Chapter Two: I Need a Drink

My first week with Clarke was hard. I was thankful I only worked three days of the week, well it wasn't even three full days. To work with my college schedule I could only work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but I had a study group Wednesday morning, so in the morning Karen worked and then I came from there to work. So I didn't exactly have a full working week, but come Friday I was exhausted. Especially with Clarke, despite my warning, continuing his trend of coming in late, even now he had his schedule available because I sent it to him nearly every day. The only upside was that it meant I didn't see him as often, and that part I liked.

"Can you not hear me or something?"

I lifted my head up from looking down at my work and saw Clarke, standing in front of me, not impressed, and his tie still not straight.

"What are you talking about? You haven't asked for me," I told him calmly.

"I was calling you on that speaker button on the phone," he said, pointing to my desk phone.

"You mean, this button," I said, pressing it down as I spoke, and I heard my voice echo from his office.

"Ah, so it's that button," he said, leaning over to look at it.

"So, what was it that you wanted?" I asked him.

Our relationship was definitely awkward. He literally only came to me to ask where and when he had a meeting. He hadn't really asked me to file anything, to process any deals, call anyone, and it was only people calling him. He still didn't exactly talk to me either. I felt hatred growing inside me for him nearly every day.

"I was wondering if you knew how the weekend worked for me?" he asked me, picking up one of my pens.

"Your weekend...? What are you talking about?" I frowned, looking at my pen in his hand.

"Do I...work?" he said slowly.

I sighed, out of annoyance. "I don't think you can call what you do work, yet, but you don't have to. Henry did, if he needed to catch up on work. Karen is on call on the weekend if need be. Why are you asking this? So you can go out and party?"

"You think that little of me, don't you?" he said, looking into my eyes.

"Well, yeah," I shrugged, leaning back in my chair. "You have been late nearly every day this week, not to mention you definitely don't take any of this seriously."

"You think this is easy for me?" he suddenly asked confused, dropping the pen.

"Oh gosh, really?" I said with an eye roll.

"I was thrown into this," Clarke insisted. "My father died one day and I got told I had to take over and run things. I'm twenty-five, and I'm one of the youngest people in the city running a company, so excuse me for not knowing what I'm doing."

"Well, if you hadn't of spent the last five years running around the world with every girl you could get your hands on, maybe you'd know what to do in this situation," I told him.

"You read tabloids about me?" he asked, kind of surprised. "You believe everything they write?"

"I don't have to believe them, I was close to your father," I informed him. "He asked me to keep tabs on you and when things looked bad, he would try contact you, if he couldn't get a hold of you, I knew what I read was true. I'm not an idiot."

"He kept tabs on me?" Clarke asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes, of course he did," I said, standing up. "He was your father he cared, just like you should care about the company he's left behind. Now, if you excuse my day is over and I'd like to go home. Do whatever you want with your weekend. I'll be back Monday."

Clarke looked at me, kind of surprised I had blown up at him, but I couldn't care less. Something told me deserved to be put in his place, and if I had to do it, I happily would. As I grabbed my bag to leave he just watched me for a second before he walked back into his office and sat down at his desk. He looked...defeated as he stared at the laptop I had got for him. Maybe I was a little too harsh. Before I could really let that thought sink in though, my phone rang.

"Oh, Ava, I was just about to call you," I told her, as I answered.

"So you've finished work then?" she asked me.

"Yeah, I'm literally walking out the door now," I said, as I walked down the stairs and to the lift. "What's going on? You home for dinner?"

"Well, no, that's why I called. Kieran wants to go for a drink, and we could grab some food?" Ava suggested.

I pressed the button on the lift to go down and sighed. "I could use a drink."

"What, really?" Ava asked surprised.

"Yes, really, why so shocked?" I asked as the lift door opened.

"Well, usually when I call you to ask to get a drink, you give me some excuse, like you're tired, or you don't feel like it, you have college to catch up on," Ava said, in a dull voice, most likely imitating me. "You never once said to me, you need a drink."

"Well, today I do, okay?" I told her strongly.

"Okay," Ava said, putting up no more protest. "Meet at the usual place?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in twenty."

I jumped into a cab and took it downtown to meet Ava and this little bar that we loved. It was kind of unknown, but on Fridays and Saturdays it did get a little full, but most of the staff knew we were regulars, so we also got served.

"Rory! That took longer than twenty minutes."

Ava spotted me before I spotted her, and she had an empty glass in front of her, and a half full one. The girl really liked her alcohol, and nights out with her were usually pretty crazy, and I had learnt to hold my drink because of it, most of the time.

"Ah, don't be so rude, Ava. You know New York traffic is unpredictable."

From behind her, a tall skinny boy stood up. His light brown hair was perfectly gelled on his head, not a hair sticking out. He had long face, with perfect smooth pale skin and shiny blue eyes. He had an impeccable fashion sense, well at least it was better than mine. Kieran Forbes like to describe himself as the mother of gays. A term he used because he wasn't great at getting boyfriends but he was great at nurturing them, helping them get with another, he felt like a mother, probably because he was so comfortable in his sexuality.

Kieran worked in the same hotel as Ava and became friends pretty instantly. Kieran didn't work cleaning though, he worked the reception, and he was much more suited for it, he was a pretty confident person. Ava introduced me not long after she met him, and we instantly got on, especially once we realised we went to the same college as well. He seemed to understand my sarcastic humour at times, and we were both brutally honest sometimes.

"Fine," Ava rolled her eyes, as Kieran sat down. "Now, what the hell is going on?"

"What are you talking about?" I frowned, as I sat in the stool next to Ava.

