Stay Peachy

Chapter Thirteen - F is for Friends...

I stare at my monitor. Staring at the email invitation that has just popped up. My eyebrows raise, a smile threatening to spill. My eyes scan the small print and my heart jumps into my mouth. I cannot believe this. This is so fancy.

Looking up at Sierra, she catches my eye with a playful glimmer as she darts her eyes towards the hallway leading to the balcony and then back to me, I shake my head with a smile and I wave her over. The brunnette raises an eyebrow and pushes off from her seat, moving around her desk to stand next to me. Her hip rests against the desk chair and she draped an arm around my shoulder casually.

"Holy shit!" Sierra looks at me, her eyes wide and her smile shines brighter than I've ever seen. "Sofie, we're going to a ball!" Sofie scrambles over, pushing her dark thick curly hair out of her face as she squeezes next to me. Her tailor chalk still in her hand which currently was leaning against my lavendar knitted blanket that I rest against my lap during work. My gran made it for me before she passed and it's been a comfort for me ever since. I smile at Sofie as she gasps, lifting her hand away and apologising in french profusively. I wave her off and we go back to gawking at the screen.

The three of us stare between each other, smiling so hard our cheeks hurt. I turn back to face the monitor. The electronic invite to the Parisian Law Firms Annual Gala shining upon our screen. It was in a week on friday. "This is so exciting," I beam at the two. "The last time I was at a gala was-" I stop abruptly, my smile slowly morphing into a frown as I look down to the framed photo of Julia and I. My teeth tug at my lips and I shake my head, "after Julia's engagement was announced."

Sierra's eyes clouded with something I couldn't quite put my finger on before she shakes her head. I clear my throat and she takes my hand in hers.

"Well, we'll make this one million times better than that clusterfuck."

•

I look down at my lap, my hands fidgetting with the fancy pen my mom got me as a celebration of me getting my new job. The meeting I was sitting next to Mr. Blanchett in was dire. I could feel myself nodding off. I had never been good at the numbers of stocks and income but better with time management and organisation. With how unput-together my life has been recently, I tried my best to not let that transfer into my work.

I glance up to my boss, watching the tight skin slightly wrinkle as his brows furrow. He leans forward, scribbling something down in his notes. My eyes move to the front of the board room, the speaker was a handsome put together man. His suit perfectly tailored to his body. Hair gelled naturally enough that you wouldn't notice the crisp spikes from far away. He had a heavy beard yet it wasn't unruly, it was well trimmed- oh my god this meeting is so boring. I was dating a celeb, get me out of here.

I fight every bone in my body not to groan and push my hands into my eyes, maybe slam my entire skull into the wooden table in front of me. Opting to lightly tapping the pen on my leg, the sound of it hitting my leggings barely noticeable to anyone other than me and Mr Blanchett. I grab my coffee from the table and almost cry when the cold liquid touched my lips. I am going to kill someone. I feel like I've been here for hours. I've wrote like two notes that were actually relevant for me to know. Like booking the man next to me his next spa trip with his wife and when the next updated meeting from this building of the company. There were three other buildings that incorporate this company, and none is more exciting than the other. Obviously except for my building.

When the presenter finally finishes his last word, everyone applauds. My body jolts, eyes wide and I clear my throat as I meekly join in. Suits start filtering out the room with their eyes brimming with excitement of the future, of promotions they most likely will not see. I move my gaze over to the man who hired me, his smile was small, but definitely there. He was always really comforting. It's his aura, he reminds me of Barney sometimes in his mannerisms. I do miss my life back then. I'd like to say it was easier then but it wasn't.

I glance down at the red scarring on my thigh, not hidden from my leggings.

"Eden, it was difficult not to notice your boredom." his words danced with humour and I nervously scratch the back of my neck glancing back up to him, "don't worry, you'll get used to it over the years." Over the years? A pang of discomfort runs through my body. There isn't going to be more years for me here. My place is back in New York.

I push past those thoughts with a chuckle as I stand up and grab my notes from the table. "Well we've got three more of the exact same thing, so let's go." I smile at him as he holds the door open for me and I push past it. The building we were in was just your average looking office complex. Lots of desks with grey suits and depressing decorations in front of the glass meeting room.

My heels click against the flooring and I toss my hair behind my shoulder as I step into the elevator behind Mr Blanchett. Trying to avoid the eyes staring at me. I turn to my boss and smile, "One request boss?" he nods to let me go on, "we need a coffee break before this next meeting." His chuckle filled the elevator and his eyes almost sparkled. I smile to myself as we reach the bottom floor, stepping off and into the sun.

Mr Blanchett steps into a stride next to me as we head to our ride, "Eden, please. Call me Louis."

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sorry for the lack of uploads, been a bit wonky mental wise. thank you to all those showing my stories love <3 i love yous all fr. i may have some more stories in the works 👀