Chapter 18: LIGHTWEIGHT
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Alex’s POV;
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I almost got roped into playing some drinking games but since I was firm about my no drinking decision we ended up playing pool instead.
Josh’s place was pretty cool with all kinds of indoor games and gaming equipment. Kate, Drew, Hal, and I decided to occupy a pool table, Jamie watched us since she had no idea how to play, and occasionally cheered for her boyfriend. It was Kate and I vs Drew and Hal and we alternated after the toss and their team started the game.
Drew took the opening break shot, it was a good shot however the 8th ball wasn’t pocketed. The game went on for a while, each of us had cues in hand as we stood around the table watching while our partners and opponents make or break the shot.
Drew juggled three jumped balls in his hands when it wasn’t his turn to spot, Hal looked very serious about the game while Kate and I were winning. All those countless hours of pool with my dad wasn’t an absolute waste. It was an open table when my turn came around, I chalked up my cue and after concentrating for a few seconds struck the cue ball pocketing another one. The end was rather anticlimactic when Drew managed to knock the 8th ball off the table and we all watched in horror as the game came to an abrupt end.
We all dispersed after that and I made my way back to Ben and his delicious pina coladas.
The crowd had doubled in a matter of minutes and I could find some more familiar faces of Nick and Carrie. Nick smiled at me from across the room and continued to talk to a bunch of guys, who all held beer bottles in hand.
“So… who won?” Ben asked as he placed my drink in front of me without me asking.
“Who do you think?” I said flatly and he laughed.
“I’m not even going to ask why you look so thrilled about it, you are something else…” His eyes sparkled under the dull lights as what he said was half sarcastic and half true.
I smiled, “why, thank you Ben, your vague compliment made my evening.” I told him as I sipped my drink.
“We aim to please.” He said simply but for some reason it cracked me up.
We continued this sarcastic and playful back and forth until someone in the crowd caught my attention. He wore a simple white shirt and casual jeans looking so far from his usual self that I almost didn’t recognise him.
It didn’t take long for his eyes to meet mine and then he was walking towards me with long, sure strides. Jensen stopped next to me at the bar counter and asked for an orange juice.
What the-?
Ben shot him a weird look but did as was told. Jensen then turned to look at me. “So you’re good at pool too, anything else I should be aware of?” he sounded amused. He watched that stupid game?
I ignored his words and said “I didn’t know you were planning to join the party.” His arm brushed against mine, making goosebumps appear on my skin.
“Well, neither did I, until I got in my car and drove straight here.” He said casually, I raised an eyebrow like I didn’t believe he could be that spontaneous and it showed. “Josh insisted, he said I’d be missing out if I didn’t come.”
I smirked, “I thought you were the JOMO type.” He chuckled at that and his whole face transformed, I think I stared at him enthralled. Gah!!! Why was he so darn handsome?!
“Usually, but today’s a little different” He stared at me unblinking, “had to make an exception.” That’s all he said, providing no more explanation, but his eyes were a total different story.
“Wait, wait, wait…. I don’t believe this.” Josh showed up suddenly and he stared at Jensen in pure unadulterated shock, he then turned to me and said “Alex, will you hit me or something, I think I’m hallucinating.”
I just laughed at his dramatic behaviour and Jensen’s annoyed face.
“You actually showed up?” Josh smirked at his friend and then he wiggled his eyebrows in a weird danc-y thing and Jensen rolled his eyes, I didn’t understand and thought it was some inside joke between them.
“Don’t make me wanna punch you for real.” His glare was a waste of effort, because Josh’s smile only grew bigger.
Josh completely ignored his words and said, “Come on, let’s go do something fun, don’t just stand around and look dead” he dragged us both towards the game room and we let him.
Kate and Josh played ‘drunken darts’ and I cheered with the rest of the crowd. Jensen looked inert to the chaos around him and just stood there like a slab of cement. Nick somehow ended up standing next to me and we both were supporting Kate.