"You never want to come out to drink. In fact, usually I have to convince you, and even blackmail you to come out," Ava pointed. "I don't think I've ever heard the words, I could use a drink come from your mouth. Is Clarke really that bad?"

"Yeah, I have to agree with Ava on this, Rory," Kieran backed her up.

I sighed and let myself lie slightly on the bar. "I will tell you how bad once someone gets me a drink."

Once I had a drink in my hand, my preferred drink of vodka and lime, I told them about my week from hell with Clarke.

"My job has never been so hard," I told them.

"Then quit?" Kieran suggested.

I shook my head slowly. "I couldn't do that. Henry trusted me, and I think he would want me to stay on and make sure Clarke doesn't destroy everything. Besides, that man paid my way, I would feel like I'm betraying him."

"Yeah, but this dude sounds like an asshole," Kieran pointed out. "I mean, I didn't exactly keep up with him in the news on shit and I remember hearing about all the crap he got up to. What's to say he won't just do that again?"

"That's what I said to her," Ava said, looking at Kieran. "I don't think it'll last. He won't keep his job."

"Why do you think that?" Kieran asked.

"Well, he thinks he just has the job, that he doesn't have to do much to keep it, but that's not how the board works," I explained. "He needs to buy a company that will make his company a lot of money, one that they'll profit off for years, so that the board will believe he's capable to do his job. If not, they'll vote to replace him. Well, they have to vote no matter what, but if he brings a good company in I doubt they'll vote him out, but if he doesn't, they will. I don't think they believe he'll be there long."

"Well, if he sits around on his ass like you're saying he has, then you're probably right," Kieran agreed.

"Eh, can we not talk about Clarke anymore. Just his name is giving me a headache," I complained. "Please tell me you have something more interesting to talk about, Kieran."

"Other than another guy not being into me, nothing at all," Kieran reported.

Ava scoffed. "Don't even bring up guys. We all have non-existent love lives right now. I mean, I haven't been in a relationship for nearly two years, I was living vicariously through Rory...until that ended badly. Sorry."

I glanced at Ava and just rolled my eyes a little to ignore her. She was talking about my last relationship which ended nearly a year ago now. He was a guy I met in college...well meet is putting it lightly. See, I noticed him probably a year before he noticed me, and I secretly pinned for him, but he never knew anything about me. Not surprisingly, he didn't notice me, but that was probably because he was a year above me. Ava, eventually got sick of me obsessing over him and did something about it, and introduced us at a party. Turns out we got on well. Like not just well, like really well. Within the week I was dating Isaac Tate, and it was glorious.

We were one of those annoying couples were everything just seemed right. We had so much in common that we didn't argue much, well barely at all to be honest. Our common interests meant we were never bored when we were together, and we had great chemistry that involved anything physical. He was literally the definition of the perfect boyfriend, up until the time it came for him to graduate. He wanted to be a doctor so obviously he had to go to medical school, but he got accepted into a school in California. For the first time ever we argued, and we argued for days and nearly weeks before I realised he wasn't going to change his mind. I think I was mostly annoyed that he didn't factor me into his decision, because he could've picked a school nearby, but he choose it knowing I couldn't go with him. It made me realise he never thought about a real future with him, so what was a perfect relationship ended pretty badly in the end. Since then, I hadn't even wanted to think about the notion of dating.

"Well, you should find yourself a man, Ava," I informed her. "I think it's my turn to live vicariously through you."

Kieran laughed at me. "She's totally right, Ava. Plus, you know how I feel about sulking when you could just take some action and put herself out there."

Ava gave both of us stern looks and then suddenly stood up. "Fine, I will. Let's go somewhere then."

"What?" I frowned.

"Let's go to a club, meet some boys. I won't meet anyone here," she said, looking around at the half empty bar, which was mainly filled with couples or married men. "You want me to put myself out there, then let's go to a club."

"I'm in," Kieran said, quickly finishing his drink and standing up.

Ava smiled and then turned to me and gave me a look and she saw the look on my face.

"Oh, come on, Rory. I know you hate clubs more than bars, but it's for me, you're best friend. So just come with us, this once?" Ava asked, pleading a little as she spoke.

I looked into my best friends eyes and then sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

We got a cab to one of Ava's favourite clubs that she usually visited and had met a guy or two there before. I barely went into clubs. I found they were too crowded and noisy and I didn't know how anyone could actually meet anyone here. It was still a little early when we walked into this club though, but the music was blasting and the red spotlights gave the place an ominous feel. There was a quite a few people in there already though, but over the next hour it really filled up.

"Oh, he's alright," Ava pointed to a guy as he walked in. She decided to watch the door to look for her man.

"Oh no, honey, not him," Kieran shook his head. "He's got a girlfriend, ten o'clock, see her?"

"Oh damn," Ava sighed. "Okay, what about...him?"

She pointed to a guy in the crowd this time, he was already dancing, and both Kieran and I exchanged glances.

"Really?" Ava frowned, looking at Kieran for confirmation as he nodded. "Okay fine. I almost just want to give- OH. What about him?"

"Well...now you're talking," Kieran said slowly.

I spotted the guy Ava meant. He wasn't too bad looking either, but it was obvious he cared about his appearance. He had brown hair, kind of spiked up but with blonde highlights, what he wore was very in fashion right now, and he carried himself like he wanted to be perfect. In reality, he was Ava's type. I was going to speak to tell her she found a good one, but before I could speak I noticed something else.

"Oh no," I breathed out.

"What? Do you know him?" Ava asked, snapping her head towards me.

I shook my head at her. "I don't know him, but I know the guy he's with."

"He's friend he just walked up to?" Kieran confirmed.

I nodded slowly at them. "That's Clarke."