Fate Entwined | ONC 2020

Seven | So, I May Have Messed Up

It was Friday afternoon. Adam sat at his desk putting the finishing touches on a proposal for a client his team would be presenting the following week, when in walked Logan, a co-worker from another team headed up by Maya, yet another co-worker.

"It looks much better today, Mate," Logan commented as he strolled into Adam's office.

"Huh?" Adam replied.

Logan gestured to his face.

"Oh! Yeah..." Adam chuckled.

While Tara's firm slap to Adam's face didn't leave a bruise, it had left behind a bright, red hand print and some swelling. Unfortunately, it hadn't completely gone down before Adam had to go to work Thursday morning. Needless to say, he was the butt of many office jokes throughout the day.

"Got to be a little bit more debonair with the ladies, Mate." Logan's deep laugh reverberated through the small space.

"It helps when you come with a sexy accent," Adam pointed out, referring to Logan's British accent.

Logan was fairly new to their branch, but he was an old friend of Adam's from the firm's London branch. They had become fairly close in their years together there. Much like Adam, Logan was hurting for women in their time together in London. Adam knew something that not all of his workmates in the States knew; Logan was polyamorous. Even so, Logan wasn't like Adam, in that he didn't hook up often without there being an emotional attachment. But on top of Logan's handsome, dark features, impressive height, and his great, muscular build, he was a genuinely good guy.

Logan laughed. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

Adam sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Do you remember when I told you about my ex-girlfriend in college?"

Silence momentarily filled the room as Logan shut the door to the office and took a seat in one of the chairs across from Adam. "Of course, I do, Mate. You were crazy about the bird."

"I was. I still am."

"Wait—" Logan's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "You aren't going to tell me she did that to you."

"She sure did. We reconnected recently. Well, reconnected probably isn't the best word though. That would indicate that she's voluntarily interacting with me."

"What did you do, Mate? Did you kidnap the bird and lock her in your basement?" Logan grinned.

"That's probably the only way I'll ever see her again after the stunt I pulled." Adam frowned and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Bloody hell. What happened?"

"I kissed her—"

"Wait, what?" Logan blinked rapidly in confusion.

"It was a "heat of the moment" reaction," Adam explained.

"But I thought she hated your sodden guts?" Logan replied.

"Oh, she does. Hence, the slap."

"You bloody fool!" Logan laughed.

"Hey! It's not funny!"

Logan continued to howl with laughter. "It's downright comical, Mate. What would possess you to kiss a woman who loathes you? You're lucky your bollacks are still intact."

"Fuck you—" Adam rolled his eyes.

But, Adam knew damn well that Logan was right. He'd been lucky to walk away with just a slap to the cheek. Tara wasn't the violent type, but Adam was well aware he had crossed the line.