Just Relax

Felicity smirked at his words and she leaned into him conspiratorially, looking around the room as if they were about to commit a crime. "If you swipe a second tray for me, I'll distract them as you sneak away." Emmeline may be super best friends with Julian, but that didn't mean Felicity didn't cackle every time Cristian riled him up at events like this. At least he seemed to know how to experience fun.

"Deal. Easy," he grinned, playfully dropping his voice to a whisper. Although Felicity ran a good line of playing neutral, he had seen her smile far too many times to not know better. "Not that you need my help. Heard you and Emmeline got up to far worse than swiping a tray or two back then."

Julian shot him a sidelong glance and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Even without really meaning to, Cristian Diaz was yet again grating on his last nerve. You would think he had never seen a charcuterie before. "I'm pretty sure it's not someone's job to source a whole other salami because you couldn't control yourself."

He made no effort to hide the smirk that crossed his face once Julian acknowledged him. The man was so easily bothered. Cristian figured he could stand there and Julian would still find something to be annoyed at him at. It brought him joy. "Is that how you land all your deals? Just putting words into someone else's mouth," he grinned. "I'm just giving the servers something to do, they seem bored as hell."

If Adriana had it her way, they could be friends again. They had always been friends before dating. Friends that had romantic tension but friends all the same. "Yeah, you in the kitchen already sounds like trouble. Almost as bad as if I were in one." She needed to get out of Ramirez's. She had been there more over the last few weeks than she had been her entire life. "I don't need to steal company secrets to kick your ass or my father's. I bet."

They were playing normal. He could do that or at least he could try until she broke. Because she had to break before him, Cristian couldn't see this lasting too long. Cristian snorted, slightly offended. "No way, you're comparing us. I'm much better than you. Adri, I've seen you try to boil water." As if bringing up past memories didn't wade into dangerous territory. "I'll acknowledge you and Julian are trying but I mean it's just mean to rub it in your face, no?"

Adriana didn't usually run from anyone, but Cristian had always been different. Even before they had dated back in school, he had been the one to bring out the unexpected. "I mean, I wouldn't. But that's just me. I get it, though. I mean, how else would you be able to afford a lunch?" She was going to try to be funny, that was her. Right? "Yeah, my father needed some help, and I connected him with Atticus and Gabriela. How has work been with everything?"

Of course she wouldn't. As much as they vibed, had vibed, there were so many things fundamentally different about them. Cristian wondered if that was her attempt at a joke. Were they friends again or was she trying to skim over their history. He raised a brow, a small smile at the corner of her lips, "right. and you know me, i'm not going to make lunch for myself." The irony of all of her years of running from her father just to now be back to help him. "So not stealing company secrets? Busy. Just, busy." He shrugged. Tongue tucked into his cheek trying to navigate this.

Adriana had come to the party right from work, she had been pulling double duty at Donovan's and helping out her father. She had managed to avoid Cristian during her time at the office recently. So when she rounded the corner, she was surprised to find herself nearly face-to-face. She could do this, it had been a long time since they had broken up. Why did he have to always look so perfect? "Are you that hungry?"

He should've judged his appearance by the likelihood of if he would see her here. Would've made him sit his ass at home instead or left right after getting a drink but no, here he was determined to not come across as an idiot now that they were face to face. Cristian tucked his free hand into his pockets, shrugging easily. "So that's a yes? No, but then I don't have to think about lunch tomorrow." Sure, that worked. He took a slow glance down her figure before returning his gaze to her. "Heard you've been around the office." Yet he hadn't managed to catch even a glimpse of her.

you fucked up