In Love, in Hate: Sisters Ch. 01

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She sees something special in him; so does her sister.
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21 Followers

Author's note: Julie works with Rob at the same office and wants to discover the man underneath the dishevelled exterior; her sister Janet first meets Rob when he's made changes to his appearance.

As this story starts around Christmastime, I know I'm two weeks late, but it was either post it now or wait another 11 months, so sue me. In any case, I hope you enjoy the story and I'd like to inform you that the sex is only at the end of the chapter, so please be patient.

This is a work of fiction and any semblance to actual people or places is purely coincidental.

xxxxx

Julie looked across the room at the man working at his desk. Behind the glass walls of his office, Robert Hayes' eyes were glued on his computer's monitor, focused in, as they always were, on his work. Hideously ugly horn-rimmed glasses framed otherwise striking blue eyes, while his unkempt hair and beard decidedly gave him the look of a homeless man. Some men worked on getting the messy look going for their hair; Rob was definitely not among them - his curly mass of dirty blonde hair was a forest of disarray all on its own. His clothes also suffered from a lack of thought or consideration, as he often wore the same tie and wrinkled shirt to work several times a week. His whole attire was baggy, since he had recently lost weight and now everything was about one size too large.

Much of the reason for his complete physical disarray, Julie learned through the gossip wire, was the fact that he was still recovering from a break-up that left him completely heartbroken. She had had her job at the office for about ten months now, so she was able to witness Rob's quick downward spiral. His fiancée left him at the altar a year ago after a five year relationship, saying he was boring and never tried anything adventurous; she thought she was still too young to be tied down to someone like him for the rest of her life. Rob had always greatly enjoyed his work, but after his break-up, he poured himself into it: he became the first to come in every morning and the last to leave at night, as if his life outside work was too much for him to bear.

On this particular night, Julie sat looking at Robert as she began packing her stuff up to leave. It was Christmas Eve and here they both were, still working their asses off at the office. Unlike Robert, she derived no enjoyment from her work, but it made ends meet and helped pay off her student loans. The reason she frequently stayed as late as Robert did was to rise up in the ranks: sexism was a very harsh reality that she had long ago realized and if she had to work harder to get somewhere in her career, she was prepared to do it.

So here she sat at her desk, exhausted after a long day's work and staring out the window at the snowflakes slowly tumbling their way down towards the street some twenty stories below, wishing she was someplace else, but realizing she didn't really have anywhere to be.

Suddenly, Robert stood up and began methodically packing his briefcase, as he always did. She saw something beneath the exterior of this dishevelled man, like a diamond in the rough that was waiting to be discovered. She quickly put on her coat and timed her exit to coincide with Robert's.

"Hi, Julie," Rob said with a smile, when he saw her.

"Hey," she replied with a smile of her own. "Merry Christmas, by the way. Any plans for tomorrow?"

"Ha ha, no." He smiled, ruefully this time. "Oh, by the way, I got you a little something..for uhhh... all your hard work this past year."

"Oh, you shouldn't have!" Julie replied, surprise clearly evident on her face as he began taking out a medium-sized, gift-wrapped box out of his pocket. "I didn't think to get you anything myself."

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing big," he said, quickly trying to downplay it. "I hope you like it, though."

When she opened the present, she gasped as she saw what it was: a copy of the most recent book by her favourite author – she had wanted to buy it, but the cost had deterred her and she had decided to wait for the library to get it. It was such a thoughtful and perfect gift for her that Julie nearly burst into tears as she held onto the book.

"Oh, Rob!" she exclaimed in joy. "It's perfect! How did you know what book to buy?"

Rob smiled widely at Julie before explaining to her that he always saw books from the same author lying on her desk. She had no idea he had ever paid any attention to her, as he always seemed to be stuck in his own little world. She was deeply touched and flattered that he had actually noticed her. She decided that tonight was the night she would try to scratch the surface of the man that was Robert Hayes.

"You have to let me thank you – let me take you out for drinks."

