Black Winter[Completed]

Chapter 3

Mr Anderson turns red in the face with anger when I mention his daughter,"You disrespectful bitch. Go against me and see what I'll do to you." I just smirk coldly at him and in the deadly voice,"Tsk tsk, you really shouldn't be calling one of the biggest investors in your son's company a bitch." He pales when he hears this and I mentally laugh at how chicken this man is. "So no Mr Anderson, go against me and see what I'll  do to you." I turn to my dad and Uncle Jack who are holding in their laughter and urge them to continue. After the meeting is over and only the 4 of us are left inside, Dad and Uncle jack burst out laughing at Ignatius Anderson's expressions. "Oh sweetheart, you are real fiesty just like your mum. You're gonna be just fine." Even Damien cracks a small smile,"Yeah who knew you were such a spitfire, huh Angel?" I glare at him much to his amusement, but that quickly goes away as I say,"Better watch your back, Arius." Dad and Uncle Jack start howling in laughter when I say this and Uncle Jack says between laughs,"Oh, this is gonna be so much fun." I snort,"Yeah, I'm beginning to think you guys did this just for your entertainment." 

Dad tells me to meet him in the foyer as he wants to introduce us to the staff and tell them about the whole co-CEO thing. He and Uncle Jack head on down first to call everyone together. So, Damien and I ride in the elevator in uncomfortable silence. As we reach the lobby, I step out when he grabs my wrist. I look at him in confusion, scratching the back of his neck, looking everywhere except me, he says"Thank you for sticking up for me back there." i"m too shocked to even respond. Did he just thank me? He must still be drunk, that's it. Somehow, I compose myself and say,"Uh, no problem." He nods and we just stare at each other for a few seconds when I realise his hand is still on my wrist. He notices too and immediately pulls away, gesturing for me to exit first. Instantly, I find myself missing his warmth and I chide myself for having such thoughts. What is wrong with you Alex? As we walk towards where an enormous crowd is gathered, we look at each other and give each other a nod of support. If anything, the staff may have the same reaction as our shareholders but we'll get through this.Maybe it won't be so bad after all, I think to myself.

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A month later

I take it back. I take every single damn word back. This is hell. Fuck, this is worse than hell. Damien and I could not be more different. We absolutely cannot see eye to eye and most of our time at work is spent arguing with each other.  It probably doesn't help that we're both extremely stubborn. Take right now for example. We're having a meeting with some of our employees about a new property development in Upper East Side and Damien and I can't agree about anything. I've been trying to tell him that his design will not work in the long run, but he's convinced that he's right. He won't even listen to our architects and engineers. So while we are hurling insults back and forth, our team is staring wide-eyed at us. Some are trying to hold their laughter in while some look like they wanna get the hell outta there. Something tells me that Damien is just arguing with me to rile me up and nit because he actually disagrees with me.

"Damien, for the last time you cannot put a pool in there."I bite out through gritted teeth. He glares back,"Why not?" I smack my forehead. What has this idiot been doing the past one hour?

"The soil is too moist for a pool. It has to be on the rooftop." He sighs, "You do realise that we are co-CEO's right? So, don't talk to me like I'm under you." I take a deep breath, mentally counting to 10 before I completely lose it. "It's quite difficult to do that when you're acting like a petulant child."

"Oh, I'm a petulant child? You're acting like some stubborn.." but he is cut off by Jay who walks in at that moment,"Chill out guys, I don't wanna plan a funeral so soon."I stare at him,"You do realise we're in the middle of a meeting right?"He smiles cheekily,"Oh sorry, my apologies. I thought this was the beginning of World War 3." Both Damien and I roll our eyes and he just chuckles. "I'll be waiting in your office, princess."

We end the meeting and just as I leave, Damien says coldly,"Didn't take you as that kind of girl." "Excuse me?" "Sleeping with Jay.Real classy." I stare at him in disbelief before bursting out in laughter. "Oh my god, you-you. Wow, Arius, you know girls and boys are capable of actually being best friends. But, I don't blame you, the girls you hang out with are well one of a kind." Damien stares at me, not saying a word. I shake my head in laughter and head to my office.

Walking in, I find Jay lounging on my couch like he owns the place. I roll my eyes at the idiot I call my best friend, "Can I help you?" "Ouch, is that any way to treat your bestie?" "Bestie? There's no one else in my office." He clutches his heart, stabbing it and staggering to the floor. I laugh,"Thank you. I needed that." He sobers up,"I noticed. Things aren't getting any better huh?" I shake my head,"I don't know what our parents were thinking. This isn't working." He smiles sadly at me,"Come on, let's vent it out over lunch." I stare at the pile of paperwork on my table and sigh dejectedly,"I wish I could. But, I've got to look over those files." Jay pulls me out of the office despite my protests, saying how I need to eat or I'm gonna become a skeleton.

We head to our favourite restaurant and order our usual. Jay initiates conversation,"So, what's the problem?" I take a deep breath before replying,"The problem is your best friend is the most stubbornest, idiotic, stupidest asshole I've ever met who does not know how to cooperate or listen cuz his head is always stuck in his goddamn ass and his holier than thou attitude does not help his case. He always thinks he's right, despite professional experts saying no. I mean, how can anyone be that dense and arrogant?" I say all this in one breath, causing Jay to stare at me wide-eyed. After a few seconds, he nods slowly,"Yeah, that sounds like Damien Black."

I continue my little rant,"I mean, I have no idea how the hell you two can be best friends. You guys are practically brothers. How do you stand that pompous ass?" Jay chuckles, "well, I have known the guy since we were babies. And well, when I'm with Damien, he's the old him."

"The old him was still a jerk."

 "Well, then the real him. From when you were best friends." 

I raise my eyebrow in disbelief,"Sorry, I don't believe you. You know dad told me that he thinks that I can somehow heal him, whatever that means. Trust me, you can't heal Satan's Spawn." 

Look, Al, it's only been a month. Give it time. Who knows, you two might actually become close. Then, we can all become the 4 Musketeers."

 I snort,"Yeah, keep dreaming buddy."