Eve walked out of the kitchen. JC closed the door, crossed his arms and gave Justin a stern look.

„Why you send my assistant flowers?“ 

„Why not?“

JC frowned. 

„Are you hitting on her?“ 

„Not intentionally.“

„Not intentionally? What that supposed to mean?“ 

„Dunno… things just happen naturally between us,“ Justin tried to explain. 

„Naturally?“

„Ya.“

„Do you know her from a prior thing?“ 

„No. We just bumped into each other on the day of her interview. I spilled my coffee over her shirt, she asked me to lent her mine and then we ended up at Starbucks.“  

JC couldn’t believe what he was listening to.

„She asked for your shirt?!“

„Yes.“ 

„And you gave it to her?!“

„Yes.“ 

JC needed a moment to sort his mind.

„That’s why you called me the same day and asked about her interview! Now everything makes sense!“ 

„She told me she screwed things up and I wanted to know why.“

„Wait… did she ask you to convince me to hire her anyway?!“ 

„What? No! She had no idea you and I were friends. She didn’t recognize my face, either.“

„Are you serious?!“

„I swear, she had no idea.“

„Why you didn’t tell me all of this, T?!“ 

Justin sighed. 

„I didn’t want to manipulate your decision.“

„But that’s exactly what happened! You manipulated my decision!“

„That’s not true. All I did was giving you a well meant advice.“

JC gave him another reproachful look. 

„Are you regretting you changed your mind?“ Justin asked next. 

„Honestly, I don’t know.“ 

„Why not?“ 

„Because…“ 

JC stopped talking. 

„Because what?“ 

„She’s… challenging…“

Justin raised his eyebrows. 

„Are we talking about her character or the way she looks?“ 

JC just stared at him, without answering. Justin started smiling smugly. 

„She’s giving you a hard time, hm?“ 

„Stop that shit, T.“ JC warned him. 

Then he opened the door again.

„Let’s go for lunch. I’m starving.“ 

The next days Eve and JC tried hard being polite to each other and things started running good between them. Still JC didn’t allow himself opening up to her and kept things very formal.

On Friday morning Eve stopped standing in his doorstep and gave him a cheeky look.

„What do you want?“ he asked irritated.

„I’m waiting for your Friday face,“ she answered. 

„It’s too early for my Friday face.“ 

„But it’s Friday.“

„No, it’s Friday morning. There’s a difference.“

Eve smiled and went to her desk. JC watched her walking away. He could watch her for hours like this. She didn’t have the tiniest idea how hard he already fell for her. 

In the afternoon Eve heard her cell ringing. She grabbed it out of her bag and picked up.

„Sandy-Candy… what’s up?“

„You still didn’t tell me in which club we are going tonight,“ Sandra complained. 

„Do we need to choose now?“

„Yes, I’m at Macy’s and wondering what to buy, so tell me where we’re going.“ 

„A club is a club. I don’t understand your outfit struggle.“

Sandra sighed annoyed.

„How can you say that?! I need to know, if we hook up with bankers or lawyers. There’s a difference, Eve. You should know that by now.“ 

Eve chuckled. 

„Well, I’m for the lawyers. They are more generous,“ she joked.

„So? The Sound it is tonight?“

„Yap, Sound sounds good.“ 

„Great, see ya later.“

JC listened to Eve’s conversation. When she finished her call, he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and started typing. 

„I wanna go out tonight.“ [Jay]

„Who are you and what did you do to my boring friend, who prefers staying at home all weekend, doing absolutely nothing?“ [Ricky]

„Make sure the VIP lounge at the Sound is free for us.“ [Jay]

Short before midnight Eve and Sandra were standing in line to enter the night club. Eve was wearing a sleeveless black mini dress and black heels. Her long hair was waved and open. Her make up was sexy as usual. Sandra chose a black leather skirt and a tight white blouse for tonight. 

A bouncer was passing the line and stopped standing next to them. He scanned both from head to toe, before giving them a charming smile. 

„Follow me, ladies.“ 

The girls looked at each other and smiled self satisfied. It wasn’t the first time a bouncer let them skip the line. 

„Thank you, sir,“ both flirted. 

„You’re very welcome,“ he replied, before they entered the club. 

JC was sitting in the VIP lounge next to Eric and sipping his Bourbon. The lounge was at the first floor, giving them a perfect view at the bar and the whole dance floor. JC was relieved it was too noisy for having senseless conversation with Eric’s superficial friends, who joined them at their table. 

As he was looking down at the bar, he suddenly noticed Eve with her friend. The girls found two free seats and ordered drinks. Before their cocktails arrived, two good looking guys appeared. They ordered beer and paid for the girl’s drinks, as well. JC felt jealousy raising up. Just the imagination Eve could end up with one of these guys in bed tonight made him feel terribly sick. 

„What’s wrong, Jay?“ Eric shouted in his ear.

„Nothing,“ he replied and finished his Bourbon.

„Stop shitting me, man. You’ve been watching someone,“ Eric continued talking. 

The waitress arrived at their table. JC ordered another Bourbon. Eric looked at the crowded bar. It didn’t take him long to find the reason for JC’s sudden bad mood. 

„Jay?“ he asked eagerly. 

„Hm?“ 

„Are we here tonight because of Eve?“ 

JC didn’t answer. 

„Fuck, man! I knew it! You’re hot for your assistant!“ 

JC still didn’t answer.

„Look. If you bang her, you must fire right after,“ Eric continued talking. 

„I’m not planning to hook up with her tonight.“

„Then why the hell are we here?“ 

JC sighed.

„You’re right. This was a mistake.“

JC stood up.

„Come on, man. Stop acting like a stupid kid,“ Eric replied. 

The waitress arrived with his drink. JC took the glass and let himself fall back into his lounge chair. 

„If you don’t wanna bang her, what is this about, hm?“ Eric continued asking. 

JC shook his head.

„I don’t know.“

Eric raised his eyebrows.

„You don’t know?“ 

JC stared at his friend for a moment.

„She’s in my head all day and night. It’s brutal,“ he finally confessed. 

Eric eyes went open wide. 

„Dude. That sounds serious.“ 

JC just nodded. Eric looked at the bar again. One of those guys was standing dangerously close to Eve.

„We need to do something about that situation,“ Eric said, pointing at the bar. 

JC didn’t dare looking.

„I’ll fix this.“ Eric added and stood up in the next moment. 

JC watched him walking away and talking to a bouncer. 

„What was that?“ he asked irritated, when Eric returned to his seat. 

„Just wait and see.“