*Sam*
My heart skipped a beat. It had been a long time since I'd felt that sensation, that exuberance of feeling as though my internal organs were literally defying physics. Yet, I welcomed it, a small smile settling on my face.
"Mandy, I haven't seen you since that meeting in the bar and, um, I was wondering, and I understand if it makes you uncomfortable, but I think of us as friends, so why don't we, umm, talk, like, you, face to face, like um on Facetime, sometime, i don't know, I don't mean to, you know, force you if you don't want to which is fine, but umm, wouldn't it be like nicer?" Noel stuttered through the phone, losing that usual confidence that seemed to emanate off of him in the media.
"Wow, you really said a lot of words then." I laughed, hearing the way he seemed to nervously chuckle on the other end of the line. I rolled over to my back, contemplating his suggestion. Facetime?
"Sooooo...." he finally muttered after a few moments of silence.
"Sooooo" I mimicked, pulling the phone away from my ear and taking the leap. Looking at the screen, I clicked at the button for 'Facetime.' The anticipation for him to pick up was unnerving, and as usual, there was a part of me that questioned it all. But then again, the whole situation was so crazy that I was completely tempted to just play along and see where we ended up. After a few moments, the screen of my phone lit up with his face, hair tousled from laying in bed. The smile he gave me was heart-melting and his dimples were just as I'd seen in the magazines.
Sometimes I forgot that he was genuinely that attractive in real life. I looked down at my phone and grinned back at him.
"Hi." I said, noticing the slight tremble in my hands as a result of pent up nerves.
"Hey Brownie." he replied in a husky voice, indicative of how late it had become.
"My eyes probably look a lot puffier than they did that night at the bar, but that is because of all the crying and lack of makeup. So excuse that." I rushed out. He frowned in amusement.
"You look fine. It's nice to see you again." he paused, and then rolled onto his back so he held the phone up in the air with his hands.
"You too." I replied. For a moment, my eyes glanced at the clock that hung on my bedroom wall, and I realised it read 1am. Gasping, I turned my attention back to Noel.
"What are you gasping at?"
"Noel it's late! It's even later where you are! We should sleep!"
"Is my face really that ugly that you desperately want to end the call?" he joked, but I shook my head.
"No your face is just as pretty as it is in the magazines." I blurted back. He was visibly taken aback by my remark, so much so that the phone slipped out of grip and fell onto his face. Through my phone screen, the whole ordeal was so hilarious that I couldn't hold in my laughter as he grumbled to steady himself. Even as he looked at me again, there was a pout on his lips that just made me giggle harder.
"Don't ruin the moneymaker, mate!" I retorted as I calmed down. He rubbed his chin where the phone had fallen.
"Fuck off." His swearing took me by surprise, as he had such a pristine image in the media. Yet at the same time, I realised that he was genuinely comfortable with me.
"I have work tomorrow, I should get going." I replied, genuinely disappointed that the conversation had to end. Noel sighed at the other end of the line, but nodded nonetheless.
"I should go too. Talk later, Brownie." he muttered, and I smiled at him as I ended the call. A few hours ago, I was a mess, crying and panicking, yet now, my heart felt full and I felt overall better. As much as his fame intimidated me at times, Noel was just a nice and normal boy at the end of the day. Talking to him felt like talking to an old friend -- a sense of comfort always clouded our conversations.
**
The next morning, I awoke feeling barely alive. Getting up for work at 6 am, with barely 4 hours of sleep the previous night left me feeling like a zombie that had come back to life. I grumbled as I pulled myself away from the comfort of my bed, feeling a migraine beginning to form on my temple. I was tempted to call in sick for work, yet I'd only had the job for merely a week.
Awake even before the sun, I made myself some hot coffee, cherishing the way it sparked life into my aching body. The apartment was dead quiet as a I recalled the events of the night before. Immediately, my eyes flickered to the closed door of Cassidy's room, and I begun to stress for her. I decided to make her a quick sandwich and coffee too, leaving out some Panadol for her too. Pulling out some scrap paper from the recycling bin, I decided to scrawl a quick message for her before heading out to work.
Made some food for you. The tablet might help with aches and pains -- it's safe for pregnant women. Hope you're feeling better and remember you can call me whenever if you need me. Love you xx
Outside, there was relaxing breeze that wafted in the air, not too chilly. The colourful trees swayed rhythmically with the twirling wind as I got into my car and drove myself to work.
My workplace was already bustling with people as I arrived, coffee in hand. Even before I could get to my office, my boss, Ms Jameel, greeted me and walked beside me, chatting about current events. I thought she'd leave as I approached my office and begun to place my things on my table, but she stood, tall and imposing, in the doorway, waiting for my attention. I straightened up my posture.
"So, Mrs Holland, here at BrightlyEvents, we believe the most effective way to test the skill of employees is to throw them straight into the deep end, hence why I'm going to assign you your first management task today," she begun. She must've sensed my heart rate pick up and my stomach dropped, as she took a step forward and placed a comforting step on my shoulder.
"There's nothing to worry about, sweetheart, you're allowed to ask for help if you need it, or ask questions. But, at the end of the day, how will you learn to drive a car if you don't get into the driver's seat for yourself?" She smiled, sweetly cupping my chin before stepping back and standing straight again.
"Alright, Ms Jameel, what do you need me to do?" I asked enthusiastically, and was happy to see her smile widen with appreciation. I really wanted to impress this lady.
"So, in a month and a half, there is a fashion show in Sydney, where the renowned supermodel Lorraine Bolton will be in attendance. I need you to be in charge of her accomodation, her press interviews, photoshoots and her actual schedule on the day of the fashion show. So you're in charge of her stay in Sydney going smoothly. Work in conjunction with her manager to organise it all, and her information regarding contact details are all provided in her portfolio. Any questions?" Ms Jameel finished, bringing her full attention back to me. I shook my head, still keeping a smile glued to my face.
"Good." And with that, she exited my office, and I finally let go of the breath I had been holding. My head was reeling from all the information that had been hurled at me, and I had to take a moment to recover. Then, I ran to my computer and started searching for this 'portfolio' Ms Jameel had been speaking about.
By the end of the work day, I was beyond exhausted. A lack of sleep paired with a stressful eight hours of trying to gain a head start on this 'assignment' really left me craving for my bed. In all those hours, I'd virtually achieved nothing, even after I'd felt like I was doing a heap of work. In actual fact, I managed to find Lorraine's manager's number and see the dates for the fashion show. As the clock hit 4, I had no energy to keep on stressing, so I packed my things up and begun heading out.
"By Miss Holland!" I heard Ms Jameel exclaim, and I turned around and gave her a wave. As I was nearing my car, I felt my phone ting with a text. Even that noise seemed to penetrate my skull, increasing my headache. I pulled my phone out and read the message on my lockscreen. I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.
Mike: So how was your day?
I, like the loser I was, didn't even bother waiting a second to reply, quickly typing back a response, before getting into my car. As I headed home, I realised that the text from Noel had the same effect on me as coffee did, as suddenly, I felt a little more alive.
I was half asleep at work today because of you.
YOU ARE READING
My First Kiss
Romance"You've always told me that you wanted a special first kiss." He whispered, and my heart skipped a beat as I stared into his familiar eyes. How could this be the last time I ever saw him? His hands enclosed my cheeks, and he stroked his thumb on my...
