Medical Center.
Outside the building.
Adam was totally speechless facing Robin and Lily's self-delusion.
Two months had passed. Even if they weren't heartless, the trail had gone cold ages ago…
Still, Adam didn't say much more. If they were happy, that's what mattered.
Nighttime.
Inside a restaurant next to the Medical Center.
Katie was too young to tag along to Joe's Bar, so they picked this spot for a casual dinner and chat.
"Adam, this is my little sis, Katie."
"Katie, this is my friend Adam."
Robin handled the intros. Lily and Matthew were there too.
"Hey, Katie!" Adam said with a warm smile.
"Hi," Katie replied, sizing him up before winking at Robin. "Friend, huh?"
"We're all good friends," Robin said, shooting Lily a look to start steering the convo.
"Tonight's such a nice vibe," Lily said awkwardly, then panicked under everyone's stares and blurted at Adam, "So, Adam, I hear you've had a battle plan every year on this night since high school, huh?"
"…" Adam's mouth twitched.
That's your smooth transition?
"Of course," he said, slipping into Barney-mode with a playboy grin, launching into his made-up tale. "Tonight's my favorite night every year. I still remember my first high school girlfriend, Judy…"
And off he went, spinning a wild string of scumbag Christmas Eve hookup stories.
Everyone was floored.
"OMG! I can't believe you're that guy!" Lily shouted, jaw dropped. "You're such a jerk!"
"Come on!" Adam threw up his hands, playing innocent. "I was just a high school guy, hormones all over the place. And those girls? Totally into it."
"They were blinded by the 'love' you sold them!" Lily snapped. "How else would they fall for your crap? Hooking up with multiple girls on Christmas Eve—nice move, dude!"
"I was just spreading the love back then, didn't wanna break any hearts," Adam said, still acting clueless. "I didn't force anyone."
"Oh yeah? Where are they now?" Lily smirked. "Bet most of them are stuck in small towns, married with kids, trapped forever. Maybe some of those kids are your little Christmas Eve souvenirs?"
"Uh…" Adam froze, "ashamedly" hanging his head while still spouting scumbag lines. "I didn't mean to! I just couldn't help myself. I made the same mistake every guy in the world does… I know I'm no saint, I didn't wanna hold them back…"
"OMG!" Robin yelled, "You're shameless!"
She said that, but behind Katie's back, she gave Adam a sneaky thumbs-up. She thought he and Lily were killing this performance—absolute fireworks!
Katie, meanwhile, was stunned at first. Adam's stories completely shattered her innocent, lovestruck worldview. The crazy thing? They felt so real. All those little details matched her own feelings and dating vibes perfectly.
It hit her hard. She could picture herself as one of those girls—dreaming of romance, giving everything, only to get played and dumped by Adam, left heartbroken.
Any tiny doubt that Robin might've roped Adam into this act? Gone.
Now, imagining her boyfriend Carl doing the same to her after tonight, tears welled up in her eyes. She decided she'd crash at Robin's place instead of Carl's. If he really loved her, he could handle one night, right?
Until Robin's over-the-top scolding broke the mood.
"You're all lying to me!" Katie's face shifted, glaring at Robin.
"No, no way!" Robin flailed, waving her hands. "This is all Adam's real past—high school boy stuff. We're not tricking you…"
Adam facepalmed.
You're a TV host dreaming of being the world's greatest reporter? With that poker face and acting? Good luck!
"So you told them all about me and Carl!" Katie sneered.
"Okay, yeah, I did," Robin admitted, rushing to explain. "But I just wanted you to hear some grown-up advice. Everyone thinks you should wait a bit, right?"
"Uh-huh!" Adam and the others nodded like bobbleheads.
"See?" Robin grinned.
"You're such a hypocrite!" Katie shot back. "You lost your virginity at 16—what right do you have to judge me?"
"How do you even know that?!" Robin gasped.
"Your diary. You left it in my room. Forgot that after you went to college, your room became mine?" Katie said smugly.
"Rookie mistake. Who even keeps a diary these days?" Adam muttered under his breath.
Robin glared at him.
"I know all your dirt, so don't lecture me," Katie said with a laugh. "Carl and I have been together over two months—it feels like forever. I'm done waiting. We've already done everything anyway, even…"
"La la la!" Robin covered her ears, making noise to block Katie's spill.
Too late—Adam and the others caught it all.
"Even Carl's pulling that off!" Matthew grumbled, side-eyeing Lily.
Lily rolled her eyes.
Adam just smirked silently the whole time.
Yup, at this point, stopping her was pointless. Though when Katie bragged about "trying everything," Adam thought, "That's it? Kids these days…"
"…You even wrote in your diary that virginity's a sham—better to air it out in the sun than cling to it," Katie jabbed.
"Your sister said that?" Adam chuckled, unable to hold it in.
Guess American TV heroines all share the same vibe. Penny said something like that to Amy once…
"Yep!" Katie grinned. "You don't even know how popular she was back then. Though her first boyfriend was gay—"
"Enough!" Robin couldn't take it anymore, clamping a hand over Katie's mouth. She took a deep breath and said, "I've been there, and I regret rushing in. That's why I can tell you this. You're my little sister—I don't want you regretting it too."
"She's right," Adam jumped in. "She's not out to hurt you. And like you said, you and Carl have done it all—waiting a bit more won't kill you. If he really loves you."
"He does love me!" Katie insisted.
"Then test it," Adam said with a sly smile. "Call him now, say you wanna wait a little longer. See how he reacts. True love can handle one night, right?"
"Fine."
Katie thought it over, grabbed her phone, and stepped outside.
Then, Adam and the others exchanged looks and cracked up.
Nothing holds up under pressure.
Especially not love!
---
belamy20