“Oh god, I hope so. I hope it goes slow. They also say men age like fine wine and women age like cheese.”
Callie snorted. “That is terrible! Who said that?”
“I can’t remember.”
“They should not be allowed to say things like that. Seriously. So awful!”
Chantara giggled again and swiped at her eyes one last time. She took a deep breath and Callie could tell by the focus in her best friend’s eyes that she hadn’t been completely distracted.
“You’re trying to change the subject here.”
“I really wasn’t. I was just protesting. I don’t want to go to the Christmas party. I don’t have anything to wear. It’s going to be boring. They’re always boring. Just crappy speeches about all this corporate stuff that I can’t stand. I have to listen to that and put up with it all day. I don’t want to hear it by night too.”
“But it’s free and last year, it might have been boring, but the food was soooo good.”
“It was so boring that your date got shit faced and nearly got you fired.”
“I didn’t almost get fired. Everyone knew that Troy drank too much and it wasn’t my fault. I wasn’t even drunk. I had one drink. I could control myself. I wasn’t responsible for his actions. If he’d wrecked anything, now that might have been another story.”
“Good thing he wasn’t destructive then.”
“You’re telling me. I never could have got you the job you love so much.”
Callie rolled her eyes. “It’s not that I’m not glad for the job. I am. It beats getting out of retail. And god, did I hate the Christmas season. It was absolute murder. I thought if I had a degree, I would actually get to use it.”
“You might have if you had a degree in business.”
“Stop.” Callie got off the edge of Chantara’s bed. “I don’t want another lecture on how English degrees are useless. People get jobs in big corporations all the time with English degrees. Like in Communications and what not.”
“But those jobs are hard to get.”
“Well you don’t even need to have a business degree to get an admin job.”
“You don’t have to,” Chantara admitted. “But it definitely helps. And I’m not just any admin. I support one of our VP’s.”
“And I just get to support a Directing Manager. How boring.” Callie giggled despite herself.
“Matthew Hilbert isn’t just a DM. You’re damn lucky you’re his PA. The guy is a god. Or so I’ve heard. But he’s not my type.”
“I know. He’s too clean. Clean shaved, short hair. He doesn’t look like your type, but he sure acts like it.”
“No!” Chantara jumped up. “Don’t say that.” She put her hands on her hips in mock anger. “It’s only because you’re my best friend that I’ll let you get away with saying horrible shit like that about the guys that I date. They don’t have the same reputation. I like bad boys, not players.”
“And Matt Hilbert is definitely as player as it gets. I see the emails that come in. On my first day he actually sat me down and had a talk about-”
“I know. You told me he said to discreetly get rid of the less than savory emails that come in from any of his female companions. And to screen the angry phone calls. Just the angry ones though. Oh god, I remember.”
Callie couldn’t help but let a little dreamy sigh escape. “It can’t be helped that he’s attractive. Very. Very. Attractive. But he’s not my type either. I don’t like players. I don’t like guys that bounce around from one girl to another. I don’t like guys for whom relationships does not mean anything. It’s gross. It’s just- distasteful. It really ruins the fact that he’s super handsome.”
“He’ll be at the Christmas party.”
“Oh, hell no…”
“You can’t even be tempted with good food? You were just saying how you wished you had someone cook for you. It’s Christmas. You probably aren’t going home, so come and get a decent meal at the Christmas party, if for no other reason.”
“Yes, but when I said that, I didn’t want to have to endure a shit load of speeches and boring presentations and corporate blah, blah, blah to get it.”
“I’ll lend you earplugs.”
“I think people would notice.” Callie rolled her eyes.
“Please!” Chantara pulled a puppy dog face. “Don’t make me go alone! I can’t endure it alone! I’ll look pathetic. People will try and drag me up to dance in those awkward, horrible tight little group things they do on the dance floor.”
Callie couldn’t keep a straight face. She laughed a second later and she knew it was over. Chantara won. Her best friend usually got her way. The temptation of food was a little too much to resist. And the fact that Matt Hilbert would be there, probably in a full-on suit. God, suits were attractive. He wasn’t for her though. She wasn’t into guys who dined and dashed. In truth, she hadn’t been into anyone for a really long time.