❝How come you say you need a better man?
When you're the one who came to me for everything.❞

Chapter Six:
Ex-Ventures

"No, no- mine!"

I snatched the last cookie from the open container, giggling to myself in victory at a sour-faced Tim.

"You're kidding, right?" Tim muttered, clearly annoyed as his thick blonde brows gnashed together in irritation. I made it a point to bite into the cookie, and chew slowly in front of Tim's eyes which narrowed with each crunch from my mouth.

"Now, children, behave will you please?" Francesca hushed us from the corner of the room but our theatrics had earned a good laugh from the others assembled in the recreational room. She took a sip of coffee from her mug and beckoned to me, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Tris, that was plenty naughty of you." The fact that that came from my boss nonetheless made it all the more hilarious. I shook my head, focusing my eyes on Tim who sulked from the other side of the table.

"I'm afraid the meaning of the word 'naughty' is lost on you, Frannie." The combination of me saying that and licking off the last of the crumbs on my fingers had Tim flushing a deep shade of red. With a laugh, I stood up and ruffled his hair, pulling out a cookie I'd hidden underneath the table unbeknownst to Tim.

"Here you go, wank-face."

"Wank-face?" Tim grumbled, taking the cookie gently from me. "Is that another one of your weird-ass compliments or are you insulting me again?"

"It means I'd totally get off to your face, Tim," I answered with a straight expression, stifling the laugh that erupted in my chest unlike everyone else who openly giggled. "I mean," I whispered, leaning in with one arm on the coffee-table, "I already have..."

"Cut him some slack, Tris!" The girls in the corner told me off for victimizing poor Tim yet again, who stuffed the cookie in his mouth and muttered something about me being an insufferable tease. I smirked and bent down, giving my recently appointed boy best-friend a quick peck on the cheek. "Just kidding."

Straightening, I did a little bow for my audience in the recreational room which included my very amused boss, Rina, Tracie, James and the not-so-nervous-anymore Jaden. After two months, the entire floor had gotten used to the fact that I was not only a dedicated employee but a complete joker with a quirky sense of humor...which often involved people falling prey to my jokes. Tim was my favorite to pick on, mainly because we had become great friends and he knew me very well...and that meant knowing I could be an annoying twat. Like I was now.

"Now, if you'll excuse me good people, I have pending work to get to," I said, twirling away for added effect.

"Yeah, get your cute butt out this room so we can bitch about you," Rina, Francesca's assistant winked at me jokingly.

"Good things, I hope."

Jaden sighed. "Only the best."

It was well known that the baby boy of the office admired me, especially after finding out I was the Tris Henderson. Jaden was an intern, a freshly minted-graduate from the very same college I'd gone to. Apparently, he had me placed as his role-model so it was a dream come true for him to run into me at his very first work-place.

Jaden was cute, but too young for me. I took him on as an apprentice, and saw him as a little brother but nothing more than that. It broke my heart every time he swooned for me but I couldn't help but find it a little adorable. Especially when his brown eyes went all wide and puppy-doggy and how he'd scramble behind the desk to come out and greet me each morning. It reminded me of how innocent infatuation could be...

Pinching his wonderfully stretchy cheek, I waved at the others and walked out the room, the smile under my nose a genuine one. I'd never warmed up to my previous colleagues the way I had here. Tim was right from day one. These people had become family. It had always been an impossibility to grow so personal with people I work with but upon joining Innovus, everything had changed. Not only were they my colleagues, they were my friends. My drink-buddies on Saturday nights, and hang-over partners Sunday mornings. And my boss? Nothing like Deborah.

I admired Francesca from the bottom of my heart. She was perfect in every way. A physically astounding African-American goddess for her middle-age; with flawless chocolate skin and a figure that made me gawk in disbelief when I met her three children, one of them already in college. Professionally - she had become my mentor. She didn't dump work on me like Deborah often had done; we did it together. She showed me that there were always learning curves to every job no matter how accomplished one might be, trusting me with major clients I would have scared myself out of handling. Frannie was both my boss, and workplace-mom, kicking me out of my own office every time I pulled a late night but scolding me with a look that could freeze my blood the rare times I overslept and showed up late for a meeting.

I adored them all. And I had fallen more in love with my job than I had originally thought possible.

My smile grew wider when I approached my office, reading off my name on the glass door that had been painted on the day after I had joined.

