"You're not kidding?" Summer stared for a good thirty seconds across me, her fork stabbing her half-eaten salad.

I shrug, taking a sip of my Pinot Grigio. Oversleeping left me alone in the house and a note that made me very well informed that I will stay alone until they get back from the zoo. Refusing to succumb to solitude, I invited Summer Daniels to brunch at Andrei and France's restaurant, because where else do we get VIP treatments for being best friends with the owners?

"Really? On a scale of one to ten, how serious are you about dating your ex-admirers?" She gaped at me, wide-eyed.

"Eight and a half." I told her about giving second chances to a few guys who used to like me. I needed someone to react more positively than Nathan did the other night. I am aware that he is just being overprotective but I doubt if he would help me track them down. Besides, my golden trio of friends has had more ears deep in the town gossip.

Summer smoothed out the top of her raven bun. "Okay, Chassie George, why?"

"I think I just have to."

She picks her glass of water and eyes me behind the rim. "You must be really bored."

"Maybe," I say smilingly. "You're going to help me?"

She lets out a happy squeal. "Of course, I will. That could be fun."

"What could be fun?" Andrei came up from behind me.

Summer waves him over to the vacant seat next to her. France took the one to my side. "Chassie wants to track down some of his admirers and date them."

The newcomers engulf me in speculative gazes. "Really?"

"Yes," I answered with a grin.

They exchanged glances, then both squealed like high school girls. France squeezed me into a side-hug. "We're going to help."

"Count us in. I've never been this excited for a very long time." Andrei reaches for my hand on the table and gave it a squeeze. "Life had been dull without you."

My hand flew over to my chest. "I'm deeply touched."

"Wait, who's the first target?" Summer beams, resuming with her salad.

I fidget with the napkin. "Well, Tom Evans. I have no idea how to contact him though without getting too obvious." Hearing it out loud sounds oddly exciting and a tad overwhelming. It would've been easier if they were invited to the welcome home party, but dad certainly made sure those boys are never within a mile of me.

Same old dad.

Andrei snorts-laugh, his brown hair elegantly brushing his forehead from when he shook his head. "Have you forgotten that you're besties with moi? Do I have to remind that you have France right there who is friends with literally everybody? He has more friends than my brothers have bedded."

"Oh. We're talking about Vren and Christian, right?" I scrunch my nose. He was right with the juxtaposition, because it was a convincing image.

"Am I to assume the tabloids are true about your promiscuous brothers?" Summer asks around a forkful of salad.

Andrei regarded her with an indecisive look. "Most of them."

"Well, don't be ashamed of that. At least your family is fun. Mine is nothing but tea parties and kissing ass."

"More or less." He shrugged. "I can say our family is well proportioned. There's my oldest brother Cade who's a misunderstood genius as much as he's a misunderstood recluse. His exceptional IQ is strictly not for socializing. Then there's Vren who dates at least two heiresses a month. And my brother Christian who we all know flirts with anyone wearing panties. But, to make up for it, my good brother Matthew came next. I guess he keeps karma away from those two for devoting his life on charity. Which reminds me, he hadn't been home for six months because of his medical conferences."

"And of course, you came next. The best person in the world." France clasps his hands together on the table and smiles fondly.

Andrei tucked an imaginary strand behind his ear. "I know."

"How's your youngest sister doing?" I asks.

"Ichinandra's finishing college. And have been busy following Matthew's footsteps."

"Wow. Good for her."

"Yeah. Now moving on to the task at hand." He wags his eyebrows.

Summer sets her fork down. "What do you guys have in mind?"

"Basically, everyone in town comes in and out of those sliding doors." France shifted in his seat, his green eyes glimmering. "I make sure I'm friends with everybody. Especially with our tough competition just right around the corner."

Andrei nodded in agreement. "Some friends remained loyal to us, thank God, even when Sydney Williams started opening up branches all over the city."

"Your ex must be the lucky charm." Summer snaps her fingers as though making a point.

"That's very true," Andrei sustained.

I felt France's arm draping over my shoulder. "Chassie can take him back."

I snorted. "We're just friends now."

"Isn't he part of the list?" Summer asks, genuinely confused.

I shake my head firmly. "We're friends. Besides, I can't do that. He's dating Sydney, remember?"

"I don't know." Andrei narrows his eyes with thought. "Last year, we heard they broke up."

"I heard they're making up." France shots up his hand.

Summer leans back on her chair. "I'm not sure about the label. I thought they're just dating."

"Who keeps seeing someone without a label?" Andrei rolls his eyes.

She threw her hands. "I don't know. Nathan is a saint. He waited years for Chassie for crying out loud."

Three pairs of curious eyes zeroed in on me. "What?"

"You're still "friends" with your ex, he must've tell you something." Summer gave emphasis to the word friends as if she still hasn't understood the mechanics of it.

I click my tongue. "I never heard them broke up."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. They've been dating for two years." I shoved my arms over my chest to hide the fact that that's all I really know about his relationship with her. I knew he went on a date with her a couple of years ago but other than chucking Sydney's name to our lighthearted banters, their specific status never came up.

"Hey, is Adam Roswell part of the list?" Summer was squinting at the door over my shoulder.

It does ring a bell. "Yes."

"But he's a narcissist. That's just one of the reasons you didn't want to go out with him. Sure, they won the basketball game for you, but even then, you still haven't gone out with him. You remember your excuse?" He leans over, a brow raised.

France laughed. "She had a contagious cough."

"That was the best I could come up with. It worked though."

France patted my arm. "Because he's an idiot."

I was fluctuating between going to the bathroom and skipped interaction with Adam or sat there in defiance to my friends' slight disagreement. There wasn't any choice anymore when Adam Roswell approached our table. "Chassie George?"

I forced the corners of my mouth upward. "Adam."

His eyes look me over. The smile he returned was appreciative. I take it he's over the date I lied my way out. "So, it's true you're back in town."

Out of manners, I stood, side-stepping behind France since he was on the way, and give Adam a quick one-arm hug. "I figured I should take a vacation."

"About time. I never seen you in ages." He chuckles.

A sound vibrated in my throat – probably a small laugh. His brown eyes steadied on me. His built still indicated he played sports in high school (maybe all the way through college?). He showed off a grin that was confident, leaning toward cocky a little. And I might sound a stereotype for thinking it has always been a smile I've accustomed to with jocks like Adam Roswell.

"Do you wanna catch up over dinner or something?" He asks, the grin fixed on his face.

"Are you asking her out?" Summer interrupts, her tone playful.

He chortles. "Yes. What do you say, Chassie?"

"Sure." I shrug. There's an alarm blaring off in the back of my head for having answered too quickly but I ignored it.

"Does tomorrow sounds good?"

I nod.

"Great." He tells me the time and place which is here. Andrei was staring him down in case he have somewhere else in mind. "I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Okay."

Adam continues on his way to one of the tables that were just honing with conversations from customers having brunch an hour ago. It was a busy affair but familiar nevertheless.

"He asked you out." Summer grinned at me as I sink back onto my seat next to France.

Andrei raises a finger. "But remember, if he does something stupid, we'll be here for backup."

"It's safer here. In our plain sight." France winks at me.