Miss Ana's restaurant was nowhere other than their favourite place to eat together since high school days. Even after Kieran dropped out until a year ago, they still visited.
The middle-aged woman, Miss Ana, cooks the best chicken soup in the entire Skybridge. It wasn't easy to find someone with her level of cooking expertise.
Kieran's car revved to the front of a yellow tent, and he pulled over. Same place, same face. Even after so many years, the tent remained a symbol of their shared bond, their immature gossips and secrets shared with one another... with no one other than the savoury, watery chicken soup sitting with them.
Kieran, for a moment, looked here and there. But saw no other cars parked near the tent. This made him raise his brows. Or, maybe Jaxon wasn't yet there.
But stepping inside through the nylon-covered entrance, where brown plastic chairs and tables lined up ahead, Kieran saw the two of them already sitting: Jaxon and Zyn. But Kieran put the thoughts aside when he saw Miss Ana.
At the far corner as usual, steering the simmering chicken soup cooking on a gas cooker. Even if things weren't looking all good for now, Kieran smiled and greeted the woman.
"Hello, Miss Ana!"
She turned over from the cooker and looked his way. Jaxon signalled to him to join them. A warm smile spread over Miss Ana's face.
"It's my boy, Kieran!" she exclaimed as Kieran walked deeper into the room. With one hand holding the steering stick and another by her waist, she added, "You're looking so nice."
Kieran smiled back. "And you too, Miss Ann."
And well, he was telling no fib. She was still looking nice despite her age. Even back in the day, no one here could deny men tipping and asking them to help get Miss Ana's number. Because she seemed closer with them... like a mother to her children, they said. Giving expensive soups out for free counts as that, doesn't it?
Raising her brows, Miss Ann turned back to her cooking, which was when Kieran sat beside Zyn on the bench as well.
"Well, it's nice to see you guys all grown up now," the woman mumbled in a soft tone.
Zyn looked at Kieran for a moment, not shy or anything... but stabbing the fish in her soup while glaring at him. Kieran gulped and looked away, getting what she was onto.
The soup literally smells like a strawberry mixed with hot pepper. With a slightly voluminous amount of water added. Not too thick, but a bit spicy.
Kieran leaned towards Jaxon and whispered, "You said you had something to say. Have you finally got your boss pregnant or what?"
Jaxon chuckled, but with a tight expression. "Shut up, dimwit. Is that how fast you impregnate someone?"
Kieran moved his head here and there playfully as he leaned back. "I won't know. I dropped out of school early."
Jaxon said nothing, which was unlike him.
Before Kieran could continue, Miss Ana's soft, yet loud voice asked, "Have you been eating well, Kieran?"
Kieran looked up to see her bringing a steamy soup to his table. He nodded with a smile. "Yes." And as he collected the bowl of soup and a spoon, he said, "Thanks for the food."
"And is your work paying you well?" Miss Ann asked, returning to the gas cooker and wiping her hands with a handkerchief. "The country is not smiling with how expensive everything has gotten in a few months. I hardly even get customers. It isn't the same for you guys, right?"
Zyn put down her spoon and replied, "N..."
"Yes," Kieran cut in with a tight smile. Zyn and Jaxon stared his way in surprise. But he pressed on, keeping his face as smiley as possible, "But we're managing."
"That's such a relief," Miss Ann said. "That's nice, you three. Don't end up like old folks like me." Then, wiping her hands one last time, she excused herself, "I'm gonna have a smoke out there."
Kieran and Zyn nodded at her, and she exited through the back door. Jaxon mumbled while turning the fish in his soup over and over.
"You didn't have to lie about your situation to everyone. You're popular, and they will know one way or another."
Kieran, his tone slightly laid-back, sipped some soup. "I don't know. Maybe I'm not used to telling people I'm now some unlimited money SOB." He took another sip before adding, "It's funny I just did a show-off somewhere, yet I'm saying this. Anyway, what did you want to say, Jaxon?"
Zyn glanced at Jaxon right away. She was just remembering that he had said that in the group chat.
Jaxon took some soup... It was obvious he was holding back from saying what was on his mind. But finally, he did say, "I thought about it. About the car you bought us and everything."
Kieran swallowed the chunks of fish in his throat. Now, things were making sense a little...
"It's not that I am ungrateful or something, but just think about it... which self-made person just nods and accepts a multimillion-dollar car like that?" Jaxon let out his mind. Now, Kieran got an answer to his earlier thoughts of Jaxon not driving his car to the restaurant. So, this was it...
Jaxon looked Kieran in the eyes, "I know we're friends. And you're the best someone can ever wish for. But let's think about it. What you bought for us... it's too much of something you can just accept like that.
I don't know, no idea what to do or anything, but I just felt like the cars were too expensive. A Koenigsegg Trevita is worth 4.8 million dollars for God's sake."
Zyn coughed over her soup... How much was her Pagani then? She quickly searched it up, and what she saw left her agape.
Kieran said nothing, rose from the bench and walked to the fridge close to the gas cooker. Then he took out three canned liquors - their usual alcohols to take. He placed one each before everyone and sat back beside Zyn. As he gulped down his drink, he said to Jaxon,
"There is nothing wrong with feeling that way. Just let everything out. You can talk to me."
And so, Jaxon did. Through the night, Kieran listened to all Jaxon had to say. He was the kind that would tell you he hated you, or, like he said to Kieran, that he might start getting jealous of his wealth now that it was hard surviving at his own place of work.
And this kind of a friend was the best, by Kieran's standard, because they tell you everything without hiding things. Communication is the key, they say. In a moment that resonated with Zyn's dilemma too, she headed over to grab more liquor and they drank their hearts to stupor.
She cried her eyes out over how hard it had been running her fashion store... when her ex-boyfriend, after Kieran, stole all the money in their joint account. How stupid she was to trust a man that much - Kieran said.
He couldn't drink with them because he would be the one driving. In the aftermath, he tucked them into the front seat of his car and went back into the tent.
Kieran opened Miss Ana's wooden ingredient box, which was also where she kept her purse. And he put the hundred thousand dollar cheque inside. Then he went to the backyard to say goodbye. The woman was even flabbergasted by the car he drove, not knowing what she would go back to finding would change her life forever.
***
Back in Kieran's penthouse, the few maids available inside took Zyn and helped her to bed. She was a heavy drinker like Jaxon, but there should always be caution with everything. Kieran himself took Jaxon to another bedroom. While his friend was fast asleep in bed, Kieran stared at him for a moment.
Jaxon's word resounded in his mind, making his chest tighten with sadness and urging him to do something.
You're way better than us now, Kieran. Like a god to worthless ants. And I don't expect too much from nature - I don't usually get what I want. But just know that... I might get jealous of you soon. And I'll be sorry.
Kieran sighed, arms crossed. He knew he had to do something. Something to bring his friends even closer than ever before.
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A/N: Hello... This humble being kindly asks you guys to pls leave comments and send power stones if you enjoy reading this novel. This is the only way I can know you guys are enjoying it, and get motivated. Love you! 😊😍