"Oh, no," Rob said at once. "I didn't expect anything return. It was my pleasure to give a little during the holiday season."

She softened at his kindness, but she was resolute in her decision.

"Fine, then give me a chance to also be a bit charitable on Christmas Eve of all days. You don't have anywhere else to be, do you?" she asked, knowing with steady certainty that he most likely did not.

"No..." he answered hesitantly, then decided to try a different approach. "But I don't think it would be appropriate to go out with a colleague, even if it is only for drinks."

"Are you trying to imply I'm hitting on you?"

"No!" he quickly replied and started blushing. "It's just that –"

" – office romances are forbidden. Yes, I know, Robert. Listen, I only want to go out for drinks with a friend, to thank him for his terrific gift."

She immediately regretted her choice of her words, but they did seem to put Robert at ease. Finally, he replied:

"Alright, but only for a couple of drinks."

She hooked her arm around his with a triumphant smile and they descended in the elevator in silence before entering into the frigid December night.

***

Robert saw Julie shiver as they exited the building and instinctively hooked his arm around her shoulders to bring her into his warmth. It was something he had always done for his ex-fiancée and he immediately realized his mistake. While trying to correct it, however, Julie just grabbed his arm and put it back where it was, pleading as innocently as she could, "But I'm cold." Rob had no reply to that and just shut his mouth.

When they entered a nearby bar that Julie directed them to, they found it to be nearly empty, no doubt due to the fact that it was freezing outside. They took seats at the bar, ordering a couple of pints of beer, and then removed their coats, allowing Rob to admire Julie's impeccable body from up-close.

She was dressed in black slacks and a white cashmere sweater that hugged her body in all the right places, while her hair was done up in a neat bun. As soon as they got comfortable, however, she undid the bun and let her flowing light brown hair cascade across her shoulders. The close proximity only made Rob further awestruck by her beauty.

He quickly caught himself, though, reminding himself that this was not a date and he didn't want to make things awkward between them.

"So, do you come here often?" Rob asked.

The alcohol was disappearing rather quickly, as it was helping to warm up their bodies.

"Once in a while. I like it because it's quiet and the beer's cheap."

He laughed at that last comment, enjoying her pragmatic view of things.

"How's the food? I'm not actually hungry right now, but I could see myself coming back here another time." He appreciated the cozy atmosphere of the bar created by the subdued, albeit colourful, lighting.

"Terrible, just like all food in bars. What did you expect?"

This drew another chuckle from him, as he couldn't help but agree with her statement.

"Well, at least it's as cheap as the beer," he said, pointing at the menu overhead.

"Not really. The portions are tiny – this place is pretty much only good for the booze."

As if on cue, she signalled the bartender over to refill their depleted glasses. They thanked him as he left.

"You know, I actually prefer beer from a can than from the tap," Rob remarked.

"No way!" Julie exclaimed at once. "How can you even say that! Beer from a can's tastes like metal, while draught beer has that woody, natural taste to it."

"Nonsense," Rob rebutted. "I bet you couldn't tell the difference between the two in a blind test – people just say that the containers give it a different taste, but in reality, it has more to do with the temperature the beer was stored in and how it was packaged."

Julie just shook her violently, saying, "Fine, I think I hear a challenge – one which I will easily and mercilessly win." She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure.

He just grinned, the alcohol starting to get to him – he never handled it too well. Loosened up, though, he realized the whole dynamic had changed between them and they were no longer coworkers forced to act professionally like in the office.

"So what are the wagers?" he continued playfully.

"Hmmm..." she thought it over. "How about a kiss?"

Rob nearly spit out the beer he had in his mouth and Julie giggled as he started choking slightly. He was still sober enough to recognize the tease, however, and decided to go along with it.

"Seriously, though, I've already been lucky enough to share drinks with such an attractive woman as yourself – I can't ask for anything more."

She blushed at the compliment, then replied, "You're not so bad yourself, you know. If you just got rid of those geeky glasses, went to the barber's, and shopped for some clothes that fit, I'm sure that women would be crawling all over you."

