Chapter Four
1114 Words
... somewhere in another city...
---
🖤 Chapter
It was a few minutes past closing time.
Most of the building had already emptied out.
But Caspien Knight was still sitting at his desk, nowhere near done for the night.
His eyes remained fixed on his laptop, two fingers resting against his chin as he scanned through another document.
A knock came at the door.
"Sir?"
His PA stepped in cautiously.
Caspien lifted his head briefly.
"Hm?"
She cleared her throat.
"I... wanted to ask if I could leave?"
For a second, he didn't respond.
The silence stretched.
She stood there awkwardly.
Then finally—
"Sure."
Relief immediately flashed across her face.
"Thank you, sir."
She bowed slightly and turned toward the door.
"Wait."
She froze.
Mentally cursing.
"Yes, sir?"
"The appointment with Mr. Travis?"
"Oh!" she said quickly.
"It's been scheduled for ten o'clock, the day after tomorrow. I was going to send the reminder tomorrow since I'd already sent the plans earlier."
Caspien didn't reply but went back to working on his laptop.
She waited.
And waited.
Then eventually realized she was dismissed.
---
A few minutes later, his phone lit up.
He glanced at the screen.
Seeing the caller's ID
Caspien sighed.
The phone rang.
He ignored it.
It stopped.
Then rang again.
Without hesitation, he switched his phone to Do Not Disturb.
Peace.
Finally.
He went back to work.
---
Later that evening—
The office door burst open.
Caspien didn't even bother looking up.
He already knew who it was.
"Yo, man!"
Reuben's voice echoed through the office.
"Guess who's back in town."
Caspien rubbed his temples.
He could already feel a headache forming.
"I called you five times, Cas."
Reuben started counting on his fingers.
"I sent twelve messages."
Another finger.
"Four emails."
Another finger.
"Why do I get the feeling you're not excited to see me?"
"Because I'm not."
"What?!"
Reuben looked genuinely offended.
"Your best friend has been out of the country for six months, comes back, and makes you his first stop—and you dare say you're not excited?"
Caspien laughed quietly at his drama.
"Are you laughing right now?" Reuben asked
"I can't help it you're such a drama queen" Caspien said shaking his head
"Well it's what you'll expect when your best friend treats you like s**t"
"Every time you come here, it's either chaos, trouble, or something crazy." Caspien admitted
Reuben grinned.
"As it should be."
He dropped into one of the chairs.
"So... did you miss me?"
Caspien smirked.
"No."
Reuben placed a hand over his chest dramatically.
"That hurt."
"Good."
"Come on, man. At least lie."
"Okay."
Reuben brightened.
"A little."
"I'll take it."
---
A comfortable silence settled between them.
For exactly three seconds.
Then—
"So..."
"No."
Reuben frowned.
"I didn't even say anything."
"You were about to."
"What if I just wanted to ask something important?"
Caspien looked up.
Then back down.
Reuben sighed.
"Fine. What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?"
"Boredom." He replied honestly
"I'm going through files."
"Important files?"
"Yes."
"Very important?"
"Reuben."
"Okay, okay."
His plan had failed.
Again.
---
Eventually Caspien spoke.
"How was your trip?"
Reuben shrugged.
"It was alright."
Caspien looked up immediately.
Just one word.
"Alright?"
He knew his friend.
For Reuben, "alright" usually meant a five-hour story.
And he wasn't disappointed.
"DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THIS CARIBBEAN GIRL I MET?"
There it was.
"Her name's Elizabeth and she—"
"Elizabeth?"
Reuben paused.
Caspien leaned back.
"What happened to Vanessa?"
Instant regret flashed across Reuben's face.
"You just had to ruin the mood."
"So Vanessa's gone now?"
"Vanessa is the past."
"The past?" Caspien repeated.
"The last time we spoke, Vanessa was 'the one.'"
Reuben groaned.
"Don't."
"No, no."
Caspien continued.
"She was your future."
"Cas—"
"Your soulmate."
"Cas."
"The mother of your children."
"CAS."
"And now she's the past."
Reuben buried his face in his hands.
"I get it! Yeesh I regret everything."
"You should."
"I was blind."
"Thoroughly...you know what they say about love." Caspien tauted
"Thanks for the reminder."
"You're welcome."
Reuben eyed him but sat up.
"Anyway man, Elizabeth is different."
"Of course she is." Caspien said used to this
"No seriously."
"Mhm"
"She's a perfect 10, she's smart, beautiful, body like tea, good you know where, brooi she's an angel..."
"Sent from heaven" Reuben looked straight at him as Caspien joined him to finish his sentence.
"You said that about Vanessa."
"And Fiona."
"And Mabel."
"And Chloe."
"Stop naming people." Reuben said
"I can keep going."
"Please don't...just because I and the others didn't work doesn't mean I and Elizabeth wouldn't." Reuben pointed at him.
"Right..."
"Are you for me or against me?" Reuben needed to clarify
"All allegations points to you to me those girls were perfect," Caspien said
"I know Lizzy and I will work out."
"It's Lizzy now?"
He pause.
"...maybe"
"Wow." He shook his head "I'm starting to think you are the problem."
Reuben narrowed his eyes.
"Forget my love life."
"Gladly."
"What about yours?"
Caspien's expression immediately flattened.
"You and lady Bee?"
The mood shifted.
Slightly.
"We broke up."
Reuben blinked.
"You— broke up?"
"No."
Caspien's voice remained calm.
"She broke up with me."
Silence.
"Oh."
For once, Reuben didn't have a joke.
Caspien simply looked back at his laptop.
"It's fine."
It clearly wasn't.
But neither of them said anything.
---
A minute later Reuben stood.
"Get up."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"I'm taking you out."
"No."
"You just got dumped."
"I did not get dumped."
"You got dumped."
"Leave my office."
"You need fresh air and company"
"I own fresh air."
"What?"
"And I own companies."
"Dork that's not the same thing."
"It is to me."
Reuben grabbed his arm.
"Get up."
"I'm busy."
"You've been staring at the same file for hours."
"They are important."
"They'll be tomorrow. Get up."
"Reuben."
"Get up."
"Reuben."
"Get up."
"..."
Five minutes later—
Caspien was in the car.
Against his will.
---
The club was packed.
Music.
Lights.
People.
Chaos.
Exactly the kind of place Caspien avoided.
"When you said we were going out," he said dryly, "I thought you meant a lounge."
Reuben barely heard him.
His eyes were locked onto one of the dancers.
"I didn't expect a stripper club."
"It's a place to heal."
"By making worse decisions?"
"Exactly."
Reuben pointed proudly.
"You're learning." He said blowing a kiss to the dancer
Caspien sighed.
"I thought you had something with Elizabeth."
"We do."
"And?"
"We haven't made it official."
"So you're shopping?"
Reuben looked offended.
"I prefer browsing."
"Wow." He shook his head
"What?!."
"The problem really is you."
- Writer
