their respective playrooms, or bedrooms should they decide to watch a movie that night.<br/><br/>The walk towards the bar wasn't too long, and thankfully the cold hadn't been an issue, for Alex at least. The wind had grown silent, and the only indication of the temperature was the snow that was already clumping together on the ground, and the misty clouding coming from their mouths whenever they spoke. Alex had always exuding a ridiculous amount of heat, letting him wear his clothes comfortably. "And maybe we can skip watching the Blues Clues movie and opt for something more...adult oriented?" Alex replied with another chuckle.<br/><br/>The Lazy Jewel soon appeared right in front of them, thanks to the short walk. With Alex opening the door for Kelsie once again and letting her lead them through, the warmth of the bar had immediately hit them, as well as the classical music that was playing from the speakers. The bar had seen some renovations, with the stained dark brown wood floors having seen better days, yet it gave the bar some character, along with complimenting the darker shade of brown that was given to the walls. Large, spherical light fixtures were hanging from the ceiling, offering ample lighting for the customers. Near the end of the bar was the bar itself, with some stools lining up at the front of the counter, with some customers already taking over the bar, the bartender striking up a casual conversation with them while grabbing bottles off the shelf and mixing the drinks. To the sides of the bar, along the walls, were booths which were mostly empty, with some tables being near the middle of the room.<br/><br/>One of the waitresses, a woman with purple hair and dark make up, approached the duo, a small smile on her lips. "Good evening guys! Just two?" She asked, which Alex nodded in response. "Yes." Taking two menus, the waitress would turn back to the couple before beginning to move towards one of the booths. "If you guys will just follow me." she replied, leading them towards one of the more secluded booths towards the back of the bar. Motioning towards a booth, Alex would begin to slide into it, sitting next to Kelsie as the waitress slid a menu onto the table in front of them. "Alrighty guys, here's your menus. Can I get you guys started on any drinks, and would anyone like to open a tab?"<br/><br/>At the mention of a drink, Alex knew he shouldn't have ordered one. Being a light weight was embarrassing enough, but he knew how he was with a drink. Yet, maybe,<i>just maybe, </i>he would be able to control himself. As long as he paced himself properly, he could take it slow and enjoy his night, as well as calm his never ending frenzied nerves. "I'll just get an Old Fashioned. And tab's opened on me for both of us." Alex stated. If there was one thing he wouldn't let Kelsie do, he refused to let her pay. At least for tonight. With the waitress writing down Alex's order with a nod, she turned to Kelsie. "And for you, ma'am?"