Sick Like Me (Sick Like #1)

Chapter 15

FIFTEEN

I held my head up high as I made my way back to the function room once I felt like I had calmed down enough. I kept my eyes on the path before me, never once looking away. Even as I sat down beside Stefan with a glare at the table as if I had a personal vendetta against it, I kept my eyes from seeking him —Kota Vernon—out.

As if a certain posture would keep me strict in my plans, I made sure when I sat at the table, my hands remained flat on the table top and my eyes remained focused on the coworkers sat opposite me.

Thankfully Stefan seemed to know better than to ask me if I was okay. When I came back from the bathroom, I found a fresh bottle of water beside my bitter shandy and smiled. He could be sweet sometimes.

I picked up my drink and took a gulp, finishing the pint at long last. I had to resist the urge to turn around, resist seeking out his green eyes.

Within no time, a welcome distraction came in the form of starters.

I had chosen the seared scallops with lemon herb butter, while Stefan had gone with the soup of the day—seemingly some kind of mushroom soup that looked a little too pale for my tastes.

The food was delicious, and was more than welcomed to distract myself. But throughout the three courses, I kept feeling as if I had eyes on me. I couldn’t tell it if was from Owen or Kota, but neither pick were the better option.

I tried to ensure my full attention was either on my food, or my department coworkers. Stefan, being the annoying angel he was, did everything in his power to ensure I stayed calm. Each time my drink emptied, he came back baring more, despite the fact I was slowly but surely getting drunk.

The flowing alcohol was more than enough to keep my attention from diverting around the room. But then the food got whisked away and my welcomed distraction was shattered.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re acting so strange?” Stefan asked, to which I shook my head and chewed on my bottom lip.

“I… can’t,” I mumbled, my eyes begging to wander the room in search for him . But I forced my body to keep facing Stefan, my eyes locked in on his rich chocolate brown ones.

“Was it because I made that Owen joke?” He asked, to which I stayed silent a little too long. “Look, you know it was a joke right? Since he’s within the same vicinity as us, I’ll stop if that’s what you want.”

“It’s not about Owen,” I rushed out, feeling guilty he thought he was the cause of my concern. “Someone else is here, someone who knows me a little too intimately for my own liking,” I stated before I picked up my drink, which had been swapped for a double vodka and coke. I took a large gulp of the pint, half of it gone at the action. “It’s making me feel anxious.”

I placed my drink down and then stood, holding my hands out to Stefan who looked doe eyed and confused. I rolled my eyes before I forced out a laugh. “Come on dickhead, let’s go dance.”

The food had been taken away from me, and so I needed a new distraction. While I hated dancing and felt like I looked like a tit whenever I did, anything was better than nothing. It would be enough to keep my attention from diverting.

Or so I hoped.

Stefan placed his hands in mine, and I used all the strength I could muster to pull him to stand. We laughed, then I let go of one of his hands so I could drag him along behind me as I made my way to the dance floor.

‘She Keeps Me Up’ by Nickleback began to blast through the speakers, and I positioned us on the dance floor so even if I allowed my eyes to scan the room, there would be a few groups of dancing people between us to disturb my eyeline.

From the place I had last seen Kota, there was no way I would notice him from any angle with my new on the dance floor.

I threw my hands up and swayed my body from side to side, to which Stefan laughed but followed the same action. The chorus began, and we sang the lyrics embarrassingly loud. Luckily we were close to the speaker, so no one else could hear us.

We danced to the song to the very end, and I felt the alcohol begin to buzz under my skin. “I’m going to go get us more drinks,” I shouted into Stefan’s ear, close enough that his cologne was suffocating.

It probably wasn’t a good idea to throw myself so much into the alcohol, but it was a free bar and everyone else around us was getting drunk so why the fuck not follow them.

He nodded as he smiled, his body still moving as the next song played. While he seemed reluctant to dance first of all, he had soon opened up to be in his element—and seeing him so carefree and happy made me feel happier.

