Nine
Annalise
Jared was late to work the next day, and it was an odd feeling. The office was so strangely quiet, the nearest person to me barely making a peep. It was weird. Beyond weird.
I didn't like it. And I hated that I didn't like it. Because there was no way on this earth that I could possibly be missing Jared.
And when he walked in two hours and twenty-seven minutes late, there was no way on earth I was happy to see him.
"You're late," I grumbled as he sat down.
"I had a doctor's appointment."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.
"I told Veronica, and I assumed she'd tell you."
"You know what they say about people who assume."
"No. What do they say?"
"Come on. I'm sure you know it. That when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me."
He laughed. "I know it. I just wanted to hear you say it."
Deciding to ignore his obnoxious response, I asked, "Why didn't you at least text me that you would be late?"
He paused a beat, watching me carefully. "Man, you must have really missed me to be this put out, Dee."
"I didn't miss you," I argued. "Besides, you're the one who can't stop talking about me."
"What?" He slurped on his iced coffee, his eyes studying my face. "Oh, that thing my grandma said. I wouldn't exactly take anything she says as gospel. She, um, she's known for exaggerating things, and she's always trying to set me up with any and every nearby female."
Having enough of this conversation, if one could call it that, I grunted and turned back to my computer, checking my email for the fiftieth time this morning. Still no response from Venus' people. Which wasn't surprising. It sometimes took a very long time to hear back from busy agents and publicists. Or sometimes we didn't hear anything at all and had to be persistent to the point of annoying.
I received a notification and looked at my interoffice messages... to find one from Jared. "I'm going to be late this morning."
"Thanks for telling me after the fact."
"No problem. Did I miss anything? Did you hear from Venus yet?"
"No."
"So let's make a deal," he wrote. "If we don't hear from her or her peeps by Friday, we go to the Furever Friends event."
Oh, God. My fingers didn't know what to type, so I just sat there thinking.
"Come on, Dee. You know I'm right."
"You're not right. It's too soon to push like that."
"I'll make you a bet."
"What are you talking about?"
"If I win, we go to the gala. If you win, we don't."
I whirled around to face him, done with typing messages to a person who was literally sitting right next to me. "Are you joking?"
Judging by his face, he wasn't joking. "How else are we going to settle this?"
I huffed, blowing some hair out of my eyes. "By being mature adults and discussing it, making a pros and cons list, talking through all the possibilities and potential outcomes."
"Nah. Where's the fun in that?"
"Not everything has to be fun," I said.
"I agree. But there's no reason this can't be. What? Are you scared you're going to lose?"
"No. I'd never lose to you."
The only word to describe his expression was beaming. "See? So why not?"
Swallowing hard, I bit back all the sarcastic responses I wanted to throw at him.
"Are you chicken?" he went on, now making clucking noises, other people in the office turning to look at us.
"Are you fucking serious? You're causing a scene. And you're going to get us in trouble with Veronica."
"She's not here. I just saw her at the elevator when I came in and she was heading out."
Mona came over, her eyes darting between the two of us. "What's going on?" she asked.
Jared spoke up first. "Oh, just your friend here is too scared to take on a bet with me."
"What kind of bet?"
"It's about Venus La Fleur and going to a charity event on Friday to try and talk to her."
"Oh, that sounds like fun." She clapped her hands together. "Let's do it."
Before I could say another word, she called Marcella over, and the next thing I knew, the whole office was gathered around, egging us on, brainstorming things we could do for this ridiculous bet.
At this point, there was nothing I could do. We were now caught up in a whirlwind of excitement, and I'd be the biggest stick in the mud if I put a stop to it.
So instead, I plastered a smile on my face and gave in to it, my stomach swirling with anticipation. I needed to win this thing. I had to win this thing. Because the last thing in the world I wanted to do was go to a charity gala with Jared.
Not only would it be weird and so not fun to spend an evening with him, but it would also be challenging to be so immersed in my former life as a rich daddy's girl, dressing up for balls and hobnobbing with the so-called elite. And that was the least of my worries. What if someone recognized me there?
While I sat there stewing, a flurry of activity happened around me, everyone oddly excited about this stupid bet, a smiling Jared in the middle of it all. Marshmallows and hot sauce appeared in front of me. Oh, God.
Someone whistled, and everyone quieted down, forming a crowded circle around Jared and me. "Okay, here's the plan," Mona started. "Three challenges. First up is chair spinning. Who can spin around the longest without getting dizzy or falling over."
"Easy," Jared boasted, scooting his chair away from his desk.
"Ready, Cordelia?" Mona asked.
"I've never felt so betrayed in my life," I muttered as I got into position.
She laughed, then counted down. "Three, two, one... go!"
Loud cheers hit my ears as we both started to spin. At least, I assumed Jared started to spin as well. All I could focus on was myself at the moment, whirling around faster and faster. The room became a blur, and my stomach churned, but I gritted my teeth together, sheer determination keeping me going.
I could hear snippets of encouragement, laughter, and clapping from my co-workers, which honestly spurred me on, past the dizziness. My head grew lighter and my vision more distorted. Amongst my spinning, I was able to catch glimpses of Jared who was still going strong. The asshole.
But because of his stubbornness, I was able to push through, pure willpower keeping me upright.
Just when I thought I had a handle on it, a sudden wave of dizziness struck me like an avalanche, and I slumped over, needing to stop or I'd vomit. I didn't need to look up to know that Jared was still going, his squeaky chair confirmation of that annoying fact.
"Jared wins!" Mona shouted.
Whose side was she on anyway?
Some kind people, not Mona, clapped me on the back, giving me reassurances that I'd win the next one. Which I was scared for.
