Aspen

"Welcome, what would like to have?"

The boy asked the woman who took a seat at the bar. Her face did not wear any makeup. Her eyes drooped.

Revealing she was heartbroken. "Bring me the strong alcohol. I want to die from drinking now" Vera requested. Puzzling the boy entirely.

He blinked twice. Pondering if he should give an actual strong alcohol or make a cocktail for her only.

"What are you staring at? Can't you hear me?!" Vera hissed. Meeting the perplexed gaze of the boy on her. "Don't look at me like that"

She glared. Making the boy roll his eyes. Seemed like he could not lie to a woman like this. "Please wait for a while, Miss" he pleaded.

As the boy commenced to make a drink, Vera let out a sigh. Hands on the bar as she rested her head onto arms.

"Only alcohol can heal my damaged heart" she asserted in weak tone. Mumbling on how much she required to take a revenge on that bastard.

"Here. Your drink, Miss"

The boy placed the glass. Bringing the woman back to reality. "Hey" Vera called out. Grabbing the boy's attention.

"Yes, Miss?" He responded, not wearing a smile. Just a dull expression. "Do you want to marry me?"

Unanticipated proposal from the stranger horrified the boy a lot.

Causing him to furrow brows in disbelief. "I am not interested in relationships. I think you just need alcohol and not a partner"

Harsh yet truthful reply amused Vera. It brought up a smile onto her face. "But I want a revenge"

She disclosed. Annoying the boy wholly. This woman was already drunk before taking a sip. How was that feasible though?

"Enjoy the moment, Miss"

The boy bowed his head. Escaping from the place to serve another customer. "Even a little boy doesn't want me"

Vera shook her head in disappointment. Hand reached to the glass promptly. She belted down the alcohol like water in a few seconds.

Just because of that jerk, she began to find pleasure in alcohol. The bitterness of the alcohol became a sweetness healing her broken heart.

It worked on her.

All because of him, she got addiction to alcohol like an idiot! "Ugh!" Vera clenched her jaw. Holding tears to stay strong.

"That dickhead doesn't deserve my precious tears" she muttered to herself. Reminding how to move on from him.

But time just flied by. She still could not focus on other things except him. The only desire grew even more than before. To make him regret everything.

To break his heart in pieces like he did to her. To use him like how he used her for sex and fun.

"Fucking crazy bitch"

Vera cursed to herself. Upset by the fact that she was the one who failed to acknowledge red flags in him.

"Another glass!!" The woman yelled at the boy. Capturing his attention fully. He slightly nodded in response. Making another one for her.

"Here, Miss" he gave it. "Thanks" Vera accepted the glass with tears forming in her eyes. Regretting over her decisions.

And the boy noticed everything.

He gazed her teal blue eyes which contained sadness. He could smell her burning heart even from a mile away.

Someone must have broke her heart. "Hey! Why are you staring at me?!" Vera shouted when she realized the gaze.

"Oh, I apologize" the boy looked away. Cleaning the glass with white cloth in silence. Loud music in the club satisfied everyone.

Except for Vera. She heard the music as a disturbance to interrupt the moment between her and alcohol.

"Do you like money?"

The woman's question caught the boy's attention again. Perplexing him wholly so that his brows even wrinkled.

"Quit staring and nod if it's right" Vera rolled her eyes. It was when the boy slightly wagged his head but still confused over the situation.

"Listen to my problems then. I will give you as much as you require" Vera requested and lifted the purse.

Showing she got enough money.

Her words and actions puzzled the boy. It was the first ever time someone asked him to listen by giving money.

"Do you agree or not?" Vera queried in impatience. "Only if you vow to give money for real" the boy responded. Revealing he was a sucker for money as well.

"I Am A Woman Of My Word"

Vera pressed the words in annoyance. "Please continue then" the boy permitted. Sitting at the chair across her as the bar stood between them.

Like that, the two commenced to grow fonder and became friends.

"One more glass!"

In the noisy club, the woman in white tee and red wide leg jeans, ordered to the boy. Her hair was a mess.

The way she sat at the bar with droopy eyelids revealed how much she was drunk. Her face held no makeup at all. Just a bare face.

"Miss Vera, it's already sixth round! I don't want to carry you to taxi always!"

The boy at the bar grumbled. Earning a glare from the woman.

"This little boy! I am older than you! You do not have a right to complain to customer! You should be delightful instead!"

Vera hissed. Pointing her finger at the boy as her body swayed along to the music. "Tsk. She is already drunk" the boy helplessly sighed out of exhaustion.

Vera became addicted to alcohol after the breakup with Zane Kingston. She would spend her nights in club mostly.