I walked around him, then pushed my way through the growing crowd of dancers. I almost stumbled when I managed to tackle my way free from the last group of people on the dance floor, closest to the bar.

Two strong, firm and familiar hands steadied me as fingers entwined around my hands. I looked up, met with the familiar soft eyes of Owen. I smiled, too buzzed to even care if anyone whispered and gossiped about us being together.

“Owen!” My voice didn’t even sound like it was coming from myself, I sounded high pitched and overly enthusiastic. “How are you? Did you enjoy the food? I loved the dessert, it was chocolatey and fruity, a perfect mix of both!” I babbled on as I made my way to the bar, Owen following suit.

His eyes remained on me, his lips turning up into the faintest of smiles. I frowned as I looked at him, resting my lower arms on the bar top as I waited for the person behind it to finish up with the drinks of the other people stood not far from us.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, tilting my head slightly to the side.

In my bathroom freakout earlier, I had pulled my hair down from the half up, half down style. I used my former bangs which had grown out in an attempt to hide my face, hoping Kota wouldn’t look at me again for the whole night.

Owen used his hand closest to me, raising it to cup my cheek slightly before his fingers dragged their way through my hair. His fingers danced along my scalp and I closed my eyes at the soothing feeling. Then I felt his fingers brush downwards, tucking my hair behind my ear to expose my face to him better.

“Are you having fun?” He asked, a little sparkle in his eyes.

I laughed and nodded my head enthusiastically. The person behind the bar finally made their way to us. “What are you having?” Owen asked, to which I shrugged .

He rolled his eyes playfully, the smile not once leaving his lips. He ordered two of something which I didn’t care to listen to, and a pint of beer which I assumed was for himself.

“So that man you’re with, that’s… Stefan, right?” He asked, leaning closer to me so he didn’t have to shout so loud over the music.

I hummed and nodded my head as my hands wrapping around the glasses of the drinks I assumed Owen had ordered for Stefan and I the second the bar host placed them down before us. “Yeah, he’s like in love with you or something. He won’t stop eyeing you up and calling you my boyfriend!”

I realised the second the words left my lips how ridiculous and drunk I sounded, however instead of looking at me with disgust, Owen cocked an eyebrow. “Sounds like you have to fight him over me, or else he may just steal me away first.”

I laughed and nodded my head, a little more animated than I meant. “Maybe, but if you’re so easy to steal away, then I don’t want you,” I joked, to which Owen used his free arm to wrap around my waist.

He pulled me close, the familiar scent of his vanilla and citrus cologne hitting me and invading my senses. He smelt warm and safe. He pulled my body against his chest, and I found it hard to keep the drinks in my hands stable in my drunken state.

But then he pressed his lips against my forehead in a gentle manner, and somehow I felt deep inside me that was his way of ‘claiming’ both himself and me to all of our coworkers to one another.

His lips lingered for a second, and I felt a chill run down my spine. The eyes that had been haunting me all night were looking at me again, which made me realise it was not Owen’s whose attention had been on me the whole time.

And the thought made me feel queasy.

As if he couldn’t bear the thought of missing out on meeting the famed Owen Greenwich, I felt a presence behind me before a cool hand reached out and wrapped around the glass in my right hand.

I pulled back from Owen and turned to face Stefan beside us, my eyes wide as he brought the drink to his lips and took a small sip from the straw. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Stefan asked, a mischievous look on his face as his eyes flickered from me, to Owen.

Owen thrust his hand towards Stefan with a wide smile on his face, and I couldn’t help but admire how good looking he was in that moment. His hair messy, his cheeks red, his shirt buttons undone at the top and his tie loose. He looked relaxed and happy.

I tore my eyes away from Owen to speak directly to Stefan. “Stefan, as you know, this is Owen. And Owen, this is Stefan.”

Stefan wrapped his hand around Owen’s, and the pair shook hands in greeting for the first time. “It’s lovely to meet you, I’ve heard so much about you from Ashton.”

Stefan quirked an eyebrow as he shot me a look. “I assume all bad,” He joked, to which Owen let out a loud laugh, louder than appropriate at the little joke.

