Don't Break The Rules

Chapter 12 - Outdrink Me

Joe was not surprised when Jamie shoved his clothes in a garbage bag, ranting about how Joe had ruined one of his favourite shirts. Joe quietly waited in the living room, unable to divert his eyes from Jamie's bare upper body shifting as he lifted the garbage bag and threw it outside the front door. Afterwards, he sent his fingers through his hair, exhaled a long sigh as he walked past Joe, not even glancing towards him as he headed for the washroom to grab all his cleaning supplies.

Jamie was unable to sleep comfortably knowing that there was a few drops of yolks along his corridor. He couldn't avoid that since he had to enter the apartment still dripping in water and yolk. Hence why he shoved on his gloves, grabbed his mop and began scrubbing the floors as hard as he could. He went as far as steaming the floor as he noticed the outlines of the drops were not leaving easily and he repeated the process over and over again until he felt satisfied. Once he was done, he walked past the living room with a long glare on his face, stormed to the washroom and Joe soon heard the shower began to run.

Even during his time alone, Joe debated fleeing the place and never looking back. He had no clue what Jamie was planning, but he was certain it had nothing to do with harm nor violence since he would have done it by now. That did not stop his fright from settling into his bloodstream, causing him to begin nibbling on his nails. Maybe he kept him here to calm the police and convict him of vandalism, maybe even assault since he had thrown the eggs at him and they could have hurt him.

The overwhelming thoughts suddenly fell quiet when he heard the doorknob click. Jamie finally exited his bedroom with a towel on his head, rubbing it through his scalp before letting it drop around his neck. Joe felt his breath shorten as he watched Jamie walk towards the kitchen, his soaking wet hair almost resembling a darker chocolate brown.

Joe furrowed his brows when Jamie slammed a bottle of vodka in the middle of the living room table, along with two shot glasses and he took a seat across from him. After comfortable stretching his sweatpants, he leaned forward, twisting the cap and filling each glass to the rim before slowly pushing one over to Joe.

He then lifted his chin, sending a few fingers through his hair before wiping it on his towel. "You want your job back?" he growled in a deep tone, noticing on of Joe's eyebrows instantly rise. "You're lucky I'm even giving you this chance because after what you did," he pointed towards the door, "I would have not only fought you but you wouldn't have been allowed in my sight anymore."

Joe gulped, swallowing hard. All of Jamie's words were spoken harshly, striking him directly in the chest.

"Do you want a chance or not?" Jamie spat, annoyed that Joe hadn't answered.

Joe stammered, "I-I...I do..."

His face contorted in confusion when he saw a sudden smirk curve Jamie's lips. "Then outdrink me."

After a few seconds, Joe exhaled a chuckle, rapidly covering his lips with his hand as he attempted to hide his snicker. "I'm sorry," he breathed, hiding his chuckled through coughs as he avoided Jamie's narrowed gaze. "If this is how you want to settle this, I'm all in for it."

"Why d'you laugh?"

Joe couldn't help but curl a smile. "I drink on a daily basis, I'm practically called an alcoh—"

"That doesn't mean anything." Jamie snorted, shaking his head as he lifted his shot glass in the air and waited for Joe to clank their glass together. "Trust me, you'll regret saying yes."

They both downed their shot at the same time, neither making a face as he shoved his glass towards Jamie. "Pour me another one." If there was one thing he knew was in his skills, it would definitely be drinking. Besides, he spent years now stuck in his mind's sorrow and ending each nights with bottles of booze and countless shots—there was no way he would lose this challenge.

As Jamie poured the second shot, he pointed to the window before returning the full glass to Joe. "You'll clean these windows by the way—I heard you miss a few times as well."

Joe frowned—that was against the purpose of having the eggs thrown in the first place. That was why his nose wrinkled as he hissed, "No."

Jamie almost choked on his shot, swallowing quickly before raising his eyebrows, surprised by what he had heard. "Excuse-me?"

After mimicking Jamie, taking his shot as well, he pushed his glass back to him. "You wrongfully fired me."

After a short pause, Jamie giving Joe his third shot and clanking their glass together, he hissed, "You broke the rules."

Joe snorted, rolling his eyes. "I did not break the rules."

"I told you no contacts," Jamie retorted, shrugging his shoulders as he glanced towards Joe for a second before continuing to pour the shot. "You still put him in, as if you didn't care about what I said."

