How to Date an Asshole

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The next day, I was swamped with work. All thanks to Axel who basically had me kidnapped for a date on a Monday. But in all honesty, the date went surprisingly well. Not that I haven't enjoyed our first one. Yesterday was different, but kind of the same? I don't really know how to describe it.

"You know you don't have to finish it all today, right?" Harper caught me off-guard from my train of thought.

"Yeah, but I want to. I have to learn enough just in time for the Sydney audit." I rubbed the nape of my neck to somehow soothe the pain.

"Alright, you do you. I'll take my leave now." She lifted her wrist to look at her watch. "You have 2 more hours if you want." She slapped the divider, "Don't stay past 9:00, Lauren, okay?"

"Yup."

"They will lock up our floor."

"Okay. Thanks, Harper. Take care."

"You too." She waved bye and after a few seconds, I was all alone in the office.

Right. Back to work.

I tried to focus on the Account analysis to reconcile my aging of receivables when my phone rang bloody murder.

Oh, God, I must've taken too much caffeine. My nerves are a giant wreck.

I took a peek at my phone and saw an unknown number flashing. I picked it up, "Hello?"

"Lauren! Hey."

"Um, May I know who this is?"

"C'mon, really? It's not like we haven't been together."

"I'm sorry, can you just say who you are?"

"Aw! That hurts. But that really must mean you have completely moved on then."

I stayed silent. Though I have an inkling who this unknown caller could be, I couldn't bring myself to say it or even believe it.

"It's Clark! From College? Your ex-boyfriend?"

And that confirms it.

I scratched my brow in disappointment, "Why are you calling? I'm at work."

He chuckled through the booming sounds in the background, "Ooh, icy. And at work at 7 PM... Classic. Now I know I haven't called the wrong number."

My brows knit together, "Why are you calling, Clark?" I retorted. "To shame me? Piss me off?"

"I'm in New York. I just thought maybe you'd like to catch up, get some drinks?"

"Unbe-fucking-lievable. Don't call me again. Goodbye, Clark." I dropped the call and try to even my breathing.

Something about Clark just makes me tick. Whenever I hear his name, his voice, his laugh, it always brings me back to the dorm room, with him naked and sweaty with my roommate. Good thing that was the last day of College. I slept at Hailey's and packed-up the next day. Never spoke to him again until now.

I tried to focus back on the work at hand but I can't seem to shake it off my head.

I give up. I'm gonna call Hailey.

She picked up after 3 rings, "Wassup, girl?"

"Clark called me."

"What?" her tone changed.

"Yeah. It was... horrible." I swallowed the lump in my throat. "It brought me back."

"Oh, honey." Her voice was empathetic. "What did he say? What did he want?"