YOU'LL ALWAYS COME BACK TO ME...

CHAPTER 8 - SHE

James was in his penthouse. He invited his cousin to come over and have some liquor shots. Handling his new position had confirmed how true his comfort zone can no longer be his favourite spot. He had seen it coming and he's way ready to keep pursuing that kind of frontier. He had been exploring different ventures, experimenting varied approach and still craving for a particular avenue he couldn't yet come to conquest. He knew that he wanted something out of the ordinary but unfortunately he didn't get to have the minimal idea where to spot and when is the right occasion in the present time. So he chose to busy himself in getting serious with his father's proposal. While the right timing is still in the far end, he will continue engaging his focus in this new kind of life. After all, he gave his own permission to invest his life in bringing important changes to light in terms of self-expansion and avoid as possible as he can the road to a retrograding phase that will only bring him to bitter memories.

"So... how is our new CEO? Let's toast to that!"

"Thanks buddy! My dad will still be at my back. He used to tell me that I am way ready to hold the enterprises but I doubt it. He seemed obviously cautious."

"No way, man! Uncle Tom is just concerned that his son will soon start having pressures and he just wanted to have some fair shares. He can't let his son get early grey hair."

"Very funny!"

"Why not? Isn't it amusing? You are known for being fierce, intimidating and perfectionist and yet your parents were acting like you're still their baby boy in your golden crib, sleeping soundly with a golden pacifier in your mouth and yo-"

"Okay Lorenz that's enough. I am laughing real hard, trust me."

James scoffed and made a fake laugh that wasn't anything new to his cousin. Lorenz had known him since their teenage years and he had seen how his moods swing from a calm almost phlegmatic tone to a paroxysm of a beast mode attitude. But Lorenz had remained his best buddy despite his temperament and he knew exactly, perhaps better than himself, how to sabotage his infamous behaviour.

"Man! Is that all you can give away? You're awful! You're acting it terribly!"

"I am really trying my best shot to become funny here."

"Whatever James... whatever! By the way, I heard that you went to visit your mom. Was it really you're mom that you intended to see or you know..."

Lorenz wiggled his eyebrows while hanging his words. He looked at his cousin who, at the moment, was giving generously his mulishness. Sometimes, he couldn't help wondering if there exist a particular being who is capable of overruling this man's inflexible mood and turn it to be better managed. Someone who is devilishly intrepid to bend his upraised self-conceit. He knows, so far, that James and his unpredictability is only a dopplegänger of a person hiding in his nutshell. What the people outside see in him is a thick veil of a unaccountable behaviour that is way too opposite from his true nature. He was certain that his cousin is wearing an arrays of emotional shields in his sleeves. Who could have done this upshot in him? He believed whoever it was, it has nothing to do with the misfortune he met two years ago.

"If you're talking about me getting curious to see the rookie... well, I don't think I had actually seen her."

Lorenz didn't expect to hear a response from him. He thought that James would only give a glare and change the subject. But Lorenz and his comical nature was just trying to scale off his cousin's physical space which is jam-packed with brooding attitude by saturating it with a bit of playful approach. It wasn't really that hard to string two funny sentences around him especially when he knows when to tune in with his cousin's seriousness.