Jared finally slowed to a stop, a triumphant grin overtaking his stupid face, somehow looking completely composed, despite my head still spinning and my bruised pride.
Marcella gave me an ice cold bottle of water. "You should take small sips," she suggested.
I did, and between that and a few minutes of rest, the dizziness ebbed away, and I noticed what was happening now. Mona held a big bag of mini marshmallows which she emptied out onto my desk.
"And now for the suck and blow game," she said, handing us each straws.
Oddly enough, I'd played this game before, and I'd been quite good at it. My suck and blow skills were outstanding.
She placed two bowls on my desk, instructing Jared to move closer so we could share the space and the marshmallows.
I gave him my best game face as he slid in beside me. "Be prepared to lose, sucker."
He popped a marshmallow into his mouth. "Not a chance."
"You'll have exactly one minute to see how many marshmallows you can suck up with the straw then blow out into the bowl," Mona said. "Whoever has the most when time's up is the winner. Ready?"
Ignoring Jared beside me, I nodded, getting into position, lightly holding the straw between my lips.
"And... go!"
Leaning forward, I sucked my first marshmallow up with my straw, then promptly blew it out into the bowl, doing it again, and again, and again. The noise around me quieted down and the office fell away, even Jared bumping into my side hardly making a dent in my focus.
I had entered the zone. Time stood still. It was me and these marshmallows. Suck. Blow. Suck. Blow.
One after the other after the other. I was the master of these marshmallows, master of this straw, my lips, my breathing, and my mouth all in sync with each other. I already knew I was the champion of this game, and even more so when I sensed Jared struggling beside me. His suck and blow game sucked.
His aim was awful, an occasional marshmallow tumbling down the side of his bowl and into my area. Still in the zone, I sucked up his marshmallow before he could get to it, Jared's elbow jabbing me in the rib.
A phone alarm sounded behind me. "Time's up," Mona said.
I leaned back, triumphant, as I stuck my tongue out at Jared. "You suck," I taunted.
" You suck," he said back.
Our bowls were taken away and marshmallows were swiftly counted. "Thirty for Jared," Mona called out. "And... drum roll please..."
Multiple makeshift drum rolls sounded around us.
"Forty-three for Cordelia. Cordelia wins! And now it's a tie!"
A tie was great and all. But having seen the hot sauce bottles, I already knew what was next, and I dreaded it.
"Next challenge is all about the heat," Mona announced. "We're going to have a little hot sauce tasting, and whoever drinks the glass of milk first is the loser. Not just of the challenge but the whole bet."
"Bring it on," Jared boasted.
Great. I already knew this wasn't going to go well. I was okay with a little spice, but not too much.
Marcella poured a small amount of the first sauce onto two spoons, handing them to us. I quickly downed it and the next one, which weren't too bad, barely causing a stir. We both handled them with ease as the crowd cheered us on.
But with the third one, the heat intensified, especially once I had swallowed, the fire lingering in my mouth. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as I reached for the next spoon.
I glanced at Jared who seemed unfazed. He tossed back the spoonful, his eyes intent on my face. "Starting to feel the heat, Dee?" he asked, his voice annoyingly calm.
Gritting my teeth for the umpteenth time today, I swallowed another spoonful, my tongue ablaze. I was fucking doomed.
Miraculously, I managed the next one, my vision blurring slightly as the room seemed to spin from the intensity of the heat. Taking a deep breath, I tried to cool the burn with air, but all it seemed to do was make it worse.
The fire in my mouth reached an unbearable peak, and I gave in, reaching for the glass of milk, gulping it down, the cool liquid bringing a welcome relief.
"And Jared wins the challenge and the bet!" Mona shouted to everyone's excited cheers.
I didn't take it personally. Jared was well-liked, and who didn't love a little excitement in the office?
All my co-workers, including the traitorous Mona, offered me pats on the back and their condolences as they cleaned up and slowly drifted away, leaving Jared and me alone at our desks, the office returning to its usual quiet.
A little pouty about losing and having to go to this gala with Jared on Friday, I turned my back on him and checked my email once more, hoping for a miracle, hoping for a response from Venus or her team.
But there was nothing.
My computer pinged. "You okay, Dee? You're looking a bit green around the edges."
"I'm fine," I wrote back.
Although I wasn't. My stomach was churning, all that hot sauce and milk mixing in my otherwise empty belly like a volcano ready to erupt.
With as much calm as I could muster, I stood up and quietly headed for the women's bathroom. I made it, the awful feeling in my gut ominous. Gripping the edges of the sink, I stared at my face in the mirror. I looked terrible. Jared was right about the green tinge.
I broke out into a cold sweat, and then the vomiting began. Right into the sink.
So focused on my aim and trying to keep clean, I didn't notice anyone had followed me in here, until someone gently pulled back my hair, keeping it out of my face as I hurled up the disgusting contents of my stomach.
When I was done, Jared wetted a paper towel and handed it to me. His eyes never left my face as I wiped down my mouth, cleaning myself up and washing out the sink.
"I'm sorry, Dee," he said softly. "I had no idea my stupid idea would result in you getting sick like this."
"It's okay," I managed to say.
"No. It's not okay. It was a dumb bet. And listen, we don't have to go to the gala. I'm calling it off. The results are invalid."
I whirled on him, only slightly annoyed at how much I had to look up at him to meet his eyes. "Nope. I agreed to the bet, and you won fair and square. And I'm an honorable woman who honors my bets."
He grinned at me. "Okay then. It's a date."
"It's not a date, Jared. It's business."
"Right. Strictly business of course." He nodded then winked at me.
Fuck me. Fuck my life. Oh, and throwing up hot sauce? I one-hundred percent do not recommend.