Chapter XIII

The day of the party came and I was pretty nervous. This was my first office gathering and I needed to make a good impression. Which will be impossible if I don't manage to tie this stupid thing. Van came in and sat on the bed.

"The tie doesn't go with this jacket."

I sighed. Since when does everyone feel the need to comment on my clothes?

"All of the others are at the dry cleaners."

"Then change the suit."

"There is no time!"

"Don't be dramatic. You could go without it."

"Without a suit?"

"No, without a tie you idiot."

"Oh, yeah sure and let Lukas go all fashion police on me? I don't think so."

She stood up and went into the walking closet we shared. It was also like a hallway to her room.

"Then I don't know what else to suggest."

She stopped to take something from my side of the wardrobe.

"What about this?"

She was holding a hanged suit. My anniversary suit. She took the sky blue tie and returned the clothes to their place.

"It's nice. I haven't seen it before. New?"

I smiled.

"No, just borrowed."

"Well, it would look good on you."

She tied it for me, seeing how much trouble I had with the previous one. When she finished she stepped back, her eyes evaluating me from head to toe. 

"Very nice. It brings out your eyes."

"Thanks."

I looked at myself in the mirror one last time to make sure if my hair and everything was as it should be.

"Don't worry, you look pretty."

I rolled my eyes.

"You sure you don't want to come with me? Last chance."

"Even though I would love to finally meet this Lukas character I don't do small talk. So I'll pass."

"Ok, as you wish."

It was 20.30 and I had half an hour until the party starts. I can't be late today. I haven't met the co-founder of the company, Joshua Kent, but Lukas did tell me he'll be there so I need to bring my A-game to this thing.

                                                                                      X

This was one of those times I regretted never learning how to drive because right now I was on the bus, left alone with my thoughts. Which is, as Vanessa would say, never good. I arrived 5 minutes earlier but a few people were already there. I greeted them politely and tried to mingle. I didn't know most of them, but thanks to my parents and countless hours I spent at the posh parties, I was very experienced in the art of talking to strangers about nothing. I was just chatting with an assistant of one of the lawyers when O'Neal family walked in. All dressed up to the last detail. Lukas did look unusual though. At first, I couldn't really figure out why, but then it hit me. He didn't have a tie. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a white dress shirt, which was not completely buttoned up. His hair was also different. It was not tied or restrained, just styled in such a way that it seemed like he didn't even care how they looked. But he probably spent a lot of time on getting them just right. His whole outfit said relaxed. I wasn't aware he knew how to do relaxed. But he could definitely pull it off. I wish I was really drunk because that way I could at least justify the ridiculous thought my brain was materializing, which was that Lukas looked good. Like...really good. I was so lost in my own head, that I completely forgot I was talking to someone. She didn't seem to notice. I finished my drink and excused myself. I filled my glass again. I wanted to calm my nerves. I needed to find Lukas, but before I could start, he came to me.

"You are not late. I'm impressed."

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises."

His green eyes quickly passed me over and stopped at the tie. He raised his eyebrows.

"My tie?"

I scratched the back of my neck.

"Um, yeah. My, um, my roommate said the other one didn't look good with this and the others are still at dry cleaners, so then she found this one and thought it was better and I..."

"Smart woman."

"Um, I'll give it back to you. I just need it for tonight."

"You can keep it."

My eyebrows shot up. He saw my surprise and continued: "It looks better on you than it does on me."

"Um, well, uh..."

"It's the eyes I think. It just makes them pop."

I didn't know what to say. I did however blush.

"So, uh, how come you aren't wearing one?"

He sighed: "My mom took it. She said I looked better without it. That was right after she criticized my hair, my clothes, and my whole entire existence."

I small laugh escaped my lips.

"You're overreacting."

"You're right. She didn't say anything about my clothes."

I laughed again. I think alcohol is getting to my head.

"Like mother like son then."

"Aha, et tu brute? After everything I've done for you?" he pretended to be insulted.

