Chapter 443 Celebration
He held on to my car door and looked at me. There was a hint of trepidation in his voice.
I frowned and intended to say some heartless words, but I realized that would only make him pester me even more. After much deliberation, I nodded.
“Yes, we’re still friends and work partners,” I said casually.
After getting the answer he wanted, a smile appeared on Nicholas’ face. He seemed to be more at ease.
“Now that I have answered your question, can I get in the car? It won’t look good if both of us are late.”
I pointed at the watch on my wrist to remind him we were running late.
Nicholas had wanted to say something, but after hearing me, he released his hand and said, “Then, I shall see you back at the office.”
I drove off without responding.
As I was driving alone, the thought of Nicholas frustrated me. For days to come, I would still have to see him in the office. It would be very awkward.
Both Nicholas and I arrived at the company at the same time. I glanced at him after I parked my car and left without saying anything.
The first thing I had to do was to take my secretary with me to see Robert because he had promised to work with us the previous day. Therefore, I needed to seal the deal as soon as possible before we lost the opportunity.
The meeting with Robert went very smoothly, and he was also satisfied with the data that I had shown him. Right there and then, he promised to sign the contract with us the moment his contract with Joyful Success ended.
Poaching the first client from Michael made me very happy. That was a good start after all. I believed things would get easier from then on.
When I returned to the office, Nicholas was also very pleased once he heard the good news. In fact, he allowed everyone to get off earlier and proceeded to arrange a celebration for me.
I had no intention of attending because Nicholas would be there. However, ever since I got back, I had been under tremendous stress. It might do me some good to chill out. Hence, I agreed to it.
That evening, I went back home for a change of clothes before heading out to the venue. Nicholas had picked a high-end karaoke bar. In truth, I was not so keen on noisy and rowdy places. However, Nicholas and the rest of the employees seemed to be pleased with the idea, so I let it be.
It might have been a high-end karaoke bar, but it was still very noisy since people were singing.
I located the private room that Nicholas had booked in advance. The moment I walked in, my ears started buzzing. I never liked places like that, so I was annoyed. Then again, I needed to relax and chill out.
When everyone saw me, they came up to greet me, and someone even handed me a microphone. They wanted me to sing, but I declined.
Sitting on the couch, I watched the couples singing passionately away while I drank.
In the past, I seldom attended functions like that. Perhaps, I was not suited for such occasions.
Just then, Nicholas appeared in front of me with a drink. He raised his glass and toasted me. “Anna, congratulations on securing your first client! Keep up the good work!”
He seemed pleased. After clinking our glasses, I finished my drink in one gulp. It was obviously a happy occasion, but for some strange reason, I was not thrilled at all. I had no idea why.
Nicholas looked at me with admiration in his eyes and said, “Actually, I didn’t expect you to be able to poach the first client from Joyful Success so soon. I’m really impressed.”
In the past, I was used to him looking at me that way. Now, I felt so awkward that I wanted to get away from him.
“I just want to get Amaury back as soon as possible. If this drags on, the chance of me being successful will get lesser.”
I kept my head down as I spoke. Presently, I did not want to have too much interaction with him.
“You’re walking on the path of success right now. I believe you’ll be able to attain your goal very soon,” he said with a faint smile on his face and a gentle look in his eyes.
“I hope so.”
With that nonchalant response, I downed my drink in one gulp.
My alcohol tolerance level was never great, so after a few glasses, I felt like I was floating. The loud noises in the private room made my condition even more unbearable.
I stood up and told Nicholas, “I feel tipsy after having too much to drink; I’d like to make a move first.”
I turned and was about to leave.
“Let me send you back. Your face is all flushed. I don’t feel good letting you go back on your own.”
At that moment, Nicholas stood up and offered to send me back home.
“It’s fine. I can get home by myself.”
I was still shocked when I recalled what he had wanted to do to me the other night. Therefore, I turned him down without any hesitation.
When Nicholas heard me say that, he frowned and said unhappily, “You have already drunk too much. Yet, you still reject my offer. Aren’t you worried you might get into trouble on your way home?”
I knew he meant well, but I did not want to be anywhere near him. Neither did I want him to have any misunderstanding about my feelings for him. He was only a partner at work as far as I was concerned.
“I’m fine. I’m not as weak as you imagine me to be. I’m a very strong woman.”
I chuckled slightly and turned him down again. I will just hail a cab home. Why would I be in any danger? He thinks too much.
“No. I have to make sure that you get back home safely. Otherwise, I won’t be at peace.”
It appeared that my rejection was futile. Nicholas grabbed my hand and walked toward the door of the private room.
“Nicholas, let go of me. I said I can go back on my own. I don’t need you to send me home!”
Nicholas’ touch displeased me greatly. I pulled away with all my might and eyed him with disgust.
Just then, the sound died down in the private room, and a few of our colleagues overheard our conversation. Many of them assumed that Nicholas and I were seeing each other.
