My Boss

42

We were already at the bar waiting for our drinks. The people around us are getting hyped waiting for the band to come out while I scan the place looking for a certain brown-eyed girl.

"What did she whisper to you earlier?" Claire had to talk a little bit loud and leaned over to my ear for me to be able to hear her.

"What do you mean?" I played dumb.

She gave me a meaningful look and didn't bother to follow up on what she was asking, that stare was enough for me to know that she wasn't playing.

"She told me to change and cover myself." I yelled near her ear.

"The nerve!" Claire's eyes squinted. "I am so glad you didn't do what she said!" 

"What were you talking about?" Brian handed us our beer, yelling.

We positioned a little bit far from the bar just to have a full view of the stage.

The band wasn't even here yet, but the music was blasting.

"Nothing!" I yelled a little bit in his ear.

Soon enough, the stage dimmed the light indicating the band was about to come out. As the emcee announced their presence, the stage had its full lights along with the sounds coming from their instruments and it was joined by people screaming and jumping as the first song started.

"I thought I'd find you here." I was startled when someone snaked their arm in my waist and yelled close to my ear. 

Claire and Brian did not notice the presence of Alex on my side as their eyes were locked in the performance in front of us.

"I thought I told you to change, Cara!" I could hear the menace from her voice as she squeezed my waist tighter.

I looked at her side just to see her glowering at me. She would stare at my eyes for a few seconds and then at my chest, though every time her eyes fell to my chest, her expression would change and she would seem to swallow a lump in her throat.

"I didn't want to change." I told her simply.

"Are you liking the attention you're getting?" She said mocking me.

"Is this you telling me for the second time that I want attention from rich people? Mind you, Ms. Williams, I don't think there's a lot of rich guys in here."

"Will you quit calling me that?" She scoffed but her eyes were still on my chest.

"Or maybe, you were just scared that it was your attention I was getting?" I yelled and gulped at my beer, not caring anymore about the people around me.

Her expression completely changed. Like she realized something but was not ready to admit it.

"I'm getting another bottle." I continued when she didn't respond and turned my back.

"Hi, Cara!"

"Cara!"

"Hi, Cara!"

I heard people greeting me but couldn't pinpoint where it was all coming from as the light was dimmed and the place was really packed.

I felt someone grab me by the arm a little bit harshly which caused me to stop and turn to see who it was.

I rolled my eyes to see it was Alex.

"You see what I mean?" She yelled.

I ignored what she said and walked towards the bar. I signaled the bartender to give me another beer.

"Are you planning to get drunk?" Alex said when she caught up to me.

"Are you planning to watch me the whole night?" 

"If necessary!"

As soon as I took my bottle, Alex grabbed my arm again but this time she pulled me out of the sea of people.

As much as I want to resist, having this many people squeezing you, it was hard and the only choice was to follow her.

She took me near the shore, far from where we came from. I could hear the waves coming from the ocean and no people were visibly around.

"What do you want, Alex?" A part of me was annoyed by how she was with me tonight.

"Because your boy toy is not here, you are bored and decided to pick on me?" I continued.

"That's not it, Cara!"

"Then what is it?" My voice rose but I didn't care. Nobody was around and the music was still a bit loud even from where we were standing.

Instead of answering me, she took my bottle from me and gulp from it. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Are you sleeping with Brian, Cara?" 

I was shocked by what she was asking me and was not able to respond immediately, she took that opportunity and spoke again.

"So what, after declaring that you're falling for me and was rejected, you move to another rather very quickly?" She huffed.

"Is that really how little you think of me, Alex?" I couldn't help but my voice cracked with the pain crept up my chest. 

Alex heard it and her features softened, She was even about to reach for my hand but I whisked it away.

"Do you really think it doesn't pain me seeing you with Daniel? Or just seeing you in the office and was not able to hold you or even talk to you the way I wanted to? Not be able to... kiss you? To tell you how beautiful you look that day? Do you really think I moved on that quick and don't miss you at all?"

The tears are now rolling down my cheeks. The pain I feel every night suddenly burst at this moment that I feel the need to tell her all of this so that I would relieve some of the pain she caused me.

I watched how the pity succumbed to her face. That's how she feels for me, just pity.

As if I'm not hurt enough, looking at her face added weight to my already heavy chest.

"Cara..."

"I don't need your pity, Alex! I'm not saying all these for you to pity me! I already accepted that you and I are never gonna happen!" 

I shut my eyes closed, shedding the last tears from my eyes when suddenly I felt Alex's hand grabbing the back of my neck and the other let go of the beer bottle and wrapped it around my waist.

The next thing I knew, my lips were enveloped by hers. 

As my first reaction, I opened my eyes widely, not believing what was happening. My arms were down my side not knowing if I should hold her back.

Her eyes were closed as she started moving her lips then I felt it... The longing for Alex, for her touch, for her kisses, for the feelings that only she could make me feel.

And just like that, everything was washed away along with the waves of the sea.

I seemed to forget all the pain I felt caused by her, the tears shed on my pillow, everything.

At this moment, I felt loved.

At this moment, I felt missed.

At this moment, I felt longed.

And at this moment, I felt whole again.