According to the improved rules of the game if a player failed to hit the inner circle of the dart board they had to take a shot. Needless to say Josh was absolutely wasted, not that he needed any help from alcohol to miss the target. Kate on the other hand was pretty good, I definitely wasn’t as good as her at playing darts.
An hour and a half later-
Jensen and I stood facing each other with a table placed between us while our challenging gaze got entangled in an invisible fight.
It was finally decided, we were playing beer pong.
I don’t know how this happened. No wait, I do know how this happened, Jensen challenged me to beat him at something that’s not pool and I refused to play drunken darts, even though I didn’t understand how this was any different.
“But I don’t want to drink!” I protested.
“Well, then you’ll just have to win and hope that I suck at this game.” Jensen said.
When I told everyone that I wasn’t the partying type in college and never got around to playing such games, it was decided right away, not by me, but everyone else.
After getting enough beer for a small country we stood on either side of the rectangular table on which ten glasses were perched to form an equilateral triangle. Four glasses were set up near the edge followed by three, two and lastly one as it got closer to the centre of the table.
All the glasses were filled with beer and an ice jar was placed at both sides, only the ice was replaced by those much needed white ping pong balls.
“But what are the rules exactly?” Carrie asked and that was the cue for our drunken master to enter.
Josh tried to speak but he could only manage to slur “I’ll explain the rules.” Everyone watched him with pure amusement as he continued “See, there are twenty people playing…” And then he went on to make up some rules that made absolutely no sense.
“Close…”Drew said, sarcastically.
The rules of the game was simple and after Josh was completely out of earshot, Nick repeated it for those who didn’t know, a.k.a me. “The players are supposed to shoot ping pong balls at the cups arranged across from them, if the ball lands in the cup the opponent has to chug beer, first person to chug five beers loses.”
“Also there’s a…twist the first person to chug five beers will in addition to that, have to do five vodka shots!” Nick said after a small pause and everyone cheered and applauded.
Of course this was not my idea.
Let’s not do this! Please!
Soon the game started and there was a dilemma about who should go first. We were about to toss a coin, but Jensen made it easier “ladies first” he said being the absolute gentleman that he was. Not.
I aimed for the cup closest to me on his side and straightaway launched a projectile and of course the ball stopped only after landing in the cup. “Yesss!!!” I jumped in joy and everyone cheered purely intoxicated and charged with excitement.
Jensen rolled his eyes in a ‘that’s no big deal’ manner but nonetheless picked out the ball from that cup and chugged the beer just like he was supposed to do, only he made it look like he was drinking water, or orange juice in his case, easy-peasy lemon squeezy.
It was his chance now and he rolled up his already short sleeves, squared his shoulders and stretched his arm and I tried not to gawk. Yet, sadly his aim was nowhere near my expectations or the beer cups for that matter.
The ping pong ball bounced away as we all stared at it…the crowd around us ‘booed’ at his effort when he slouched in disappointment, except Josh who seemed a little too happy for some unknown and possibly unrelated reason.
It was my turn again, I chose a cup and aimed , but this time luck wasn’t on my side, the tiny white ball bounced off the edge of the glass and no one spared it another glance. Damn it!
When his chance returned I held my breath and crossed my fingers to no avail. The ball landed in the cup and Jensen was able to make his chances count, he smirked with triumph and I made a face when I had to drink the beer.
Ewww…I wasn’t a fan of beer. Somehow I was able to down it without getting sick. I tried again as the game progressed and ….it sort of worked out well for me, and so it went on. Jensen was down to three beers as he couldn’t aim right even once after the only one that I had to drink.
Three down, two to go. I aimed again…and spot on! “Hah! Take that Bitc-!” I bit my tongue realising I wasn’t supposed to say certain things to my boss, Jensen seemed amused at my slip up, I avoided his gaze, and we both focused on the game at hand.
He couldn’t believe it though, “That-that’s just…..how are you doing that?!” And I grinned boastfully. Jensen reached out and picked up the beer cup while I and everyone else chanted “drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink, drink….!” The chanting stopped only after he dramatically slammed the cup after downing it.
