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I exhaled. I needed to finish this, but maybe I needed to chill more.
Fu-u-u-u-ck.
I slowly typed on my phone.
I'm in.
I packed up my office and the spreadsheets. I knew that I needed to cut loose sometimes and I guess tonight is the night.
"Hey, it's the Dominator! Great that you could pull yourself away from your office." The guys sat around a table in the dimly lit bar. The scent of whiskey and stale beer filled my nostrils, and the familiar clinking of glasses brought a smile to my face. It was good that Seth could join us. He was usually full-up with his latest criminal case. He was Hugo's best friend and his wife, Simone's brother. He was just as much of this group as anyone since Hugo had brought him in.
"It almost didn't happen," I countered, knowing that tonight was very close to not happening.
"No way, man. If you said no, I was going to come to the office to pull you out with us. We all suck at taking time off, so we need to make sure we do it. On the fucking regular. You know that down-time equals better up-time." Logan, my boy, always looking out for everyone's mental health.
"You're right. Totally right, as always." I raised my glass to Logan. He tapped my glass in appreciation and we all drank a celebratory sip.
"How's life treating you, anyway?" Seth asked. "I'm usually the busy one and now it feels like you want to take that crown away from me."
"It's about time it was taken from you. I probably look as shit as you usually do." I scoffed at him, but hit his shoulder to tease him further. I took a seat beside him. Austin, Logan and Hugo nodded in agreement, their faces reflecting the exhaustion we all shared from our demanding careers.
"Damn, I don't know how you guys do it," Austin sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Between the hospital and Serena, I barely have time for myself."
"Tell me about it," I agreed, taking a swig of the cold beer Logan had ordered for me. "It's been non-stop at the center lately, plus I need to report financing for F2 this quarter. But hey, that's why we're here tonight, right? To unwind and catch up."
Hugo chimed in. "About F2. I feel bad that you're basically running that. We need to get a team that you just oversee. It's becoming too much."
"You might be right. Part of me is being selfish, too. I love seeing the numbers grow and," I lowered my voice, "things just keep growing faster than ever."
"Cheers to that!" Hugo raised his glass, his Italian accent adding warmth to his words. Another round of raised glasses. F2 had richly rewarded us over and over. Only Seth wasn't part of the investing as it was between us four budding medical students. But eventually, we pulled him in to sit on the Board, so he always got to be part of the fun, if not a small part of the winnings.
As we clinked our glasses together, and laughter filled the air, my eyes wandered around the room. That's when I spotted her. She was young, but stunning. Long, dark hair and mesmerizing eyes. Her beauty making her stand out in the crowd like a rose among weeds.
She was sitting across the room, clearly uncomfortable on a date with a guy who made my skin crawl. His leering grin, wandering hands, and invasive body language screamed predatory creep. Even from my vantage point, I could see her shifting in her seat, trying to put distance between them.
"Guys, check this out," I muttered, nodding my head in their direction. Logan, Austin, Seth, and Hugo all glanced over, their expressions mirroring my concern.
"Shit, man," Hugo whispered, looking back at me. "That girl looks like she could use some help."
"Yeah, she does," I agreed, my gut twisting with sympathy and frustration. I couldn't just sit there and watch this unfold. As our conversation flowed around me, my thoughts remained on the girl, her discomfort etched in my mind.
"Dom," Austin said suddenly, his blue eyes meeting mine. "You look like you want to do something about it."
"Damn right, I do," I replied, setting my jaw. The protective instincts that drove me in my career now urged me to act. I glanced one last time at her, her gaze pleading for an escape, before making up my mind.
"Alright, guys. Hold my beer," I said, standing up from our table. My friends exchanged knowing smiles as I made my way towards her, determined to change the course of her night.
Taking a deep breath, I strode over to her and the creep with purposeful strides. My heart hammered in my chest, a mix of nerves and determination fueling me.
"Jill!" I exclaimed, feigning surprise when I reached their table. "I can't believe it's you! It's been ages!"
Her eyes widened in confusion for a moment before recognition dawned, and she gratefully played along. "Oh my gosh, Mark! How have you been?"
"Great, how about you?" I replied casually, pulling up an empty chair and inserting myself between her and Mr. Creep. The guy shot me a dirty look, clearly annoyed by my intrusion.
"Who the fuck are you?" he demanded, his voice dripping with irritation.
"An old friend," I shot back, not bothering to hide my disdain. "We go way back."
