A Deal With The Billionaire

EPISODE TEN

THEME: Bride-Doom

CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATE OF AMERICA

BELL RUSH PUB

Benjamin heaved a sigh as he moved closer to him. He placed his right hand on Christopher’s shoulder. He knew he had to comfort his best friend. He already prepared to hear the worst concerning the proposal plans.

“She said… No.” Christopher laughed.

Benjamin watched as tear slipped down his cheek again. He didn’t know what to say to comfort his best friend. He has never seen Christopher act this way ever since they became friends for more than two decades now.

“Come on…” Christopher removed the hand on his shoulder and he stood up.

Benjamin was quick to hold him when he lost his balance. “I am fine. Come on… don’t feel bad for me!” Christopher laughed.

“Chris-”

“Watch this! Watch me, Ben!” Christopher stood straight before holding the table and he threw one leg over it until he was standing on it.

Benjamin tried to stop him but it didn’t work. “Attention! Attention! Attention!” Christopher clapped his hands to attract people even more.

Benjamin moved closer and tried to bring him down the table but Christopher outsmarted him and grabbed the bottle of tequila.

“I need everyone’s attention!” He shouted, raising his right hand that bears the engagement ring he had bought for Jessica and the bottle of tequila was on his left hand.

“I am a…. bride-doom!” Christopher chuckled. Although he wanted to say bridegroom.

“And we have here with us the… friend of the doom. I mean, the doom-man.” He noticed no excitement from his audience as he expected to hear a resounding clapping in the air. His speech was slow and it took more seconds than usual.

“What’s wrong, Benjamin?” He bent a little to have the conversation.

“You said bride doom instead of bridegroom. Everyone thinks you are crazy!” Benjamin gritted.

“Oh!” Christopher stood upright again. “Pardon me! I was supposed to say… groomsman or bridegroom right?”

Everyone in the room laughed. “Did you see that, Ben?! Oh! Please I need you all to clap for my very good friend. He is quite a genius!”

His audience clapped until he raised a folded fist in the air and the clapping stopped for them to hear what he would say again.

First man: He must be excited about getting married.

Second man: No. he has been crying all along. I can tell he isn’t happy about getting married.

(Two men mumbled to each other)

“Oh wait… I should have said a friend to the groom but guess what?!”

No one said anything.

“There is no fucking bride for the groom!” He screamed and would have haul the bottle of tequila to the wall but Benjamin succeeded in snatching it away from him.

Third man: No, bride?! What about the ring?!”

“She said… no… to me!” Christopher replied as he showed them the ring on his finger.

Fourth man: She must be bitch!

The whole room was filled with a bunch of drunk men dealing with their problems. They cheered.

‘To hell with her!’

‘Who needs a bride?!’

‘Yeah! Who needs a fucking bride! Definitely not you!’

‘You are good without one fucking slut!’

Christopher laughed out at the reactions from his fellow drunk audience. And slowly the laughter faded and he broke down in tears.

Fifth man: Oh! Get yourself together man!

Sixth man: We should spend more time on booze than women!

They kept uttering insults at the woman in question.

“We should make a toast to us… men because… we are strong!” A man blabbed as he stood up from the stool.

Everyone: Yeah! A toast.

They all agreed. Benjamin felt like he was the only sane human in the large room.

“Hey! What’s his name?” The same man asked.

“Klaus.” Benjamin replied sharply knowing that they possibly won’t remember him tomorrow. And it was better for them not to know Christopher Crawford real identity.

“We should raise our glasses to Klaus!”

They poured drinks into their glasses. “To Klaus!” They made a toast.

Benjamin took advantage of the situation. He helped Christopher down from the table. “We should go home now.” He muttered.

Christopher just simply nodded his head. He placed Christopher hand on his shoulder, grabbed his phone on the table and led him to the bar. The men waved goodbye at Christopher as they advised him to visit the pub regularly to drown his sorrow with more bottles of tequila.

Benjamin paid the bills and took Christopher out of the pub to his own car. He had dropped words with the bar man that he would come around tomorrow to pick up Christopher’s car.

“I did everything.” Christopher mumbled as Benjamin secured the seat belt before he walked around the car.

“I said the right words.” Christopher said when Benjamin settled in the driver’s seat.

“I know you did your best.” Benjamin tried to comfort his friend.

“She broke up with me. She turned me down. She rejected my proposal because… because…” His voice trailed off.

Benjamin glanced at his best friend only to find out that he had fallen asleep. Christopher Crawford was wasted.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“You need to have a good rest. To hell with Jessica Campbell.” Benjamin grabbed the wheels hard.

He drove straight to Christopher’s apartment. He helped him inside and tucked him into bed. Benjamin concluded that he would forfeit his plans for the next day just to be around his best friend.

When he saw that Christopher was in a deep sleep, he left the room and went to the kitchen. He opened the freezer to grab an ice bag and he placed it on his forehead.

He thought of what he would do about Christopher’s situation. Since the proposal plans failed, there has to be another way for Christopher to meet his father’s condition of getting married before attaining the position as the chief executive officer.

Benjamin couldn’t sleep throughout the night as he kept checking up on Christopher who didn’t stop sleep talking about Jessica.