I was at a bar again with multiple empty bottles lined up on the table. But this time it wasn't as expensive as before. It was relatively cheap—as there was a big difference between the prices of the drinks.
Now that I think about it, I didn't pay for my drinks that day, did I?
After taking a big gulp from my currently half filled drink, I looked at the figure in front of me.
As usual, she was wearing a high end clothes as her red hair styled differently.
It was Ella and also the one who paid for my drinks last time and hopefully today, too.
Oh, well, it wasn't like it had made any change in her pockets, since she was loaded.
"I figured that as much. So she wants you to be her wife? And you asked for a hundred days?"
Ella said with some confusion on her face while circling her finger on the corner of her glass, which was a non alcoholic drink. Just then her phone, which was placed beside her, lit up, but she closed it quickly.
Anyway, what did she just say? Asked? As if asking would do anything to that woman. Instead of asking, I felt more like I was battling—and losing, unfortunately.
That tough bastard—a tough, pretty bastard.
There was no point denying the obvious, but...
"Negotiate, negotiate. She wanted me to be for three hundred sixty-five days."
I was badly drunk and slumped down on the table—just enough so that I could be able to drink from my glass.
"You could have just said a year,… you know?"
After thinking for a bit, Ella understood what those numbers meant and said that to me, but I sneered at her.
What did she know? Well, she knew everything, but she didn't know the feelings behind it. As one seemed smaller but not three hundred sixty-five.
After Alina came to the office, the news of a new Ceo of J&K quickly spread in the conglomerate social network with her picture, and Ella, who was searching for her with just her photo, quickly found out and told me, but it was late, as I had already met her—personally.
But then we planned to meet later, and here we were. I told Ella everything about what had happened as she asked me to—well, except for one thing.
And that was the reason for our negotiation and what those numbers represent because, in my eyes, both Ella and Alina were cut out of the same branch—meaning both owned their own company.
I propped my elbow on the table and rested my head in my hand as I watched my best friend, who once again looked at her phone with a frown before closing it.
"Hey Ella?"
I didn't plan on saying anything, but my curiosity got the better of me.
"How much of a difference do you think there is in between us?"
She squinted her eyes before taking a sip from her drink.
"That's a very odd question. Why?"
She looked at me suspiciously, but I was too drunk to notice that, or if I might have noticed, then I didn't really care—that was what you called a friend, and a best one at that.
"Just answer me."
"How do I know? I don't even understand the question."
She didn't even think and answered right away. It appeared she really didn't understand what I was asking.
"No, listen. You own a company—"
Before I could continue, she spoke in between, cutting me off.
"An entertainment agency, but go on..."
What? Did that even matter? Besides, I was only speaking metaphorically. I guess I needed to tell her to assume. But more than that...
"Don't you dare interrupt me. I've already interrupted as it is."
Even I lost count of how many times Alina interrupted me. It was going well at the start, but when the conversation came close to the end, she started to interrupt me again and again.
After exhaling deeply, erasing those thoughts away with another big sip of my drink, I continued.
"Anyway, you own a company, and I work in your company at a very good position, so how much do you think the difference between us is? Like, how many of me needed to make it equal to you?"
I deliberately avoided the words "value" and "price," as I could still feel them ringing in my ears. It left some kind of trauma in my head, and I felt like I might lose it if I heard it one more time, much less speak.
"Did something happen? Other than all that, you just tell me?"
Her phone lit up again, but this time, she turned it off without even looking as she was looking at me with concern—something that I didn't need from her right now.
Why the hell would I be drinking if I wanted her concern?
Thinking that, I glared at her without saying anything.
"Alright, alright."
She then rubbed her temples again, and then she shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know..... You know, numbers are not my thing."
Truth be told, nothing was her thing that involved any kind of study. That was actually why we became best friends in the first place.
"Relatively."
But she was also right—numbers was definitely at the last of that long list of hers, so I said that.
"So persistent."
She mumbled and pinched the bridge between her eyes. Her brows were already squinted at the center with a frown on her forehead. I don't remember when, but maybe around when we were in high school, she was always frowning, and now it became a part of her forehead. So, it wasn't a different thing.
"Since you are a director now, then maybe around ten? Since that many directors my company might have?"
Huh? Looking at the uninterested look on Ella's face, I was surprised.
That was one way to see it—or at least a way where I might actually win. Why didn't I think of that? Then how many directors did my company have?
Arghh!
A sour taste appeared in my mouth as I think of it as my company. Anyway, no matter how many directors J&K had, it won't be more than a hundred—no, it wouldn't be even half.
As I thought that, my face started to fall deeper.
"Fuck. I got scammed."
Quickly finishing my drink, I raised my hand and asked for another one. Ella didn't say anything, only shook her head, but then her phone lit up again.
"That's four times now,… or maybe five? Who is it? Are you busy?"
Normally, she would deal with it in such a way that they wouldn't dare to reach her again, but now, she wasn't doing anything and instead kept ignoring it, so it came into my mind.
But Ella didn't answer me and shook her head as she replied.
"No one. Just an employee."
After looking at her for a moment, I concentrated on the drink the waiter had left just now.
Whatever, I already had too much on my plate to think about anything or anyone else.
After another round, when the messages didn't stop, Ella suddenly picked up her phone and said to me.
"I am sorry, Rea, but...I have to leave now."
"What? Why?"
I knew it was something important, but I didn't shy away from throwing a tantrum in my condition because I could simply get out by saying that I didn't remember. When would I if not now, anyway?
"Something...urgent came up."
She stood up from her seat, and seeing her, I made a crying face.
"What? Then who is going to take care of me?"
Seeing my beautiful, innocent face, she wrinkled her nose in... disgust? That bitch...
"I'll call Clara."
"Just leave if you are not going to do it."
I sighed.
"And don't you dare call her."
She was the last person I wanted to see right now. Who would know what that brat might do?
"I know where I live—I can go on my own...except I have to take a different route since I am sure… I can't walk straight."
"Why would you take a route? Take a cab instead."
Ella replied, but it all became background noise to me. Why would I listen to someone who was going to leave in the middle of a night?
Anyway, though I said that Clara was the last person I wanted to see right now, there was actually one person that I would detest meeting. Not only that, but I also didn't want to think about her, and I almost didn't, until...
"Don't you have a wife—"
"Ahh, fuck Ella."
I quickly covered my ears, though the damage was already done. Ella flashed a smile as she copied me—or tried to—by acting all innocent.
"Piss off, you....heretic!"
And she really did. Without saying anything, she left.
Oh, right. She did say something, but I had my ears covered.
And only after she left, I realized that she left without paying.