11/28 by uliaj06

twenty-six

Rowan Lane

Tate drove me home Sunday morning to the front of my apartment complex, I don't want him to know where my actual apartment is yet.

I also don't want him randomly coming to my apartment or something. I feel it's too personal, too fast, knowing where I live. It's information I won't give him until he lets me see his apartment first.

Horrible mindset probably, but I want it to be 50/50. I already feel like he has the advantage here, knowing more of me than I do him.

He knows where I work and some of my friends. I still don't know either. I'm not revealing anymore things about my life until he opens up too.

I spent the whole Sunday resting, exhausted from the day before. Luke, Cay, and Aelin came over at some point in the day and I gave them the presents I bought them at the beach.

Luke is starting to get more comfortable with us, and I shared a blanket with him while watching Grey's Anatomy. Cay and Aelin examined the dresses Tate bought me and continuously spoke about it, questions and questions and questions.

I was too tired to think, so me and Luke sat comfortably next to each other and ate grapes.

Luke didn't really care about dresses or that stuff. Mostly cared about the grapes I was eating. He was amazing. I'm glad he's here.

Aelin bugged me with questions.

No, me and Tate didn't do anything sexual. No, he doesn't know where I live now. No, I don't know if we're friends again.

But now it's Monday, and I have to work.

I got ready and head over to Aelin's for breakfast. She made us French toast. Luke's showing up now every day.

I'm in the elevator now, looking in the mirror of its walls at my appearance. My hair's in a low bun, shorter pieces of my hair framing the front of my face.

A thick cream colored jacket and denim jeans is the fit today. Part of the reason I love working in fashion is that every day I have the motivation to dress in something other than sweatpants or regular skinny jeans and a black t-shirt.

The fashion show is on the 20th, that's thirteen days from now.

My first instinct when the doors open is to go over to Mason, my closest friend here. His desk is right across from mine.

I head over to him, spotting the back of his head. He has curly, dark brown hair, and tan skin.

"Hey, Mason." I move to the side of his desk, leaning against it.

"Hey!" He says in his friendly tone. He's so easily likable.

"So what are you doing today?" I bug him, looking at the stack of papers he has in front of him.

"Paperwork for the photography production team." He tells me in a bored manner. "Care to help?"

"I'm good. You have fun with that." I steal one of his pens from his cup.

"Get me a donut!" He says loud enough for me to hear as I walk away. "And coffee!"

His presence just brightens up my mood.

I drop my purse off at my desk, then head towards the kitchen. As I walk over there, I pass Lynn's office and knock three times.

"Oh thank god." She sighs in relief. "I need you."

"For what?" I walk inside of her personal office, oak flooring, and white walls.

"It seems that absolutely no one called to check in with the venues. Useless idiots." She says frustratedly. "Can you call them, make sure we have the runway scheduled and they know we're going to be there."

"Sure. Yeah." I grab the piece of paper she was holding out that she was previously scribbling on. It had numbers with comments of what to ask them.

"Lifesaver." She gave me a thankful nod. "Apparently everyone's busy." She scoffs.

I laugh lightly at her stressful state. "Do you want any coffee? I'm going there anyway."

"No, tea would be nice." She puts her glasses on. "I already had coffee, thank you."

"On it."

"Oh, I have a meeting with some managers today, cancel lunch with my grandmother."

"Ok." I take note of that then turn toward the door.

"Also cancel my therapy session, I won't be needing it since I won't be having lunch with her." She adds, her glasses sitting on the crook of her nose.

"Got it." I take a step towards the door.

"Actually reschedule it three days from now, she might be dying soon. I think today's her last day." She says somewhat relieved and maybe even a little excited.

"Ok..." My tone was a mixture of uncertainty and amusement.

"Just in case, preorder those flowers she likes-"

"What flowers-" I don't even know which grandmother this is.

"-it's crucial. And I have shoes needed to be picked up from John's, the place down by the- you know what? I'll just write it down..." She takes a sticky note and writes down the address. "And while you're at it, I have Abigale sending me some fabric samples for the new issue of-"

I kind of dozed off after I saw her write down the third address, and by the time I snapped back in, she wrote six addresses with things that needed to be done by its side, handing me three sticky notes.

"Ok!" Just as I turn to grab the handle, she speaks again.

"If you have time, can you make sure to contact her and subtly make a list of all her friends and important people in her life-"

"I will get Mason on that!" I leave before she can say anything else.

I try to scan the papers she gave me, but her handwriting alone is enough to make my brain explode. So I folded the papers and shoved them in my pocket, deciding to make the orders.

Deciding to make Lynn's tea first, I pour hot water into the cup and open a packet of green tea, dropping the tea bag into the water to let it seep while I make the others.

I can't remember how Mason likes his coffee.

I'll make him an expresso... or maybe a dark roast. Wait, what the fuck do I do?

My indecisiveness is getting in the way and I contemplate whether to just walk over to him and ask, but I'm already here, and that would be a waste of time.

The pressure is getting to my head, and knowing I'm wasting time because of a simple decision isn't helping.

Expresso. No, I'll get him a dark roast. Dark roast.