Their Christmas Arc

On The 5th Day of Christmas

On the fifth day of Christmas, we made a toast to pain.

"I'm completely done with relationships and men!" I growled, downing the drink I ordered. I then slammed the glass harshly back on the counter, "Those pricks only wants one thing and once they get it, they're gone."

The bartender stared worriedly at me as he held a bottle, ready to pour the second I tell him to. I'm guessing that because I've called him up too many times to refill my glass, he was prepared to be told so.

I would be concerned as well if I was him. I mean, what else will you feel when a woman who looked like she belonged to a ball suddenly marched up into a bar and grumpily ask for a drink. It wasn't even one of those high-class bars – no, it was one of those where one would see other people drink their sorrows away.

I slept with a guy, stupidly believing that he loved me, only to find out that he was no longer interested.

He could have told me that before I spent over a thousand bucks trying to make myself look good for our date. I seriously thought that he would be proposing to me tonight, but nope, he just told me the big news that we were breaking up.

Not even bothering to reply, I took my purse and gave him a very painful slap on the cheek in the middle of a five-star restaurant before strutting away. I hailed a taxi and told the driver to bring me to the nearest bar and that was how I ended up here.

I should have listen to my brother when he said that this relationship wouldn't end well.

Finally gesturing to the glass, the bartended filled it and added the order to my growing tab.

"Oh what would I give for a kind and decent man," I mumbled, swirling the alcohol in the glass, watching the translucent liquid.

"If I were you, I wouldn't be giving anything so easily," the bartender chuckled, trying to elicit any kind of reaction that wasn't near the word bitter. It backfired though, as the only thing he earned from me was a dirty look.

He threw his hands up in mock surrender, "Only trying to make you smile."

"Thanks," I muttered dryly, "But you don't see me laughing, do you?

"You must have really loved that guy," he pointed out, leaning against the counter.

"You have no idea," I said, taking a sip of my drink, "I shouldn't have though."

He smiled, before setting the bottle back down, "Well, you shouldn't regret loving anyone."

I lifted a brow towards him and perched my chin on the back of my hand with my elbow resting on the counter, "And why's that?"

"Because in that time, even if it was short, you felt joy and bliss," he explained with a knowing smirk, "And I think that's amazing."

Only for your heart to be crushed into a million pieces afterwards.

Looking up to him, I quirked my head to the side with a challenging gaze, "How many people have you said that line to?"

He shrugged instead of replying, "I like to think that giving people love advice is part of my job description."

"How delightful," I said in monotone voice, "So what's the reason you're here working a night shift in a stuffy bar instead of going out in a date if you're such a love guru."

"I need to pay the bills somehow," he answered lightheartedly.

Another customer at the end of the bar called him up to order a drink. Chancing a look, I observed as the woman just tilted her head back to down the glass as quickly as the bartended filled it. Her friend kept rubbing soothing circles around her back but it was fruitless, the woman was a hair length away from tears and judging from her swollen eyes, I could assume that she did a great deal of that already.