"Harry," I hear my name being called by my father as I stood in front of the big window in his office. "Harry, come here. I want you to meet someone." I inhale before joining the two old twin men in front of my father. "This is John and Matthew Caruso, they've been with me since the company arose from practically nothing. They're proud founders of the company."

"And the upcoming one in Seattle." Matthew or John, whichever one spoke.

"We're also hoping for a London branch." Again, John or Matthew. "Joseph tells us you're from the UK?"

"Originally," I nod. "If you're thinking of a London branch you should probably get to know the place first. People seem to expand stupidly without knowing the area."

"Do excuse him, he doesn't take his manners after me." My father says and they chuckle.

"If there's one thing I enjoy, it's honesty. I need to know I'm working alongside someone who can keep it real, you've got potential son. It'd be an honor to work beside you." John or Matthew says to me, patting my arm. "If we ever do decide on a London branch, we'll consider you to run it."

I watch as my father escorts them both out of the office before coming back, closing the doors behind him. "You have got to work on your social skills." He says, sitting on his chair behind his desk while I go back to the window, looking at every skyscraper and watching as the sun glints off the shiny windows.

"I do apologize, I'm under heavy medication as you suggested I be." I say, fumbling with the lighter in the pocket of my slacks.

"What the hell did they prescribe you this time?"

"Xanax." I shrug. "Bullshit medication I could've easily gotten over the counter at some random CVS." I walk around the room. "But anything to please my parents, I guess."

"Not this again." He leans back on his chair. "You do know you can't take alcohol with that, right?"

"I'm a drug addict, not a moron." I put down a pen I was fiddling with. "Is that it or is there more people you'd like me to meet?" I lost count on how many people I met today.

"That's it," I begin to walk off when my father speaks again. "Tomorrow we're having a meeting about this months stocks. Be sure to rest and be here early, seven sharp."

"You got it."

"Also, your mother and I would like to have you over for dinner to discuss a few things."

"I've got an Uber waiting for me, is there anything else?" He dismisses me with a wave and I leave, nodding towards my father's secretary when she waves at me from her desk. I made sure to avoid the twins that were still here for some reason, I had a raging headache and I wouldn't care to encounter them again.

Once in my Uber, I give him directions towards Darien's place. I had left my car due to the fact that I stayed at Hailey's last night, unintentionally. I guess I must've been exhausted. When I get in my car, I notice something shiny on the passenger seat, embedded between the cushion. An earring.

I don't recall having anyone in my car, except maybe Beau last week when I dropped her off. I could very easily throw it away, it seemed cheap anyway but for some reason I put it in my pocket and went towards the elevator where I found myself pressing for the fifth floor.

"What the hell am I doing?" I knew a part of me wanted to see her, this was only an excuse to do so after all since I had no real reason. "Just turn around." I say to myself but I was already knocking at her door twice. After a few seconds, the door swings open and there she stood before me in nothing but a silk dark grey robe, lace creeping from her chest.

"Oh," she says. "Hi."

This surely took me aback, maybe it was the Xanax but I felt my heart pick up its speed at the mere sight of her. "Hey, is this yours?" I show her the earring in my hand to which she shakes her head.

"I don't even have my ears pierced, see?" She moves her hair back behind her ears to show me how she indeed didn't have her ears pierced.

Alright, you saw her now get the hell out. "Ah, I'm sorry to bother you then. You're gonna be busy, I presume." I couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy at whoever it was that got to have her.

Beau fixes her robe on her shoulder and smiles back at me, taunting me. "Your presumption is correct. My boyfriend is on his way." Now I knew she was taunting me. She did not need to emphasize boyfriend, I didn't care.

I scoff. "Got it. Have fun, I guess." I don't even bother to bid goodbye as I walk towards Hailey's and close the door behind me. When I look down, I realize I'm hard as I've ever been. Hailey wasn't home, as her letter stated she was off visiting her parents and wouldn't be back for another two weeks.

And so I call the only other person here who's always desperate for some release.

I make sure to shower before I decide to meet with Nes but it's as if whatever God is up there knows when it's time for Beau and I to see each other because as soon as I step out of the apartment, there she was trying to unlock her door, a box on her hip.

Just walk past her. "Hello, Beau. Where's the boyfriend?" How fucking hard is it to just walk off and not acknowledge this woman?

"Couldn't make it." She shrugs, but I could tell it bothered her when she bit the inside of her cheek. "Well, I'm going to go sulk now." Okay, not that hard now just walk away. "Hey, Harry?"

Shit.

"Yes?"

