2.

Sarah walked into the office she shared with three other people the next day, with sunglasses on her face. She was trying to hide her puffy eyes as she had cried throughout the night. She didn't want to have to explain to her overbearing boss how she had been dumped days before and had proceeded to cry her eyes out the previous night.

Her boss Juan Carlos, would never understand. He was a man that abhorred female weakness with a firm distaste. One couldn't blame him though, not considering the nasty divorce he had gone through and the outrageous child support he had to pay each month despite the fact he hadn't gotten any child privileges with his son.

So, if she had to wear the sun glasses to avoid a potential wash down even though she hated it, she would. She had barely gotten into the seat behind her desk when someone banged his fist on her desk.

"Oh, tell me all about it" he drawled.

Sarah looked up and saw Pierce, her closest work buddy standing in front of her desk, his body moving from side to side animatedly. Pierce had an endless supply of adrenaline while all she wanted to do was curl up on her chair and never have to open her eyes. He was also the friend that held her hair back while she threw up in the toilet after having too much to drink. He was the friend that defended her integrity behind her back and had rallied around to get her promoted when her boss wouldn't promote her. So, in some way she owed him an explanation for why she was wearing sunglasses inside a shaded building.

"Fine". She sighed "Handel dumped me" she said. It was better to get it out there than to go round and around in circles.

But Pierce hadn't even looked surprised or tried to. He folded his arms around his chest and his mouth set into a frown.

"I told you he wasn't worth your time but you did not listen to me love. I knew that good for nothing bastard would break your heart eventually and I told you so. Why did he break up with you?"

"I caught him cheating" Sarah replied.

Pierce eyes went wide as saucers. "And he broke up with you?"

Sarah shrugged and sighed a sigh of defeat. "I screamed and made a nasty scene at the apartment. Then he said I was too much trouble and we had to break up"

"Honey, you did nothing wrong" His arms engulfed her in a hug from around the table "we all knew you were too good for him because we knew that that bastard couldn't keep it inside his pants. You did nothing wrong, love. If a woman finds her man cheating, she's allowed to scream and say ugly things".

Wait till you find out what I did next, Sarah thought.

"I begged him to stay but he didn't. Then, I went to his office yesterday to try and beg him some more"

"Ouch. That is beyond things. I don't blame you though" he looked towards the door "but the grouch is coming so I got to go."

Sarah looked and saw her boss coming towards her desk. "Yeah, you had better go before he chews my head off"

Pierce flashed her a smile. "We need to go out later to take your mind off things and I know just the right place." Then he walked away, arms swinging.

"Sarah". Her boss intoned "how is the interview with the reality star coming up?"

"I'll have the full report on your desk in an hour, sir" she replied.

"Make that thirty minutes and be quick about it because I had expected it to be on my desk already. How hard is it to interview someone in a week?" he bellowed and walked away.

How do you interview someone who made sure you followed her from place to place, working your ass off doing simple chores for her before she could answer a question? The reality star was a snobbish person with an aura of stupidity. She had expected Sarah to wait on her at all times if she was going to talk to her about her life with other reality stars and how the reality world.

But if she was going to keep her job, she had to take the unpleasant and suck it up, like she need throughout the week and she did everyday with her annoying boss, she mused and went back to work.

She was tidying up her interview questions for the week when Pierce grabbed her chair and spun her around to face him.

"We need to go, love. Our distraction 101 awaits"

She scrunched up her brows "distraction 101? Is that a course or something?"

Pierce rolled his eyeballs "no, dummy. It's the distraction you need to get over your ex"

She sighed. How did things get this way? She now needed a distraction from the very person she wanted to spend all her time with?

Well, she couldn't continue moping around like a loser, so it was better to take the distraction offer. "Fine, let's go get Handel off my mind"

Sarah walked into the club feeling giddy as hell. Pierce had taken her shopping, courtesy of his trust fund and had bought a couple of shoes and a dress she had been eyeing for weeks.

He had decided that drinks were in order and who was she to disagree with him? If she could get shit faced drunk it wouldn't be a bad thing at all. Maybe she would take the next day off and go see a horror movie, definitely not a romantic one.

