Drowning

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Do they always act like horney motherfuckers?" Damon asked. That made me laugh, if only he knew. I'm actually surprised Mariana hasn't turned up pregnant.

"Yeah, you seriously need to come back more. I'm the one stuck with the PDA everytime." I smiled at him when they opened the doors for us. "I literally have to kick them out of my apartment because they start hooking up on my couch. THEY LIVE RIGHT NEXT DOOR." by that point we're both laughing.

"We'll work the room, are you two going to be ok?" Mariana asks us her hand laced through Mark's.

"Yeah we'll be fine." I tell her.

"I'll grab you in a little while, we should talk to a few people here." Mark tells Damon which groans. Damon has the same attitude every event in contrast to Mark, Mariana and me, work. He believes events are to actually enjoy, but in our world entertainment is the last thing in our minds. There is always a business deal to sign and a new client to meet.

"Yeah, sure." Damon dismisses Mark, when we're already halfway through the room, his hand on my lower back leading me towards the bar.

"This looks just like every year." I say looking around at the big chandelier and tables to the side of the room leaving a big almost empty dance floor. The last thing that these people want is to lose out on a contact because they were actually having fun.

"Sadly, it's always so boring. The only good thing is the open bar. Want something?" He says his back to me and looks behind the bar.

"No thanks." I tell him as I continue to scan the room, there are more people here than last year. I look towards where Mariana and Mark are talking to another couple, always the socialites. The two of them thrive in these things. Meanwhile I hate them, the only reason I come is to donate to the charity that helps children and their parents who struggle in this time of year. I'm always on business mode, but the part about making small talk I always leave to Mariana, because people always take my non-interested quietness as an invitation to talk more.

My eyes continue to scan the room and suddenly meet with a familiar pair of emerald greens.

What is he doing here? It doesn't surprise me that he is though. He is the son of the man who owns the biggest law firm in New York, but this is the first time I see him at this event. I scan his attire. He looks incredible. He always looks good and put together in his expensive tailored suit even when he has clearly worked his fingers through his hair and loses the jacket and tie. But he somehow looks even better in a tuxedo. I meet his eyes again and see a smirk turn into a frown. And I feel a tap on my side.

"Whiskey, one ice." Damon tells me and puts a drink in front of me.

"I told you I didn't want any."

"Fine then, more for me." He says signaling he is about to drink. Dramatic much.

"How cute you never forgot my drink." I say giving him a smirk.

"It's hard to forget since you always forced me to pay for it everytime we went clubbing. Which reminds me, I'm staying a couple weeks and we should go out again."

"I don't go out anymore." I don't really know why, I just stopped and never looked back. I actually do know why, time. I never have time, and I'm always tired.

"Well, we're bringing it back." He says drowning the last bit of the drink that was meant for me. "Fuck, Mark is coming and I'm not in the mood to talk to old men, I'll catch up with you in a bit." He says, setting down the glass and hurrying into the crowd of a few dancers that have finally gathered around. Which makes me shake my head smiling.

"Your date?" A man asks from beside me, I don't need to look at him to know it's him. I just shrug my shoulders to his question.

"I didn't know you came to these types of events. I've never seen you in one." I tell him, turning towards the bar to actually ask for a whiskey now.