FOUR FRIENDS IN ONE APARTMENT

But enough of the sappy young love stories of my past. I'm older and wiser now.

After graduating from Gate City Business College, we got a coveted free work pass in Gate City. Marco and Fred were both hired immediately. I wanted to become a business analyst too, my grades weren't as good as Marco's but it was close, and definitely better than Fred's but I had trouble getting the position I wanted.

One of the companies that called me asked if I had submitted my resume to the wrong position, the business analyst track was meant for men who the company was grooming to become account managers. Was I perhaps applying for the business administrator or assistant executive position?

I happened to have a "date" scheduled with Harvey that night, and after his formal dinner, he took me out for drinks as thanks. I told him how stupid Lycan companies were. He emailed me a referral letter the next morning.

Two years down the road, I was now an assistant accounts manager, posted to assist under Marco and Fred. This made me the highest paid female on board Philips Securities.

In my last performance review, Mr Philips, our lycan boss started by trying to discredit the excellent review reports both Marco and Fred had submitted.

He said it was undoubtedly because of my close relationship with my managers.

I asked him what he was implying. He sniffed a bit and said, "Nothing at all. Just a rumor, but I can tell immediately it was untrue."

Just say you could smell I was still a virgin, you old goat. Curse the Lycan sense of smell.

But with that out of the way, I pointed out that I was the only assistant accounts manager servicing two managers at the same time and that I also had to deal with the overall consolidation for our floor at the end of each month every month. Why couldn't the other assistant managers take a turn?

Mr Philips said it was because I had an "excellent way with details". Men tend to take a more general approach. Plus I was the only assitant manager unmated so I could afford the overtime hours.

I kept my cool and reminded him that he promised me a raise last quarter.

He told me he was afraid he couldn't do that. He already gave me a raise last quarter, and if he paid me more than the other assistant managers, it would seem very unfair.

I told him to promote me to a full manager. He said a young lady like me wouldn't be able to handle the accounts and their largely Lycan clientele.

Finally, he promised that if I managed to close an account deal, he would make me an accounts manager of whatever I closed.

I didn't get my raise, but how about a nice fat year end bonus if I "kept up the good work".

Oh f*** them all. I hate Lycan men.

When I complained to Fred, he had the bright idea of passing me one or two of his new sales accounts. I could say I closed it.

"It would actually be fair. This year, you've actually helped me research and write all the proposals. All I did was walk in with what you wrote and closed the deal." Fred said.

Fred was nice like that. But I shook my head. Wouldn't want anyone to say I got the account due to my close relationship with Fred now, would I?

Especially since Mona was still in love with him.

Unlike me, whose heart eventually died, Mona's love continued beating strong for Fred. She had to be the sole reason Fred did not have a girlfriend yet. Everytime a girl was interested, Mona would turn into a territorial she-wolf. From petty tricks like putting sand in her omelette to pretty serious ones like accidentally pushing her down the stairs.

Eventually Fred stopped bringing girls back to our apartment.

Yes, our apartment. We rented a largish four room apartment after graduation, and split it four-ways. Marco always ended up paying for Mona though, because she didn't always have a job and when she did, her pay would have been spent on designer clothes.

Mona tried a business administrator job at first but didn't get along with any of the girls at her first workplace. She changed jobs 3 times and finally joined our company's department as the front desk receptionist recently. Since everyone else in the department were men, and I was alright with Mona, she managed to not get into a long drawn catfight with anyone and keep this job.

Mona did put in effort not to tick off the secretaries next door though. I guess she really wanted to keep this job. I think losing three jobs in a row over a span for 2 years had taken a toll on her confidence.

"You're really working hard little sister." Marco said.

"I'm going to keep this job." Mona told him, "it's the best way to keep those pesky secretaries away from Fred."

So now it looked like Fred would have a zero chance of striking up an office romance either.

But Fred wasn't the only one with a lack of girlfriend prospects, Marco was also lacking in this department. Well actually Marco had many girlfriends if you counted 2D game characters. Marco liked dating simulation games a lot. No one was allowed in his room. He was extremely faithful to Tsumiki-chan. We're talking about long straight black hair, D-cup, soft spoken, martial artist.

This was his dark secret. On the outside, he was a very good looking and promising young financial genius. On the inside... He still had zero real relationship experience.

Like seriously. Hahahaha. He was dating her since buying her first game in high school. That made them high school sweethearts right? Hahaha.

Marco took me out for drinks on New Year's Eve when Mona chased the both of us out of the apartment. We even had to go somewhere really expensive because everywhere else was crowded.

I knew we would be going dutch. I always went dutch even on normal dates. Harvey was the only guy who always paid when we went out. It had to be a Lycan thing.

Staring seriously at his glass of gin, Marco said, "Serene, you're an angel, but you know the two of us will never be an item right?"

"Yeah, duh." I said.

Marco smiled, he looked relieved, "The only girl I'll ever accept is Tsumiki-chan."

"Idiot." I said.

But then I realised that I was still waiting for my hot werewolf mate and laughed, "The only guy I'll ever accept is my hot werewolf mate."

We clinked glasses and solidified our friendship further with this understanding.

After that I found out that Mona had been trying her hand at matchmaking. Her idea was to keep telling Marco that I was secretly in love with him. And then lock us out on New Year's Eve and hope we got drunk. OMG.

I hoped Marco had figured it out by now. He wasn't stupid, but I guess he was just making sure. Making sure that I knew we could only be friends.

I was cute enough to get picked up in public places if I stood and waited more than five minutes, but no one ever felt I was cute enough to be his one true love.

It would have crushed me except where my heart used to be was already just a hollow space anyway.

Anyway, I could never come between Marco and the 2D love of Tsumiki-chan. Hahahaha.

But the new year was here.

This year, I was going to close an account deal all on my own and make my boss eat his words and promote me.

And then, I'm going to use my savings to place a deposit into buying my own apartment. I haven't figured out where yet? Home near my parents, or near my workplace in Gate City? Either way was a good investment. Renting it out was an option too. I didn't have to necessarily live there. I liked our apartment for four.

Who knew when my hot werewolf mate was going to show up? Every new year, I'd wish really hard that this would be the year I'd meet him, but for some reason, this year I didn't miss him that much.

I guess I was getting used to being alone.

Marco and I got back to our apartment very sober. Both of us had refused to buy more than one drink at that overpriced bar. We were rather alike, Marco and I. Level headed, good students, thrifty, and obsessed with fictional love. Marco more so than I in every aspect.

They always say to count your blessings right? So I've got both my parents who are healthy and well back home. I've got Fred and Marco and Mona and we are best friends for life. I've got this opportunity to work and live at Gate City. I was good at my job.

I've only been working for two years. I needed to be patient. Unlike love, career success isn't dependent on my s***ty luck of whether I met Mr Right or not. It's about hard work, perseverance, and resourcefulness.

I'll give it another year or two at Philips Security, and then I'll move on, hopefully as a full accounts manager at another firm. Maybe even at Reid Inc. Hahaha. A girl can dream right?