Splintered Hearts

Freelance

The next day...

"Just give me a second..." I struggled, pushing the phone against my shoulder and sifting through paperwork to find post stick notes and a pen. "Ah ha." I grinned before putting pen to paper.

"Go ahead Jim." I answered.

"It's a hotel, called the Millennium Crystal. Do you know it?" He asked.

I almost dropped the phone from the way my head shot up.. Did I know it?!

Did I know it?!

"Hell yeah I know it! That's some serious Bucks in there Jim!" I exclaimed.

"Luckily for me, Jennifer's new father in law is loaded." Jim answered sounding slightly bitter.

Jim was a proud man and never liked to be thought of as a freeloader, the man was born and raised to graft hard.

"Not liking the idea of it all?" I asked down the phone. Hearing a long sigh I settled on my chair, letting Jim vent his frustrations and anger at a few things I hadn't heard Zak come into the office, not until I was putting the phone down after agreeing to step in as their emergency photographer.

"Hey." I smiled looking at Zak as he walked into my office and dumped himself down on the couch. "Make yourself at home."

He gave me a grunt and turned putting his feet up trying to go to sleep. "What's up?" He asked.

"You are seriously going to sleep? Like that?" I asked.

"Sure.. Why are you here? Isn't it like down time?"

"I had some photos left to do plus I've just finished setting up my offic- You are here." I pointed making him grin.

"Well noticed."

My eyes went to the post stick note when a cog turned in my mind. "Damn it!" I hissed. Sifting through paperwork fast, with a mental reminder to put it away I found the next lockdown pack and checked the date. Seeing it, I gave a sigh of relief and tossed it back on the desk.

"Who are we damning?" He asked lifting up his shades.

"Nothing it's fine.. I um. I can't help with the reviewing... Not this time." I started.

"Why not?" Zak asked sitting himself up and around taking more notice.

"I gotta go to California.."

"For?"

"A thing." I replied giving a quick smile.

"You aren't going." He answered simply making my face fall a mile. I waited for him to laugh and state it to be some sort of joke but his face never cracked a slight bit of friendly teasing.

"Excuse me?" I questioned wondering if my ears had deceived me in that moment.

"You. Aren't. Going." Zak repeated a lot slower.

"I am."

"No. You aren't. You got work."

I picked up the lockdown and pointed to the date "I haven't. And before you pull the photographer card... I can have all my work done by tonight and sent to you. Plus I'll be back in time. Reviewing was only as a help but if I do all my work, then you won't need me..."

"I will." He answered causing irritation to rise slowly.

"Why? You have Aaron, Billy, Yourself and Devin. You didn't need me before. What I did was pretty simple and you could do it at least 4x quicker." I explained placing my hands down on the desk.