'Is This Our Wonderland Alex?'

Chapter Five - Forget About It

Alice P.O.V

'Alice what's your full name?' Alex is smiling like he has some sort of secret. It's infectious. He's not that clumsy boy tonight. He doesn't break eye contact unless he has to and he's not afraid to ask me questions.

Which makes me both ridiculously nervous and unbelievably intrigued.

'Guess.' I say dropping my gaze and smiling up at him again through my heavy eyelashes. I hear him groan under his breath and almost purr with pleasure in the fact that I am making him squirm as much as he is me. He hums lightly under his breath, a smooth lullaby of concentration. 'Do you want a clue?' He nods. and cocks his head to the side as I chose my words carefully.

' It starts with R. IT is multiple things. You are wearing one. There you go. Three clues.' I smile brightly up at him. He watches me, my every move. His eyes trace every line and contour of my face before he huffs out a sigh and looks at himself. He thinks hard before picking at his cufflink and near shouting his answer with delight.

'RUBY, it's Ruby right?' He looks smug for a second before I lightly shake my head. He lets his breath out and lays his hands on the table, face up. 'I don't know. I give up. Will you tell me?'

I stretch my hands towards his, my heart races as I turn his hand over and trace the design of the rose inked on his skin with my index finger. I look up at him am suddenly scared. A his thick brows are furrowed, but he still looks happy.

'Rose. Alice Rose. ' He beams to himself and chuckles a little. 'Rose. It fits you so perfectly.' He says leaning across the table towards me. I open my mouth to ask how so only to hear Jack scream our names behind us.

'COME ON GUYS! WE'RE GOING!' He grabs our hands that are intertwined on the tabletop and pulls us to our feet. I lose my balance a little but Alex has a hand on my waist the second I stumble, sending electric cool tingles all along my side. We're both laughing as Jack hiccups and shouts some more. 

'Where are you taking us , Batman?' Alex laughs as Jack stumbles and grabs both his arms, leans in and mock whispers in her ear.

'STRIP CLUUUUUUB!?' Alex squeezes his eyes shut and laughs. Suddenly Izzy's face pops into view across the room. I dash forward, grab Jack's hand and take off towards her. Alex's eyebrows about hit the roof but I just smirk over my shoulder.

I reach Izzy, dragging Jack behind me as he crashes into everything in his drunken state.

'IZ!' She spins round too quickly and hits the floor. Yep. I am a genius. This will definitely work. 'Wupsies. Up we get.' She struggles to focus on me. 'Jack wants to go somewhere okay, it's his birthday so you're gonna go with him.' Jack raises an eyebrow and looks like he is going to cry with happiness. 'Not like that, Muppet. It might be your birthday but don't push it.

'Alice where am I going?' She slurs excitedly. I look at Jack and back at Izzy.

'Strip club.' There is a beat of silence in which Jack beams, Izzy looks confused and I hold my breath. Then Izzy screams, grabs jacks hand and they run off through the tables.

'WOOO STRIP CLUBBING IN VEGAS WITH JACKY BEEE.' I am laughing so hard I have to hold onto a roulette table when Alex shows up next to me wiping tears from his face.

'Oh my god-' He chortles.

'I know!? And Izzy's reaction-'

'You're a genius!?' He says pulling me into a massive hug. I inhale deeply. He smells like sandalwood and whiskey. He goes to pull away a little quicker than I'd like. He's looking down at me.