Her and the Basketball Champion

chapter 50

Eliza

It's been a day since I saw Jonas, and my whole body still feels tingly with his gaze. Yesterday's lecture was in vain, and all night I couldn't sleep with the thought that Jonas is in this city, so close to me, but not mine. 

I know Farrah has noticed that I'm 'off' today, but she hasn't said anything because I usually have a resting bitch face on when I'm not in the mood to talk, but lucky for me, there is one person I want to talk to. In fact I need to talk to her otherwise I'm going to burst, and then my chances of seeing Jonas will be down in the gutters, floating around with everything else that's gone to shit. 

It's my first day as Claire's PA today, so maybe the workload will help take my mind off of everything. 

While I'm riding the elevator up, I pull out my phone and start typing a new message. 

Lily

Hey, how are you? Do you want to go out for dinner today?

I wait for a while, tapping my foot to the boring elevator music as I make my way up. I'm not that nervous for this new job, since I'v worked around Claire for a while. Shouldn't be that bad right?

Hey, I'm good. U? I'll puck you up at 6?

I send a thumbs up emoji just as the elevator stops and the doors open. At 9am in the morning, everyone in the magazine is working at an extra fast speed. Empty Coffee cups are lying on desks and in bins, and people are typing away at their computers like it's their lifeline. Well it is if you don't want to upset Claire. 

I make my way to my office which sits directly next to Claire's on the left, just before hers so everyone has to go through me before they get to her. Effectively. 

I open the door and am met with a huge floor to ceiling window that sits against the back wall. There's a desk right in front of it and a black leather sofa on the wall to the left. It has exactly the same layout as Claire's but without the plants and pictures lining the walls. I guess I need to get decorating if I want to enjoy myself in here. 

I'll pick up some things later on after work. It's Friday so I don't have any lectures which makes me free all night. 

I walk around the desk and stand in front of the window overlooking shorter buildings and cars driving past. It's a gloomy day today, and I'm pretty sure it's going to rain because there's this grey overhanging cloud sitting directly above London, spreading across most of the sky. 

I love days like this, because it creates such a warm and cosy atmosphere. You just fell like you want to cuddle up in a blanket and watch movies all day. 

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by a phone ringing. There's a bright yellow one sitting on the desk and I turn to puck it up before it bursts my eardrums. 

"Hello?" I say. 

'Eliza, are you settled in?. Good. First order of the day, I need Coffee ASAP, I have a few meetings this morning with some business associates in five minutes, and I need my energy up before then. Just black."

The line goes dead before I can even get a word in. I stand motionless for a minute, trying to recall everything Claire said. Black Coffee. 

I make my way out of the room and walk over to the kitchen which just sits parallel to my room, in the corner. Because it's right at the end, there are two windows taking up the kitchen walls, allowing way more light to filter in that every other room and office. I put myself to work by filling the kettle and boiling it, dumping a spoonful of coffee granules into a mug. Black coffee is easy to make and before you know it, I'm knocking on Claire's office door.