0.1 | No Exit from Deception ✓

0.02 | Underpaid And Overworked

Joseph froze on the spot, exhaling through his nostrils, as he was habitual of his friend's over-voiced behavior.

"Oh, is it not." He reared back his head and solemnly glanced at his shirt. "With all those patches of water on your shirt and dirt on your shoes─ if you will pardon the expression─ since when did this workhorse take up gardening at the mansion? When will you learn to say no to your toxic boss? And if someday she tells you to jump off the Space Needle, you will . . ." Anshuman raised a finger aloft and nodded after receiving an expected word from Joseph.

"Adhere," Joseph breathed. He was in a state of ferment; his intractable eyes were surveying the crowd to find that girl with messy red hair. He wasn't listening to Anshuman's rant anymore. This time it was his heart that had taken control over his office-work-corrupted mind.

He tried to abandon her thoughts reminding himself that she was a total stranger, but it etched on his memory like a leech ─ her not being spectacular in any sense, but still enticing enough to glance and meet her, beneath and beyond the makeup, of course.

"Sorry, I don't excel in reading eye language. Give me words! Do you even consider me as your friend, or we are neighbors in name only?" Anshuman went ballistic, shrugging his shoulders as Joseph didn't acknowledge his acting skills.

But no longer than a moment, Joseph tittered and asked, "Stop creating a drama and tell me where's Sarah tonight?"

Without wasting a single breath, Joseph grabbed a shimmering glass of wine from a roving waiter's tray, he thanked the waiter with a little bow.

With a lithe in his back muscles, Joseph's fitness level always made Anshuman a little conscious of his love handles, which started building from the fat that came from the rich dishes soaked in oil he sneakily ate in the Indian restaurant and dutifully skipped eating Sarah's comparatively spiceless food.

The duo moved toward the minibar and sat on the high chairs at a vantage point.

He continued with lazy eyes, "She is on her girls' night out. Trust me, never date a beautician. She makes six friends in one day. And listen the data analytics goes somewhat like this-"

Joseph nodded, staring downward at him as he bit his smile.

"The other day they multiply into twelve. Then there are friends of friends who have nothing else to do better than backbiting about their husbands and making them the butt of their jokes. A messy, complicated circuit of women forms. And, I have a hard time believing they all are her friends and not Tom Selleck's chest hair: The Marlboro Man!" he spat and went for a drink to get out of his temporary misery. Meanwhile, his eyes surveyed the people around, and suddenly stopped at someone who propelled him to utter a word midst his breakdown, "Storm."

"Who?"

"The girl."

"Every girl," Joseph pulled his leg.

Anshuman's air-tight mouth released the air as he shook his head in dismissal.

"Just adding to your melancholy, brother, I have Sarah's number on fast dial." Joseph burst his bubble at a go. His head hung down as he checked his phone if it was working properly.

"Argh! Since when did finding a woman for a lonely ass friend aka Joseph Holden become a capital crime?" Anshuman barked and nobody bothered to react to it since that room of the hall, they chose, was dominated by drunk carefree bachelors who either didn't have girlfriends, or they did, they were immersed in untangling other issues of the big life.

"Hey, listen. I don't want anybody's interference in my life and I'll be more than just happy to live with my singledom forever. It's peaceful and clean--" Joseph stated obvious, sending a heated gaze, an early sign of warning for Anshuman to put an end to the topic.

"Not like Tom Selleck's chest hair, c'mon?" Anshuman's eyes had all of the world's naughtiness in them. The alcohol almost did its magic and he lost it as he turned Joseph's chair forcefully toward the other direction.

"Look, her body is meant for praise, as much as it is for you. That red linen tightened around her torso disturbingly. Her milky collarbone waiting for your tongue to gloss each bit of it." Anshuman fantasized and cupped Joseph's face, angling it to give a perfect view. "And . . . and there is something about her red luscious lips . . . that you can't help but lick."

Joseph clenched his jaw, and forcibly narrowed his eyes at the tensome occupying the stage, unable to spot her because of his lack of interest, and there were a few of them in red dresses. So . . .

Thankfully, Anshuman did a good thing in that minute, he gave the right direction to Joseph's confused vision, "The one in the center. Red hair. Get the ball rollin' man."

A few moments later of silent staring, Joseph's senses perked up and his instincts told him that she was the same obnoxious girl to whom he had lent his umbrella.

Is she a singer? Is that her occupation? He thought.

Anshuman planned on dragging Joseph out of the chair to lessen the distance between the stage and his friend. "Joseph, go and get her number. Isn't that a swell idea?"

"No way, I'm not." Joseph raised his arms slightly.

Joseph's wingman pushed him forward by catching the curve of his elbow and earned a death glare from the former who settled himself more firmly into the seat. Anshuman later on added in a timid tone, "Fine. Let's take a closer look together. I should know my friend who's in great shape trembles at the thought of meeting a girl . . . alone."



Word count - 2920

a/n; Ruby is a funny gal (just like meee) you will get to hear her lame jokes more often XD

what do you think made Joseph react in this way? Does he know her? Kk, you will find it in the next chapter.

[NOTE- I WILL KEEP THE CHAPTERS SHORT SO DAT I COULD UPLOAD ONE CHAPTER DAILY. ]

Please spread the word about this book. Vote, comment, and follow.
❤