"Hello?" Pt. 1

March 22nd 2016

WARNING! Lot's of cursing in this chapter. If you don't that sort of thing, then I apologize and kindly ask you to skip this chapter. Please don't complain about the cursing in the comments because I did warn you! 

This story is different to YH1NM and Good Morning, Beautiful and all the others I've previously written because the two main characters are adults, therefore they swear and they make references to sex etc. The themes are adult (but without being overtly sexual) so please remember that.

Thanks,

Sarah, x

~*~*~

"Have you read this crock of horseshit?!"

"Sophie?"

"I mean, have you seen this?! I swear to God that when I catch up with this Melody Jennings I will tear her fucking throat out! She's messed with the wrong crazy bitch this time!"

"Oh, it is you. You're in a sunny mood today."

"Do not piss me off, Daniel! Have you seen this?"

"Seen what?"

"The article! It's complete bullshit, of course, but this woman is walking around with a target on her back! I'll stab her eye out with a Louboutin the next time I see her!"

"And why are we resorting to such vicious abuse?"

"Because of this article! I sent you a link, Daniel."

"Link?"

"Work e-mail."

"In the last hour?"

"In the last minute."

"Ah, then no, I haven't seen it."

"What?!"

"What does the article say?"

"What does it say?!"

"Yes, what's in it?"

"What's in it?!"

"I feel like this conversation is a non starter."

"I'll read it to you."

"Ok."

"Daniel Whitaker isn't a name many of you will be familiar with, but you'll certainly know him by his title. The Earl of Castleton, we hear, is back on the market following a recent break up from his long term girlfriend. Sources close to the debonair aristocrat say that Whitaker, a divorce lawyer with several celebrity clients, and Arabella Foster-Banning parted ways after seven years due Mr Whitaker's roving eye. A friend close of Miss Foster-Banning, a model-actress, noted that Mr Whitaker's close friendship with socialite Sophie Clément, an heiress to the Delaney fortune, was the 'last straw.'  "Daniel and Arabella were a couple for seven years and she was hoping that they'd marry," the friend shared. "Arabella is totally heartbroken by the break up but what was she to do? Seeing her boyfriend, who she adored, getting close to another woman was the ultimate betrayal." To compound matters, Mr Whitaker and Miss Clément were seen cavorting together recently during Paris Fashion Week. Mr Whitaker joined the Clément's in Paris for the Doré show, which is owned by Camille Clément, Sophie's bohemian French mother. Witnesses at the Doré presentation were shocked by the tactile show the pair put on, with Mr Whitaker barely leaving Miss Clément's side. "You'd think they were in love," one guest spilled. "The way he looked at her, and the way she was looking at him- you could feel the sexual tension." Only time will tell when- and not if- this latest couple will make their first 'official' public appearance together."

"..."

"Can you believe this crap?!"

"Is that really what's written?"

"Word for word. Now do you see why I need to murder this woman?!"

"I think murder is going too far, Sophie."

"Too far? You know what's going too far? The fact that the stupid woman actually believed that Arabella was 'heartbroken' over your break up. And 'ultimate betrayal?' Who exactly is this friend because I'd gladly set her straight on a few facts! And how dare they accuse me of being the other woman? I didn't know you until after the whole Arabella and Sam thing!"

"Sophie, calm down."

"How the hell do you expect me to calm down?! This is all lies!"

"Exactly. You and I both know that this is all fabricated by Arabella in an attempt to make her look like a victim in all this. We know the truth, so let that be that."

"But-"

"Sophie! Look, we'll get the chance to clear it all up when we sit down to do this article. Speaking of which, when do you want to do that?"

"How are you not dying to go on a rampage over this?"

"I think you're rampageous enough for the both of us. So, our article?"

"I'm meeting Elias for lunch today... ah, shit. I need to leave for that."

"And then Evelyn is when?"

"Tomorrow."

"Well, do what you need to do and let me know when you're ready for me. For now, just let Arabella have her fifteen minutes and think that she's won. Just promise me one thing, ok?"

"What?"

"In the interview, we tell them the truth. Everything, including Sam and Arabella."

"No! Daniel, no!"

"Yes. I'm not going to sit here and let some idiot sitting behind a computer screen write shit like that about you."

"About you, you mean."

"I know what I mean, Sophie."

"Daniel-"

"We write the truth, Soph. Nothing more, nothing less. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Good. Now, go meet Elias for lunch. Ask him about that gap year trip to Australia. He tells the stories better than I do."

"Haha, ok. They better be good."

"Scandalously so."

"Brilliant. I can use those stories?"

"All of them."

"You'll regret saying that, Daniel."

"Maybe. Right, I'm going to let you go. But! If Elias tells you the story about me screaming like a girl when I saw a huntsman spider, he's lying."

"Of course he is."

"Later, alligator."

"In a while, crocodile."