On the occasion of New Yearâs, a new pyrotechnics exhibit had openedâthe fireworks stole the spotlightâand I wouldnât miss it for the world.
I spread out my picnic basket, the red-and-white tablecloth, the goodie bags, and settled onto the trusty mat, nestling into the prickly grass.
A microphone blared through the crowd, announcing the show and urging everyone to take their seats.
âIâll take a mojito,â I said to a passing waiter.
âIn a zesty mood?â he asked, amused.
I turned to find Alex kneeling beside me, uninvited and exceptionally comfortable.
âNo,â I said. âItâs just my go-to.â
âWhat happened to new year, new me?â
âThatâs the bull corporate wants you to believe,â I dropped.
âWhatâs it to you?â
The night brewed with anticipation. I poured the drinks, intent on braving it with liquid courage.
âMoving on. Pick your poison.â
âWhiskey. On the rocks.â
âSo youâre a hard-liquor guy. Who wouldâve thought?â
He clinked his glass against mine.
Apart from work, I realised I hadnât really interacted with him like thisâundiplomatic, almost normal. It was oddly riveting.
âI swear to God,â I muttered, âmy tolerance is better than this.â
âIs this against work policy, Sarah,â he prodded, âor should I stick to maâam?â
âNot at all,â I said, reluctantly. âSarah is fine.â
âIf you say so.â He breathed, alcohol smoothing over his words. âThis your typical holiday scene?â
âYouâd be surprised. The last time I landed here, I was eight.â
I raised a brow. âIs crashing your coworkerâs New Year hideouts your thing?â
âLucky for you,â he said confidently, âthis is a first.â
Confused, but resolved to keep my cool, I replied breezily,
âIâll be damned. Soâwhat are your New Year plans?â
âTo live in the moment.â
âYeah,â I scoffed. âFeed that to our boss and heâll spit it right out.â
âMust you always steer things back to work?â There was a hint of irritation now.
âWhat else is there to talk about?â
âTell you what,â he said. âIntroduce yourself like youâre applying for a job.â
âAnd youâre the interviewer?â
âIâll go easy on you.â
âHell no. I have more experience. Anyway, that wonât be necessary.â
I reached for the bottle.
âI need another drink.â
âSo you succeed in muddling your raw, unfiltered thoughts?â
âYou conveniently left out how you spend the holidays,â I countered. âArenât your loved ones waiting?â
âDonât be a bore, darling.â He waved it off.âTheyâre exactly what Iâm here to avoid.â
âIâve found a gap in your rĂ©sumĂ©,â I stated. âCare to elaborate?â
âUh-uh. Iâm the one hiring.â
âYouâre fired,â I announced.
âYou didnât even finish the interview.â
âItâs exhaustingâbeing treated like a coworker when Iâm off duty. I call it workâlife free balance.â
A pinch of guilt hit me for distancing him.
âIâm sorry,â I exhaled.
âMy worth is measured on a scale of productivity, if that helps.â
He paused, choosing his next words carefully.
âIâll drink to that.â
He polished off the scotch with practiced ease.
âWhatâs gotten into you tonight?â
âThe holiday spirit,â he said, then winked. âOr the spirit.â
âGet a load of thisâAlex Stone cares about a new date on the calendar.â
âDoes tomorrow work for you?â
âSomething about dates,â he rambled. âWeâll be booked on January first.â
âIâm not into dating,â I said flatly.
âThere goes your New Yearâs resolution.â
The chants roseâsignalling the high point of the night, a cacophony of partygoers counting down.
I seized the moment, dragging him by the collar, my hands sliding up his neck as I kissed him.
His grip firmed at my waist.
The tang dissolved on my tongue as their smoky cheers droned into background noise. I focused on the rouse in my throat as the fireworks crackled overhead.
I made a note that this would be the last impulsive decision of 2025.