I didn’t know how I was doing it, but I was winning , it seemed almost like injustice to keep playing this way. I almost felt bad for him, almost. Even though it was absolutely possible for him to get back in the game, the chances of that happening were entirely too slim.
He seemed visibly tensed and like he was struggling for the majority of the game and since I wanted to make things interesting and frankly a little easy for him I said “You know what, try four throws in a row…let’s see if you can make even half of them count”
He raised his eyebrows in incredulity “You’re serious?”
“Yeah, why not….I’m just trying to help you out a little bit” either way the result is going to be the same, just the victory will be that much sweeter.
Locks of his dark hair were falling on his forehead, obscuring his eyes from me, he was obviously disheveled after chugging all those beers but positively had a devilish glint when he said “You sure you’re not gonna regret it later?”
I frowned, he was making me second guess myself, trying to lower my confidence, but I wasn’t wavering. I knew the odds were slightly now in his favor… I made it that way but it was impossible for him to win…even if he misses one shot (which I’m counting on) the game will continue and the possibility of that happening was very high.
“What’s a game without a risk?” I smirked enjoying this playful banter.
“Well, I’m just saying…It wouldn’t suit you to go back on your word” he says casually.
“Wasn’t planning on it.” I sounded confident.
“Let’s make this more interesting shall we, If I win this game you’ll have to plan the upcoming charity event with me.” He laid it out and waited for me to agree. Everyone Oohed and aahed at the wager that was no doubt taking effect.
“Wait, me? But why?” I was suddenly confused with the turn this was taking.
And why was he bringing work into this?
He rolled his eyes impatiently but still explained, “I know you have experience in event planning, it’s listed in your resume.”
And just like that I wanted to rethink my life decisions. Why did I listen to my mother when she told me to list it? Nothing good ever comes out of it, then why?! No! Not happening. Absolutely not! Unless…. “And what if I win?”
“What would you want?” He said, like he couldn’t imagine I could have conditions of my own.
Let’s see……I could ask for his parking space, or no work on weekends? Or….Nah, nothing like that.
“I can’t think of anything right now, but if I ever need anything I’ll ask and you’ll have to oblige.” I was dead serious. Only Kate knew about my mind that works in mysterious ways and so her eyes widened. Everyone just stood there thinking that it was some kind of big deal and seemed interested.
Jensen’s jaw flexed as he stared at me, a cold glint in his stormy grey eyes, definitely not expecting that, “within reason?”
I nodded and he barely composed himself with a ragged breath and said through gritted teeth. “You’re on.”
“Okaaay… brace yourself Jensen, I’m gonna make you eat your wor-“I was cut short when he threw the ball and it landed exactly in the first cup of last row. My mouth was wide as I looked at the ball and then at him repeatedly.
“You were saying something?” he taunted, a dark smile on his lips. “Go on…chug it” Jensen encouraged.
With a scowl on my face I picked up the beer cup, removed the ping pong ball from it and drank the beer. I had no reason to freak out. There was no way he could win this thing, just no way! His smile turned mocking on he face as he juggled three balls in his hands. What a showoff!
“Beginner’s luck” I muttered lowly but he managed to catch that with his superhuman hearing.
“Oh really? Then what do you call this?” He mockingly asked as he stopped his juggling for a moment and one after another shot all three balls in the cups placed at the last row landing each one of them perfectly.
Shocked does not even begin to explain what I was feeling right now. I was so in my own head that I forgot about others, it felt like we were alone until everyone started screaming and celebrating and congratulating Jensen and Kate gave me a pat on the back for….well, trying
I lost. He tricked me?!
Everyone was celebrating but I still couldn’t believe what just happened…. how’s that possible? I evidently walked into a trap didn’t I?
Looking at Jensen’s smug smile and eyes that held a nefarious glint, the answer to that was a definite yes.
“So, about those vodka shots…” Jensen mentioned casually and trailed off almost innocently. I’m gonna get you back for this Jensen Black, just you wait!
