Chapter 22
It had only taken a few days for Sébastien to get back to normal and with that, he went to work as soon as he could. Ava couldn't comprehend why someone as rich as him would choose to keep on working so much, especially since she could see it stressed him out.
The days without him there were exactly as boring as she could remember and it felt like she cleaned the same things over and over without them ever actually getting dirty.
He did work less on the weekends, she noticed. But he still went to the office every now and then for short periods of time to do something important. It was currently Friday, and she had her day off which she'd decided to spend watching the large tv in her room.
In reality, she spent most of her time changing the channel in search of something fun to watch.
She'd almost missed the sound of the front door opening and closing and checked the time. It was only 3 p.m. which made her suspicious of who it could be. Maybe Sébastien's new assistant had come to drop off groceries?
If that was the case she should probably go down to put them away, so she lifted herself off the bed to make her way downstairs.
But it wasn't Sébastien's new assistant who'd been waiting downstairs, it was Justin who was lazily lounging on the large black sofa in the living room. "Oh, hey Ava," he greeted cheerily upon seeing her. "Fancy seeing you here."
"I kind of work here," she laughed lightly.
"Oh, right. Forget I said anything. How's it going?"
"I'm doing well, thank you. How are you?"
"Better now that you're here," he replied while winking.
The gesture didn't send the same tingles down her body as when Sébastien did anything but she still enjoyed his shamelessness.
"I'm just chilling here until Sébastien finds his way back from the office," he explained more seriously. "He should be here any moment.
"Oh, alright. It's still very early, though."
"Yes, but I convinced him to start his weekend early so we can throw a party. But he's gotta hurry up if he wants to get anything done on time."
"A party?"
"Yeah, it was my idea. You know, blow off some steam since things have been a bit stressful lately."
"Oh, okay," Ava replied while thinking about it. Parties weren't something she was familiar with experiencing first hand, but she'd worked to serve people at parties on a few occasions. It usually started innocent enough until alcohol had flowed too much and people's personalities would change.
Not a second later she heard keys jiggle and the front door open before Sébastien made an appearance.
"How long could it possibly take you to walk here?" Justin immediately asked. "I've been here for like, an hour," he exaggerated. In reality, he'd been there for less than ten minutes which Sébastien probably knew since he just rolled his eyes before turning to Ava.
"Hi, Ava," he greeted. "We're going to have a small get-together here tonight, if that's okay with you?"
She had no idea why he'd ask her but she knew she couldn't say no. It was his house after all and she wasn't the person to tell him what he could and couldn't do with it.
"Yes, of course," she answered tersely before adding," Why wouldn't it?"
"Are you sure?" he asked before his friend interjected. "She already said she was. It's almost as if you don't want to have a party," just said with an accusing tone.
"It's a small get-together."
"Tell that to the fifty or so people I invited."
Ava's eyes widened upon hearing that. Fifty people? But Sébastien just sighed before turning towards her fully. "Do you want to come with us to get stuff?"
"Stuff?"
"Booze, snacks, cocaine," Justin clarified while getting up.
Ava audibly gasped at that, "Cocaine?"
"Justin," Sébastien warned with a glare, making him sheepishly scratch the back of his head. "I was just kidding, no cocaine. We do need alcohol and snacks, though."
"Oh," Ava replied. Stupid as it was, she was relieved there wouldn't be any drugs. She'd heard nothing but bad things about them and she wasn't too keen on being anywhere near them.
"So, are you coming?" Justin asked.
"Right," she said while glancing at Sébastien to check if he actually meant to ask her. Maybe he was just asking out of politeness but didn't want her actually there. But his face didn't tell her much about it so she decided to go with it. "Sure, I'll come."
"Great," Justin said while clapping his hands together. "Let's go!"
He was halfway out the door before Sébastien called after him, "Let her get her coat first, jackass."
"Right," he replied while walking back in and closing the door behind him. "Sorry, Ava."
"It's fine, she quickly replied while enjoying seeing them interact with each other. She had a feeling they were better friends than either of them had let on so far. "Give me five seconds, please."
It look a little longer than that because she also had to put on her shoes but she moved as fast as she could so she wouldn't hold up anyone. "Done," she said while joining them at the front door. She caught the last part of their argument, which was about whether or not they'd walk to the store.
"Ava, tell him that we shouldn't walk when we have two perfectly good cars downstairs," Justin almost whined while Sébastien just glared at him.
"Walking is fine, too. There's a store pretty close by," she replied, causing an exasperated sigh to escape him.
"That's just Sébastien's influences talking.
If you spend too much time with him you start to be like him so it's not your fault.
