"I'll see you tomorrow Nate," I manage to spit out, trying to keep my head above the water but Kent's curtness is causing me to drown in anxiety.
"Sure, I'll take you to the Ramen place around the block." Nate goofily adds and I force a smile back at him.
Kent is two steps ahead, opening the door of his black Bentley for me. I wave a goodbye to Nate and sit inside the car, my heart drumming in my ears. He slams the door shut – can today get any worse?
"Hello Wilson," I unsuccessfully try my best to sound chirpy. He is wearing a grey suit yet again and I wonder if that is his dress code or something.
"Ma'am," he says acknowledging my greeting.
"Call me Mia," I insist.
Kent sits right next to me and is frantically typing on his phone. I look out at the city of my dreams, is this what I had hoped for?
My best friend is being a bitch.
I suck at my job.
Kent is doing his best to ignore me.
I push my hair back and inhale deeply.
"Keep swimming," inner voice tries to sooth me with our favorite Disney movie quote. I look at the gorgeous man right next to me and I can't help but feel a pang of unworthiness.
Kent has his phone on his right leg and he is tapping his fingers on it. His irritation is palpable and I can't help but wonder, is he jealous?
"Mia you are so out of your league here, this is William Fucking Kent." Inner bitch reminds me and I can't help but feel stupid for ever entertaining this thought.
"Did I do something?" I can't help but feel guilty.
"Did you do something?" he fires back at me and I am pretty sure I did. He turns his head to look directly into my eyes, his piercing gaze ripping through the seams of my overflowing emotional baggage.
His intense blue eyes are hypnotizing and I have to—I would like to—never mind! I can't look away.
"We don't have to get dinner, you can drop me at the curb—I'll just you know—take an Uber back or something," I should learn the subway routes.
"Talk with purpose Mia, don't be a weakling." Inner bitch commands me and she's right. I can't be weak and emotional. I am strong and fierce. I can take whatever life throws at me and so what if the crush of my dreams is now finally bored of me and doesn't want to hang out anymore?
"Do you not want to get dinner with me?" His icy voice sends shivers down my spine. He loosens his tie, still looking intently at me.
Conversations with him are like normal conversation but on fire and he is so fucking annoying right now. Just spit it out, what did I do? I am starting to get pissed.
"No, I don't Kent—not if you're being so cold to me," I can't keep in anymore and I shouldn't have to.
"You made me wait!"
"5 minutes, big fucking deal Kent," I glare back at him and hopefully my brown eyes are half as intimidating as his.
"You refused to acknowledge my presence."
"I did not see you,"
"Because you were too busy flirting with that lad to think of me,"
"I was at the lobby 2 minutes before 6 for you but you were late, so I started talking—not flirting with someone. I can't believe you are making such a big deal out of nothing."
He doesn't say anything and I don't either. I take out my phone from my purse and start scrolling through Instagram. MJ is in Mexico skydiving. My childhood friend from Boston is getting engaged. Hannah had the best day ever as per her caption at her event organization job. And here I am.
I bite my lips to fight back the tears threatening to flood my face.
"It's just a bad day, not a bad life." Inner voice chants and I want to believe it.
"You have a date with him tomorrow and you're telling me that you are not flirting with the guy?" I can almost taste the venom in his voice.
"I am getting a meal with him because we work at the same place. Why do you even care?"
He is still glaring at me, anger oozing from his pores but at least he is not hiding his anger anymore. I am not sure why him being mad at me feels better than him refusing to acknowledge my existence.
"I don't care what or who you do but I just never took you as the kind of girl to sleep her way through work." He spits out and I want to punch him in the face.
No scratch that, I want to kill this bastard.