Kitten

Chapter Twenty-Five

Brandy

I never thought that I would be in a relationship with someone, but feel like I'm dating another. It took a while for Denim and Gage to get on similar terms. Neither of them like the other and I've been put in the middle trying to keep them apart.

It hurts seeing Denim doing all the boyfriend things, I've been asking for, with Madison. She enjoys it and will throw it in my face at any chance. Gage has been taking me out on dates, on behalf of Denim. I appreciate the kindness and generosity, but I still want Denim to be my boyfriend.

Not seeing Denim for a few days, I've been getting back to my old routine. I get up early and make sure I'm at the office before anyone else. I missed it a little. I'm now able to get more done without Denim distracting me. Naturally expecting that me still working for Denim, comes with more than just paperwork and preparing meetings, Madison and her friends, even Poppy, have watching me like I'm some sort of criminal.

Preparing Denim's schedule for the day, I sat in his office at his desk, making sure I didn't forget anything. Noticing a large gap in his day, just around the time he usually goes for lunch, my eyes widen with joy. Smiling, I quickly blocked it off labelling it with a small heart.

Excited, I kept that same smile on my face for most of the morning anxiously waiting for Denim to come into the office. The elevator would ding as the doors opened up on the floor and each time I would shoot my head up from my desk hoping he was strolling in.

"Where is he?" A sneering voice spoke. My stomach turned knots and my palms got clammy already threatened by her cautionary presence. That lump in my throat returned as I gulped. "Aren't you supposed to be working? You're sitting there doing fuck all. What the hell is Denim paying you for?" Her condescending tone definitely turned a few heads. Listening to Denim, to not let her get to me, I sat there while she decided to insult me more. "...you can just tell me where Denim is."

"...he's n-not here yet."

She rolls her eyes. "I can see that. Did he say when he'll be back?"

I just shook my head.

Madison scoffs. "You're more useless than I thought."

I didn't say anything else. I sat back down listening to the sound of rapid nails hitting her phone screen. "Since you're here, doing absolutely nothing, I need this picture photocopied." Shoving a yellow folder in my face, she waves it around waiting for me to take it.

"Sure. How many c-copies would you-you like?"

Madison pauses. "A dozen." She shrugs before turning her attention back to her phone.

I couldn't be happier to get away from her. Opening the envelope, it was her headshot. She's so pretty. Of course, Denim would rather be around her than me. Photocopying a dozen headshots, I neatly placed them back in the envelope. Walking back to my desk, I started to brace myself for Madison to yell or even insult me.

She did it on purpose. Looking up steps away from my desk, there he was embracing her with a kiss. She quickly cups his face keeping him closer as she notices me watching. "What are you looking at?" Pushing herself back from Denim, Madison scoffs. "Just give me my pictures."

I made eye contact with Denim as he wiped her lipstick from his lips. I can't look at him. Handing Madison the envelope, she snatches it from my hands immediately opening it. "Denim, I took new headshots. What do you think? It's perfect, isn't it."

Glancing at the ground, I inched towards my desk. "Yeah, they look good," Denim tells her.

Interrupted by her phone ringing, Madison turns back and walks off into Denim's office. "Brandy," Denim says lowly. "I told you already, Madison and I are just for the public."

"I-I know."

It's kind of hard to believe when both of them play their role a little too well. "Brandy" He whispers with a sigh escaping his mouth. "...don't look at me like that."

I pouted. It's just not fair.

"I thought that maybe you and I could have the afternoon together." Denim looks at me, pondering what excuse he can come up with. "Your afternoon is free...it'll be nice to be together. I've been looking at some -"

"-Brandy. You have to talk to me about things like that first."

I didn't know that I needed to ask to be with my boyfriend.

"Oh," I say softly. "I-I didn't know that-that I had to do that. I'm sorry."

Denim rubs his chin. "We'll talk about this later. I have somewhere to be with Madison."

"You always do this to me." I blurted out.

Denim doesn't anything more to me. Taking his attention to Madison walking out of his office, she grabs his hand pulling him towards the elevator. "Denim Baby, we're going to be late."

Who knew that I would slowly become a little jealous of Madison.

I kept my hopes high, waiting for Denim to return to the office. I thought that since the two of us couldn't go out for lunch, we could stay at the office perhaps up in the lounge, with takeout from the bistro just a few blocks away. After a failed attempt to call him, I gave up getting the hint that I probably won't see him for the rest of the day.

After summing up the courage, I found myself standing at the door of Gage's office before knocking. I wasn't sure how I was going to ask him if he wanted to join me for lunch or if I should even bother. I knocked softly kinda hoping it would go unnoticed. It didn't. "Yeah. Come in."

Opening and closing the door behind me, I quietly crept in. Gage sitting at his desk, furrowing his brow at something while he rummages through endless stacks of paper, glances up at me twice before suddenly standing up from his chair. "Brandy. Hey. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I wanted to see," I cleared my throat. "If you would like to have lunch with me. But I can see that you're busy."

Gage shakes his head. "No. No. I'm not busy." He responds in an instant. "Yeah, I'll have lunch with you. Let me grab my jacket and we can go."

"Yeah, sure." I nod happily. Before we get a chance to leave the office, his phone starts to ring. "It's okay if you have to answer that."

Gage shakes his head hair silencing his phone. "They can wait." He flashes a little smile.

I've questioning myself why I couldn't believe someone like Gage wouldn't have a girlfriend. He really is the guy every girl dreams of. He's caring, kind, patient. He makes you laugh letting you forget everything else around you, all those worries that seem to torment you don't matter anymore.

"Gage?" I questioned glancing over at him, as we started our walk back to the office. 

He nods. "Yes."

"How come you're single? 

For a second Gage looked at me confused, like he couldn't believe the words that came out of my mouth. Then he smiles. "She's around. I'm just waiting for her to see me." He says, placing his hand on my back gently guiding me to the other side of him, avoiding the edge of the sidewalk where cars aggressively drive past.  

"What's her name?"

"Huh?" Gage frowns a little.

"You said that she's around. So you know her." I explained. "What's her name?"

Gage laughs. "If you're not busy..." He clears his throat. "We can get a coffee before we go back to the office?" 

Gage ignoring my question went right over my head. Happy to spend a little more time with him, I agreed just as we stopped in front of the coffee shop. I insisted on paying for the coffee, but he wouldn't let me. It's his treat he keeps telling me. 

As we were leaving, I found myself to be a little jealous of Gage's secret crush. Eventually, she's going to get all the things I've been begging Denim to do with me. I don't know why it bothered me so much, but I know when that time comes I'm going to miss my friend.