It actually happens to the best of us but it's just me who's immune.
Don't be surprised when you start to grow a beard. "
"You're so full of shit, Justin. Just go," was all Sébastien replied while shoving his friend out the door while Ava suppressed a giggle.
She wondered what it'd be like to be so comfortable with your friend you could just say anything to them.
Her relationship with Everly was still in its early stages and she found herself careful with what she said so she wouldn't lose her only friend in a long time.
It was obvious Sébastien and Justin had been friends for much longer by the way they acted while together.
The walk was a short one yet Justin had managed to complain about it every step of the way. It was odd seeing the two of them in a grocery store the way they were dressed. They both still wore their suits while a woman passed them in what looked like pajama pants and slippers.
Sébastien pushed a cart while Justin threw in everything and anything he could get his hands on all while bickering back and forth. "Seriously? Who the fuck eats tuna from a can at a party?"
"I feel like Steven is that kind of person," Justin replied after a moment of thought, trying to justify his choice.
"I don't want to have Steven eating tuna in my house."
"You're right," he replied while getting the tuna out again.
"Steven is a messy eater," he clarified for Ava, who had a hard time following it all.
She could only imagine some random guy eating tuna from a can on the couch and then spilling everything.
It was her who'd have to clean that mess up so she was glad Sébastien had prevented that.
Justin in the alcohol aisle resembled a child in a candy shop. The amount they could take was limited and they explained that guests would bring some as well, this was just to start off with.
Which was just as well, since they'd have to carry everything back to the apartment.
"So what's your poison, Ava?"
"Hm?" she replied, having zoned out just moments before. She didn't know what he meant by it either but he clarified, "I meant alcohol. What do you like to drink?"
"Oh, I don't drink. Thank you though."
'Like, not at all?"
"No," she replied, feeling bad about her answer. She could hear by his tone he hadn't met someone who had never drank before and it made her wonder if it really was something as strange as he made it out to be.
It probably was.
"Have you ever drank before?" he asked next, coming to stand in front of her with wide eyes as if his mind simply couldn't process the concept.
"No," she admitted, unsure of his reaction to it.
"Wow. But—" he started again but Sébastien interrupted before he could go on. "Let it go, Justin."
Throwing his hands up in surrender, he took a step back before continuing.
"I'm just amazed, that's all. Nothing wrong with it, of course.
It's just, you don't meet someone who's never drank before at your age very often.
Or at all. Not that you're old or anything, I mean, you're probably younger than I am so—"
"Justin," Sébastien warned again, this time his tone more pressing and his glare more evident. "Shut up."
"Right, yeah, I'll be looking at the... Meats... If you guys need me," he said awkwardly before walking towards the meat section to pretend to do something.
"Don't listen to him," Sébastien said while turning to her. "Justin surrounds himself with people who drink every day and every night and they'll die before they can reach fifty from liver damage. Don't feel bad for not being part of that."
She appreciated his attempt to make her feel normal, and it did somewhat help. But she also knew Justin was right too, shouldn't teenagers be sneaking off to get drunk with their friends? Have adventures? Live a little?
"Thank you," she replied with a small smile.
"I mean it," he replied while looking around. "So what do you drink?"
"Water, usually," she answered while peering up at his large stature. From the corner of her eyes, she could see a woman stare at him but he didn't seem to notice her back.
"Alright, but I meant for the party. Unless you're planning on drinking water the whole night which is fine too."
"I can go to the party?"
"What?" he asked in bewilderment. His beautifully shaped brows knitting together in confusion. It was unfair how even the ugly supermarket lights shone down on him as if he was a statue in a museum. "It's at my apartment, what did you think you were going to do?"
"Stay in my room, out of sight. Or serve drinks, if that's what you want me to do?"
"No, you're going to be there. Unless you don't want to?"
That made her pause, she was allowed to go?
She could only imagine the rich and powerful people he and Justin surrounded themselves with and there was no doubt in her mind she'd do or say something to embarrass him.
But at the same time, this could be her first chance to go to a party without being a servant. The opportunity was too golden to pass on and she made up her mind.
"I'd like to be there," she answered after a while. He shifted his weight and she couldn't help but feel like he looked slightly relieved at her answer. As if he were hoping she'd say that.
Which was just wishful thinking, of course. He probably wouldn't even notice if she was or wasn't at the party. He nodded and looked back at Justin who approached with his hands full of nothing but different kinds of meats.
"I brought dinner, guys," he said cheerily while throwing it in the cart, making Sébastien sigh but otherwise ignore his friend. But she couldn't help but smile.
Not only because of his antics but because she looked forward to her first party.