Tris A. Henderson

Head Sales Executive

I retraced the letters of my name, feeling a burst of joy, before entering the room and getting to work. All of this would not have been possible if not for Hans. I recounted the circumstances in which we had met, and how much I had despised him but things certainly change, don't they?

After that unplanned encounter on the first day of work, I had rushed into the bathroom and covered the hickeys with make-up. Tim hadn't suspected a thing when I met him downstairs later, noticing the more visible bruises I had failed to cover and asked sympathetically if I had fallen down. Maybe that story would have worked if a certain someone hadn't passed by at that precise moment and whispered, audibly enough for him to hear, "More like she fell down on my lips."

I had so feared that Tim would bust my ass, especially considering the look of pure horror and shock that spread across his face when he recognized Hans passing by us in the lobby with an all-knowing smirk. Later that night, I got so hammered after everyone else left the bar, and spilled the ugly truth out to Tim. Everything - from the Innovus party to Hans as my escort to how I really got the job. The following morning, he had arrived at my doorstep with a hang-over cure he'd concocted himself, and a promise to keep everything between us.

Since then, he'd practically become my best friend - a protective best friend, once he found out the complete truth about my continuing relations with Hans. It started with us getting pizza after work, Tim insisting on walking me home and my door being jerked open from the inside by a shirtless, ready-to-bed Hans Castellan. After that; chaos had descended.

Tim had yanked me away to talk to me in 'private' and warn me about Hans' playboy ways...Hans kind of punched him for being an 'asswipe'. At the end of the day: they didn't like each other one bit. Hans wasn't all that happy when I sided with Tim that night though, and told him to get out of my apartment. In fact, he might have punched a hole through the wall too.

Sighing, I took a break from staring at the monitor screen and spun around on my chair to the view behind me. Winter was settling in now but having grown accustomed to the wet, colder winters in Seattle, the slight chill of the wind hardly required adjusting to. The city was ever so alive despite the weather, with people continuing to bustle about in light sweaters and pull-overs. Washington was busy no matter what time of year, especially downtown where Innovus HQ was located. I sighed and slumped forward, leaning my forehead against the cool glass. Things had worked out in the end but my personal life was in scatters.

Hans had made it a point to become a routine part of my life, namely my sex life. After that initial 'office mishap', we had made an unofficial contract of our own with my most important condition being no more fooling around at work. I should have really said 'no more fooling around at all' because for Hans, that translated to dropping in uninvited at the hotel (and later my apartment) and taking me in every way possible. Every morning I wake up with the intention to stop it. This wasn't me at all. I never thought of myself as the 'no-strings-attached' kind of girl who can have sex and not have it mean something to me. But then again, things...change.

I snapped out of my daydreams when I heard the rush of air behind me as the glass door swung open. Turning around, I realized it was none other than Tim.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, marching over to my desk, his earthy green orbs flared up in flames.

I watched him look at me all intense with no clue what he was on about. "About..."

With a loud puff of exasperation, he crossed over to my side and stood beside me, reaching for my mouse and clicking my email open. He scrolled through the screen before finding one from Jasper that was addressed to nearly the entirety of HQ.

"About this."

A new screen popped up and all thoughts about the fact that Tim was practically breathing into the side of my neck were lost as I read its contents.

Dear all,

As you all know, the company and it's Board has been undergoing a great restructuring over the past couple months. Although all of the changes have not been positively received, it is an undeniable truth that the most bitter of decisions have been worthwhile in the long run.

We are back on the market, and we have re-instated ourselves as a worthy, leading enterprise in IT. All this has been possible due to the efforts of our staff, but the Board would like to specially honor Tris Henderson, a newly appointed and recent member of our team, for all her valued contributions on this front.

As a reward, the Board and Heads of various departments have decided that Ms. Henderson will lead the negotiations and dealings with S'ConVenturas, a friendly competitor that we are proposing to take-over. Ms. Henderson's hard work and expertise as a closer is highly appreciated and valued by the Board and we know she'll pave the way for further success. She will also be accompanied to this meeting by Hans Castellan, son of Mr. Blythe and future inheritor of this company, who will be there to supervise and guide the negotiations.

Let us wish them the best for this deal, as a family and as colleagues working toward a shared vision.

Kind regards,

Jasper S.

