Branch One Hundred and Twenty Two
“It’s quite late aren’t you going home?” Brian asked as he entered the room.
“It’s late?” Xavier asked his eyes looking to the fancy wall clock on his office window. He saw it was past office hours.
Before he became comfortable with Jessica he had always stayed at the office long past working hours because he had always been a major workaholic as usual.
When it seemed as if they were now getting along he left the office before working hours. But now that they had something that looked like a falling out he did not want to go home to face her.
His assistant and Secretary had now gotten used to going home early. She called Brian to tell him that Xavier was going past working hours that day and something was up.
“The CEO has no closing time” Xavier murmured as he immersed himself in his work not raising his eyes.
“Is something up?” Brian asked.
He knew his friend quite well and it was obvious something was up. Since he came into the office earlier than usual he buried himself in a ton of work that was not due until the next month. He barely spoke and gave no orders at all.
“What could be up with a man doing his duty?” Xavier shook his head lifted his eyes a little and then buried his head back Into the document he was going over.
“Why won’t I think something is up? Ever since your trip to Aurora Haven, you had been leaving work earlier than normal, and then today you decided to work overtime? Something is definitely going on”
“You always think you are a smarty pants” The words Xavier spoke were barely audible but because of the proximity between both of them he heard him.
“You know if you tell me what is going on I can help you find a solution”NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
Xavier dropped the pen onto the document pushed himself into the chair and swerved side to side. He blinked at him and pressed his lips together.
“Every time I ask you for advice you end up giving me the one I can barely use”
Brian rolled his eyes and sat down in the seat in front of the desk. “It’s not like I give the wrong advice it is just that you do not know how to follow them”
“Yen yen yen” Xavier mocked and picked up his pen and continued to work over the document.
“I have to ask Leslie if Jessica said anything,” Brian said dialing his wife’s number.
Xavier felt his ears perk up. He wanted to hear that Jessica also had a lot to worry about like him. He tried to listen to what the interaction would be.
“Darling,” Brian said as Leslie picked up.
“I was actually about to call you,” Leslie said. “It’s about Jessica. Did Xavier do something this time again? Jessica had been out of it all day”
“Hmm same here”
Xavier lifted his eyes. He wondered what was the same. Were they still exchanging pleasantries or were they talking about him and Jessica? He wondered to himself.
If he asked then he would give himself away. Brian nodded a few times before he dropped the phone.
“What do you say we grab a drink together?”
“Why?”
“Because I want to” Brian stood up and waited for his friend to take the next step.
“Let’s do that”
‘After all, I need every way I can to make sure that I get the thoughts off my mind.’
“A drink is not a bad idea,” Xavier said as he slipped on his jacket.
Xavier finds himself drunk. Brian took Xavier to the bar with the hope of getting him drunk and making him spill the reason he was like that.
Leslie had told her husband that Jessica had been out of it for the entire day and was refusing to tell her what was wrong.
“Life is unfair” Xavier slurred.
It was a rare occurrence to see him drunk. He held his liquor very well but he had ordered the strongest drink there. He took a couple of cups before he could not sit up straight any longer.
“How so?”
Brian felt a little tipsy but it was only because he tried to catch up with Xavier as he drank and also tried to space himself because of carrying the drunk man home.
“Many things don’t go according to plan and everything is hard” he continued with a slur and ended with a hiccup.
“Yeah no kidding, how else can life be for the richest man in the city” Brian rolled his eyes.
Sometimes he envied his friend. He had access and authority over the city just as the mayor did. Some major news some time ago was that the Delgado family had a major grip on the mayor and his family.
Whenever Brian saw how lonely and depressing his friend’s life was he did not want to think about having his life anymore. It was a weird combination many times.
“No, hear me out,” Xavier said his finger lazily coming up to his mouth and closing them.
“Do you want to speak to not?” Brian asked when he grew silent for a few minutes.
“I don’t want to tell you because you will make fun of me,” Xavier said.
Brian had never seen Xavier like that before. He began hitting his head with his hands. He hated how he was feeling. He should not have done what he did and then that way he would feel better than he felt.
“I guess I need to get you home how” Xavier said pulling the phone and calling for a one-time driver.
He knew that what would make him that way was because he fought with Jessica. He hoped that hopefully with the drink he would be able to approach Jessica without any worry about it.
The driver came and helped the very tipsy Brian take Xavier to the car. He kept murmuring incoherent words and hiccuping.
“Are you not going with us?” the driver asked when Brian closed the door and stepped up to the curb.
“No, his wife would get him at home,” Brian said pulling his phone and dialing Jessica’s number.
“Hello,” she said sleepy.
She had been worried that he was not back. Somehow she was used to his early returns these days and the subtle dates they had at the grocery stores, convenience stores, or ice cream places around the city once in a while. She knew that she wanted to avoid him but she wanted to see him at the same time.
“Xavier is very drunk and on his way home. Do take care of him” Brian said and cut off the call.
He was drunk? She had never seen him drunk.