There looks to be some hesitation within her before she finally speaks. "Would you like to come in? I mean... I have food and wine."

Say no. Say no. Say no.

"I think that would be fine." Apparently I don't listen to my subconscious now. Maybe I should just relax and see where this goes, how harmful would that be? Maybe just the alcohol part as I'm not supposed to be drinking while medicated.

Just have dinner with her, she clearly doesn't want to be alone and I clearly could use the company. She steps aside for me to enter and closes the door behind her, I notice she's wearing different attire than when I last saw her. "You're not going to change back into your robe, are you?" I ask with a hint of mock in my tone as I walk around, looking at the none-decorated room.

She giggles quietly to herself. "No, I'm afraid not." She sets two glasses down on the coffee table and before I can refuse, she begins to pour us some grocery-brand wine.

"Love what you've done with the place." I say sarcastically as I watch her roll her eyes in the process, a small hint of a smirk on her lips that shined as she appeared to be wearing some pinkish lipgloss. I realize I was staring and so I clear my throat and grab the wine glass from the coffee table. "So what happened with your boyfriend? Why couldn't he make it?"

Beau sinks into the couch as she hides her lips behind her wine glass, avoiding eye contact as she sat at the end of the couch. She shrugs. "He's been super busy at work lately, I can't blame him. I mean there's always next time I guess."

Typical excuse. I had to bite down on my tongue from telling her that people make time for the people they want taking up that time. No one is ever that busy, I've too used that excuse myself before and it was usually due to the fact that I got bored of the person and didn't care to see them ever again.

"And how do you know that's really the case?"

At this, Beau looks at me with a raise of one eyebrow. "What?"

Definitely do not invite yourself into other people's shit. "Nothing. I don't know, a four year relationship seems so excessive to me."

I hear a hint of a scoff coming from Beau before she speaks. "Coming from someone who doesn't date, I can see why you would think so." Damn, I guess I had that one coming. "Why's that anyway?"

Being here reminded me on exactly why I don't date. Sitting one on one with someone as you drink wine and have the other person claw around you for details on your personal life is something I wasn't at all fond of. My hands find their way to my jaw before I answer.

"I'm just not the type to cycle around relationships." I say shortly, hoping she drops it and changes the subject. But of course, nothing ever seems to work in my favor.

"But don't you crave a deep connection with someone? Like you could have this person all to yourself." She cocks her head to the side, curiosity peaking in her eyes with a hint of a glimmer. Maybe she was drunk, no one ever gets this comfortable around me enough to pester me with questions. Nothing about me is inviting, so I don't know why she even invited me here to begin with.

"I have connections. Personally, the trivial banter and calculated politeness bore me." I say, hoping she catches the hint as I was referring to her and this moment she dragged me into. "I like to skip all of that and jump into something a bit more simple." By this point, my phone had been going off uncontrollably in my pants more than likely a call from Nes, wondering where the hell I am.

"What, the whole friends with benefits thing?"

"Friends tend to get attached. I don't spend more than a month with someone because they start to think I'm going to stick around. I'd say more acquaintances." What the hell was in this cheap wine and why was it making me talk so goddammed much?

I watch Beau press her lips to the brim of her glass but she doesn't drink, instead she stares at me and hums, probably trying to figure me out by this point. "So I'm guessing you don't believe in love?"

Considering the rate at how quickly people fall out of love with each other just further proves to me that as humans, we aren't meant to be a forever in people's lives. Looking back at my biological father and my mother's relationship, I'd say I'd rather skip that part in my life where someone can come in and fuck it all up.

"Love is something people tell themselves they're in so that they can get laid, without realizing that love is a privilege, not a pastime. I am not interested in that, I would rather live a life of isolation for something that genuinely captivates me, than to rush into something shallow just so that I can feel needed. So no, I don't believe in love, I believe in fucking. It's honest and efficient, you get maximum pleasure and minimum bullshit so no one gets hurt."

There was only one flaw in that statement of mine. Sure, I believe in love. But I have convinced myself that no matter how hard I try to bond with someone on that mentality, it almost never ends well. However I don't dare to communicate this to this random person, she's already heard enough out of me, more than I'd care for.

"You never know, maybe a girl may come along and change your beliefs." Something about Beau tells me she has never had the privilege of being hurt by another person, pertaining to the matters of the heart. This is what made her stand out, in New York the vast majority was dead inside. And here comes Beau.

Who knows whatever pot of gold under the damn rainbow she crawled out of.

I almost wanted to laugh and ridicule her, I could almost feel sorry for her. This city will eat her alive

"Not if I can help it."