"For a good reason." Joe grabbed his shot glass when Jamie had filled it and tilted his head backwards, taking it rapidly without even waiting for Jamie. They were both at their fourth shots and neither felt anything yet. "I needed to drop suspicion and quite frankly, Fred has a point."

Jamie rolled his eyes, taking his shot before pouring themselves new ones. "He doesn't even know me; how does he have a point?"

"And I can't help but agree with him."

He saw the way Jamie's eyes rapidly lifted to eye him, studying Joe's straight expression before a scowl stretched Jamie's face. "And why the hell do you agree with him?"

They both took a shot together, Joe starting to feel his brain had become wavy. He was starting to feel them but from the way Jamie took his shot, it didn't seem as if he did. He wanted to tell Jamie to slow down, maybe take a slight break between a shot, but he also did not want to seem to be a weakling. Besides, they had gone shot for shot so far and there was no way Joe would even partially admit defeat at this point.

However, before he pushed the shot over to Joe, he met Joe's gaze and waited, wanting to be fully focused on this answer. "How do you even afford to pay me six hundred a week?"

Jamie snorted, a disgusted wrinkled forming between his brows before he said, "What does that have to do with you?" It was apparent Jamie's attention diverted, no longer caring about this conversation as Jamie took another shot, downing his sixth. "Besides, I don't have to tell you anything Joe, we aren't friends."

Joe groaned under his breath before taking his shot as well, slamming the glass onto the table and lifting a finger towards Jamie's face. "I hate how condescending you are! I had a rich husband, had my own career. I had a life before and here you are treating me as if I never meant anything."

For a split second, Jamie's features softened, meeting Joe's gaze again before shaking his head and pouring themselves their seventh drink, both of them feeling the alcohol but Joe being hit stronger and stronger by every hit. "I never said you never meant anything, Joe." Jamie leaned forward, grabbing Joe's shot glass and adding another shot. "The only thing I've said is that we're not friends so I'm not going to treat you like one."

"That doesn't mean you can treat me wrong," Joe grumbled.

Jamie snickered while he pushed the eight shot towards Joe. "It certainly doesn't mean I shouldn't. Besides," Jamie shrugged his shoulders, "you're forgetting the fact that you broke one of the rules, which I told you literally before we went out together."

"What's the difference if I deleted it after?"

"I don't care if it's there or not Joe," Jamie shook his head, taking his shot and exhaling a long sigh as he realized he was starting to feel a bit more than tipsy. He grabbed Joe's empty glass and poured more. "It's the fact that it was there to begin with when I told you not to do it. Now I can't trust that you'll follow any of the others rules."

"Then why give me a chance?"

"You consider this a chance?" Jamie pulled the towel from around his neck, throwing it to the side. "I consider this child's play; this isn't a chance, alcoholic Joe." Joe met Jamie's gaze just in time to see him wink. He hated the way Jamie made him feel, so powerless and weak as if he hadn't accomplished anything in his life. That was why he was determined to win this, grabbing the shot glass and taking his ninth shot before Jamie had finished pouring his own.

Jamie took his shot before grabbing Joe's glass again and filling it to the rim. He took Joe by surprised when he asked, "Did you use to drink with your ex-husband?"

It took a moment for Joe to realize he wasn't being snappy, instead wanted to start a fresh conversation. "Not really, Connor was never much of a drinker. We drank together sometimes, but mostly wine or champagne to soft music, not hard liquor usually."

Jamie nodded his head, handing Joe his glass. "What's his last name?"

"McAvela." Joe felt a sudden tightness in his chest, which annoyed him since he thought he had been over him as it had been two years since their divorce and he last saw him. He took this shot with angst, wanting to let go of these feelings.

And he hated the fact that Jamie's eyes widened when he said that. "You let go of a famous guy?"

"I didn't let go of him," Joe spat, motioning for Jamie to pour him another glass. "He let go of me."

"Well are you still in love with him?" Jamie asked bluntly, handing him another shot and watching as Joe finished it as soon as it touched his fingers. It was clear this was not a comfortable conversation.

Joe bit his bottom lip after that shot, feeling as if he had been punched by that shot. His hands suddenly felt heavy, his mind seemed to be floating from left to right and he had to close his eyes for a few seconds. After taking his own shot, Jamie grabbed Joe's glass and poured more, handing him his twelfth shot. Joe did want to talk about Connor to convince himself that he was over him, but the truth was, he wasn't.