"So you expect absolute loyalty?"

"Always. I gave you my tie, man. You know in some cultures that's like a marriage proposal."

"So, I'm what? Your work wife?"

I'm solely blaming my comment on the fact that I was a little bit tipsy. I must have drank more than I thought."

"Yes."

"Then I want a divorce."

He smirked: "I think I know a lawyer or two."

Before I could respond, Victoria and a man I have never met were standing before us. The man was Joshua Kent himself. We greeted each other and I visibly gulped. The thing was that Mr. Kent was, before he turned into a lawyer and started building the company with Lukas's father, a psychologist. He wrote and co-wrote some of the best psychology textbooks. He was a legend in his field. Lukas noticed my nervousness and decided to introduce me.

"Joshua, this is Aron Spencer, my partner. Spencer this is Joshua Kent."

I shook his hand. I was still in some kind of a star-struck daze so I didn't manage to say anything until he started talking.

"So Aaron, "I didn't want to interrupt so I didn't correct him "Are you a new lawyer? I haven't heard anything about you yet."

"Um, no actually I'm a criminal psychologist."

He smiled: "Wow, that's nice to hear. Sorry for assuming, it's just that Lukas's last partner was a lawyer."

"Yeah, I heard."

We continued with our small talk when someone waved to him and he excused himself. A few minutes later Victoria left as well and we were alone again.

"Why didn't you correct him?"

I turned to Lukas.

"Uh?"

I felt a little bit more than slightly buzzed but I could hide it.

"He constantly called you Aaron. And I know you hate it, because the first week I called you that, just so I could annoy you."

I shrugged.

There was a lot of people in the dance hall the company rented for this event. Some were dancing visibly drunk, but no one seemed to care. Apparently whatever happens at the office Christmas party, stays at the office Christmas party. Lukas and I got separated in the crowd. I went to the food table and he engaged in a conversation with some, to me, unknown guy. That was when some drunk girl threw her hands around my neck. She pushed herself closer to me and dragged me to the dance floor. I tried to break free from her grip, but all she did was put my hands on her hips and started grinding. In any other venue I would probably be turned on, but right now all I could think of was how to get myself away from her. Surprisingly there were a lot of people around us doing the same thing. Dancing, not trying to escape. This wasn't how I expected an office party to go. I predicted low volume background music while everyone chats politely. Apparently, office parties meant time to get off steam in front of your co-workers without them judging you. I tried to push her away again to which she responded by drawing me even closer. When someone pulled me back I was relieved, but when a fist came into contact with my face, relief was the last thing I felt. It did kind of sober me up for a moment. A guy standing before me was taller and buffer. He started screaming at me about his girl. Because of the pain and loud music, I didn't register right away what he was saying, but when he pulled my ˝dancing partner˝ to his side a realization dawned on me.

"Oh, no, I didn't..."

I stepped closer, but he stationed himself closer to his tipsy girlfriend that was all over in a second.

"You fucking kidding me?!"

"No, I..."

"You grinding on my girlfriend and you think I wouldn't do anything?!"

This guy had a very obvious jealousy problem.

"She started dancing with me!"

"I saw you all over her!"

He was also a little bit under influence of the alcohol.

"Then you saw wrong! Idiot."

He came closer and grabbed me by the collar. Anger issues also. Perfect.

"What did you say?!"

"Ok, relax..."

"First you hit on my girlfriend and then insult me!"

"I didn't hit on anyone!" I was getting angry now.

A lot of people started turning to our shouting match. I saw Lukas coming towards us.

He tightened his grip on my collar.

"Taron..." said my partner very slowly, trying to calm him down.

"No! This blond shit tried to get with my girl!"

"Why would I want to do that?! I have a fucking boyfriend!"

I felt like everything went silent, even though the music was still playing. He just stared at me. So did Lukas. And many people around us. Alcohol makes my filter weak or nonexistent. It just came out. And I guess so did I. Fuck.