Wasting money on alcohol.

The boy at the bar even commenced to be her friend since she had been coming to this club for a whole month straight.

Friendly enough to exchange numbers and take care of each other. He even knew where she lived for the reason that he had to drag her into the taxi and send her back to condo.

"What the fuck are you waiting for? Give me another bottle! Don't anger me, little boy!" Vera scoffed. "I am not a little boy! I am twenty already!" The boy hissed back.

Grabbing a bottle from the shelf as he poured into a glass with a scowl.

"Twenty is still a child, you idiot! Look at me! I am nearly thirty! And yet there is no one to marry! Even a woman like me still haven't married, a boy like you is still a child obviously!"

Vera stated. Causing the boy to roll his eyes in annoyance. "This is the last one. Go back home early today. Don't hurt yourself"

The boy's concerned voice delighted the woman.

Making her chuckled in gratification.

"You know what? It's been a year since I have ever seen someone worrying for me. I just realized that asshole hinted he lost the feelings for me since last year! And yet I was too blind to see!"

Out of nowhere, Vera started sobbing at the memories.

Causing the boy to panic. "Hey hey. Quit crying. I didn't mean to make you remember your jerk ex. I am sorry"

The boy apologized, fidgeting on how to prevent the woman from weeping. Vera had told him the reason why she kept wasting time and money on alcohol.

When she got drunk, she would become seductive more than normal, flirty or talk with someone about her problems even if it was a stranger.

"Aspen, you are fucking dumb" Vera taunted.

Angering the boy wholly. "Hey! Who the heck are you to call me idiot?! Just because you are a drunken woman doesn't mean I wouldn't hit you!"

The boy hissed. Placing the glass in front of the woman after mixing it with some fruits vodka to soothe her.

"I know you won't hit me, Aspen. Stop threatening. Also, it is his fault! You don't need to apologize!"

Vera replied. Seizing the glass from the man before he could even put it down on the bar. Then she belted down in one gulp as if she was drinking water.

Disappointing Aspen wholly. "Slow down, Miss Vera. You might choke on it and die right here earlier than your marriage"

The boy's words caused the woman to giggle out of amusement. "Do you think I should get married?" She queried. Beaming at the boy who was frowning.

Aspen was attempting to see through her mind. He slowly nodded in agreement.

"Great! Finally, you supported me!" Vera shouted in thrilled tone. While the boy rolled his eyes in annoyance again.

He thought she was planning on proposing some strangers. Turned out she was just asking out of curiosity only. It relieved him somehow.

Or else he would be cleaning every mess she created.

"Aspen.." Vera called the boy's name. Seizing his attention. "Yes?" he focused on the woman. Patiently waiting for her to speak up. "Be my boyfriend"

The words which escaped her lips annoyed the boy. "Isn't it eleventh time you have asked me out? Aren't you tired?" Aspen responded.

Shaking his head while rolling his eyes. "Come on! I want to show that dickhead it was his loss by dating someone! Also we are not going to date for real, it is just a show for him to make him regret!"

Vera grumbled.

"No, I refuse." Aspen heartlessly declined. "Ouch, why are you denying me? Is it because I look ugly? I will put on a makeup if you want me to. Let's date!" Vera begged.

"Gosh, I didn't say you are ugly! You are beautiful. But I am not interested in dating someone for performance. So quit whining like a child" the boy retorted.

His reply made the woman pout in disappointment.

"Do you see him? The man at the corner table alone. He is Ezra Kingston"

The name a girl mentioned captured Vera's attention fully. Causing her to look up at the direction where the girl was pointing. There he was.

The man at the chesterfield sofa, sitting by himself alone while eyes were on the dance floor where women and men enjoyed the loud music.

His arms rested on chesterfield sofa's frame as he blew the smoke out of his mouth while leaning his head back.

"Aspen" Vera called the boy.

Grabbing the boy's attention again. "What?" He responded. Furrowing his brows while cleaning the glass from the shelves with white cloth.

"I think I have found my soon-to-be husband" Vera stated with a smirk. Surprising the boy entirely.

He quickly peered at the table where the woman's eyes were on.

"Don't tell me, you are actually going to propose a stranger!" Aspen scowled. Observing the woman's lips curving up into a smirk. "Oh Lord" he helplessly sighed.

"He is not a stranger. It is my ex-boyfriend's uncle" The next words from Vera shocked the boy wholly so that his eyes widened in disbelief.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? If you marry that jerk's uncle, you will have to face your ex's face almost every month!" Aspen grumbled.

Trying to pull the woman back from achieving her desire which was cruel.

"That's what I require"