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‘Drunk’ would be one word to describe me, others would be ‘high’ and ‘extremely happy’. Beers and vodka can do that to a person. Can you guess I was a lightweight? My intoxicated state somehow emboldened me and made me forget all about that game which I had lost.
I was feeling positively dizzy, like I was caught inside a kaleidoscope and everything was whirling around me. Or was it just me?
“Stop spinning and sit down will you” I felt someone’s hands on my shoulders as they tried to stop my rapid spinning motion, there was a soft gentleness to his usual brute strength.
When I stopped, I came face to face with Jensen who made me sit on one of those chairs near the bar and I pouted like a little kid. “One more!” I raised my hand at the bartender and ordered.
“Of what hon?” Ben winked. He was handsome but too young.
“Why don’t you…. surprise me” I suggested at which he smirked then nodded.
“Nothing! She won’t be having anything.” Jensen snapped at Ben and I rolled my eyes at this.
“Ignore him, that’s what I do” I whispered not-so-quietly as I leaned towards Ben with a hand hollowing around my lips.
Ben simply chuckled and got to his work, when he placed a glass in front of me Jensen glared at him and he immediately left to attend to others. I had no idea what was there in the drink but I liked it anyway.
“What time is it?” Jensen asked as he angled his head towards me.
I glanced down at my wrist watch while sipping my drink. “It’s six o’clock…you need to relax and take a chill pill” I explained to him as I lightly patted his cheek at which he shot me an amused look.
“No, it’s twelve thirty in the morning and you need to stop drinking while you’re still coherent.”
I laughed at that, loudly. “I need to stop drinking? Look who’s talking…” he frowned and then he snatched away the drink which I was sipping.
What? That’s not fair! I was wasted, might as well enjoy it.
I stood up and tried to reach for it but he successfully kept it away from me by stretching his hand up behind his body, I stretched leaning towards him to get it back. “You’ve had enough.” He said.
“Oh come on, don’t be a spoil-sport!” I stomped my feet without giving a thought at how childish it would seem.
He smiled and was about to say something, when, in that moment we both realised about the physical distance between us… or should I say the lack of distance between us. Jensen watched my every little movement carefully, making me nervous under his gaze.
I don’t know how, but he managed to tower over me while being seated whereas I was standing on my tip-toes and still had to look up at him. I hated being vertically challenged!
I took a step back and surprisingly didn’t trip over my own feet, Jensen was watching me closely like he was prepared to hold me up if I fell.
“You alright?” He asked, holding on to my wrist, just in case. His touch was warm and gentle, comfortable.
I nodded. “I’m fine.” His eyes moved over my face like a caress, I could almost feel a soft touch on my skin, it sent shivers down my spine. I watched as his gaze delicately glided over my face taking in every detail, my eyes, my nose, my lips where his eyes lingered.
“Ahem…uhm…” I cleared my throat loudly, hoping he would snap out of whatever he was doing.
To my utter surprise he asked “what?” In a small voice as his gaze slowly returned to my eyes. I felt my cheeks warm up.
If he could just lean in little…..no stop! I should never drink. Like ever. It makes my mind travel to weird places and that’s it! I’m taking a sobriety pledge!
Someone called his name, breaking through the haze that surrounded us and so he pulled away and looked at whoever called him.
“I’ll be back in a minute” Jensen said and left to talk to some guy in the crowd, Ben kept me company when he wasn’t mixing drinks.
Kate found me soon enough at the bar alone singing along to the song I found familiar, she seemed concerned, like she expected me to suddenly chortle like a lunatic. “So much for no drinking policy.” she said.
I laughed and then I hiccuped and then laughed again, “I’m going to regret this tomorrow morning aren’t I?”
“Without a doubt.” she nodded and I grinned happily and hugged her, because I’m a bit too affectionate when I’m drunk.
I laughed and started singing a random song “We all live in a yellow submarine, yellow submarine, yellow submarine…”
Normally I hate Kyle’s brother-ly bear hugs, but when I’m drunk I would cling to him with my vice like grip.