"I'll make sure to jot down the list," he replied lightly, though secretly he was somewhat hurt by the backhanded compliment; he knew he shouldn't be, though, as he hadn't been taking very good care of himself over the past year.

For a long time, he and Julie just sat together and kept chatting, opening up more and more as the beer continued to flow freely from the taps. Before either of them realized it, it was Christmas morning and all the patrons still remaining in the bar let out a hearty cheer of "Merry Christmas!"

Rob and Julie had completely lost track of time, as they had been completely absorbed in their conversation. When they heard the cheer, they both realized it was probably time to get going.

Rob insisted on paying his half of the tab, seeing as how it had risen pretty high over the course of the evening, and said he would let her treat him another time; she was too drunk to really argue and liked the prospect of a second time.

When they re-entered the cold winter night, Rob automatically brought Julie closer to him and this time, did not make any attempt to remove his arm; it just fit so naturally around her.

"So where do you live?" he asked her.

"Just a block away from here." She pointed in her home's general direction. "It's great to be able to walk to work every day...just not so great in the winter."

"Well, I have to take the metro," he said, motioning his head in the opposite direction.

Realizing they had to part, Julie detached herself from him and stood quietly in front of him, looking up at him with her passionate emerald green eyes, her pink lips squeezed tightly shut and turned slightly upwards.

Rob froze, a thousand thoughts running through his mind, sudden clarity coming to his foggy mind. He remembered all the times they had left work together after having been the last ones there; he remembered the moments she looked at him that she didn't think he noticed; he remembered the fantastic evening they had just spent together, in particular the request of a kiss. But then, he reminded himself that she saw him more as an experiment for a makeover and also recalled what she had said as they were leaving their workplace: "Office romances are forbidden...I only want to go out for drinks with a friend...."

With that in mind, he quickly murmured, "Well then, goodnight," and left a transfixed Julie standing there behind him, as he walked rapidly towards the metro station.

"Merry Christmas," she finally whispered when he was more than twenty feet away, her words lost in the wind. She finally unfroze her legs and made her way back to her nearby apartment. As soon as she shut the door, she threw herself into her bed and wept into her pillows, happy the alcohol would make it easier for sleep to take her that night.

***

She couldn't get the moment out of her mind. There she stood expectantly in front him, waiting for the kiss to come... and when he finally turned around with nothing but a goodnight, she couldn't believe what had just happened. At first, she was shocked, but that quickly turned into sorrow when she realized that he must simply not like her that way.

Throughout their night together, she had discovered a new man, a man so sweet and charming that she felt herself falling head over heels for him. She thought that he had enjoyed their time together as much as she had and had sensed a special spark between them. When the night had come to a close, she knew the perfect nightcap to a magical evening would be a goodnight kiss; it must have just been her imagination, then, that he liked her back, since he obviously treated her only as a friend.

How could she have been such an idiot? She berated herself over and over for fooling herself into believing in such a fantasy. Finally, she decided that she had put herself into this situation and now it was time to get herself out of it and just forget about the whole thing.

With that mindset, she steeled herself mentally and started getting ready for Christmas at her parents' house.

***

Rob awoke the next morning with a blaring headache from his hangover and groggily ate his breakfast cereal.

It was Christmas morning, yet all the joy he had once felt as a child seemed to completely elude him now that he was a dozen years older. The only instance he had felt himself remotely close to reconnecting to that emotion was last night when he was with Julie. In an entire year, there was only that one time.

Remorse flooded into as it often did when he was all alone, and he struggled to forget about the past and what had happened a year ago to cause this change in him.

He downed the rest of his cereal and popped a couple of Tylenols into his mouth. That seemed to straighten his mind out and he decided that he was tired of the life he was leading. He had spent enough time feeling sorry for himself, and last night had shown him he could still go out and enjoy himself. Sure, nothing was ever to come of him and Julie, but at least he knew now that he could become attracted to other women.

