C.E.O x C.E.O

Ch. 13 - Don't Go Clubbing On A Work Night

About three days later...

It's been a little while since James last saw Dmitri. Well, in person. They texted once throughout those three days. It had started with a 'How's your day?' and ended with a collection of photos that could ruin their lives were the public to ever get their hands on them.

The conversation would then continue till after midnight. And Dmitri would start straying away from his typical bantering and emoticons to deep questions like what James personally preferred in a lover and what he thought about the latest celebrity scandal. It's always the late-night texts that diverge into deep thoughts, always the two a.m goodnights that start gaslighting you into wanting something - or someone - you actually probably don't want.

It's always the tired nights that you're most honest. It's why James had ended the conversation early by saying his phone was going to die.

He and Dmitri are surface-level enemies (with benefits, he can't forget about that part). And James wants it to stay that way. Sure, he may have blurted out his tragic breakup to the guy, but that ended in him wanting a distraction. And that was a terrible feeling. Desperation feels terrible.

Not the distraction itself. Not the sex. That was good. It's what led to that, that felt like shit.

That was a one time thing. Only once will he spill his guts like that.

And it's clear to him what Dmitri wants from him anyhow - to mess with him and to be messed with back, and somehow segway all that messing around into an equally messy fuck. Nothing else.

Dmitri doesn't actually care about him. James knows that.

So the next few days of silence was okay to him. He managed to get his desk cleaned of files and paperwork at last. Katherine would be proud of him. And he had a business trip coming up, to strike a deal with the small-time company in the neighboring state, to merge their companies together in an attempt to both stack up on stocks and save said small-time company from their financial issue. To James, the loyalty promised is a solid deal in and of itself.

He leans in his seat with a sigh. Today's work is finally taken care of and he has some time to relax.

That's when his phone made a blinking sound. A notification came in.

He sighs again, this time of arrogance, but he ends up checking his phone anyway.

His eyes bore. It's from Dmitri. A few days of silence and then a random intervention could only mean he wants something from him, and he already has an idea of what that could be.

He opens up the text message.

Missed you.

James grimaces. Dmitri's trying to get to his head again. He opted not to answer, but before he could turn off his phone, another message from Dmitri appears.

You free tonight?

And then another.

I'm hitting the club. Wanna come with?

James rolls his eyes at the text. If his plan is to lure him into a crowded space full of drunkards and deafening music, and then somehow convince him to do the devil's dance in public, then he's sorely mistaken.

He decides to ignore the text like he ignores the plague.

Then, his phone starts vibrating. Dmitri's calling him now. Does this man ever give up?

Out of spite, he answers the call. "Yeah?"

"Didja get my text?" He asks straight away, though his voice is in no rush, muffled music is in the background, seems he's already at the club.