The Alchemists

The thought made Finland sad. She had to wait a few more years for Aldebar to wake up to get the immortality potion, and Jean still didn't know this fact. He would certainly notice and wonder why, five years from now, Finland was getting older.

She then tried to change the subject.

"You can come to our barbecue party tomorrow, right?" she asked her friends. Anne and Lucia nodded quickly. Jean seemed to think for a moment, which made Finland curious. She suspected that Jean already had another appointment. "Why? Do you have another appointment? Sorry, I should have told you about this earlier..."

"Uhm... yeah, I promised to invite Franka to dinner," said Jean in a rather apologetic voice, "I lost the bet... ugh."

"What bet?" Finland asked, interested.

"Franka Yoshizumi!??" Anne's eyes widened. She recognized the name of the famous Japanese-Swedish actress.

"Hahaha... Franka and I bet that the ending of the film won't be changed. I lost. The producer just announced their decision..."

"Oh..." Finland felt sorry for Jean. On the one hand she really wanted Jean to come, but on the other hand she also did not want Jean to break his promise to Franka. She didn't really keep up with news in the entertainment industry, but Finland once stumbled upon an article about Franka Yoshizumi.

The girl was a 22-year-old genius actress who built her career since her teens. Many directors sought after her for strong or difficult characters. She was nominated for an Oscar on her 20th birthday and had now become very famous. She did not play in the movie "2050" with Jean and Finland did not expect the two to know each other, to the point of having a bet about the ending of this movie.

Lucia looked rather disappointed, knowing that her idol would have dinner with Franka, a beautiful actress who certainly couldn't be compared to an ordinary person like her. But Anne, who was also a fan of Franka, was not disappointed at all! Instead, she hoped to meet Franka too.

"How about you take Franka to dinner at the barbecue tomorrow? You don't have a specific agreement where you should take her to dinner, right?" Anne said excitedly. "Come on... It will be fun!"

Jean seemed to think about it and threw a glance at Finland. When he saw Finland nod, he finally decided to follow Anne's advice. Jean picked up his cellphone and called Franka.

"Hey... Fran... I lost the bet. Do you want to have dinner at my best friend's place tomorrow? They will hold a barbecue party. I'll introduce you to her," Jean said quickly.

They could hear Franka's shriek from Jean's cellphone.

"Hahahaha... you lost the bet! I told you, right? You should have trusted my words." Franka's voice was crisp and happy, "I will empty my stomach all day and eat a lot at the barbeque!"

"Hahaha... yes, that's fine. So, let's eat at my best friend's barbecue party tomorrow. Would it be okay with you or not?"

"Which friend? Finland?"

"How many friends do I have?"

"Whaa... I'd love to. I want to meet her! Oh my God, what should I wear tomorrow?" The crisp voice suddenly started to panic. "Ouch... I must look beautiful to meet her..."

"Wahahaha... Finland is here, you know..." Jean said in an amused voice, "You're already beautiful. Wear whatever and you'll look good, don't worry about it. Will you come to SF then tomorrow? I'll pick you up at the airport."

Franka sounded embarrassed and lowered her voice. She whispered something and then Jean hung up.

"Wow... Franka sounds fun, huh..." Anne said happily. She couldn't wait for tomorrow when she could take pictures with Jean and Franka at the same time. Of course, her Facebook and Instagram friends would be so jealous.

"She is indeed a really fun girl..." Jean agreed.

The problem was solved, and they continued eating happily. At 10pm, the four called it a night and went their separate ways.

***

"How was the movie?" Caspar asked when Finland arrived home.

"As usual, it was good," Finland answered. "Jean is very fortunate. Over the last two years all of his movies have been critically and commercially successful. His dream since he was young has finally come true. Now he is finally famous and people know him by just one name..."

"Hmm..." Caspar smiled. He then hugged Finland and kissed her softly, "Aleksis has been sleeping since a while ago. You also have to rest. Tomorrow we will be busy with our guests."

Finland nodded, "I'll take a shower first."

"You're so Asian with your shower routine... Only Asians take a bath before going to bed. Other people will take a shower in the morning before they go out," Caspar said, smiling broadly. "But this is a habit I like about you. I don't mind bathing you before you go to sleep..."

"I was exhausted from the outside. My clothes must have been exposed to dust and various things; my body also has to be cleaned before I could sleep comfortably," Finland said quickly. "Jeez... bathing me? You think I'm a child?"

She did not have time to hear Caspar's answer because he had carried her to their bedroom and headed for the large ensuite bathroom.