They had spoken of having children someday and moving away once Connor sold his business, leaving to a different country where they could spend each second of the day enthralled in one another's arms. That had been Connor's definition of paradise, countlessly telling Joe that he had been the missing piece of his life puzzle.

Eventually, after the longer pause, Joe took the shot and leaned his back against the couch, his vision beginning to blur as he attempted to focus on Jamie. "I can't keep lying to myself," he sighed, putting his palm on his forehead. "Of course I am."

Jamie took his shot, lowering his gaze as he poured the both of them another one. However, when he noticed the way Joe's droopy eyes could barely be kept open, he sighed and took both shots on his own, stacking the glass cups beside the bottle. "I used to be in love too you know."

Joe raised an eyebrow, his eyes shut completely but he still listened. "I don't believe that."

Jamie chuckled, shaking his head. "I was. Never married though, but I had someone like that too." After a short pause, Jamie stood to his feet and patted his thighs, sending a few fingers through his golden curls that had dried. "I understand how you feel."

He noticed the way Joe's face tightened, as if it was a truth he had always avoided. After a short pause, he exhaled in a shaky breath, "Connor was my everything."

The air became a bit more tense, Jamie studying the way Joe's eyelids began to tremble, as if he was resisting the urge to cry. It was clear his feelings for Connor had never faltered, even after that long. He reached for the towel and threw it over his head, starting to make his way towards the bedroom.

When Joe heard his footsteps began to leave the living room, he opened one of his eyes and waved a hand. "Hey!" When Jamie paused, glancing over his shoulder, he watched Joe slowly lift his hand, pointing towards the bottle. "Pour me another one; I can take a few more shots—"

Jamie wrinkled his nose after a snort. "You're done; I don't want to get you too drunk or else you'll throw up." He heard a long sigh from Joe before he added, "You lost."

"I'm not drunk."

Jamie ignored him, walking away towards the bedroom. When he reached the room, he grabbed his cotton blanket but paused for a moment when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. It felt strange, as if he was staring at a different version of himself. He had never been this way with anyone, revealing a truth that he had kept concealed for years.

Jamie soon returned to the living room, finding Joe attempting to pour himself a glass. It caused him to laugh and he pulled the bottle out of his grasp, twisting the cap onto it. "You really want this job back?" he chuckled, spreading out his blanket as Joe slumped onto his back after a long exhale.

Joe slowly nodded his head. "I do."

Jamie stared back at his droopy eyes, noticing the way they seemed a bit saddened that he had lost. "Lay down, I'll tuck you in."

Joe was surprised with that but obeyed, lifting his feet onto the couch and laying his head on the armrest, shuffling to comfort. He soon felt Jamie lay the blanket onto him, but then made sure it covered his feet and then tucked it behind him to wrap around his body. He didn't say anything, did not even open his eyes; Jamie's touch made him feel safe and protected.

"You remind me of that person," Jamie mumbled under his breath, tilting his head as he examined Joe's face. It did take Joe by surprise when he opened his eyes and saw the blue ones near his, as if he was attempting to calculating every crevice on Joe's face. However Jamie didn't say anything, lost in thought while his eyes burned Joe's skin, not looking away; his irises had darken with sorrow.

Joe cleared his throat, noticing the way the light seemed to return into Jamie's eyes when he did. "What happened to you?"

Jamie's entire face softened, his eyes lowering as he exhaled a long sigh. He seemed stuck in time, scratching the side of his face as he searched for the right words—he had never spoken about this before and was unsure where to start.

"When we first met, we were both at the local bar back at my hometown. Instant connection, and we were inseparable since that day, we even went back to mine. As if it was destined to be. But I guess it really wasn't, since I had to do...things that I didn't think I would have needed to."

Jamie's closed his eyes for a moment, reminiscing about all those memories he had tried to bury deep down within him. They began playing with a vividness that caused him to frown; it had been quite some time since he last thought of that relationship, and some memories played that he thought he had forgotten.

However, it was interrupted when he heard snoring.

Joe was passed out on the couch, drool on the corner of his lip as he snored as if he hadn't gotten sleep in days. They were only twelve shots deep and Jamie, who knew he was going to win this, frowned as he stared at Joe's wide open mouth.

It was not the fact that he had won that surprised, it was that it was the first time in a while that he had opened up to someone about anything personal in his life. And the longer he looked at Joe, the more he felt his heart feel at ease.