After Midnight

chapter eight.

8 - ZAYN

It's been two days since I last saw Scarlett.

She had to cancel the last two nights because of her school work piling up. She's in the final stretch of her senior year, so I can only imagine the amount of stress she is having.

I'm sitting in this meeting, hardly listening to anything and staring at my phone, praying a notification will distract me.

Not any notification, I admit. I want a text from her.

My firm, or I guess Adelaide's firm, holds monthly meetings going over practically everything they can think of to fill the hour-long time slot. Although I'm technically just Adelaide's loyal "assistant" and not an official attorney for the firm, my presence is still required.

Lucky me.

I stare at the clock, feeling like I'm back in high school waiting for the bell to ring. Adelaide nudges my shoulder, scowling at me as I yawn.

"What?" I mouth the words to her, so we don't get bitched at for whispering.

"Turn your phone off," she mouths back. I snap my eyes to my phone and see it light up with a text.

Scarlett
Shouldn't you be paying attention? I thought you were in a meeting.

Okay, fine. I texted her first.

I texted her an iMessage game of pool, hoping she'd play so I can get some form of communication with her, even if it's just a silly game.

After her text scolding me to pay attention, she plays the game.

I flip my phone face down on the desk and look back at Adelaide, shaking her head with a knowing smile.

I roll my eyes and lean back in my chair, pretending to listen to the third bald man give a speech in the last hour.

Once the meeting finally ends, Adelaide and I head to her office. "You need to stop flirt-texting your girlfriend during our meetings."

My eyes widen. "Girlfriend? She's not my girlfriend, and I wasn't flirting."

"Yet," Adelaide says in a sing-song voice, unlocking her office door.

"Yet?"

"She's not your girlfriend yet." She clarifies, dramatically falling into her desk chair with a deep sigh.

I smile but offer no argument because part of me knows she's right. At least, I hope she is. I've only known Scarlett for a week, though, and I don't want to do anything too serious right now.

"Let's just figure out our calendar for the next month or so, and then we can head out for the night," Adelaide says.

I nod and turn on my computer to get started. I remember to respond to Scarlett before immersing myself in my work.

Me
Shh. Don't tell my boss.

I respond quickly and play the game, pressing send.

We spend most of the night going through the long list of things coming up within the next month, making sure nothing is overlapping.

Luckily, Adelaide ordered us some food to eat, giving us room for a break. I'm halfway through my burrito when a loud knock sounds at the door, halting Adelaide's long rant about her husband.

Adelaide looks down at her watch in confusion, looking to me and then back at the door. "Awfully late for a visit," she says. It's only eight, but most people are out of here by six.