2: Celebration

Aiden’s pov

      I was currently on the phone, lamenting to my best friend since childhood, Zac. I explained the whole situation to him. Since he knew who Saint was from the amount of times I’ve ranted to him about him, I didn’t have to explain who he was. 

By the time I was done, my best friend was laughing and I felt appalled that he thought this was funny. It was making me feel like I was going crazy, I couldn’t even imagine how working with him is gonna be, because I just know it’s gonna be a disaster!

“Maybe now you two would finally get along, especially since I don’t think there’s a particular reason you both hate each other.” My best friend explained and I spluttered, suddenly feeling tongue tied.

“There- there is!” I argued and Zac hummed.

“What is it then?” He questioned and I spluttered again, struggling to remember the exact reason why I hated saint’s guts so much.

“I don’t remember, that’s not important right now.” I finally sighed in response and Zac hummed again, right before I went into a long rant of how this is only gonna lead to a disaster. 

Saint and I working together? It’s almost laughable. We’d end up fucking our very first mission up since we can’t get along to save ourselves, then that would lead to us getting dropped by the agency.

After the call with Zac, I felt a little better, but still very much worried and panicked. If our boss hadn’t threatened to demote us, we’d have still kept insisting on being partnered up with different people. The fact that Saint also didn’t want to be paired with me made me scoff. Like there’s anyone better than me in our entire years here in this agency compared to me. I mean, that’s the reason I was promoted first before him.

~~~

    The rest of the people we worked with on the first floor of the company all insisted Saint and I accompany them out to a bar for a celebratory drink that night. I declined the offer politely because apart from the fact that I want to head home and rest, I also didn’t want to be in the same space as Saint. Work forcing us to be in each other’s presence was more than enough.

“Aw c’mon, Aiden! This is the last night you’d be on this floor, remember? Come tomorrow, your things will get moved to the upper floor.” Layla, one of my female colleague who I got along with from the very beginning, insisted and I sighed, especially after two more colleague joined in after her.

I bit on my bottom lip, still hesitant. This is the downside of being too nice, it makes it hard and sometimes impossible to say no. 

I ended up sighing and nodding reluctantly.

“Alright, fine! But I won’t stay long.” I added the last part but my colleagues all hooted excitedly.

“Let’s go already. Saint already said drinks are on him.” One of the women revealed and I stiffened, instantly wanting to take back my words of coming with them. But then I noticed Saint in the doorway, hands in his pockets as he casually watched me. It was like he was hoping I’d refuse to come out tonight with everyone else. Like he was daring me because he knew I hated him, and that rattled something within me, scratching at the competitive streak within me.

Fuck him to hell and back!

I’ll go the the fucking bar and drink with them!

I squared my chin and smiled sweetly at my coworkers.

“Shall we leave then? I can’t wait to get wasted.”

~~~

       I regret coming out with the rest of the guys tonight and I kept wishing I could turn back time so I’d have made the right decision. Saint’s presence was unnerving and irking, making it impossible for me to feel relaxed enough to have fun like everyone else. He was positioned across me, which made our gaze to lock every now and then, and I hated it because it grated on my nerves so much.

That prompted me into downing more alcohol than my light weight self could handle, but I refused to stop, because the alcohol was helping me feel relaxed little by little.

“So… since you guys are now gonna be working together, what do you know about each other? Let’s hear it!” One of our colleagues brought it up and I stiffened.

I pursed my lips, scowling at Saint as I spoke. “I never want to be partnered with him so why should I bother myself with that?” I pointed out, and across the table, Saint chuckled before leaning forward.

“Stop being so cranky, Aiden. We’re supposed to be celebrating tonight, remember?” He crooned and everyone around the table nodded. I gritted my teeth and downed more alcohol while he continued.

“As for the question asked; there’s not much to tell about Aiden because he’s pretty boring.” He announced and I instantly bristled, and I briefly considered hurling my glass of shot at him.

“Haha. That’s funny. If I’m supposedly boring, why were you breathing down my throat throughout college? You made my life hell, remember? You were always messing with me, always being an annoying asshole. And let’s not forget that you stole all my girlfriends back in college, Saint. And you never dated any of them because you’re fucking gay! You only did those things to mess with me!”

I was breathing hard after speaking and Saint’s face was blank when our eyes locked. 

The whole table was silent and feeling awkward, I downed the rest of my drink and wished I could disappear from mortification. My ears burned hotly as I ordered for more shots and kept throwing them back.

“I didn’t do all those things you’ve just accused me of.” Saint finally responded and I wanted to pluck his eyes out right now.

Such a ridiculous liar.

As I stared at him right now, I slowly realized that it would be completely impossible for us to work together. In no time, we’d end up getting demoted just because we couldn’t get along. Just how humiliating is that gonna be?

Our colleagues soon began to assure us to not worry and that we wouldn’t face any problems while working together because they even believed we’d end up becoming great friends along the line. I didn’t bother arguing with them, or perhaps that was because I felt too drunk to put my thoughts together.

The time went by and I kept drinking and drinking.

By the time it was time to leave, I could barely stand without tripping. I couldn’t even see clearly and my thoughts were fully jumbled up. 

But in the background, I overheard my colleagues handing me off to Saint to take me home since I was too drunk to get myself home. I attempted protesting, feeling appalled that they’d dare hand me over to the person who hated me as much as I hated him. Instead of getting me home, he’d rather dump me in a ditch!

But my colleagues didn’t pay me any mind, and one by one, they all left, leaving me all alone with Saint.

Fuck my life.