“Anyway, How are we getting home tonight?” I changed the subject, she just shrugged, her phone suddenly started ringing and she excused herself to attend the call because it was hard to hear anything in here with music playing and people chatting loudly.
“Where is my drink?” I looked for it on the counter but couldn’t find it anywhere.
Jensen shrugged, pretending to not know anything about it. Wait, when did he get back here? Whatever… I’ll just order another one, what was this guys’ name again? I can’t seem to remember… “Bartender dude!”
Before the bartender could hear me Jensen unwillingly pushed my half empty glass in front of me. “There it is!” I exclaimed happily as I took my drink as well as my seat.
“‘Bartender dude’ seriously?” He said, finding humor in my words and I just shrugged nonchalantly…
“What? I forgot his name okay! I think it starts with a ‘P’ or a ‘K’…”
Jensen was amused and he flashed a breathtaking smile where his eyes twinkled and he looked a lot younger, with his casual clothing and smiling eyes.
“You’re charming when you smile, less evil” I blurted out while looking at him as I was rendered incapable of thinking straight. “Most times you just wear your diabolical scowl, you should stop doing that.”
He raised an eyebrow as his amusement grew further, he was caught off guard but recovered quickly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
It felt like I was saying something I shouldn’t, but that didn’t stop me. Clearly my tongue was not under my control. “You know…if you smile more often, it would help once in a while to not scare away the clients.”
“I do smile often.” He says seriously.
“Oh yeah…I almost forgot, it’s just me who gets your cold shoulder” I mumbled thoughtfully.
“What? what are you talking about?” He seemed genuinely confused but at the same time he was enjoying my social-suicide. The realisation was there at the back of my hazy mind that I was saying things I’ll regret, but I ignored it.
“It’s obvious you don’t want me working for your company, you only tolerate me because of Olivia…it’s been that way since the first day in the office.”I stated.
He frowned, looked away and waved at Josh, who was waving at the both of us vigorously and he had taken over the DJ, the real DJ was sitting next to him with an ice pack to his face. That’s when I realised it was Josh who was playing great music all night. Wait, did he get into a fight?
“See, you won’t even deny it,” I said, exaggerating my somber expressions. He laughed and was about to say something but I didn’t give him a chance, “It confiss- confetti- confer- confuses me why you didn’t fire me all those times when you had the chance, in fact I’m still confetti-sed and even my parents are shocked about the fact that I’ve been on the same job for more than a month now.”
Jensen took in my words and then said while nodding “Hmm, yeah…you’re right.”
And here I thought he’d say ‘No Alex it’s not like that, you’re mistaken…’ Thanks for rubbing it in man, apricot- I mean appreciate it.
“I can vaguely recall that day and like you pointed out, your first day at work was weirdly interesting but judging you on the basis of our previous encounters alone would have been wrong. I decided to give you a chance so that you can prove yourself and well…I was right, you can be absolutely focused and hardworking when needed….it’s an admirable trait,” he told me genuinely.
I’m sure I was gaping wide eyed at him throughout and then I laughed “Focused and hardworking? Yeah sure!”
“It is true… indisputably you’ve pulled some pretty stupid stunts but to tell you the truth it’s been a welcome distraction… work could get boring around here” he said smilingly.
It took time for my brain to register that. Was Jensen Black smiling and praising me in some weird twisted way? What has the world come to? Have I slipped into a different dimension? Even my drunk self had enough brains to understand this wasn’t normal.
“And you know what Alex?” He hesitated for a moment, but then gently placed his hand on mine so I would stop incessantly tapping the counter top. “From the moment you walked into my office, things have changed, Olivia was right, you bring luck everywhere you go, of course how can we forget about your disastrous skills, but then again, I believe that’s your speciality” he did a one shoulder shrug and chuckled.
I blinked up at him, completely at a loss of words as a long silence stretched between us until I finally came up with something to say.
“Woah I did not expect that…” I nodded, dead serious and he laughed again. I liked his laugh, I realised. Oh god!
We talked for a long time after that, almost like we were long lost friends and like we had a lot of catching up to do. My drunk self had less inhibitions and I talked freely.
