Blessing in Disguise (MM)

Chapter Five

ARIS' POV

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"It can't have been that bad," Luca says from behind me.

I groan and let my forehead melt into the wall. "Why do you think I'm standing like this right now?"

A hand grabs onto my shoulder and pulls me backwards. Luca searches my face for signs of life but right now I'm barely surviving. I didn't sleep, I kept replaying what I said over and over. The look on Nick's face. Dear God, his damn face.

Luca was right, he's grumpy and blunt and I was not expecting that encounter.

"It sounds like you said the right things to me," he shrugs.

"I literally admitted to him that I needed the job because of money."

He pulls back and furrows his brows. "Sorry to break it to you, Aris, but every job on this planet is because we all need money. You told him the truth, you didn't make up some bullshit story about how much you love the safety of children or something. You were you, no one else."

My eyes roll. "But I wasn't me." I groan. "I was a nervous wreck. After the appointment at the hospital, I wasn't my usual self and I wish I was. It was like he could see right through me, it was like he could see all my insecurities at that moment. I wasn't smiley and bubbly like I can be, I don't even know who that was."

Luca gives me a supportive smile. "Then when you see him next, be who you truly are. When anyone is nervous, you're not yourself. Everyone knows that. I know how bright you can be, even on the worst days here."

"Like there is going to be a next time," I snort and then sulk to myself. "I went to shake his hand and he turned away and oh my god, it was so awkward. I just wanted the entire ground to swallow me whole. When I got to my car I literally sat with my forehead on the steering wheel for at least thirty minutes."

"You're being dramatic," he waves me off. "And that position is reserved for me and only me."

His statement makes me smile. He is a big drama queen.  "Yeah, you're right."

"Did you meet Elodie?"

My head shakes. "She wasn't there."

"Hmm, he is taking this seriously."

"He looked like he wanted to kill me, Luca. I cannot stress this enough. He wanted me to be at least twenty feet under. I kept digging and digging this hole and fuck." I run a hand down my face, cringing at what happened. It'll never leave my mind. "He probably looked at my CV after, laughed and then shredded it to pieces."

Luca looks like he's trying not to laugh. I lean over and shove his shoulder gently. "I mean I knew he was grumpy and quite short with his responses but not this bad. Maybe he was having an off day."

"It was bad. Like Gwen dying in Spider-Man bad."

He's still chuckling away and I can't believe my expense is funny right now. I want to see the light side of it but I've been in a bad mood ever since. I guess nothing good ever happens to me but the best part–I don't have to bear seeing Nick's handsome face again.

That's the only positive thing to come out of this situation.

"It makes it worse knowing I need to leave my flat soon," I groan and get to work beside Luca. "My landlord has decided to sell the property, so I need to find somewhere new to stay."

"Oh?"

I hum and begin stocking up the cups and paper lids, along with the sugar and sweetener. "Yeah," I glance at the counter. "It's shit because all the rent in the area is going up and it would be better to rent with someone else. One bed flats are ridiculously expensive."