I bit the inside of my lip, finally tearing my eyes away from the men before me to scan the room. I failed my mission the second my eyes found Kota Vernon in the corner of the room with a glass of red wine in his hand, his eyes trained on me.

I stared at him for a few seconds, as if I was daring him to do something, but when his lips turned up into the faintest of smiles, I felt rage course through my veins. I tore my eyes away from him and threw my drink into Stefan’s free hand.

“Owen, let’s go dance!” I grabbed his arm.

Owen placed his drink on the bar counter behind me. “Keep an eye on it for me will you?” He asked Stefan, who nodded his head with a wide smile on his face.

Without any argument Owen allowed me to drag him to the dance floor where I had just been with Stefan. I turned to him once we got to a space without too many people crowding us, and I knew if I wrapped my arms around him I would finally be announcing I was something with one of my coworkers.

It wasn’t against company rules for us to date, but I still felt a sense of shame come over me at the idea of dating him, especially since he had such a powerful job and I was basically the bottom of the food chain.

And a voice in the back of my head reminded me that Kota was in the same room as us—and if he saw us together he would get the wrong idea. Well, not the wrong idea… but he —Kota—was the one I really wanted. Not Owen. Not that I would ever have the guts to admit that out loud.

I realised during my growing concerns over our power imbalance, when Owen and I were together, we never talked about work and he had never once judged me for not being a higher role in the company like himself.

The song changed from the upbeat tune to a slower paced one, and my lips parted in surprise as I realised that the dancing Owen and I were about to do had changed to a slow dance. I had no fucking clue how to dance normally, bear in mind slow dance.

As if he could sense my panic, Owen’s hands gently snaked to my sides, His grip was firm, but not painful. It was as if he was trying to call for my attention. So I did as he silently asked, my eyes looking up into his.

I gently moved my hands to rest on his shoulders and let out a sigh. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea the song was going to change.”

Owen laughed and shook his head, slowly swaying us back and forth. “Don’t stress, it’s not like you have any control over the DJ beautiful.”

I felt a small smile ghost my lips, allowing him to take control as I tried my best to follow his steps when he began to move us in slow circles. The dance floor began to clear, I noticed as I looked around. Couples were joining, even Mr and Mrs King had joined as well as Casey and Colin.

I looked back at Owen, and he seemed to notice something hidden in my expression. “Are you… scared of being seem with me?” He asked, his eyes intense as he stared into my own.

I nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath. “I’m not ashamed or anything so please don’t think that’s why. I’m just a private person and dancing with you like this… it’s like I’m opening myself up to gossip and I just know come Monday, everyone will be emailing me or seeking me out to find out ‘the drama’.”

Owen nodded his head slowly in understanding. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll be in the exact same boat. Everyone in the showroom talks about how amazing you are at your job, and they all talk about how you should be a manager instead of just a team leader.”

Owen’s serious face turned to one of smiles again, and I felt my cheeks flush hot. I looked down at my hands on his shoulders, the small smile returning to haunt my lips. “Thank you.” I whispered.

The music wasn’t loud enough to hide my gentle words. “Why are you thanking me?” Owen asked, his eyebrow raised in slight confusion.

I smiled as I shook my head. I couldn’t find the words, but I just felt like I had to thank him. “For being you. For being so nice. You’re like a breath of fresh air.”

Owen beamed, shrugging one shoulder. “Why, thank you. I’ve never been compared to oxygen before, but I’ll accept it.”

The song came to an end, thankfully, and we decided to go in search of Stefan and our drinks. I found him at the bar, the drinks safely in front of him while his own was half gone already.

“Hey pretty girl,” Stefan greeted as I got to him. I rolled my eyes and smiled, picking up my drink to take a gulp. Owen reached for his own drink, taking a sip of it while his free hand found home on my lower back.

“How about I take you to meet some of my coworkers?” Owen offered, to which at first I parted my lips to reject the offer, however I noticed Casey seemed to be mingling with the finance department and that made me feel ease.

