Glad to see you again...

Chapter 4

“No way, that’s not what he looks like!” Tia gasps, eyes wide as she stares at Winnie’s phone after she Googled Wes.

“That cannot be nerdy Wesley Chase from High School? Did he get experimented on like Captain America or something?” Winnie asks.

I meet Tia and Winnie at the Little Coffee immediately after work. Usually I’d stay a little later in the office since I have a court hearing tomorrow, but I need to get out of there. I don’t want to have another chance encounter with Wes. After he left my room, I couldn’t focus on my work.

Tia and Winnie have been my best friends since high school. We all dreamed of moving to New York someday—and we actually did it. Tia’s now a fashion designer, and Winnie works in real estate. Thanks to Winnie, I found my cozy two-story row house on Fifth Avenue.

“He also had a growth spurt. Very tall now,” I say, as I sip my rose latte.

“He’s really hot, Kit. Like super super hot and sexy. This picture…” Tia says, showing the screen to me, “in a suit. God, if I knew he’d look like this in the future, I’d go for him in high school!”

I raise an eyebrow and cringe. “Oh, shut up, Tia. You’re getting married. If you’d gone after him, you’d have never met Henry.”

Winnie, ever the voice of reason, steps in. “So, what’s going on between you two now that he’s working with you? I mean, you were basically sworn enemies in high school.”

Tia and Winnie know just how deep my hatred for Wesley runs—it reaches my very soul. They’d endured countless high school rants about him, to the point their ears were probably numb.

I told them what happened, how he pretended he didn’t know me at first, and then after I started thinking of starting at a clean slate with him, he stabbed me with a knife on my unguarded back and twisted it so he can increase the torture.

“I’m concerned, of course. He was a rat then, and I bet he’s still a rat now. No matter how much he’s changed in the looks department. He’s definitely aiming for the Partnership too. Even though he’s new here, his experience alone is enough to impress the Selection Committee. He’s coming for me—I can feel it. He gets high on the thoughts of beating me at every f*****g thing.”

“But… that was all in high school. You’re both adults now. He can’t still be that bad, right? He’s probably grown out of it. You should give him the benefit of the doubt—he just started at your firm.”

“Yeah, Kitty. I mean… I know he was a d**k to you back then. But do you think he’d carry that all the way into adulthood?”

I bit my lip, the memory of the moment that cemented my hatred for Wesley Chase flashing back. It was senior year—the final chance to clinch the valedictorian title. I wanted that extra shine on my university application: High School Valedictorian. The last debate competition was the decider. As always, Wesley and I were on opposing teams. Things had actually mellowed between us for a while—we figured, since it was our final year, we might as well enjoy it instead of constantly butting heads.

Everything was on track—I’d submitted my university application, was excelling in class, and just needed to secure the final points. Then prom season hit, and everything unraveled. What Wesley did, broke me.

“I don’t trust him around the office. I don’t trust him at all.” My voice is full of venom, “I want him to get out of there!”

“Honey, it’s not up to you to do that. You have to be the better person. Maybe if you start being nice, he’d be nice too?” Winnie said.

“Err…too late. She already told him to get the f**k out of her office,” Tia said.

I don’t have the mood to talk about the devil anymore, so I steer the conversation to Tia’s upcoming wedding, which gets Tia so excited. Winnie and I are excited too, because we are bridesmaids.

“Do you know that it also happens the same weekend as the High School Reunion?” she asks.

“Arrgh, I forgot about that,” Winnie said.

“We should all go together, guys! It’s Friday night, so we can head there right after my bridal shower,” Tia says excitedly. “Then Saturday’s the bachelorette party, and Sunday’s the wedding—it all lines up perfectly. And Win, you can introduce Quinn to everyone too!”

“Yeah, I guess. Having him around would make it less dull.”

Tia and I look at her.

“I mean, at least I can have s*x with him after everything???”

We laugh.

“Kitty, are you bringing a date to the wedding?”

I laugh sarcastically, "Yeah... because I totally have guys lined up, waiting to take me out every day," rolling my eyes playfully.

“I mean, after the wedding, we’re all heading to that island resort. I’ve already booked rooms for you two,” Tia says. “You definitely need a date! And remember, Kit, you owe me the Monday after too!”

“Yes, I’ve already applied for leave, it’s all good. It’s approved. And I’m fine with having the room to myself. I’ll pay you back for the extra person,” I reply.

Tia rolls her eyes. “Or you could just bring someone.”

“I’d rather not.”

Winnie quickly changes the subject to something else that also annoys me. “That also means no texting work, emailing work, calling work, or bringing any files for the weekend,” she reminds me. Seriously, do they think I was a workaholic robot?

Tia smirks, reading my mind. “Yeah, we think you’re a workaholic robot.”

“Thanks.”

“You could bring Mike,” Winnie suggests.

I look down at my coffee, “no.”

"Kittyyyyy... I don’t get why you’re being like this. It's so obvious you two still have feelings for each other. Maybe this is your chance to rekindle the magic!" Tia muses. "I’d love to be your sexcapade fairy godmother."

“Yeah, but I don’t need your magic right now. Mike and I are fine…we’re definitely fine the way we are. We can’t let anything complicate our working relationship.”

Winnie sighs, “but you’re sacrificing so much for your work. Look, Mike’s a nice guy. He’s good looking. And you said, as I quote ‘he’s the Hulk in bed’!”

“Yeah, you watched too many Marvel movies,” Tia contributes.

“I know you guys mean well, but I just don’t have time to go on dates, or meet people.”

“You make time, Kit,” Winnie says, sipping the straw to her strawberry mint iced tea.

“If you don’t want to bring anyone, weddings still would be a great avenue for you to meet people. I can introduce you to Henry’s friends. They’re also working on Wall Street,” Tia says.

“Yeah…investment bankers are hot and rich. That’s like shooting 2 birds with one stone.”

I shake my head, “no. Not really interested in meeting new people right now. I’ve got bigger problems in my life right now; for example, the resurfacing of my mortal enemy, the Partnership decision. Everything is just out of control right now!”

They get my situation, but I know I’ve been repeating the same excuses. I keep using the same reasons for not wanting to meet new people. Honestly, if I’m being truthful with myself, it’s because I’m still holding a grudge against Wesley for what he did to me back in high school.

I know it’s stupid, but every time I date someone, it would be in the back of my mind “what would he do to ruin my trust?”. I let my guard down with Wesley at that time. Until I found out the truth.

After that, I never let my guard down again. That’s the real reason I ended things with Mike—I was too afraid to dive into something that would force me to open up to someone.