Chapter 7

• Claire
• Entering the club, my grin spread from ear to ear. I couldn’t believe I was going out with colleagues, and they weren’t, hopefully, going to call me Despair behind my back. This was the chance to make new friends and feel more involved in the company’s social life. It was time to start going with people on lunch breaks and fun events. Such a golden opportunity.
• I inhaled through my mouth and continued forward, hoping to quickly find the right table. My body was pumping with excitement. And the people here... Well, they were pumping their bodies up and down each other. There were so many couples grinding on each other that a part of me felt jealous. And another rolled its eyes.
• When I found our spot, Samantha put her glass of martini on the table and stood up to greet me. Her teammates also waved hello or smiled, but I didn’t have time to do the same as she stood up and hugged me. I swallowed my surprise.
• “You look great,” she greeted, checking out my pink body-con dress.
• “You too.”
• Sammy had to be over thirty, but she didn’t look a day over twenty-five.
• “Did you have trouble finding the club?” Hilda asked when I sat next to her boss. Her smile was wide but fake. She looked like a snake that was about to chew on her prey. And of course, that prey was me. So, the bullying thing had reached Sammy’s team too. My shoulders almost dropped in defeat, but I puffed out my chest and remained proud.
• Envy was swimming on Hilda’s face. Was it because I sat next to Samantha? But she’d been the one to invite me…
• “I took an Uber because I wanted to drink, so...”
• “You took an Uber?” Sammy’s eyebrows shot up, and she gave me a look. “But your place is far from here.”
• I scowled. She knew where I lived?
• “It’s no big deal.” Especially when I was desperate for human contact. “But how did you know?”
• “Samantha knows everything,” Larry interjected with a smirk and pulled Hilda by the arm to take her to the dancefloor. She followed him, a bit sullen, and shot me a look that made my skin prickle.
• “She doesn’t like me, huh?” I made a face and lifted my shoulders to hide my dejection. Damn it, why was this happening?
• Samantha laughed.
• “Oh, she thinks I’m going to fire her and pull you in my team.”
• My eyes rounded. “Are you?”
• “Nah.” She waved a hand, again making me feel that friendly aura she emitted. “Hilda’s just very uptight and constantly worries about everything. Besides, you’re doing just fine in your team.”
• Uh-huh, everybody was afraid of talking to me because of Stonehead. They didn’t want to become his next target.
• “Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” She smirked.
• Such a strange question.
• “What?” I breathed, lava of apprehension sliding down my arms.
• “Claire, Claire,”—she patted my shoulder—“we’re here to have fun. Relax. Mitchel Stone finds a new victim every year. He calls it his personal training and claims he does it because he found potential in you.”
• Yeah, right. Either he found an easy target, or he liked the thrill and to feel endangered. Because I often imagined tearing him apart and throwing him in the bay. My tongue pressed against my canines, thriving for his blood, but it was all going to remain a twisted dream. Someday, redemption was going to bite him in the ass, and even if that wasn’t thanks to me, I was going to be elated.
• I narrowed my eyes, unable to hide the disdain. Her smirk turned into a grin.
• “When did you start working in ‘Cruise Dream’?” I cleverly changed the subject.
• “About five years ago.” A distant look appeared in her eyes, and even though her face remained smiling and merry, it gave off the vibe of tension. “Time flies.”
• “It does. It feels like yesterday when I was in high school, preparing for my final exams, and I still can’t believe I’m in Seattle, starting on my own, and working in my dream company. Now…” I pulled a face and stopped myself from complaining about the job itself.
• “I don’t even remember high school anymore.” She crossed her arms. “It was so long ago. I was a different person back then.”
• “How so?” I cocked my head to the side.
• “I didn’t know what I wanted from life, but I believed I could be this big hero who saves everybody.”
• “Nice…” I blinked, studying her.
• She shrugged, and that gesture reminded me of my neighbor. At least, it didn’t annoy me like he did.
• “Where is the rest of your crew?” I smiled and smacked my lips, thirsty for something strong.
