nevertheless~

part 15

HARDIN'S POV

"Don't tell me this is happening, you promised me that we would go to dinner together", I hear Smith's feeble voice tell me as I step outside the noisy fucking club. FUCK THIS PLACE!

"I know, I know, but this thing came up and I had no idea, I would have to go. It's just about one hour. Please. I promise you, I'll come as soon as I finish here", I mean the promise I make as I smile at the other employees that can inside the club. A bunch of assholes, because of who has agreed to this shit and made this happen. It wasn't for that fucking promotion I wouldn't come here.

"Okay, but one hour. I won't wait for longer and if I have to, I will not speak the entire way to France", he says and I feel my spine chill up at the mention of France.

"Yeah, sure thing. Definitely, one hour is all I'll take. Thanks, be good Smith", I hang up as a nosy Candace comes out and pulls me by my hand into the club.

"What the fuck do you want now?", I groan as I push through the crowd to land on the bar with her on a stool.

"I'm not paying for whatever mix of these alcohols, you are having", I say.

"I don't want you to pay, just drink something. Enjoy", she says and her hand moves to her glass.

"I don't want to. I plan to impress Jonathan, and show him that I am here for the right reasons. Also, I'm driving".

"Prude", she gets off the stool with that one comment which I roll my eyes at. I don't want to become my father. He has an alcohol problem, and so I abstain from it as much as I can, but I do drink socially, it's part of the job I have. We keep on throwing book releases and events, so there's no way I can ignore it altogether.

"You look like you're enjoying", I hear Ichor's voice cut through the crowd. Why is he here?

"Not with my girl on your arm", I fire back. He should know I might have given up on that, but I won't back down without a fight. Tessa is my friend after all. And Ichor is a creepy bastard, the rich brat, who thinks he can have thousands of Tessa around him.

"Your girl?", he throws his head back to laugh at me.

"Yeah. Tessa", I find her figure close by Nora and Candace, enjoying their little girl's party. I would hate to break the little circle, but she looks irresistible. It has been a difficult ride to not take a chance and wipe that red lipstick off her lips all day, and I know, if I did, she wouldn't mind it. She would tease me all day, by reapplying the same tint. I know how obnoxious she is.

"How is she your girl? You don't own her dude", he says, signalling for the bartender to tend him. My eyes focus on how her feet look like she is terrified of being there. Alone. Candace is dancing with her and Tessa's steps don't look half confident. She's scared of being alone?

"I don't. I never want to. But if you think, that I can't, you're mistaken.", I finally give up and when the bartender stands in front of me, I do order myself a clean Aviation. Fuck me.

"Well, I had quite the night with her while working", he says, solidifying, what was a doubt now into an answer.

"You should also know, that my taste was still fresh on her lips that evening when you had a 'night' with her", my eyes light up like bulbs when Tessa find mine from across the room and she gives me a small wave to come over to her side of the pub. See, my point!

"Whiskey? You think this bad boy personality is going to get her to fall in your arms?", he slides my glass his way when the bartender places it on the napkin.

"At least, I know what I'm doing. Aviation doesn't have whiskey. It's alright you'll know when you are no longer underage", I pat his shoulder once and get down from the stool to make way to Tessa. Fuck this sexual tension, and at least for now, fuck the promotion.