Fierce

Chapter 3

"And his handshake! Limp! Limp as a fucking muppet! I would never have pinned him for a man with a wussy handshake...but you can never tell, can you? Seriously - he acted as if I had some revolting disease!"

"Mhmmm. Yeahp. Such a shame."

"Are you even listening to me? Or just making noises to shut me up?"

Charly stopped her file sorting dance (which was more like a shuffle-wiggle-bopping movement) and turned around. "George, you're ruining my vibe," Charly gestured around the room. "You're drowning out T-Swizzle with your whining - and you know I love you, but come on. This is the highlight of my week...so just try to enjoy it? Pretty please?" Georgie grumbled out an apology. Charly winked at her, serious face disappearing, "Aaand that's your cue to pump the volume! Woopwoop!"

Georgie made it through four files before her irritation bubbled over again and she just had to say something. "But really Charly, did it not bother you at all?"

Charly sighed and jabbed the remote aggressively at the sound system. The volume dropped and kept dropping and only when silence descended did she spin around to face her friend. Hands on hips, foot tapping. Pissed off. "No, it didn't. A lot worse has been said about me. It's sweet that you're so defensive, but honestly I think you're being too tough. All the man said was that I was 'unorthodox', not a 'normal professional', and that I could be more formal. All of which are true."

"What? But he-"

"I'm not finished George. And actually, you know what bothered me? You. Even an outsider could see that meeting went terribly. Congratulations on joining me on the team of non-professionals. I wouldn't be surprised if we lost his business after that. The poor man looked thoroughly put out. As am I, since you've ruined the afternoon with your whining."

Georgiana was flabbergasted. "Charlotte, I'm sorry I didn't mean to - I just thought -"

"Yeah I'm sorry too. Um, I think it's best if I head home. I'll come in early on Monday to finish the filing." Head down, Charly collected her heels from the floor, grabbed her bag and walked to the elevator - leaving Georgiana blinking in her wake.

*

Georgie gripped the paper bag tightly in front of her. She hated apologies. But this one was overdue.

After two minutes of rapping on the door, it swung open violently. "WHAT? Oh, hey George."

"Charlotte? Are you alright?" She swept her red-eyed friend into a tight hug. "God! I'm so sorry!"

"Oh- what?" Charlotte mumbled into Georgie's shoulder. "Oh that, no don't worry about it. S'not you."

"What happened honey?"

Charly sniffled away tears stubbornly, refusing to look at her. "And you've brought Chinese food. Excellent. Come in."

The brush off only increased her concern for her friend. Like her smiles, Charly greeted the world readily with her tears too. Her emotions were always running close to the surface and she wasn't ashamed to show her pain as well as her exuberance. But tonight she closed herself off tightly. Curling in on herself. Seeing Charly like this was always something that she hated.

Georgiana closed the door softly behind herself, and followed the shuffling footsteps of her best friend. Charly was in her purple penguin pyjamas and her fluffy orange robe - Georgiana hadn't seen the comfort clothes in years, and her fear kicked up a notch.

Charly flopped onto the couch and sent her a tight smile that didn't reach her eyes. "It's like your best friend radar sent you a telepathic message across the air waves and now you're here. Exactly when I need you."