5 - Elaine.

“Thank you,” I smiled at the blonde waiter as he placed our drinks on the table. He looked Irish, with a sharp jaw and emeralds for eyes. If I wasn’t still thinking about the bastard I met at the club, maybe I would’ve been remotely interested. It was a Saturday night, and since the flat was empty, Cora had insisted that we both went out for a girl’s night together.

“So, what’s up with your sour mood?” I asked her, popping open my Coke and taking a cautious sip. Cora had her arms folded across her chest, eyes dark with fury.

“Ugh. What else? The job interview was a disaster?”

“Really?” I frowned. “But you said that your new boss seemed like the friendly type.”

“He fooled me into believing that he was great when he’s just a little piece of shit!”

The couple seated close to us stopped talking now and glanced at us. I patted Cora’s arm. “Calm down. Everyone’s looking.”

“It’s so pitiful. I tried to ignore his sexual advances, but things went south. After the general interview with his board of directors, I was the only one selected for a private interview. With him in his office.”

“Oh boy,” I very well knew where this was headed. “He tried to rape you?”

“That’s taking things too far, Elaine,” she chuckled, shaking her head. I mean, hello? That’s normally how the story goes. “At first it wasn’t clear what we were there for, and we’d already discussed everything that needed to be discussed in the general interview. But then he stood up from his chair and came around the table to me. Before I knew what was happening, he’d whipped out his junk and thrust it in my face, asking me to suck.”

“Christ.”

She nodded. “It was big and looked juicy, but I felt embarrassed. When I refused to do as he asked, he tried persuading me, telling me that I could have whatever position I wanted in his company. Promising me trips to Vegas and London – I’d written in my resume that those were my dream countries to visit. The horrifying thing is, he’s already married with grown-up kids, and he could pass as my father.”

“It’s always the oldies wanting a taste of little girls.” I shook my head. “So, then what happened?”

“I still refused, and then told me to get the hell out of his office while throwing my papers at me. The bottom line is, I’m still jobless, add to that I’m hurt and too angry to even think.”

I rubbed her arm sympathetically. “It’ll be fine, dear. You could have raised an alarm when he whipped out his junk.”

“Believe me, I would have. But I was too shocked to even comprehend what he meant by that move. And no one would believe me if I told them that their boss was a pervert. Do you know who this guy is? He’s filthy rich and has chains of companies and properties scattered across the globe. Anyways, I’m glad that I stood my ground.”

“Yes, girl,” I clinked my glass with hers. “Super proud of you.”

She exhaled in relief. “Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, what’s up with you?”

I sighed despondently. “Don’t even get me started on it.”

It’s been weeks since we last went to the club, and Anslem/Max was still very much vivid in my head. I’d waited by my phone like a fool, anticipating a call but then I remembered that I’d been too pissed at him to give him my number. Luckily, I got a nice hold of his socials, and when I called through the number on his personal Facebook account, I got his voicemail instead. Each time I tried to leave a message, his hurtful words rang through my head and I’d set my phone down in anger. So, as each day tickled past, I held on to the hope that I’d forget about everything that happened between us.

What a fool I’d been, thinking we had something.

Cora rolled her eyes, getting my silence drift. “Let me guess, you’re still onto that club swine?”

“Oh Cora,” I chuckled. “That’s not nice.”

“Stop defending the arsehole, girl. He’s not worth it, and of all the guys you’ve hooked up with why is he the only one with a lasting impact?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe because we’re meant to be together? I can’t believe I’m saying this.”

“Neither can I,” she shook her head sadly, face twisted in disgust. “He’s got you hooked on some Voodoo love charm.”

“I wish. For a moment back there he’d seemed too good to be true.”

“You really need to learn the tactics these guys use to try and get into a girl’s pants. It’s so painful to see you pining for someone with a personality like his. Where does he stay?”

“New York.”

“I bet you a hundred bucks that that’s a fine lie. He couldn’t even tell you his real name. So dishonest.”

I raised my eyebrows at the depressing thought. “He told me he worked at MacDonald’s too.”

“The audacity,” Cora choked on her drink. “What does he take you for? I mean, anyone with eyes can see that he looks like the owner of MacDonald’s, not a waiter there.”

I shrugged. “Do you think he has a reason for lying to me? Like he’s a serial killer an

I was his would-be victim?”

Cora doubled over in laughter, her drink spilling over the edge of her glass. It took a moment for her to calm down. “Oh, Elaine. Your imagination is so…” she trailed off, searching for the right word. “Thrilling if I’m being honest. I don’t think he’d want to kill you. You said it yourself that your instincts felt he was the right one. Maybe he had something to hide. Or he was merely joking around. Either way, he’s a fucking idiot to lose you.”

I smiled gratefully, and we clinked our glasses together. “Thanks, Cora.”

“Any time, babe. Now, enough about the swine. You’re more than beautiful enough to get yourself a much better guy.”

The waiter arrived now with our meal, and I relaxed, the scent of the dishes making me salivate. “Yup. Screw MacDonald’s guy. I’m picking and dusting off,” I raise my glass to the air. “Here’s to never thinking about him again.”

“Here, here,” she giggled. “How about I beep the girls to meet us up at Kingston’s?”

I took a mouthful of my peach salad, shaking my head. “Heavenly,” I gestured to the food. “It’s a beautiful night. Too good for Kingston’s.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Tonight,” I held her gaze. “We’re going for karaoke.”