FOCUSED ON YOU [Lestappen]

1: Need A Hand, Country Boy?

A/N:

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my new story!! I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it! ^_^

Just a few things to mention, I will NOT be discontinuing my other story 'Unknown' and I'll be instead alternating between updating the two books. 

This book will also be slightly different from my others, firstly It will be written from a limited 3rd person point of view! I also hope to extend the chapters to be slightly longer than those in 'Unknown'

With that said, Enjoy the chapter!! (And the story as a whole!) <333

Max leaned against the elevator wall, shifting the weight of his equipment-laden backpack and clutching the stack of boxes in his arms. The building creaked around him, and he already felt tense.

He missed those endless fields, the rolling paddocks, and the thrill of capturing a landscape that stretched farther than his eye could see. Here, there was only concrete, glass, and the monotony of identical doors lining the corridors. He couldn't stand the city, he never had.

But this wasn't for him. It was for Kelly, for the future they'd planned together. And maybe, he told himself, for his career, even if it meant trading the luscious plains for studio lights and sleek backdrops. 

He couldn't ignore the prestige of the offer, a position with one of the top modeling agencies in the country didn't come around every day. Just the thought of passing it up felt reckless, selfish even.

With a shudder and a metallic clank, the elevator came to a halt, and Max shuffled into the hallway, scanning the apartment doors. His arms were beginning to ache as he reached Kelly's. He knocked softly, trying not to lose his grip on the boxes.

The door opened, and there she was, a smile breaking across her face as she took him in, burdened and unsteady. "Need a hand, country boy? Are you ready to move in?"

He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Don't get too excited. You know how much I hate the city," he muttered, but the smile tugging at his lips softened his words. Dropping the boxes inside the door, he leaned down to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek, one hand resting on her waist as he held her close.

"So," she murmured, resting her hands on his shoulders, "when do you need to visit the agency?"

Max groaned, pulling back slightly to rub a hand over his tired eyes. "Three o'clock. No chance to catch my breath. It's already half past one, and I've barely got time to unpack."

"You signed up for this," She smirked. Max huffed, before gripping her waist a little tighter. "Let's hope I don't regret it," He mumbled.

Kelly smiled, and Max caught the sympathy in her eyes. He glanced around at the untouched boxes and then back to her. "I'll empty everything later. Promise."

Without another word, he grabbed his keys, and gave her a hasty kiss goodbye, slipping back out the door.

Max stumbled out of the apartment building, blinking against the onslaught of city noise that crashed into him. Sirens wailed in the distance, engines revved, and the chatter of voices layered over one another in a ceaseless hum. 

The towering buildings seemed to close in around him, blocking out the sky, casting long shadows over the street. Everything here felt harsh, grayscale, and cold. He already missed the silence of the open fields, and the rustling of trees.

He quickly fumbled for his phone, pulling up the email he'd been sent from the agency. After copying the address, he pasted it into a directions app and frowned.