Callum
"So, I met her last night." I started, Caius and I were in a middle of a pool game, I decided to fill him in while we waited for Ethan, who still hasn't arrived. Every Sunday evening Caius, Ethan and I meet up, sometimes we stay at my place to play pool or play poker, other night we go to lounges just for the change of scenery.
"And?" he hit the white ball with his cue, and it rolls until it hit a blue ball which rolled into the corner pocket, "I don't know what I expected, but Violet, was not it." I picked up my beer bottle and took a sip, "She's beautiful, funny and smart. She's very easy to get along with." I added. I didn't think I was going to be drawn to her, but I am.
"Do you see yourself having something with her?" He stood up, after taking his shot and missed, making it my turn, I looked around the table looking for my target, once I found it, I leaned down to take a shot, "No, you know how I feel about the whole notion of love, and I don't think this engagement will go somewhere." I watched as the white ball hit my target ball and rolled into pocket. "She has a boyfriend, so I'm pretty sure when my dad finds that out, this engagement will be over." I smirked and scouted the table for my next move, once I found it, I struck, and two balls rolled into pocket. "I looked at Caius who was clenching his jaw because I was close to beating him.
"Then that's that then." he shrugged, "Yeah." I leaned down, " Good evening, gentlemen, it appears you have started without me, what kind of mates are you?" our posh friend walks in with gusto distracting me and making me miss my shot, "Fuck." I cussed.
"Ethan, I was in a bit of a winning streak, and you fucked me over." I glared at him taking an angry swig of my beer.
"And I owe you one," Caius smirked taken advantage of the opportunity and shoots all the remaining balls in the pocket including the eight, "lucky bastard." I shook my head.
"Callum, I don't think if I really fucked you over, you'd be able to handle it." he pats me on the shoulder, I heard Caius sneaker and I gave him a deadly glare, he raised his hands up and walked over to the bar, "Get your hands off me before I snap them like a twig." I looked at his hand then at his face.
"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," he chuckled the followed Caius to the bar, Ethan was a bit of an ass and the childish one of the three of us, probably because he was the youngest, sometimes I wish I could shove my foot up his polished ass.
"So, how was London, is your sister doing okay?" Caius asked pouring himself a glass of whiskey, "Care to pour me one as well." Ethan asked Caius, "Uhm, how old are you?" Caius joked getting another glass, "Ha, ha, very funny grandpa, at the end of the day you lot do realize I'm going to look more attractive standing next to you, ladies like them young." he said.
"I beg to differ." I smirked, "but enough about you, how is your sister? is she and the baby okay?" I decided to go back to the topic at hand.
"She' s doing very well, and so is my precious niece." he smiled with pride, "she is so tiny and very adorable, and she looks a lot like my sister, thank fock for that, the Hayes gene is forever superior, her name is Aurora."
"Well then," Caius placed the tumbler in front of Ethan, "let's raise glass to little Aurora." Caius raised a glass, "to Aurora." we all raised a glass, we always celebrate each other's little wins, Ethan's sister was our sister, and his niece was our niece.
"So, what did I miss while I was away?" he placed his tumbler down, " Not much except for the fact that our friend almost got married," Caius said raising his glass in the air, I glared at him for telling my business like that, "How the hell did that happen?" Ethan looked at me in shock.
"Ugh, my dad got me engaged to a woman named Violet, she's his friend's daughter, but she has a boyfriend, and she doesn't want to marry me, so the engagement is practically over." I finished the rest of my beer.
"Well damn, I leave for a week, and you almost get married, why do all the best things happen when I'm out of town." he shook his head and released a disappointed sigh. Ethan has always been dramatic.
"It's not that big of a deal, next time I get engaged, for real and you happen to be out of town, then I'll give you a call, how does that sound?"
"Fantastic." he smiled and took a sip of his whiskey, "Pass be a beer, will you?" I looked at Caius and he scowled, "What am I? a bartender?" he rolled his eyes but still passed me a beer, "No but you are behind the bar, you might as well be and you are doing great, are you sure it's not your calling?" I joked, "Fuck off." he said, and Ethan and I laughed, he rounded the bar and sat on the barstool beside me.
"Who wants to play pool with me?" Ethan asked and I smiled, "I will." I lost my game because of him, now I can get revenge by beating his prim and proper ass. I took a swig of my beer and went to prepare the table for the next game.
○○○
I just got out of the shower, Ethan and Caius left about an hour ago, so now I was just preparing to get some sleep, I had a towel wrapped around my torso and another drying my hair, I was on my way to my closet when my phone buzzed with a notification, which made me take a detour to my phone, I picked it up and it was a message from an unknown number, but I found myself smiling when I read it.
xxx-xxx-xx29
Hi, it's Violet. I got your number from your mother, I hope you don't mind I was hoping we could meet up and have a talk, let me know when you are available.
I sent her my response.
Me:
I don't mind, and the text is a bit formal don't you think considering you have been to my apartment and all, I'm free at 3pm tomorrow we can meet then. May I ask what this meeting may be about?
I waited for her to respond, and then I saw the three dots and I smiled, I could probably guess what the meeting was about, but I don't want to assume it's what I think it is, since she had a boyfriend.
Violet:
I didn't expect you to reply so quickly, I waited this late hoping you were already asleep, and I didn't mean to sound so formal. I was just nervous, and you'll find out tomorrow at 3pm, I will come by your office.
I don't know why but the thought of her being a nervous wreck thinking of what she could say to me gave me a weird sense of pride, because it meant she cared enough to think about what she had to say, because she cared what I thought.
Me:
Well, I was just preparing to go to bed actually.
How about instead of my office, we go to a restaurant, I know one that serves the best pasta I've ever eaten, I'll come pick you up or I can send you the location and we can meet there, which ever makes you comfortable.
I waited for her response, but I didn't any grey dots, I waited a few minutes after I saw she wasn't going to reply, I tossed my phone on the bed and walked into my closet. I tossed the towels into the hamper then I got dressed in my pajama pants and walked back to my room, and I picked up my phone when I saw a reply I smiled. I walked to my side of the bed and slipped under the covers.
Violet:
Let me not keep you up too much.
You mentioned pasta, so I'm in and send me the location, I'll just uber myself there. I don't want to inconvenience you.
I frowned at the fact that me picking her up would be an inconvenience, she couldn't be an inconvenience even if she tried and it's good to know she was a big fan of pasta.
Me:
I can afford to stay up a little longer.
And Violet, you could never be an inconvenience.
I just wanted to let her know, it bothered me that she thought that. Why? I don't know, it just did.
Violet:
You're a CEO of a mutli-million-dollar company, you need enough sleep for that, and I should also be getting some sleep too. Thank you for saying that but I'll still take an uber.
Me:
Believe it or not, you need much less sleep to run a multi-million-dollar company, but I'll let you get some rest.
If an uber makes you comfortable then so be it, see you tomorrow.
Goodnight Violet
Violet:
Goodnight Callum
I shut my phone off and sat it on my nightstand, I looked at my ceiling smiling like a fool and I shook my head wiping the smile off my face. I couldn't be this into her, and the fact that I am, means I'm fucked. I can't afford to fall, not again and I won't, not even for a woman like Violet.
I won't fall.