NB: Read Chapter 1 and 2 here:
Chapter 1: https://steemit.com/writing/@penny-rose/ender-s-love-chapter-1-warning-strong-language
Chapter 2: https://steemit.com/fiction/@penny-rose/ender-s-love-chapter-2

Warning: Contains strong language.

Chapter 3

"Alex!" someone said next to me, making me jump. It was my work colleague, Stella, as she sidled next to me in her office chair. "Drinks after work?"

"Oh, I don't know," I replied and frowned at my work colleague.

She wasn't really a friend, she was just some girl I had gotten to know a little. I hadn't been working at the company for long. But I knew I should make a bit of an effort to be a little friendlier with people. I didn't have many friends in Scotland. Although I wasn't entirely sure with Stella. She seemed nice, but she had a habit of being a little bitchy about the other girls and I worried she was like that with me behind my back.

It was only a day after the incident at Da Vinci's, and I knew I shouldn't but I couldn't help but think constantly about that guy I had met. I realised I didn't even catch his name nor did I even introduce myself properly. It was terribly rude of me. I was too flustered though. But I was proud of myself for actually approaching him. Even though I'd never see him again. There were plenty of fish in the sea, as they say.

"Oh, please come! Not many people are coming now. It's just going to be me and that girl with the big nose. What's her name? Julie or something? We're going to that cocktail bar, it's two for one on Thursdays," she said, fluttering her eyelashes like that was going to flatter me. It might work on every guy she met, but she seemed to have a habit of doing it to the girls too. I groaned.

"Okay, but I can't stay out for long, I have university work to do," I said, trying desperately not to get annoyed with her lack of remorse over the kind girl that had started around the same time as me. I had noticed she had a bit of a big nose, but she was actually a lovely girl and her name was actually Judith.

"University work?" she asked, frowning at me like I had just sprouted another head.

"Yes, I go to university," I sighed in annoyance. I had told her this before, I had told everyone at work this before. I had to constantly remind them. Especially when I would get my supervisor asking me to go in for extra shifts to help out with a backlog of work and I had to constantly remind her that I couldn't because I had classes. She would always look at me like I was lying at her to avoid going into work, but the truth was, I actually needed the money. I studied part-time and worked part-time around my classes and although I was working in Administration, which was mostly just boring data entry in a small team, it wasn't a well-paid job when you lived on your own in Glasgow.

"Which one?" she asked.

"Strathclyde."

"You go to Strathclyde?"

"Yes," I said, trying not to groan again, although I couldn't be bothered to muster a fake smile. I was too tired.

"Oh, that's cool! What do you do? You doing a degree or something?"

"A master's degree," I sighed. I could have told her what in, but I doubted she would have remembered later anyway and asked me again a few weeks later.

"Oh, that's right!" She nodded, as if she had just remembered, but I doubted she did.

So, you coming?"

"Sure." I shrugged, having a feeling that if I didn't say yes, she wouldn't leave me alone. Besides, maybe a drink was what I needed? I had already decided to have a night off doing any university work. I was going to work on my book, but I realised that maybe I needed a night off from that too?

**

Later that day I was sat in a loud pub. There was a large TV on one side, which was playing the highlights of some game that was on earlier in the day, with a load of loud Scottish men either laughing or yelling at their mates or yelling at the TV screen.

I wasn't particularly happy being there; it was too loud, the tables were sticky with cheap beer and I was constantly getting eyed up by guys who looked like they were fresh out of school and barely legal to drink.

Stella had decided to go to a different place to the one she had first suggested, although I wasn't sure why. But if I had to guess it was the guys that were there as she kept looking around at them like a lioness stalking prey.

"So, what's your Bachelor's Degree in?" Stella shouted across the table at me, huffing at something that clearly upset her. Either that or I was too boring for her. Judith never showed up, so it was just me and her and I was starting to feel a little awkward with it being just the two of us and contemplating finding an excuse to leave.

"The one I've completed?"

"What?" she asked across the table. Not being able to hear me properly.

"The degree I'm doing at university?"