Casey, despite being a high ranked manager, was a friend and having her around me while I met new people sounded like an ideal situation. I wasn’t very good with new people, it made me anxious. But I knew two out of the however many people in the group of new people, and to add to that I was drunk so my nerves were much less than they would have been if I had been sober.

So I shot Stefan a final look, who nodded his head eagerly, before I turned to Owen and gave him a smile which I had no doubt I looked drunk and goofy. “Sure, why not.”

And with that, Owen kept his hand on my lower back as he led me to a small crowd of people stood around Mr and Mrs King who seemed to have also retired from dancing.

I smiled sheepishly at Casey as we got to her, and rushed to stand beside her. Owen looked like he was biting back a smile before he dove right into chatter with some of his coworkers, momentarily forgetting the reason he had brought me over.

“Miss Barett, it’s lovely to see you again,” Mr King offered his hand halfway through a conversation with another staff member, which caused the balding man to shoot me an angry glare at the interruption.

“Mr King, I hear you’ve been enjoying life in the French Rivera,” I commented, trying my best to sound as sober and composed as possible. I shook his hand for the briefest of seconds before I pulled my hand back, worried my palms were sweaty in my drunken state.

“Of course, but there’s nothing quite like home,” Mr King commented. “I hear you have reservations about joining the team for my new home?” The older man with greying hair slicked back quizzed me, but his pale blue eyes sparkled to show he wasn’t angry by the statement, more so confused.

I swallowed the imaginary lump in my throat, trying to find the right words to say. “It’s not that I’m reserved about the idea,” I began, looking around at Casey for help who just shot me a raised eyebrow. I had accidentally played right into her hands and by the end of the night, I knew I would be the lead of the new team.

“I just fear the outcome may not live up to expectations. I feel like other members of the department may suit your style better than my portfolio,” I finished, feeling the warmth of Owen by my side once again.

And then I felt the piercing eyes on me, the eyes that caused anxiety to erupt under my skin. Why did he have to stare at me right then? I was nervous enough talking to the company owner without the need for any further concerns of Kota Vernon enveloping the back of my mind like thick, black smoke.

“Your portfolio is beautiful, you add an elegant touch to family homes. It certainly impressed my wife, didn’t it dear?” Mr King asked, his arm gently coming to wrap around his wife’s waist as he called for her attention.

Mrs King, who was speaking to a small crowd of people behind, looked at her husband with tired eyes. But even from where I stood I could see the endless love in her eyes as she looked up at her tall husband. “What is it, Mal?”

“I was just telling Ashton how you admired her touch on family homes, how she designs them to be clean and minimalistic with the hidden storage features,” Mr King—Malcolm—repeated to his wife.

“Oh, yes!” The woman reached for my hands, her voice animated and bubbly as she spoke. But despite the endless compliments she threw my way, my attention drifted to behind her shoulder where not but a few feet away stood Kota Vernon .

He was close, so close if we both reached out our fingertips would brush, I had no doubt. “I’m so sorry to disrupt you Mrs King—” I began, feeling the need to get myself as far away from Kota Vernon as possible.

“Call me Carol, please!” She cut me off, giving me a faux stern look before her bubbly and bright smile returned.

“Carol, sorry. Well, I need some fresh air so if you’ll excuse me,” I smiled at the woman, but I felt my lips wobble as the anxiety grew within me. His eyes were locked in on me, I could feel them, following my every move.

“Make sure to catch up with me before you go to bed, or otherwise we’re going to have some strong words over breakfast,” The woman wagged her finger at me, to which I let out a laugh and nodded my head in fake agreement.

I stepped back to get myself away from the conversation. Owen hadn’t heard me, so he grabbed my arm to try to pull me closer as he joined the other group—the one where Kota stood centre of attention.

“Ash, babe, come meet the new guys. They’re the ones we hired in to help us plan that new branch launch,” Owen leant close to me, his breath hot as it fanned across my face and along the exposed skin of my neck and shoulders.

