The Enemy of Trade

18

-Aster James-

"Old fashioned." I tell the bartender. He goes off to make my order.

The slight giggles and glances from the women around me makes me turn my head down and shake it.

He comes back with my drink, placing a napkin under it.

I pull out my wallet and place a 10 dollar bill on the counter, he takes it and I walk away.

Only to be greeted by a stranger, making her laugh.

"Didn't I tell her not to talk to strangers?" I mumble to myself.

Taking a sip of the alcohol, I continue towards the sight.

"Hi." I say.

The guy smiled up at me, "Hey, I'm Jac-"

"Don't really care, goodbye now." I say sitting next to Evren and pulling her closer with my free hand.

She groans, "I'm sorry about him, Jackson, this is Aster James, Aster, this is Jackson Frisk." She leans on me.

Jackson holds his hand out.

As if.

I reach around Evren and shake his hand. He was a bit sweaty and it was kind of gross.

They continue their conversation, stuff about school, college, things I could really care less about.

But then, "We should hang out. Dinner?" Jackson suggests.

And if I know anything about being a rich bachelor in New York, is that dinner usually consist of one party getting a meal, while the other becomes it.

I sit up a little straight, aware of Evren still leaning on me.

I lean down into her ear, "Want to try?"

She glanced at the brown substance in my glass, her head shaking, "I don't drink."

"Do you trust me?" I whisper.

She thinks about it, her expression twisting as she tries to focus on what Jackson is talking about.

She nodded, hesitantly. But I knew she was talking to me because Jackson didn't seem to stop talking himself.

I snake my arm around her waist and pull her back a little more. I lift my knee so she was laying back a bit.

My hand coming around to her neck, I used my thumb to pull open her jaw.

The entire time, she just stared at me. Those beautiful honey brown eyes traveling to search mine.

Jackson had gone quiet.

I tilt her head back a little more and bring the glass to her lips.

Slowly, I pour a bit of the drink down her throat. Watching her, my thumb making circles around the pulse in her neck as she didn't once flinch at the taste.

I stop pouring and close her mouth. She swallows the last bit before sitting back up.

I whisper in her ear, "'Don't drink' my ass."