"Yeah," she said. "What's it in? I did a Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality and Tourism," she whittled on, and I realised she wasn't really interested in knowing what I was doing or had done at all, she just wanted to find something to talk about herself. Plus, she had already forgotten I was doing a Master's Degree, not a Bachelor's. "Passed it last year, but I found it so hard! I actually had to learn Spanish too, which was stupid! I didn't want to learn another language! I actually wanted to go into Tourism. I love going on holiday, figured I'd do it as a career, you know."

I nodded politely as I drank my glass of white wine, although it tasted a little like oak and I wasn't too keen on it. I just wanted to drink something so that hopefully it'll help me cope with this girl better. Plus, if I just drank, I would look busy, and I didn't instead blurt out something rude. Although I was actually struggling to hear her.

"All that work too; essays upon essays!" she groaned. "So don't feel bad if you have to quit, you know, it's really hard work."

"I've done a Bachelor's Degree already," I sighed.

"What?" she called across the table, as I spoke too quietly. Truth was, I hated shouting; the idea of shouting across a table just to be heard was frustrating.

I opened my mouth to repeat what I said when I caught sight of someone in the bar. I gasped, although luckily no one could hear me, not that I really cared what Stella thought. I caught a glimpse of that handsome guy from Da Vinci's again. My stomach did a summersault when I saw him. He was even more handsome than I remembered. He wasn't in a suit this time, he was in a black t-shirt, leather jacket and dark blue jeans. He was standing at the bar looking a little annoyed or tired maybe, as a blonde girl was holding onto his arm and trying to speak something in his ear.

I smiled as he brought a glass up to his lips and took a sip. It looked like it was whiskey again. I wondered if it was Dalwhinnie.

"He's gorgeous," said a voice next to me.

I jumped and looked round to notice Stella had moved to sit next to me, she had obviously noticed I hadn't replied to her and had instead been watching the guy. She was staring holes into him as well, which made me feel annoyed. I had no idea who the guy was, he might have been an ass for all I knew, but I didn't feel he should have to put up with Stella. Stella might be a lot prettier than I was, with her long blonde hair and her long fluttering eyelashes, but she wasn't really pretty on the inside, as I recently found out.

"Way out of your league though, honey," she said in my ear.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at her, mostly because she was right, he was.

"I wouldn't drool either, that girl looks like she's his date for the night, I bet she'd happily scratch your eyes out for him."
I frowned round out Stella, giving her an annoyed yet confused look. What a weird thing to say. But as soon as I did, Stella's eyes went wide.

"What's wrong?" I asked, feeling a little worried. I didn't really like the girl, but I wasn't a bitch.

"He just looked round at me and gave me a horrible look," Stella said, looking away from him and taking a large swig of her alco-pop she had brought.

I looked round at him again to see what look she was referring, although having already missed the look, I was still curious. He was frowning heavily at the girl next to him and saying something to her. Her hand had fallen from his arm and they were instead crossed. She was staring right at him. I couldn't see her face, she had her back to me, but I could see his and he looked really pissed about something.

Suddenly the girl snatched up her purse from the bar table and swung round, looking upset about something as she wandered out of the bar, a hand up to her face as she looked like she was wiping tears away from her eyes. I watched her curiously as she stormed right for the bar door and disappeared out into the street beyond. I felt like running after her and making sure she was okay. But I just couldn't bring myself to leave.

"Fuck," Stella suddenly muttered next to me and I sensed her straighten up. I looked round at her as she was staring wide-eyed at the bar, at someone. Rather than asking her what was up, I followed her gaze just at the same time a tall figure came into focus beside me.

---

Feel free to check out my other work here:

Rose Garden Sanatorium
Read my Prologue here:
https://steemit.com/writing/@penny-rose/rose-garden-sanatorium-prologue-updated
And Chapter one here:
https://steemit.com/story/@penny-rose/rose-garden-sanatorium-chapter-1-updated

I fell in Love with a Psychopath
Read Chapter 1 here:
https://steemit.com/writing/@penny-rose/i-fell-in-love-with-a-psychopath-chapter-1
Read Chapter 2 here:
https://steemit.com/fiction/@penny-rose/i-fell-in-love-with-a-psychopath-chapter-2

It's My Mistake
Read Chapter 1:
https://steemit.com/fiction/@penny-rose/it-s-my-mistake-chapter-1-updated

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