Theirs- Completed

Chapter Ten

Finally Friday. 

I say that like I had any plans this weekend. I'd kept myself occupied this week. Spending most nights running around Erica's house, tiring out her kids early so we could work on some extra things we had needed to. 

I never did make it to the boys on Tuesday. In fact. I hadn't been over all week. I wasn't avoiding them. I called them more times than they text me. After Monday I didn't want them worrying. Lord knows I was doing enough of it myself. 

Now I was stood here in the photography studio, music loud at 7am, dancing around as I set everything up like I needed it for today's client shoot. This job had so much that it entailed and it varied so much, client to client. This one, a little florist in North East London, was setting up her website. Brand design like we did was such a fun area to be in. Marketing, design, photography. There was always something new to learn. Maybe that's what got me so interested. I think how Erica had set this place up made it a little stand out compared to the handful of other options people had. That's why we kept getting bigger and bigger. In a few months we'd have to expand a little more. More staff with some specialties to make it easier for us. I was already working on the ads now. 

These would be going out in 2 weeks, just as they boys leave. I'd be filling my diary with interviews which would keep me busy. It always made it easier to adjust when I was busy at the start. 

I pulled the background paper down, sitting on the floor to tape it in place and stop it slipping. The lights flickered and I looked up, pulling my phone from my pocket, turning it down and smiling up at him. 

"Morning." 

"You're in early again." I chuckled, adding more tape. 

"I am indeed." 

"Why today? You're not in gym clothes."

"Maybe I changed before coming in." He tilted his head slightly and I chuckled. "No gym this morning. I just wanted to get in here set up so it was done ready for her getting here." I held my hand out, asking for a hand up. 

"Is it all set up now?" We looked around, pushing my hands into the back pockets of my jeans. 

"Yep. All done." 

"So what now?" 

"Now I sit in my office chair and spin in circles until I realise I forgot something important again and then I panic." He laughed. 

"So nothing?" 

"I'm sure I have something." I kicked my foot forward, walking over to the lights, adjusting them slightly. 

"Come get breakfast with me." I raised an eyebrow as I adjusted the diffuser, looking over my shoulder at him for a second. 

"Did you just ask your boss out for a breakfast date?" I chuckled slightly. 

"I mean I'd class you more as a friend than a boss. That's what I came over to ask you on the tube in the first place." Oh my god. Don't agree! 

"I- Um." Slowly turning around to face him, I moved my hair off my face. "I don't think that's exactly allowed." He stared at me. "You weren't supposed to agree that it was a date." 

"Want me to say it's not?" 

"Would probably make it easier for me to say yes." 

"Okay." He smiled, nodding and taking a few slow steps forward. "Want to go get breakfast? We can discuss work and say it's a meeting." I chuckled slightly. It wasn't a date. It couldn't be a date.

"Okay. Not a date though." I looked around before leaning and grabbing my phone before we both walked out side by side. He nodded when I looked back up to him, agreeing it wasn't.

"Who were you listening to when I walked in?" 

"Flost. You don't know them?" He snarled and I giggled. 

"I know of them."

"Not a fan?" 

"Not specifically." I laughed, pressing the button to call the lift. "What?" 

"Why not?"

"I don't know. They all give my dickhead vibes." 

"Yeah I could see that. They're not though." He looked at me as we stepped in. 

"You a big fan then?" 

"Their biggest." He smirked. "I'm not kidding. I've followed them from literally day one. They were like 15 when they started and I was the one who made them stick to practice schedules and everything." 

"Oh wow. You know them well then?" I laughed again. 

"Have you actually looked at photos of them Haz?" 

"I mean. Not recently." I giggled, pulling up one of their band photos on my phone and handing it to them. "Oh my god. He was in the lobby on my first day." 

"That's Robin." 

"Robbie?!" I nodded. "Jesus. You are a big fan aren't you?" 

"I told you. The biggest." 

"Oh god. I just told you I thought they're all dickheads." He put a hand over his eyes as the lift doors opened and I burst into laughter. 

"They can be sometimes." I shrugged, hoping to make him feel better. "They're sweet. It's just branding and styling isn't it? I mean Robbie for example. He's not a natural blonde but they wanted him to stand out a little from the other 3." He nodded. 

"You've really been friends with them since you guys were 15?" 

"Been friends with Robbie since I was like 3? 22 years. Insane." I made the mind blown sign with my hands, giggling as I spun on my feet beside him. "The other 3, we became friends in like year 4 or something. They were about but we never really spoke properly and then we just became inseparable in year 6. Never stopped." 

"Is that where you are normally?" 

"If I'm not at home or here, I'm usually with them yeah. I mean they leave for tour in like 3 weeks."

"Then what do you replace them with?" 

"Work." I laughed and he nodded. 

"Of course you do." The smile on his face showed a perfect line of teeth. "I don't know anyone who works even half as hard as you do. Not even Erica." I put my fingers into my pocket leaving my thumb to grip the outside. I never knew what to do with my hands. They always felt like they were just there awkwardly. 

"I just feel like I have to keep up with everything you know? Like, I don't have the degrees, or the experience. I feel like an imposter in there sometimes. Everything I learned was through Erica but it's like I'm chasing my tail to be just as good as everyone else." 

"I've seen your work Lil. I did last year too. Everything you do is flawless.  Your digital designs as well. Every time I see one of the ones you made. I wish I could be that good." I stopped walking, tilting my head at him slightly and staring at him for a few seconds before doing a slight jog to catch up. "You continuously amaze me you know?" 

"What?" 

"Well, when I met you last year. You were at my level right?" 

"Yeah." 

"And then I saw you on the tube and you were so sure you could find something for me. I knew you'd moved up but I didn't think you'd taken over for Sarah.  That in it's self is an amazing achievement for someone so young. Then you pair photographer, HR, Interviewer, Designer, you  do client meetings, edit their photos, work on their websites." He sighed, turning to face me. "You just have so many skills that people normally have one or 2 and I get so confused as to how you can be so damn good at all of them at the same time." I could feel my cheeks turning red. "It's just fascinating." 

"That's sweet of you to say."

"It's true."