[002] desperate enough

                     Roman Roy will always remember the first day he met Alice Kim.

                     He had trouble making friends, due to his perverted humor and inability to shut up when it mattered most. So most thought he was a pest - a stuck up, privileged, self-entitled, no-good pest. He wasn't pretty and popular (and manipulative) like Shiv and he wasn't a drug addict like Kendall so he couldn't even have cocaine buddies. Catherine was outwardly mean and bitchy but she was pretty so it cancelled all the bad traits out and made people want to be her friend, hoping to one day be as cool and bitchy as her. Connor was just... Connor. So Roman was really on his own.

                      One of the few people that tolerated him was a guy named Andrew King. Anyone with the last name King had to be a douche, Roman could just tell. And he was right, of course. Andrew King was a gigantic douchebag which made sense why he and Roman were able to get along well enough. But Andrew was more social than Roman, able to turn on and off his perverse nature when absolutely necessary.

                       Still, Roman could never understand how Andrew 'Tiny-Dick' King managed to land a girl like Alice Kim.

                      Everyone knew who she was, thanks to her parents' magazine. Moderne was the hottest magazine, one that everyone and their mother read. When you wanted to be up to date on the latest fashion trends and even politics, that's the magazine you turned to. The Kim family had built their entire empire on fashion and influence, becoming one of the richest and most powerful families in the city. Possibly even the world.

                      Alice was the only daughter, and as far as everyone knew, she was a heinous bitch and a stuck up cunt. Roman could honestly admit that he had liked her from the very start.

                      She didn't really prioritize friendships. People really just wanted to be friends with her because of who her family was, something Alice was well aware of. She only kept a couple people close, worthy enough minions to do whatever she asked for. That ranged from stealing her alcohol (despite her having the money to pay for it) or helping her get the answers to any test that she didn't bother to study for. They did it without asking any questions, and it was almost scary how much power Alice held.

                     Or how she wasn't nearly as powerful as she led others to believe.

                     Andrew claimed that it was his charm that led Alice into his arms. But it was actually the fact that Alice and Andrew's parents arranged for them to start dating. As Roman would later learn after he and Alice became friends, she only went along with it to please her parents. Something Roman obviously understood when it came to his own. And while Alice liked him a little, they both knew that they weren't destined to be together forever. However, Andrew was happy to be dating one of the hottest girls in school and he liked to show Alice off like she was some sort of trophy.

                      Roman didn't get the pleasure of officially meeting Alice until a month or so after she and Andrew started dating. Andrew was throwing a party, inviting all of his friends. Roman went, despite sticking out like a sore thumb. He was really forced to be there like Andrew who claimed he needed to man up and finally land a chick who actually wanted to sleep with him. While that certainly didn't happen that night, meeting Alice did.

                      She was all by herself, drinking a bottle of vodka like it was water. Roman had been drawn to her almost instantly, Alice being the kind of beauty that made everyone pause and stare. Alice was so beautiful that you wanted to go up to her and talk to her, doing everything in your power to get an ounce of her attention and praise. And if you got even one of those, you were the luckiest son of a bitch in the world.

                       At first, Alice had told him to fuck off (as he deserved) when he commented that all of her alcohol drinking would make her look like shit when she got older. But then he delivered a clever enough Botox joke that got a laugh from Alice. An actual laugh. And from there, their friendship had blossomed - even after Alice dumped Andrew after their six-month relationship. Roman had been all too happy about that.

                       Roman was always happy when Alice was single. It meant he'd have his best friend to himself and Roman was too much of a selfish bastard to share her with anyone. But Alice never stayed single for long. She'd always find someone else to be with and then Roman had to share her, just up until they'd break up again.

                      As he sat inside their usual restaurant, he found himself unable to sit still. He had never been the kind of guy to just sit normally inside of any seat. When tapping his feet wasn't enough, tapping his fingers on the table was next. He had already ordered food for them, seeing as he knew Alice's favorite order. She usually ordered the same thing: a club sandwich (hold the tomato and double the turkey) with a side of fries and a Shirley Temple. It always worked without fail.

                      Just as Roman felt tempted to bomb Alice with about five hundred texts to ask her when she'd be here, a flash of purple caught his eye. He looked up and saw Alice approaching them, wearing a cute (and undoubtedly designer) purple dress. She always dressed for the occasion, regardless of whether she was going to a dinner party or simply out for a stroll around the city. 

                      He didn't realize that he was staring at Alice until she was standing right before him with that smug grin of hers.

                     "Take a picture, Rome. It'll last longer, and it'll give you something to jerk off to," Alice remarked.

                      Roman scoffed. "Bold of you to assume that you're my type. What took you so long?"

                     "My parents. I have a very important job, in case you forgot," Alice replied. "I had to take care of some things."

                     And also smoke a shit ton of cigarettes after the stressful lecture her mother had given her.

                      "Thanks, Rome," Alice smiles as she sits down at the table, glancing down at the sandwich Roman had got her.

                      "No problem, fatass," Roman responded as Alice began to eat, causing her to immediately kick him in the shin. A very painful experience when it came from an expensive heel. "Ah, fuck! You said you had to tell me something?" 

                      "Did I say that?" Alice asks in between bites, watching amusedly as Roman continued to rub his shin.

                      "No, but the way you were talking made it seem as though you had a lot on your mind. Did something happen between you and Max?" Roman perched his chin in the palm of his hand.

                      Alice takes a big bite from her sandwich before she finally speaks. "We broke up."

