Alex

"I'm not sure if we're celebrating or mourning here." Joan spoke as she poured us another round of shots.

"I'm still not sure as to how you landed this job in the first place." Derek chimed in. I gave them both a bewildered look. I'd been in a daze all night about this new sudden promotion... if you could call it that.

"I mean, the guy's never had an assistant that lasted more than maybe a few weeks. If you fuck this up, do you just go back to your IT job, or will you be permanently terminated, or..."

"I mean, you don't think this fuck tard would actually fire the poor kid, right?" Joan asked Derek.

Somehow, both their eyes landed on me. I gave them another shrug.

"You're awfully quiet tonight." Derek noted.

"I think he's still trying to sort everything out." Joan replied. I slowly nodded my head. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be working for Christian Ivanov.

Christian fucking Ivanov.

I mean, I technically worked for him right now- but this was going to be a hell of a lot different.

Everything was cut short by the vibrations in my pocket. As I pulled out my phone out to check the caller ID, I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

Whatever mood I was in, had just gotten a whole lot worse.

"I-I-I've got to take this." I stuttered quietly. Derek looked confused, but Joan just nodded to me as I headed towards the men's restroom.

"Hello?"

"Hi sweetie."

My heartbeat was starting to pound. I couldn't tell how hard since I was already a few shots in, but the weight of my mothers voice had cut straight through my buzz.

"Hi mom." I spoke unevenly.

"How are you, baby?" She asked.

She always asked. But I knew she never really cared.

I knew exactly why she really called in the first place... but even the false thoughts of her giving a fuck, still gave me hope... for some sick reason.

"How much do you need, Mom?"

I was biting back tears now. My teeth were digging so deep into the side of my cheek, I was sure I drew blood.

"Just another $200 baby. Just enough to get by... I've been working on a start up. This ones going to work out so much better than the last one baby, I promise."

I felt the tears start to well up in my eyes. It was almost as if I could hear the very sound of my heart breaking at her words. I knew what the money was for. I knew I was enabling her.

But her voice... her fucking voice...

"I'll transfer it over tomorrow." I choked out.

"Thank you so much, baby. You know you mean the world to me. I love you..."

"Always." I whispered that last part before hanging up.

When I finally found the courage to look back up into the mirror of Tully's restrooms, all I could do was sigh. My eyes were now a botchy red mess. I'd done my best to wash the tears away, and while Derek might not notice, Joan sure would.

But I decided there was really no going back, as I made my way over to my friends again. Derek was at the jukebox picking a song wile Tully started to take down the register. He wasn't going to charge us for the remaining drinks anyways. Tully never did.

"You alright?" Joan asked me. Concern was laced in her eyes. I gave her a stiff nod.

"How about some more shots?" I offered quietly. She said nothing as she filled my glass up once again.

-

I felt a buzzing right besides my head.

And then another.

And then another.

As soon as I pulled my phone screen out from under my pillows, the bright light blinded the complete shit out of me. Who the fuck was calling my work phone this fucking early anyways? I didn't have to be up for at least another hour.

"What?" I groaned into the phone.

"Where the hell are you?" A voice replied. A voice I was starting to get agitated with.

Also... This voice belonged to someone that I didn't think knew my fucking work number.

"Mr. Ivanov. It's 7am." I mumbled. "I don't have work till 8:30."

"You come in at 7 from now on. You get off at 4:30... if it's a good day. If it's not, you get off when I say you get off." Christian replied. "Get here pronto."

I sighed into the phone, as I tried to pull myself out of the enchantment my pillows had me in.

"And Alexander?"

"Yes?"

"Bring me a large coffee. Two sugars, one creamer."

I tossed my phone at the nearest thing I could. It just so happened to be my alarm clock, and it knocked both the alarm and my glass of water off the table.

The glass shattered on impact with the wooden floors.

Great.

Christian

As soon as Alex made it to the fifth floor, I could already tell he was hungover. But there was something else.

He set the cup of coffee down at my desk, yet did everything else to avoid my gaze. It looked like the area around his eyes were red in irritation. Was it allergies maybe?

Before Alex could make it to the door, I stopped him short. "Alex." I called. He half heartedly turned back to me. "From now on, your office will be across from mine through there." I pointed to another door on my right. "I'll get everything of yours transferred."

"Alright." He nodded.

-

"Go check up on him."

"I just did."

"Check on him again."

"Christian, leave the poor kid alone. He's in there working on the computer that you completely obliterated with your size 13 Stefani Beamers." Brad reminded me. My fingers went up to massage my temples. "Your investment in this guy is totally weird, man."

Brad was right.

I wasn't sure why I gave a shit.

His energy had just thrown me off from the get go this morning... maybe he was pissed that I had woken him up at such an early time?

"Have you given much thought to the Maverick's Corp pitch? They want to set up a meeting in New York within a few weeks. You've got to come up with a kick ass pitch."

I ran my hands through my hair again. "I'd completely forgot about that. Set something up for me in about... three weeks? That'll give me enough time to prep everything including estimated Gala figures."

Brad nodded, and started entering the events into my schedule off his iPad.

A few minutes passed without either of us saying something.

Brad sighed.

"Go check up on him, yourself." Was all he said.

I pulled something out from one of my desk drawers before getting up and making my way into his office room. Just as Brad had said, Alex was working quietly on reinstalling computer parts. I strolled over to his desk and spun his chair around before he could say a word.

One minute, he was hunched over the laptop with a small screwdriver.

The next, he was pinned between me and his desk.

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