As Ace and I stepped out of the house, I cradled my bowl of salad carefully in my hands, making sure not a single leaf went astray. It seemed like every time we were headed to Cher’s, it promised to be an eventful evening.

As we approached the car, I noticed that Alex was already seated in the driver’s seat, his expression an amusing mix of patience and amusement. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his perpetually punctual nature.

“Hey, Alex,” I greeted as I slid into the passenger seat, salad bowl nestled safely in my lap.

He turned to me with a wry smile. “Oh, so you decided to...