Jan watched the whiskey as it dribbled into the glass from its bottle. Grabbing a Ziploc bag containing ice from the fridge, he dropped two cubes into the glass. They fell in the glass with a slush sound and Jan swirled it slightly, turning around when he heard footsteps.
Rhea walked into the kitchen with a robe and wet hair, and he assumed that she'd just freshened up after work. "You just got in?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied, finishing the whole glass in one gulp. "You?"
"Immediately work hours were over," she said, pulling a glass out from one of the cabinets. "I mean, I love you but I'm not about to stay extra unnecessary hours." She shuddered and Jan suppressed a smile.
"No one asked you to. Why are you so dramatic?" he asked.
"Whatever," she replied. "I could have waited for you though. I felt kind of bad for making Nasir drop me off then go back to get you."
"That's his job."
"But still." She grabbed a glass for herself. "He had some interesting childhood stories, though. Did you know that he has twelve siblings?"
Jan raised his brows delicately. "No, I didn't. Really?"
"Yeah. He's a Muslim from Nigeria and polygamy is a big deal in his country."
"Wow." Jan shook his head. "That's... intense?"
"Yeah."
Jan poured another glass for himself and a fresh one for Rhea. She murmured a thanks as she took it. "I'm so glad he came when he did, though. Got me away from an awkward situation with Elliot."
"Who's Elliot?"
She took a sip from her glass. "My 'colleague', we share an office and he's so annoying. He gave me major Jan vibes today."
"Huh?"
"Jan vibes. The broody, gang leader thing you have going on."
"Something is definitely wrong with you."
She threw herself on him. "I'm so tired. We just started work, how are we so busy?"
"That's a good thing," he told her.
"I know but... will you give me a massage?"
He pushed her away. "Leave me alone."
"Please?"
"Rhea, no"
"Pretty please with a few dollars on top?"
"No."
"Pl—"
"Shut up, Davis."
"Fine."
She pouted and went quiet for one minute and then, "You know you're supposed to treat me better, right? I am your best friend, your only friend. I deserve better."
Jan rolled his eyes. "So you say. Can you tell Balderas to submit the contract draft with Gavin Group tomorrow by eight?"
"Yeah, sure—" she cut herself off with a loud gasp. "Jan!"
"What?"
"The meeting was today!"
"Shit, Rhea. You scared the hell of me," Jan snapped.
"Come on, spill. How did it go? You got it right? Gavin Group signed with us?"
"Yes," he snapped again. "Why are you so... so mental?"
YOU ARE READING
Beneath These Scars
RomanceJan Manchester is angry. He's angry at a lot of things. Himself, death, the entire town of Hillford and most importantly, the Francis family. That's why he's on a mission to destroy and he's not going to stop. Every single person responsible for h...