• Sammy opened her mouth to speak, but the waitress came and greeted us.
• “Three shots and a Tequila.” I pointed with fingers, and the girl nodded at me.
• “I sent them on a business trip yesterday. We have some big projects coming up,” Sammy explained after the waitress went away and teased, “Somebody wants to get drunk tonight.”
• I laughed.
• “I can burn the whole place down with my dance moves.” I lifted my arm in the air, partly cringing at my reaction. Was I overdoing it? I craved to make a good impression, but I was worried I wouldn’t notice when I would cross the line. One of my great traits.
• I huffed under my breath, and when a song I loved started playing, I pulled Samantha with me and led her to the dance floor. Fuck restrictions. It was all or nothing, and I was going for all. It was time to let go for tonight.
• She seemed as amused as me when we started dancing, and I felt myself completely relax. I hoped we could become friends, and I bet all my money on it. Sammy disappeared somewhere among the crowd, and I noticed her teammates dancing around me. They were having as much fun as me, and Hilda threw me a small smile. It disappeared as soon as she let it cross her lips, but I didn’t care.
• When energy drained out of me, I headed to our table, and just before I sat on it, Samantha joined me. She huffed and fixed her messy ponytail. The way her lipstick was smudged over her mouth caught my attention. She saw me staring at her and swiftly took her bag to fix her makeup.
• “If I get the chance to have fun, I’m not missing it, you know,” she said, and I almost grinned from ear to ear. She didn’t have to explain herself to me because I was the same.
• “I get that.” I grabbed the first shot and gulped it down.
• I couldn’t believe things were going so well. Giddiness clenched my chest, and I pursed my lips to hide it. I passed her one of my shots, and she gladly took it. We clanked the glasses together, drinking them bottoms down.
• “Claire, don’t get frustrated because of the nickname thing.” She looked at me, and my shoulders stiffened.
• I swallowed.
• “Believe it or not, I also had a nickname. We’ve all been there.”
• “I know. The teambuildings—”
• “Yes, but that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about using it at work as a joke.” There was a pinch of a grimace on her face at the word ‘joke’, but she masked it in less than a second.
• I pulled out a breath and squeezed my fists. That was all everybody knew about me, wasn’t it? The stupid ‘joke’.
• “I’ve heard worse,” I half lied, pretending I didn’t care as much as I did.
• “It’s all gonna be fine. Once you get your permanent contact, he will forget you ever existed. I promise.”
• I frowned.
• “How about you? How are you doing?”
• Her expression brightened at my question, and she fixed a few strands of blonde hair. “With the amount of work during the last few months, things have been a bit crazy. Lately, I feel like work has been taking too much of my time. I’m nearly in my mid-thirties, and I don’t even have a serious boyfriend, not to mention a family. It all seems like a distant dream right now.”
• I was still twenty-four, and I felt more alone than ever. What would it be like if I spent a decade more like this?
• “Everything will work out,” I reassured with a bob of my head. “You’re still young. You know that the thirties are the new twenties. There are plenty of opportunities you could ride on. If that Stonehead lets you off the hook,” I added to myself, and a flinch caught my body. I whirled my eyes to her, hoping she didn’t hear me. I didn’t want to slander in front of her, even though he deserved it.
• Sammy stared at me for a bit and burst out in laughter. She slammed her hand on her thigh, and it reddened under her leather shorts.
• “I love this nickname!” She brushed off a tear and, with her shoulders still shaking, tried to calm down. Her eyes shifted to some other emotion I couldn’t decipher. But now, the laughter was gone as if it were never there in the first place. “Just don’t provoke him too much.”
• “Huh?” I drew my brows together, suddenly feeling on edge.
• “He deserves it. He’s an asshole, but you need to be careful.” The grimness on her face caused me to part my lips. Everything turned so serious so fast. “You want to pass your probation, don’t you? That would make you untouchable.” She winked at me and grinned. “Come on, let’s go dance!”