Cercis

The night of the party finally comes. And just as expected, Jerry looks like he’s swallowed a lemon the moment he sees me wearing Shun’s black dress instead of his precious gold one.

It’s honestly the highlight of my evening.

He tries to play it off, tight smile, polite nod, but I can see that vein in his temple twitching. Delicious.

Still, he insists his glam team do my hair and makeup, which I let them. Why not? Free makeover.

When we finally arrive at the venue, it’s exactly what I imagined, rich people dripping in gold and ego. Chandeliers that probably cost more than my rent. The smell of perfume and fake smiles choking the air.

My eyes wander through the crowd, searching for a certain someone... Shun. But it seems he isn’t here yet.

Jerry leans close, his breath brushing my ear. “Behave and look good, Cercis. You’re representing me.”

I smirk. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure everyone knows I belong to you, boss.”

He glares, but before he can reply, someone waves him over, and off he goes—shaking hands, pretending he’s human.

I make a beeline for the buffet. Priorities.

First stop: the food. I try everything, shrimp skewers, weird mini quiches, something that looks like art but tastes like sadness.

Then, I spot it. The Holy Grail. The alcohol section.

A smile creeps up on my lips.

“Well, hello, old friend.”

I grab a wine glass and start sampling like I’m some sort of connoisseur, alternating between red, white, champagne, and—oh, joy—beer. Jerry catches me halfway through my liquid tour, his eyes twitching again.

I raise my glass to him. “Relax, boss. I’m networking... with the spirits.”

He facepalms. I chug. Balance.

But the thing about alcohol is, it works fast. Suddenly, nature calls. So, I head to the bathroom, still low-key scanning the crowd for Shun. He’s nowhere to be seen. Typical. Probably avoiding this circus.

The bathroom’s one of those fancy unisex ones, thankfully private. I do my business, wash my hands, and when I open the door—

Guess who’s waiting there, arms crossed, blocking the mirror like some tragic villain from a soap opera?

“Wow,” I say, smirking. “You waiting for me or checking yourself out?”

Jerry exhales like he’s dealing with a toddler. “Cercis, I know you’re trying to humiliate me.”

I shrug, leaning against the counter. “And it’s working, isn’t it?”

He ignores the jab, voice dropping lower. “Or maybe this isn’t about humiliation. Maybe you just can’t move on from me.”

I blink, then laugh. “Oh, please. After what you did? I’d rather lick a cactus.”

Jerry steps closer, that fake confidence rolling off him like cheap cologne. “You sure? You don’t remember the bathrooms back then? The gym locker room? You used to—”

“—have bad taste,” I cut him off, eyes deadpan.

He smirks, leaning in, voice brushing my ear. “If you really hated me, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t still be working under me. You wouldn’t have come tonight.”

I tilt my head, meeting his gaze with a cold smile. “You’re right.”

He looks surprised, just for a moment.

“Because if I really hated you,” I say softly, “you wouldn’t still be breathing.”

Jerry laughs, low and amused. “You’ve changed.”

I glared at Jerry as he suddenly pinned me against the bathroom door, his smirk infuriating me. "What the hell do you want?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

He chuckled, low and seductive. "Oh, come on, Cercis. Don't play coy. You know exactly what I want."

“Oh fuck off—”

But before I could finish my sentence, Jerry closed the distance between us, his lips crashing against mine. I froze for a moment, surprised by the sudden contact. But then, as if on autopilot, I found myself kissing him back.

As Jerry's lips crashed against mine, I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu wash over me. This was a scene that had played out countless times before, in countless bathrooms and lockers. Him pinning me against a door or wall, his hands roaming my body, his mouth hungry for mine.

And yet, as his tongue slid past my lips, I couldn't muster up the same level of excitement I used to feel. It tasted bitter, stale. Like a meal I'd eaten too many times before.

I pushed against his chest, breaking the kiss. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded, glaring up at him.

Jerry just smirked, his fingers trailing down my arm. "Oh, come on, Cercis. Don't act like you don't miss this."

I rolled my eyes. "The only thing I miss is having a steady paycheck," I retorted. "Which is the only reason I'm still working for you."

Jerry chuckled, a low, seductive sound. "Well, maybe we can come to some other...arrangements," he murmured, leaning in closer.

I sighed heavily, pushing him back slightly. "Fine. If you want me to quit so badly, then I will. Just to prove that you don't mean anything to me anymore."

But before I could finish my sentence, Jerry silenced me with another kiss. His hands found the zipper of my dress, tugging it down impatiently.

I shuddered as cool air hit my skin, my breasts exposed to his greedy gaze. He didn't waste any time, diving down to capture one nipple between his teeth.

I closed my eyes, trying to block out the sensation. Trying not to think about how much this used to turn me on, how much I used to crave his touch.

But now, all I could think about was how much I wished it was someone else. A certain somene..

Jerry's hand slid up my thigh, pushing my skirt up as he went. I knew where this was heading, and I didn't want any part of it.

I knew he was probably thinking about Iris, using me as a stand-in for his lost love. It was a role I was all too familiar with.

Just as his fingers brushed against my panties, I heard the door creak open. My eyes shot open, my head whipping towards the sound.

There, standing in the doorway, was Shun. His face unreadable, his eyes dark and intense as they bore into Jerry's back.

I felt a rush of adrenaline surge through me. Shun, catching us in the act. Just like old times.