Frenemies with Benefits (Searching for Love Book 1) by Kelly Myers

Author:Kelly Myers [Myers, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

On Friday, I go out for drinks with my co-workers. I’m feeling a bit tired, but I accept the invite anyway because if I don’t, I’ll just go home and think about Zach.

I need to continue living my life. He can’t be like this meteor that knocks me entirely out of my routine.

My teammate Tony leads the way to his favorite post-work bar where you can make your own Moscow Mules. I accept a cup with vodka from the bartender, then follow my co-workers over to the table to add ginger ale and toppings. I dump a handful of gummy worms on top since I’m honestly more interested in the candy than the drink.

Here’s a secret I would never tell my work friends: I don’t actually like drinking. Not the way they like it, anyway. Sure, I love grabbing a drink to chat over at one of Marianne’s performances, or sharing a bottle of wine after a long week.

But salespeople don’t drink like that. The concept of moderation is totally foreign to them. There’s no such thing as going out for “just one drink.” They start with one drink, and they end at two in the morning, throwing up on the sidewalk.

I’m sure not every salesperson in the world is like this, but the ones I work with definitely are. I think it’s a combination of the stress of the job and the extroverted nature of most salespeople.

So I go out with my teammates because they’re my friends, and I do enjoy their company, but I always slip away before things get too crazy. And if I’m cornered into taking a shot, I’ve mastered the art of faking it.

When it comes to alcohol, I’m just not interested in getting out-of-my-mind drunk. I saw my mother use alcohol as a crutch too many times over the years.

I settle into the corner of the table Tony selects, and I take dainty sips of my Moscow Mule. I know it’s only a matter of time before Tony orders shots, but the bar is dark enough and there are enough of us that he surely won’t notice if I toss mine on the floor.

Sometimes I wonder what the point is of all the faking. I could just not go out with them. I could just sip a coca-cola.

I guess I like spending time with my co-workers. They’re fun and charming. And also, part of me wants to prove that I don’t have to alter my life choices because of my mother’s actions. I’m not like her. I can be around drinking without succumbing to addiction. I don’t want to sacrifice any part of my life because of her. I already sacrificed enough.

I spend an hour or so at the bar, chatting with Laura and Sara, who is new to the team. Sara is really funny, and it also turns out she has all the gossip in the office since she’s hopped around a few different teams in the last few months.

For a while, I don’t think about Zach.

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