The Bella Donna Woman

Chapter Seven

The next day Marina woke up to her ringing phone. Blearily she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"Blake?"

"No. It's Forrest Gump. Of course it's Blake. Where are you?"

"Home. Why?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Text me your address"

Marina nodded and hung up then managed to type off something before sending it to him and closing her eyes shut.

Fifteen minutes later, there was heavy knocking at her door shaking it at its hinges.

Marc groaned loudly and turned in his bed shifting a plate of stale pizza from his lap to the floor.

"I'm coming!"
Marina groaned as she searched for a shirt to wear over her sports bra.

She opened the door and squinted at Blake's smiling face. His smile dropped as he took in her appearance.

"You look like shit"

"Good morning to you too Blake. I'm doing lovely thanks. Why don't you come on in"

Marina headed to their tiny kitchen and put on the coffee pot. Then she went about the annoying task of washing the coffee mugs so they could use them. She and Marc had a standing rule about dishes; only wash when needed. It sucked but neither of them was exactly good at housekeeping and every attempt at making a rooster had been firmly ignored.

She returned outside to see Blake eying her living quarters and snoring roommate with disdain.

"I'd have offered you cream but we're all out. We do have sugar if you-"

"It's fine. Um. You live here?"

He asked with an upturn of his hooked nose and Marina shrugged.

"Yeah"

She certainly wasn't ashamed of it although Blake seemed to be. A lot of people would kill for this 'dump' so she was very damn grateful for having a roof over her head. Albeit a leaky one.

"This won't do. Can't have the press finding out La belladonna lives in a rat hole. I'll give you the number of some realtors I know. You need something more swanky. Try uptown"

Marina grunted in answer and sipped at her coffee. Her hair fell in her eyes and she pushed it out of her face swearing she would get a haircut first chance she got.

"Anyway. You need a new wardrobe. Carson Brandt just informed me Kourté would like to have lunch with you tomorrow and I'm not having you going there looking like a lost hobo"

Marina grunted again and sipped more coffee. Her stomach growled and she wondered if there was anything in the fridge. Perhaps some eggs? She'd make Marc do it. She didn't want to wash the pan.

"So Belladonna will be sending all products in their beauty line. I need a history of any allergies you may have so they can cross check before sending it over. Oh and I need all your make up details. You know? Skin tone or some shit like that"

Marina gave a grunt and took a long sip emptying her mug of all traces of caffeine. Great. Now she felt human again.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? Yeah. New place, lunch, allergies blah blah blah. I got it"

Blake glared at her.

"You're not taking this seriously"

"I am. You said skin tone right? Marc's got that detail. Oh and I told you I want him handling my make up right?"

"Yes you mentioned it but- can we please get out of this dump to somewhere more clean?"