“I need some fresh air,” I yelled back, a little harsher than intended. My eyes sought Kota automatically, only to see him smirking at the sudden snap of my tone at Owen.

His smirk pissed me off.

Owen seemed unfazed and nodded his head. “Shall we go outside?” He asked, to which I pushed his hand away and shook my head.

“You stay here, I need some space to recharge my social battery,” I called back, my tone lighter this time.

And with that, I didn’t bother to shoot Kota another look to see if he was watching me as I marched my way to the closed doors .

I grabbed the large metal handle and pushed it open wide before I rushed outside. The summer air was cool and hit me like a ton of bricks, sobering me up rather quickly.

I turned and walked a few meters down the side of the barn, then I turned to the building and reached out to hold my hand against it as I closed my eyes and lowered my head to the floor.

I took several deep breaths and forced them out through pursed lips, hoping they would calm my beating heart.

I heard the crunching of gravel nearby, and turned my head to look sideways. I saw a navy suit clad man saunter his way to me and so I let go of the wall, coming to stand straight as I kept my eyes on him.

I felt the lump in the throat tighten, begging for me to cry or throw up—I wasn’t sure which one it wanted more.

“What are you…” I began, my voice barely a whisper. The thumping of the music inside the barn wasn’t enough to drown my voice out, though.

“Your company hired me, just like your boyfriend said,” For the first time in my life, I heard his voice.

His voice was smooth and deep, but sounded well spoken. He sounded like a posh fucking prick, but he fit right in with Owen with that.

“He’s not…” I began, my voice small and scared sounding. I was cursing myself, where the fuck was Ashton Barett? Because the woman speaking was not fucking her.

“He’s not what?” Kota asked, his voice holding an air of authority. I remained silent for a few seconds, and that seemed to be seconds too long for the man before me.

I stared into his green eyes, not noticing when his right hand came up and run gently through the side of my hair. His eyes looking from mine to check me from head to toe before they landed on mine once again. “I asked you a question.”

Unlike with Owen, the warmth of his hand caused tingles to follow the every brush of his touch. I closed my eyes at the feeling, basking in it. I had never met this man face to face before, but my body reacted as if I was his—as if he owned me.

With my eyes closed, my other senses were heightened. I breathed in deep through my nose, the smell of his cologne intoxicating and making me feel drunk once again. He smelt of cardamon and leather, with hints of floral undertones. He smelt like power and authority.

His fingers gently tugged my hair, as if he was silently commanding me to open my eyes and look up into his. I did just that, noticing how tall he really was as I tilted my head back to get a better view of his face. He was 6 foot 3 after all.

His little finger stretched out as his fingertip brushed against a section of my neck, causing goosebumps to erupt in its wake. I let out a breath I hadn’t know I was holding before I whispered out my response. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Kota’s fingers gently brushed my hair behind my ear, just as Owen had done at the bar. His face was expressionless as his lips parted.

“That means nothing to me,” His voice sounded carefree, as if I was nothing more than some dirt on his shoe.

“Kota, let’s get back to the room. We have an early morning,” A feminine voice called for him by the doors to the barn.

I gasped and pushed the man away from me, looking around him to find a beautiful woman with caramel skin stood not too far away from us. She wore an orange dress that sparkled with the light shining in through the glass doors behind her, and her left hand had a large silver ring sat around her ring finger.

Kota gave me one last look before he turned and made his way to the woman. He held his arm out to her, and she wrapped her hand around his forearm before the pair made their way to a golf cart as a staff member awaited further instructions.

I watched as the golf cart whizzed away, and I couldn’t help but feel a sinking pit form in my stomach. I had someone else, I had Owen. But I didn’t expect he would have someone else, too .

But I had to humble myself, I had to remind myself I was nothing to him, and he was nothing to me. We just wanted sex from one another, nothing more and nothing less.

So I forced my head high despite the sting behind my eyes and marched my way back inside to down a few more vodka and cokes before I decided to shred up the dance floor once again with Stefan.