Business
Thomas Werneck
I arrived at the company that Friday morning with a delay and a strong hangover. Vincent and I had gone out the night before and ended up overdoing it a bit, letting ourselves be carried away by distractions that took us beyond the limits of reason.
Vincent, my partner at H&W, wasn't in a good place. His grandmother, Esmeralda, was determined to get him committed, in one way or another, to a young woman she had chosen for him. However, Vincent didn't want that for his life. Despite being thirty-two years old, he made it clear that he wasn't interested in commitments at the moment, preferring to keep his life free from ties.
Proof of this was him calling me on Thursday night and inviting me for a few drinks at our favorite club, in an attempt to forget his problems. And, as always, I couldn't refuse an invitation from Vincent. After all, it was hard to resist the company of such a close friend and partner.
At the club, Vincent and I met an extremely interesting woman. A sensual blonde who made it clear from the first moment that she was open to experimenting. That was the green light for Vincent and me to seize the opportunity. Despite being heterosexual, we didn't miss the chance to share the same woman, and that night was no different.
What should have been just a few drinks stretched into almost the entire night, and now I felt like a complete wreck. The hangover hit hard, and I regretted the lack of moderation we had shown the night before. But at least we had fun, even if it meant that I was now paying a high price for it.
As I entered the reception area of his office, I found my efficient secretary sitting in her place in front of the computer. I greeted Jennifer kindly, and she, as always, responded with her usual serious expression. I headed to my office, thinking about her.
Despite being beautiful, blonde with green eyes and a stunning body, Jennifer never sparked the slightest interest in me. Her perpetually grumpy personality didn't excite me, which made it very easy for me to maintain my determination not to get involved in office affairs. The woman working closest to me was simply unapproachable, and I kept myself safe from temptations.
As soon as I closed the door behind me, silence settled in the room, broken only by the soft glide of the curtains being drawn to block out the intrusive sunlight. I sank into the armchair behind my desk, enveloped in the dimness provided by the closed curtains. With blurry vision and a throbbing head, I made an effort to focus on the day's agenda. My eyes scanned the lines, and there it was, blinking in red, the name of one of H&W's most important investors.
I took a deep breath, trying to banish the pounding pain in my head. I decided I couldn't afford to appear anything less than perfect in front of Petros Kouris. I straightened up, determined to try and improve my current state.
I pressed the intercom button and called for Jennifer. She appeared promptly, her eyes scanning the room for clues about my condition. I couldn't help but muster a wry smile at the direct question about my hangover.
"Yes," I admitted, bluntly. "Now, be kind to me, provide me only with the essentials for the day, and prepare for the meeting with Petros Kouris."
Jennifer readily agreed, without asking any further questions. Her professionalism was unwavering, and I was grateful for it in moments like these. I could rely on her to keep things under control while I tried to recover enough to face the day ahead.
"Mr. Hickmann wishes to see you in his office," Jennifer informed me.
A sigh escaped my lips, a mixture of frustration and dismay. Vincent wasn't one of the problems I needed to deal with right now, especially in these conditions. With a resigned nod, I asked Jennifer to convey my message to Vincent:
"Get in touch with him and tell him I'm simply not in a condition to go anywhere right now. If he needs to speak with me, he can come to my office."
I barely had time to mentally prepare for the possibility of a visit from Vincent when he burst into my office, entering abruptly. His serious and reproachful expression was at least unnecessary.
"What do you want, Vincent?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the discomfort.
He ignored my question and went straight for the curtains, pulling them open forcefully. The sudden brightness made me blink, and a wave of discomfort spread through my body. My hangover was becoming torture, and Vincent wasn't making things any easier.
"Vincent, please, have a little compassion," I pleaded, my voice sounding harsher than I would have liked.
Vincent's laughter echoed throughout the room, hitting me with a blow to my already shaken head. I felt my irritation rise. It was ironic, lamentable even, that Vincent was in perfect condition and enjoying himself at my expense, considering he had done everything I had done the night before.
Vincent ignored my words, still laughing, and settled into the chair in front of me, as if he were at home, crossing his legs with insolent confidence. His casual gesture of pulling up the sleeve of his jacket to check the time on his Rolex only served to increase my frustration.
"Thomas, my dear friend," he began, with false sympathy in his voice. "Are you in a condition to meet with Petros Kouris today? If not, don't worry, I can take on that commitment for you. After all, I'm feeling a little guilty about your current condition."
His eyes sparkled with amusement, and I had to struggle not to laugh at my misfortune. Beneath all that arrogance, I knew Vincent was genuinely concerned about the morning's meeting, and his offer was sincere.
"I'll manage to get through this one, rest assured," I assured him convincingly. This wasn't the first hangover of my life, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.
"Great. I have some important commitments that shouldn't be sidelined, but I must admit I was worried about you."
"I guess drinks and women are an ill-suited combination for me at the moment," I joked, teasing him further. "I intend to turn down any new invitations for threesomes…"
"Perhaps it's time for something… quieter," Vincent pointed out, his voice heavy with irony. "But I'm sure you wouldn't be capable of such a thing."
"You're right," I agreed, feeling renewed. "I could never pass up high-level fun."
Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of the intercom, where Jennifer informed us that Petros Kouris had just arrived. As Vincent rightly pointed out, I wasn't the least bit regretful about the night before, but now it's time to focus on business.