Worth It

Chapter Two

Katarina

Xavier strutted into my office as soon as I parked my ass in my seat. Strapped in a tight suit as his armor, he closed the door and came at me, ready to war with me. I knew he was mad, and his stupid friend, Gabriel, snitched on me to our friends. 

I've been avoiding Xavier and Opal, but he gave me two days before deciding enough was enough. Xavier and I both worked at a fashion magazine company. He was the photographer, and I was the editor. We met and bonded over Henry Cavill in The Witcher and peppermint mochas.

We became close, and then I was introduced to his cousin, Opal, who worked with Gabriel in sales management. It was crazy how close we were, yet two days ago was the first time I met the infamous Gabriel. But, truth be told, I could have done without it. 

Xavier Richards wore his shoulder-length onyx-colored locks in a tight bun, and his face was always shaven. He was a head taller than me even when I wore my good heels and boisterous, sharp, and observant dark eyes that did him well professionally, but also when he wanted to lecture me. Which he looked ready to do from the moment he walked into my office.

"So..." Xavier drawled on, and I gave him a stern look. "Gabriel tells me you threw a fit."

I breathed out a laugh and crossed my arms over my chest. "Of course he did. He's a dick. How are you and Opal even friends with him?"

"He said you abandoned him to sit with an old man."

"I didn't abandon him. I asked him if it would be nice to eat with him, and he agreed."

"What was he supposed to say? No?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Please, Kat, you would have hated him even more if he told you that."

He was right. I would have hated him even more. "Fine. Okay. Doesn't matter now. It's over. I'm not dating him. You and Opal have the worst taste."

"You don't have to date him if you don't want to, but we share the same circle of friends. So you're bound to bump into each other one day."

"God forbid," I muttered under my breath. "If I have to see him, don't worry. I can be civil." 

I think I threw up in my mouth at those four words.

"I can hear you grinding your molars to dust, Kat."

"God, he called my personality an act. Who the fuck says that?"

He rubbed his hands over his face. "I can agree that Gabriel is an idiot for saying that, but he thinks you did all of this to get out of it. Opal had to literally sit him down and tell him that's just who you are. All you do is think of everyone all the time. I don't even know how you get any work done."

"I promise I'll be civil for your sake and Opal's, should the occasion arise that I have to see him again. You have my word." I crossed an X over my heart for dramatic effect.

"Good, 'cause you're seeing him tonight for drinks. Opal landed the perfume account she's been working her ass off for months."

"Tonight?" I screeched louder than needed, and he gave me a warning look. "Yeah, yeah. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool-"

"Stop your Peralta monologue of saying cool a hundred billion times. You're coming, and you're going to behave. I know Opal is also giving him the same lecture right about now. I don't know who has it worse, her or me."

"Her. Obviously." I gave him a charming smile, and he shook his head at me.

"I'll meet you in the parking lot at five sharp, Kat."