Chris enjoys a drink with friends as much as the next man, maybe more, but what he can’t stand is influencer parties filled with fake niceties and arrogant bragging. Not to mention the fact it’s hosted in the snobbiest hotel he’s ever seen.
He spots you, someone who looks equally as uninterested and uncomfortable as him, sat at the bar nursing a drink and pointedly ignoring the people around you.
Just as he’s about to walk over to you, looking for anyone he can have a casual conversation without it involving work or any form of networking, another random group spot him and start a conversation.
By the time he sneaks away from them you’re nowhere to be seen, leaving him frowning and scouring the room with his eyes.
He subtly searches the room for a solid 10 minutes before giving up, stepping out of the function room and into the hotel lobby.
The last 10 minutes immediately feel like a waste of time once he spots you sat on one of the armchairs in the lobby, legs tucked underneath you, reading a book you must’ve had stashed in your bag.
Now that there’s no people around he suddenly feels very awkward as he approaches, clearing his throat before speaking. “Not your scene either?”
To his relief you seem happy enough to have company, setting your book down and grinning slightly as you respond. “How can you tell?”
He relaxes immediately, giving his own grin back, glad to have finally found an actual human in a room filled with people he had no interest in. “Just a hunch..”
He takes you moving your bag off of the chair next to you as an invitation, happily plopping down and shrugging off his suit jacket.
He’s pushing his shirt sleeves up his arms when you speak up again. “So.. not a big fan of this kind of thing?”
You chuckle as he puffs out his cheeks before responding. “Definitely not, my mates were supposed to be coming but they bailed.. What about you?”
Your eyes roll on instinct. “My boyfriend’s an influencer, said I should come with him..”
He cocks a brow in interest. “Where is he then?”
It’s your turn to puff your cheeks out. “He decided I’d be okay sat at the bar while he made ‘connections’, it’s been..” You check your watch. “45 minutes.” He can tell you’re upset, and more than a bit annoyed.
He refrains from calling your boyfriend a dick, though he really wants to, and decides to provide some comfort instead. “Well I’m not exactly thrilled about the idea of going back in there. Why don’t I sit with you instead?”
“Trust me you’d be doing me a favour.”
Half an hour of chatting and getting to know each other, you end up getting on really well, passes before your boyfriend appears - stepping into the lobby calling your name.
Chris instantly recognises him, a relatively big influencer - smaller than him - that he hasn’t heard the best things about.
The man looks fuming as he approaches. “I thought I told you to sit at the bar.”
You huff quietly. “Over an hour ago, yeah. Surprisingly enough that got boring.”
Chris has to suppress a snort at that, which unfortunately draws the other man’s attention to him. “So you just thought you’d chat up another man?”
It gets even harder to hold back laughter as you tilt your head slightly and give an extremely sarcastic response. “Yes because it’s impossible for me to make friends.”
The amusement vanishes as soon as your boyfriend grabs your wrist and yanks you up. “Come on. We’re leaving.”
Chris is quick to his feet, standing slightly in front of you. “Hey man, there’s no need for that.”
You yank your arm away, staying behind Chris, only proving to make your boyfriend even more angry.
“I said we’re going home. Come.”
“I’m not a dog, I can decide when I want to go.”
The man scoffs. “How else are you going to get home?”
“Maybe I don’t want to go home.”
“I said maybe I don’t want to go home.”
Chris steps fully in front of you when the man goes to grab you again. “You heard them, let’s not escalate this.”
While Chris is an easygoing friendly guy he can hold his own, as proven by the punch he lands on your boyfriend’s jaw.
It’s not much of a fight, a bit of pushing and a few punches, your boyfriend ends up being the one who stumbles out the door - pissed off and embarrassed.
Chris turns around to check if you’re okay and you practically throw yourself at him in a hug. “Thank you.. for standing up for me..”
He huffs quietly, partly amused. “Course.. he was being a dick.”
It’s only when you pull away do you realise he’s bleeding - knuckles cut and black eye forming - he may have won but your boyfriend landed a solid punch of his own. “Are you okay?”
He shrugs despite the fact he can feel his eye swelling already. “I’ll live.”
“You said you’re staying here right?”
“Yeah I’ve got a room for the night.”
You grab his hand and tug him to the lift. “Come on, I have a first aid kit in my bag..”
You grumble halfheartedly. “Then amuse me.”
20 minutes later and he’s sat on the bathroom counter, holding an ice pack you’d called reception for to his eye, letting you patch him up despite his insistence that he was fine.
You stand between his knees, gently wiping his hands of any blood. “Sorry..”
He frowns slightly, confused. “Why?”
You sigh quietly, focusing on his hand rather than looking up at him. “If I’d have just gone with him then you wouldn’t have had to stand up for me and you wouldn’t be hurt.”
“Hey, you shouldn’t have to go with someone if you don’t want to.. I’m not angry, I made the choice to stand up for you and I don’t regret it..”
“Not at all.. anyone would’ve done it..”
10 minutes of playing nurse and he’s all fixed up, you’re grabbing your bags and getting ready to leave when he speaks up again.
“Where are you going to stay tonight? I assume you’re not wanting to go home yet..”
You shrug. “Probably just find a hotel nearby.”
It’s quiet for a second before he works up the courage to ask you to stay. “Well.. the people who asked me here said my hotel bill is covered.. you could stay, order however much room service you want, and watch some crappy movies with me?”
Turns out you don’t take much convincing at all, if the sight of you in his hoodie and shorts eating pizza is anything to go by.
He can’t help the satisfaction he finds in watching you turn your phone off, sick of your boyfriend calling and texting, to watch a movie with him instead.
If you end up under the covers, tucked into his side with a bowl of ice cream, then that’s nobody’s business.
2087
theartofmadeline
gamechangershow
romaincrisis
tangentwithtanner
stormborns
titsay
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s