                     Roman isn't surprised. He's thrilled, a little twinkle in his eyes that wasn't there before. Alice noticed it but she didn't say anything. Saying anything would have to explain why Roman was so happy and neither of them wanted to cross that bridge.

                     "At least you can't talk shit about me and Grace anymore," Roman remarked instead.

                     "Fuck you," Alice responds. That was probably the two words Alice said to Roman most frequently.

                     "Did he finally figure out what a cold and frigid bitch you are and dump you?" Roman continued, head canted to the side as he watched her eat.

                     "Yeah. Something like that," Alice shrugs, continuing to eat. She probably looked like a pig but after going days without a proper meal, that tended to happen. After this, she'd probably end up repeating the vicious cycle.

                     "Well, uh, fuck... I'm sorry, I guess?" Roman responded, cringing a little. He didn't really know how to comfort Alice. And she was a bit like a broken vending machine that couldn't accept dollar bills when it came to affection and comfort.

                     "Sorry for what? It's not like you fucked me and dumped me in the same night," Alice dryly chuckles.

                     Roman chuckles with her. "Are you serious? I knew Maximillian was a fucking loser. He's always been a loser. I told you that a hundred times."

                     "Yeah, Rome. I know. You didn't want me to be with him just because his name was Maximillian," Alice rolled her eyes.

                      "The name's fucking weird. And I was right, wasn't I? He's a weirdo and an asshole, told ya so. Besides, he looks like he only lasts five minutes anyway," Roman responded, stealing a fry from Alice's plate.

                       "Ten," Alice corrected him, smacking his hand away so he wouldn't take another.

                        "Seriously?" Roman looked way too shocked at that answer.

                     "Can we not talk about him anymore?" Alice frowned. "If you don't tell me why you brought me here in the next five minutes, I'm going to leave you here alone, you asshole."

                    "You know that insulting me in public gets me hard. Have some dignity, Allie," Roman groaned.

                    "Rome!" Alice glared at him.

                     "Fine, fine. My dad's birthday is coming up. The big eighty... anyway, I was hoping you'd... go with me," Roman offered, looking almost a little nervous when he asked her. Which meant that this was probably one of the few times in his life when he was actually serious.

                     "Are you serious?" Alice asks anyway. 

                     She wasn't kept up to date with Logan Roy or any of Roman's other siblings. She was amicable with them but it was clear that she only associated with Roman. Alice knew enough about Logan was that he and her father would probably have dinner together and get along perfectly well. That was all Alice really needed to know about the man.

                     "Yes, I'm serious. Having you there would make me, like, less inclined to blow my brains out," Roman nodded.

                      "You must be really desperate to ask me, Rome," Alice chuckled, finishing her sandwich and licking her fingers after. Roman really tried to ignore that part.

                     "Desperate enough. Look, I need you there. You're gonna be the only good-looking one there, besides me. And the second funniest," Roman reasoned.

                     "Let me guess. You're the first?" Alice deadpanned.

                     "You're a smart girl, Allie."

                     The nickname earns a frown from Alice. "Told you not to call me that."

                     "Mm. It suits you."

                     "Whatever. I'll go," Alice spoke without the slightest bit of hesitation.

                     "What?" Roman faltered. He had been expecting to beg just a little more. That was their thing. But her little break up with Maximillian must have softened her up a little more.

                     "I'll go to your dad's party. I'm not getting him shit though," Alice shrugged.

                     "No need. I don't even know what the fuck I'm getting him. If I do get him something, I can just say that we both got it together. He won't care to ask questions," Roman reasoned.

                     "I'm sure you'll think of something. And if not, you can bribe one of your dad's assistants. That worked out well for you last year," Alice nodded.

                     "Mm... wear something pretty," Roman replied, giving Alice a once-over.

                     Alice scoffs. "I always wear something pretty."

                    "I can't believe you actually said yes," Roman admits with a chuckle.

                    "I have nothing better to do. Besides, it's always nice to engage in family drama other than my own. Something tells me this will be a very interesting event," Alice confessed.

                     She'll take a break from her own family shit to take a peek into someone else's. That's all she wanted.

                    "I hope not. So... about that blowjob...," Roman trailed off with a smirk.

                    Alice smacked the back of his head this time, causing him to clutch his head with a groan. "In your dreams."

                    "Any more violence and I'll get off right here, right now," Roman warned.

                    Alice snorted, rolling her eyes afterward.  "Wait... why aren't you taking Grace with you?"

                    "She's busy with something and besides... I already listed my reasons for why I want you there with me. Why are you so obsessed with bringing up Grace all the time? Do you have a thing for her? Because we could totally do a three-way if -," Roman began to say.

                    "You really need to jerk off. You're hornier than usual," Alice chuckled.

                    "Hey, give me some more of that," Roman replied, ignoring her comment in favor of reaching for more of Alice's fries.

                    "You can order your own food," Alice scoffed.

                    "I just want a little," Roman reasoned, even adding a dumb pout which made Alice sigh in defeat.

                    "Fine, fatass," Alice responded, using Roman's taunt against him now.

                    He stuck his tongue out at her (Alice did it back, like the mature adult she was) before he helped himself to more of her fries.

( 🥀💔🍸 )

word count: 2189
notes: what do you guys think about roman and alice's relationship? personally i love them, even if roman's a horny idiot around her 90% of the time. but alice tolerates (and will soon love) him for it anyways! the birthday chapter will be coming soon! i have one more chapter left (which will introduce a new character and potential rival for roman) and then the birthday chapter will be here! next chapter will also fully dive into alice's relationship with her parents and that should be very very fun hehehe