I slumped back, the chair rolling on impact. Tim turned me around by the wheels, leaning forward and meeting my gaze.

"So, what are you going to do?"

I gulped down the anxiety, and shrugged, putting on a smile.

"I'm going to go."

"With Hans?"

I nodded. Tim's jaw clenched, the vein on his forehead practically popping out at the idea.

"What about the whole system of you keeping your professional life separate from your sex life?"

The smile instantly dropped the moment Tim threw that at my face. What was it with men making a point of that particular statement? Is it so hard for them to believe that a woman is capable of separating her sex life and her work? Jesus.

"What about it?" I dared him to go on, and the threatening undertone of my words did not go missed by Tim who smiled a little apologetically, letting go of my armrests and standing straight.

"I'm just saying...you're going on a business trip with him." Tim looked sternly out the window, muttering to himself, "He doesn't even work for the company. How the fuck did he get to be on this assignment?"

"He's got the power," I mused. "He got me this job after all."

"You mean the only useful thing he's ever done for this company."

I blushed, shooting him a crooked grin. "Thank you very much, Tim-Tim."

He didn't look all that happy at the way I chirped his cute pet-name which normally got him to smile.

"When are you going to stop fucking him?"

I would have slapped him. If not for the fact that I really, really liked Tim. This wasn't something he normally would say...it wasn't him at all. Something was on his mind, and I knew exactly what it was because I saw it in his eyes every single time he looked my way.

"It's none of your business," I mumbled, turning away and focusing back on the monitor. "I have work to do now so-"

His hands gripped the head rest and whirled me around till we were back in the same position as before, except this time, Tim was much closer. His face was inches from mine and I could feel his breath against my lips as he glowered at me, making it clear that he was far from joking. I would have taken this as an opportunity to appreciate his obvious handsomeness if not for the words to leave his mouth.

"I'm not going to ask again, Tris."

"Then don't," I whispered. "Because I haven't got an answer."

Tim opened his mouth but I silenced him, pressing a finger against his lips.

"Don't, Tim. I know what you're going to say. You're going to tell me I deserve a lot better. That eventually, Hans will break my heart. That he doesn't do commitment. I know all that." I let out my breath, wishing I had the power to hold back from saying the truth, knowing it would hurt him. "But the thing is, I can't stop it. I don't know what it is about him but he shows up and...he's there. And I want him. I know he's not right for me. I know I'm doing the wrong thing but I can't stop myself."

Tim gave me a defeated smile. He wrapped his hand gently around my own, bringing it to his lips in a soft, gentle brush.

"If only..."

I caught on to the hidden meaning, but I didn't act on it. With Tim, things were safe. He was my friend but he was also the path not taken, symbolizing something greater that I was giving up for what I had with Hans. But he didn't get it and he never would. He saw me and Hans as a fuck-fest that was bound to end but that's not what it was. There was no way I could be so drawn to a man as I was with Hans unless there was a greater reason behind it. It was the first time I'd ever acted on instinct in my life and I just knew it wouldn't end the way Tim thought it would. It couldn't.

Tim gently laid my hand back on my lap, brushing the pad of his thumb over where he'd just kissed me.

"Do you want me to come along? Just in case?"

It was his last, desperate attempt to get me to ditch this, but once again, I found myself denying him. I shook my head slowly and looked away from the growing pools of hope in Tim's green eyes, incapable of drowning.

"I'll be fine."

_____

Song: All I Do by Majid Jordan

Dedicated to jadewinterz for all your votes and entertaining comments on The Closer, as well as my other work . Not only were the notifications overwhelming in itself but the fact that you genuinely support my work made my entire week. Thank you lovely! 

QOTD: Do you enjoy reading stories with female MC's who take charge, are independent and sassy (like Tris) or the damsel-in-distress who needs 'fixing' or isn't too good at hiding their emotional tragedies? Either is fine, by the way. I'm just curious. :P 

Sneak peek of the next part: Tris kicks off her journey to the meeting with Hans and finds herself enjoying the trip a little more than she had signed up for. 

I'll be updating the next part on Sunday or sometime next week! Caught up in finals right now so my schedule's kind of tight and I haven't completed editing the next part. Please stay patient, loves! The emotional crux of the story is kicking in now and I promise you, it'll be worth it. 

Have a great week ahead! <3