i probably look like a deer caught in the headlights. the main reason why i didn't recognize him is because of his blonde hair. what the hell is up with that?
"you still look like a gold digger." he tells me.
of course he was going to be on jack's side. why am i not surprised.
"and you're still ugly." i insult, hoping that'll get him to leave me alone.
but it doesn't.
he narrows his eyes at me, "come on." he mutters, grabbing onto my arm.
i begin to protest, but then immediately stop, not wanting to create a scene. i unwillingly let him drag me wherever he wants me to go. i could easily stab him with my high heels.
"so you're the infamous octavia?" the longer haired boy questions. "cheating on someone so successful. you must not have very high standards."
i glare at him, "who are you? jack's got some nerve to be talking about me to some stranger."
"i'm not a stranger." sam speaks up. "i was at your wedding."
"not you! i'm talking about him." i say, pointing to the boy who was talking previously.
"why would i tell you my name? you're not on my good side."
i roll my eyes, obvious exasperation displaying on my face. sam mutters something and then the name 'derek'. he continues to pull me to the bar.
"gilinsky, look who i found." sam says, causing someone to turn around.
jack looks at me and it's like he's trying to hide his surprise and anger. fuck, i hate myself for thinking he looks breathtakingly beautiful.
"you said you went to find a stripper and came back with octavia. why am i not surprised?" a voice speaks up and i turn my gaze toward nate maloley.
he's swishing- what seems to be whiskey- around in his glass, making the eyes clink inside of it. my eyebrows pull together from his harsh words. holy hell, i didn't think this many people hated me.
"watch it." jack growls toward nate and then turns his attention toward me. "what are you doing here?"
"i was enjoying myself." i lie. "until sam came up to me, asking if me or any of my friends were strippers."
derek splutters a laugh, making jack glare at him. his hair is a bit messy and i can tell he's ran his hair through it a few times. he tends to do that when he's frustrated.
"i don't want to talk to you anymore. just go." jack tells me, making my eyebrows raise in shock.
"i didn't want to talk to you in the first-"
"go." he cuts me off sternly.
i bite my teeth together in an attempt to cool and control myself. all of their eyes are on me, awaiting my next move, but i just huff, walking back to where clara and alessia are. what did i even do that upset jack so much.
i should be the one upset. he can't just tell me that he wants to take me back. it doesn't work like that.
"what just happened?!" clara rushes when i return to the table. "one moment, he's asking us if we're strippers and the next, he's pulling you away."
"jack's friends." i mutter. "which is super coincidental."
"that's trippy. being here at the exact same time." alessia comments.
"here, drink away." clara orders, pushing my cocktail over to me.
"thanks." i mumble, sipping the beverage through a skinny straw.
the sight of jack is eating me alive. he looks like a complete mess. i shouldn't care, but i do. i care for everyone's wellbeing and especially because he meant so much to me.
"want to hit the dance floor?" alessia asks the both of us and clara rapidly nods her head.
"no." i honestly say.
"oh, come on!" clara urges me, grabbing my arm.
what's up with everyone forcing me to do things today? feeling obligated, i follow the girls to the dance floor, trying to clear my mind for a moment.
*
i tap my pencil on my desk, distracted. it's been two days and i haven't seen jack once around the office. i don't know why that doesn't sit well with me. i sigh, dropping the pencil on the table.
there's a knock on the door and the first thing that pops up into my head is jack. i shake off the thought, telling the person to come in. my eyes widen as i see the figure step inside.
"lawrence, what are you doing here?" i narrow my eyes at the man that stands before me.
he flashes me a smile, "can't visit my baby sis?"
i exhale a breath, now appreciating the fact that jack sign anywhere in the building. if he were, lawrence would probably smell him from a few floors away. he absolutely hates jack. if not, more than my dad does.
"you should've called." i scold him.
he grins, "what's the fun in that? defeats the whole purpose of a surprise, doesn't it?"
i press my lips together in a scowl, "if you called in advance, i could have planned for lunch."
"you worry too much." he shakes his head and scans my office with his eyes. "now, i heard that david gilinsky is in the building. where's his bastard son?"
my lips turn down into a frown and i shrug my shoulders, genuinely not knowing where he is. so, the only reason why lawrence actually came is because he heard the gilinskys' were working with us?
"has he been giving you problems?" he asks, sitting in a chair across from me.
"you have no idea." i laugh, not realizing what i just said.
"you saw him and didn't think to tell me?" lawrence narrows his eyes, clearly angered an irritated. "what the hell, octavia."
i decide to change the topic. that will be a better route than discussing my ex husband. talking about jack would only piss of lawrence even more.
"want me to call up braxton?" i ask. "we could get lunch."
"sure." lawrence mutters, grabbing the stack of post its on my desk.
i grab my phone, about to call him up, but there's another knock on the door. my throat closes up, wondering if that's jack. instead, i sag in relief when i see that it's just braxton.
he smiles at lawrence, "hey, my personal assistant told me you were here."
"i just came to check in, but octavia insists on lunch. right, baby sis?" he looks pointedly at me.
i mentally roll my eyes, "yes."
braxton smiles at me and motions me to go over to him.
"have you seen jack gilinsky?" lawrence asks braxton.
not this again. he just needs to let it go.
"i told him to leave my office a few days ago. i haven't seen him since." braxton replies.
i still haven't told him about my encounter with jack. he'll definitely want to leave me if i do. there's so much involvement with jack lately and i'm sure it's driving braxton crazy.
"where's your girlfriend?" i ask lawrence as i lead the two men out of my office.
she's usually hanging on his arm. all of the time, everywhere.
"i broke up with her." he simply responds and i freeze turning to face him. "well, more like dumped her." he shrugs.
i look at him in astonishment, "what?"
"maria wasn't the one for me."
"no one is." i mutter. "you need to tie yourself down soon, old man."
"old man?" he gasps. "you wound me, octavia."
braxton chuckles, grabbing onto my hand. lawrence notices and his lips twist in fake disgust.
"if you think that acting all lovey dovey in front of me is going to change my mind, you're wrong." he informs us.
"wait, brax." i stop him. "did you just leave david in your office all alone?"
"no, i excused myself and told him we'd meet back up in an hour." he answers.
i bite the inside of my cheek and nod my head. he probably called up either jack or his wife. my personal assistant begins to approach me as if she needs to urgently tell me something.
"i faxed and organized everything you told me to." she says and i look up at lawrence.
he licks his lips as if he's undressing her with his eyes and i resist the urge to gag in front of them. too much testosterone around me.
"okay, thank you. you can take your break."
"thank you." she smiles, locking eyes with lawrence for a moment.
she blushes before hurriedly scurrying away from the scene. lawrence turns to face me.
"don't even think about it-"
"you got a new assistant? she is hot." he comments, whistling a catcall at the end.
"yeah, back off. i will not have my older brother dating my personal assistant." i snap as braxton watches us in amusement.
"well, you're younger than me. you really have no say." he smart mouths.
"did you just pull the age card?" i gasp, feigning disbelief.
"yes." he nods. "i did. besides, i told you no frickle frackling with my best friend, but now look where you both are." he says, gesturing to braxton.
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lawrence is her older brother and braxton is lawrence's best friend. hence the reason why he's older than octavia.