The weird and slightly awkward tension between us that was always there just beneath the surface was beginning to fade away. It felt like we just built a bridge instead of burning them for once.
This felt like a big deal, a positive thing. Like the next step after the unspoken ‘truce.’
Soon I was zoning in and out of the conversation as my body was ready to shut down.
When I realised that my drink was over I picked up the small fancy umbrella thing which was placed in it and tipped the glass upside down to see if anything was left….nothing.
Jensen found this rather funny since he was trying hard not to smile too fiercely, but failed. Awwwe. I wanted to pinch his cheeks.
Which I knew I couldn’t, so ignoring him I frowned deeply at my disheartening discovery and stood up to order another drink, but he pulled me down predicting my intentions quite accurately.
“I think it’s time for you to go home” he said to me, like he was telling this to a petulant small kid.
“Already?” I looked around to finally notice that almost everyone had left except for a few who lingered around and Josh who was still full of energy and enjoying the position of a DJ.
“You can’t drive in this condition.” Jensen said, referring to my drunken state.
“Duh!” I said and he rolled his eyes.
I started thinking of an alternative when he spoke up “I’ll drop you home. Where do you live?”
“I’d tell you…but then I’d have to kill you,” I said and tried not to laugh too much.
“What, are you afraid I’m gonna TP your house?” He asked sarcastically.
“I don’t know, but I won’t be taking any chances” I replied with fake seriousness.
He stared at me like I was demented and then decided to talk sense. “How are you planning to get home?”
I gestured for him to come closer, so that I could whisper in his ear, like I was telling him a secret and he complied seeing no other option, “I have a back up plan.” I moved away and continued speaking, almost proudly “I have backup plans for backup plans for backup plans!”
Jensen pressed his lips in a thin line and nodded like he was very much impressed.
I made a sour face at his fake approval and pulled out my cell phone to call the driver, but when I looked at the time I dialled my brother instead.
Jensen just sat there looking at me, waiting for me to finish my phone call. “Driver” I whispered while grinning for no apparent reason.
Kyle picked up after three rings and he was clearly disturbed from his beauty sleep. Yay! “What? This conversation couldn’t wait until morning?” He grumbled in his hoarse sleepy voice.
I didn’t pay his words any heed as I ordered “Stop dying… I mean crying and come pick me up!”
There was some shuffling noise in the background and then his seemingly less sleepy voice said “Are you drunk?”
“No I’m Alex!” There, I said it! I finally said the drunk-stupid line.
“Who’s with you? Please tell me you’re not alone and that you’re not getting mugged in a dark alley by a hobo!” Was that concern I detected from my dear brother? I mentally face-palmed for his absolutely cliched theatrical imagination. Hollywood has ruined him.
“I’m not alone, actually I’m with someone….not sure if he’s a hobo, but he is capable of murder with his glare alone and could possibly TP my house because he’s evil” I explained and then mouthed “You!” to Jensen while pointing at him.
Jensen looked behind him at that, as if searching for someone else “Me?” He questioned while his eyes twinkled with humor. I nodded and he pretended to gasp in fake understanding.
“Fine I’m on my way… where are you?” Kyle asked.
“At the bar” I blurted without giving it a thought.
“Yeah? Thanks, that helped a lot” his sarcasm was funny for some reason cause I laughed.
After I finally stopped laughing as I tried remembering the name of this building, I answered “Samberg Towers, top floor.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he said and then hung up without a proper goodbye or anything…. typical.
“Problem solved” I told Jensen, he crossed his arms and tipped his head but didn’t say anything.
My phone pinged with Kate’s message and I clicked on it.
“Sorry I didn’t want to disturb you and Jensen, you guys seem to be having some interesting drunken discussion, but I think we should leave now. Should I call a cab?”
I stared blankly at the text message as it annoyingly blurred in and out of focus. My eyes found Kate across the room, I think I gestured something towards her, I don’t really remember.
I sighed tiredly, feeling like I could doze off at any moment. When was Kyle getting here?
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