Before dawn | Dark romance

Chapter 2 - Framily

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It takes about 30 minutes to travel from our apartment to the Piccadilly Circus underground station. We work in Mayfair, a prestigious neighborhood in central London known for its luxury shops, upscale restaurants, high-end real estate properties, and vibrant nightlife. From the underground station, it's a 7-minute walks; you head up Regent Street for about 0,3 miles, turn left on Vigo Street, and pass by the corner where Jeweler Richard Ogden displays some of the world's most expensive jewelry. I dream of buying beautiful piece from there one day. But for now, our route takes up right onto Savile Row, into the beautiful headquarters and store of Huntsman & Sons. It still amazes me how we, but mostly me, landed jobs here, but that is all thanks to Emily's dad's connections. Hats off to good old Sir Hill. I've realized that having parents with extensive networks is the ultimate flex in life. For those kids, doors open automatically to them all thanks to their parents and their connections.

I didn't grow up with that kind of advantage. My parents have always been, honest working-class people from a middle-class background. They provided a loving and stable home, though we always faced some sort of challenge, mostly financial related. They gave everything to could give to my sister and I. That's probably why it pains me so much that I didn't get more time with my mom. I still miss her so much though.

Well, back to the main point. Let's talk about Huntsman. This store isn't just any store; it's the quintessential gentlemen's store worldwide. This building houses the world's most exquisitely handcrafted garments. Recognized as one of the most distinguished tailoring establishments on Savile Row, to me, its true significance lies in its embodiment of family. The team who work at Huntsman has grown to be more than just colleagues; they're like family to both Emily and me. They've embraced us from the moment we step through that front door. Everyone there is a true artist, masters of their craft all under one roof. Working with them is an absolute joy.

We make our way around to the back of the building, using what we call the staff-only entrance, which is our go-to door 90% of the time. Our employee passes grant us access, and the heavy back door swings open. This is where Emily and I party ways- she heads down to the locker and vanity room for employees, while I dash up the stairs to my office. Well, it's more of a shared office, really. I share it with my boss, Tan Phillips, who I affectionately refer to as our "big teddy bear" much to his displeasure.

Well, I work together with my boss. Emily and I both applied to be store assistant's in the first instance. However, where Emily blossomed in her store assistant role, being her social self, I didn't enjoyed it that much. Who am I kidding, it was horrible. I was simply terrible at it. As I said, I am not really a spotlight kind of girl like Emily. Don't get me wrong, I wished I was as outgoing and social as her but I simply am not.
I was more like the décor kind of girl. I like to make beautiful corners in the store, so that every single square meter of this store is breathtaking.
When Taj, our boss, noticed that, he shoved a camera into my hand, and somehow, I ended up as the social media girl of the company. Well, it ended me up at a good, and the most secured away place in the building. My little bit of quiet space. Especially if Taj is not there.

Actually, I don't mind him being around. He's not as bothersome as some others can be. He mostly keeps to himself, but throughout the day, we enjoy brief, light conversations. In the beginning of our working-in-close-proximity relationship, it was mostly work-related topics. However, as we've spent more time together, we've grown closer and our chats have expanded to include a variety of topics. He has a quirky habit of blurting out random facts unexpectedly, which I found odd at first but I have come to appreciate them. On the days he's not at work or add his desk, I actually miss our interactions.

We've now processed to sharing more personal aspects of our lives. For instance, he knows the broad strokes about my mom, though not the details. Apart from my family and close loved one like Emily and William, and since a while my colleagues, not many people are privy to that information. It's not a topic I typically enjoy discussing.