Pierce grabbed her by the arm. "Come on, let's get drinks and wipe that sulky look from your face. Who knows, we might be able to get you laid tonight. That would be some sort of therapy" he screamed above the sound of the loud music.

They walked to the bar and sat down on stools. Pierce gestured to the bartender and he walked towards them. Just then, she spotted a guy staring at them from the other end of the bar. She subtly pinched Pierce.

"Ow, why do you have to make my skin suffer between your nails" Pierce said and rubbed his arm.

"There's a guy at the other end of the bar staring at us right now. I think he's looking at you" she replied.

Pierce looked at the guy she was referring to and let out a low whistle. "He is hot! Is he on steroids or something because that body looks too good to be true" Then he turned to look at Sarah. "I think you have just found yourself a sex god for the night, love"

Sarah shook her head in denial. "I believe he is staring at you"

Pierce looked at the guy and mouthed "me?" and the guy winked.

"Oh my balls" Pierce said, clutching his chest. "He's gay and he's mine for the night" he said with a big grin and stood up to go.

"Wait, what? You're just going to leave me here all by myself?" she said, with a panicked expression on her face.

"It's just a quick rump in the sack, love. I'm sure you'll be alright. And I'll be back pretty soon for drinks, okay?" he hugged her and turned to go.

When they were out of view, Sarah turned and let out a sigh. Of course, she had expected something like this to happen. Pierce was the kind of guy that wouldn't say no to a hot one night stand, not that she saw anything wrong with it. But dating Handel for a year had taken her mind away from one nighters and quick hook ups. How could she had wanted quick hookups when he gave her everything she wanted in a man?

"Do you need a drink?" the bartender's voice brought her back.

She indeed needed a drink and only something really strong would be able to take her mind off Handel. "Yeah, anything strong but not so strong that I'll find myself here tomorrow shitfaced and hung over"

"Tough night huh?" He asked.

"Yeah, really tough night. Hence the need for something strong to take my mind off wondering thoughts" she replied.

"I know just the right stuff you need" he said and went off. He returned later and placed a glass in front of her.

Staring into the glass, Sarah saw a mixture of colours and floating bubbles. "What's in the drink?" she asked. He started to reply when she cut him off

"You know what? I'd rather not know. I'll just have to trust you enough to assume that you didn't drug my drink in order to have sex with me because I know I look like a vulnerable woman that would hike her gown up in the rest room if given the right push."

The bartender walked out from behind the bar and came to sit beside her. "I think what you need is company. Not for sex or anything, just someone to hear you out and listen patiently to you. Maybe a shoulder to cry on when you need to cry."

Sarah looked at him, disbelief clearly written on her face. When did bartenders suddenly become therapists? And who was this guy? Maybe he'll offer sympathy and then demand the sex he feels he is entitled to, she thought.

"I just want to hear you out, trust me. I have a wife at home and if I wanted someone in my bed, I'd go to her. So, just talk. We'll just talk till your friend comes back. I know you have a lot that needs to be said and you need an audience of one" he replied.

"I got dumped two days ago by the only person I had ever loved and still love and it hurts" she started.

She was still talking to him, tissue in hand, when Pierce came back.

"Hey" he said and hugged her.

She looked at him with a watery smile. "How was your rump in the sack?"

Pierce looked from her to the bartender still seated beside her. "Did he make you cry? Should I kill him now?" he said, referring to the bartender who was standing up to leave already.

"No, he actually made me feel a little better. He just sat and listened while I bawled my eyes out "she said and smiled at the bartender.

The bartender smiled. "I just listened that's all. I didn't do much but I am glad I could be of help"

Sarah turned to Pierce. "I think I'm ready to leave now. I just want to go home and sleep". She needed sleep if she was to go to work without sunshades the next day.

"Okay, love. Let's get you home for some beauty sleep".

Sarah turned to look at the bartender one last time.

"Do you think I can ever be good enough for him?"

"He is not worth it. Any guy who makes you feel like like this isn't worth it", he told her.