He remembered what Julie had told him about cleaning himself up and wondered if it was true. He had proposed to his high school sweetheart, the only girl he had ever dated; hence, he had never had a chance to play the field, not that he had regretted it at the time. Now, though, he was excited at the prospect of putting himself out there and discovering a new world he had never before tried venturing.

Screw waiting until New Year's to make a resolution, he decided – there's no time like now; he went out to the local gym to buy a membership.

***

Julie arrived at her parents' house, the same one she had grown up in for her first eighteen years, and was immediately greeted with a bear hug as soon as the front door opened. Her mother was very open to displaying her affections and she was overjoyed at the sight of her daughter.


"Julie! How are you, sweetiepie?"

"Well I was alright mom, up till now," she managed to gasp out.

Her mom relaxed her iron grip, then continued on.

"Oh, your father and I have missed you so much! Come in, come in, dear, let's get you warmed up."

She was quickly dragged into the living room and immediately she saw why she just had to come back here every year: the entire living room and dining room were plastered from floor to ceiling in elegant Christmas decorations and a giant Christmas tree stood proudly beside the roaring fireplace. The tree had not a branch of it unadorned, as every year her mom bought new trinkets that caught her eye. A shiny golden star crowned the majestic fir.

As soon as she entered the room, she was swamped with hugs and kisses from the dozen or so relatives who had already arrived, and it took her a full ten minutes to make the rounds of greetings before she could relax on the couch beside her sister.

Janet was a year younger than she and the only sibling she had. Competition was therefore, needless to say, fierce between the two. Janet was tall, slim and fit, while Julie was of average height and fleshier, which she did not mind at all, as she liked her curves. Whenever one of them got a boyfriend, the other one was quick to pick out his flaws or compare him to her own boyfriend. Despite their rivalry, however, they remained sisters, and in the end, all their time spent together had formed a strong bond between them.

Julie was an architecture major who had graduated not two years ago, yet she was already establishing herself at her job. She was pulling in big projects for her firm and Julie was often jealous of her sister's success. Her career, in contrast, had been drab and uninspired; she knew that she did not enjoy her job as much as others, like Robert, and that must be having an impact on her work.

She pushed that thought aside for now, though, deciding it was the holiday season and time to be merry like everyone else.

"When did you get here?" Julie asked her sister, gratefully accepting a hot chocolate from her father and expressing her thanks.

"Only about twenty minutes ago," Janet replied easily. "You know, Morenna's pregnant."

Morenna was their cousin and Julie saw that a small baby bump was indeed present that she had missed while greeting her.

"Good for her. Fred's a good guy. And at least grandpa and grandma might finally stop harassing us now about grandchildren."

"I doubt it," Janet snorted, and Julie had to agree with a laugh. "Are you seeing anyone now, though?"

"No..." Julie replied cautiously.

"Any crushes?" her sister asked as a follow-up.

Julie thought for a moment and then blushed a deep red. Suddenly, Janet sprang to attention, leaning her elbows on her knees as she bent forward to get closer towards Julie.

"Come on, spill the beans. Who's the lucky guy?" she inquired with a wicked grin.

"No one," she replied sharply, not wanting to divulge anything else on the topic.

This only encouraged her sister, however, and throughout the entire day she kept pushing her for more details.

As they sat down with the rest of the family for lunch – if it could be called that, since it was a feast that their mom had prepared – she finally had had enough.

"Come on," Janet begged. "Just tell me where you met him."

"He's just a guy at work, so stop it now."

"Oooohhh, an office romance! Sexy! But I thought you said they weren't allowed at your place?"

"They're not, that's why it's only a crush," she replied, though she feared another reason as well – namely, that he didn't like her back.

"Tall, brooding, and handsome?"

Julie laughed at the question, as she imagined Robert in her mind: brooding he definitely had down pat, but he was average in height and no one – not even she – would call him handsome the way he looked right now.

"Not quite, but he's nice and considerate." She remembered the gift he had given her and her heart warmed at the thought of it. "What about you?" she quickly added, to turn the subject away from her.

"You mean if there's anyone I like?"

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