T's & C's (don't) Apply

34. The Intern Should (not) Be at My Party

I hated my birthday. Nothing good ever happened for as long as I remember. It was best I treated what was supposed to be a special day as an ordinary one. I had very few fond memories of my birthday. It was such a long time ago, that they were stored away in a part of my mind that was barely visited.

When Rose insisted on having a party, I was against it. However, like always, she got her way. I wasn't thrilled about it but faked a smile just to make her happy.

She went all out to plan a special celebration, and I had no hand in it. The only part I played was inviting Coco. Shockingly, she was becoming the most normal thing in my chaotic life. Just being around her made everything seem simple and... easy. It felt like I could breathe in her presence while I felt suffocated around the people I knew almost my entire life.

I even used the lousy birthday card just to get her to accept the invite. When she did, I was relieved and finally felt like I could've put on a happy face for my birthday.

Unfortunately, I was unable to take her with me to the venue. I felt bad that she had to get there on her own but another part of me was relieved because I knew Rose would've thrown a tantrum if she knew we traveled together. I didn't really care for her reaction but didn't want Coco to be a victim to baseless accusations again.

I got there even earlier than Rose, but she liked to make an entrance, so she always arrived later than the set time. I didn't mind that, the less time I had to fake being happy with her, the better it was for me.

Duncan, thankfully, arrived earlier so I didn't have to deal with the guests by myself. Most if not all my friends helped themselves to drinks but since it was my birthday, everyone wanted my company. Duncan knew I hated making a big deal of my birthday, so he tried to get the other guest's attention away from me.

"Is she coming?" Duncan asked.

"Who?"

He shot me a look. "You know who. You never told me the outcome of your meeting."

I knew who he meant but I didn't want to ruin my mood and discuss how Rose and I got back together. So, I ignored his words and had a word with the bartender instead.

I heard Duncan sigh deeply and mumbled something under his breath before he walked away. I chose to avoid him until Rose arrived and his question would've answered itself.

One of my university friends showed up and he was one of the decent blokes I knew. We caught up and it felt nice to talk about anything other than work or my relationship.

"Who is she?" I heard someone say.

He and the two other guys gawked toward the entrance and with curious eyes I looked that way too. My uni friend was saying something, but his words became echoes and everything else around me seemed to only be a blurred background.

The dusky sunlight illuminated her like a golden spotlight as Clover stepped out of the lift. Her wide eyes looked straight ahead at the windows on the opposite end of the room, but those bright eyes quickly squinted away the sun shining in them.

Her normal dark hair looked caramel under the light and the highlights she recently had in appeared golden. Her skin was smooth, and her lips looked extra shiny and plump under the lighting. She wore an elegant white dress that showed off how great her legs were.

I could tell that she was nervous, yet she still appeared confident. I always knew she was a pretty girl, but it was the first time I realised how attractive she really was.

"Was she in uni with us?" My friend's voice became more audible.

I snapped back into reality and looked away.