The Crew | On Hold

Chapter 29

A.N. Hi, everyone! I wanted to give a special shoutout to the amazing eastcoastgirrrl for making this amazing cover for my book! She is really talented & is also a great writer - check out her book "Chasing Back Alleys" ( it's on my reading list (: )

I blink repeatedly, as I gape at Anna in shock. 

Is Anna kidding? Is she warming up to yell at me? What is going on?

Anna stares back at me with a worried look, as a frown appears on her face. "Are you still feeling sick, hun? You can take the day off, if you need to."

I feel my eyebrows furrow. She's either a really good actress, or honestly doesn't know.

If Anna really doesn't know yet, then there must be a reason for Mila's silence. She absolutely hates me, so, most likely, she's cooking up some sort of a plan of revenge. There is no way she would actually be okay with keeping my secret. She's hated me since the moment we met. I bet she wants nothing more than for me to get fired.

Anna impatiently strikes her nicely manicured fingernails against the dresser right next to the door, and I desperately dig through my mind to find an answer. 

Of course, if I could, I'd rather go home and pretend that everything is still okay. That my mom is still a priority to me. That I'm not in love with Andrew. That I just got a well-paid job, where I get to do what I find interesting. However, the sad truth is that nothing will ever be the same. And no matter how hard I'd try to forget every shitty thing that I've gotten myself into, there would still be that small voice in the back of my head, silently whispering 'you fucked up'. 

I swallow a bit too loudly. "Um, no, thank you. I'm feeling a bit better, anyway." Forcing a smile, I look away from Anna's curious stare, unable to look her in the eyes as I continue lying to her. I really should come clean before Mila does me dirty. Fear surges through me at the thought of me telling Anna the truth. No. I can't. Not yet. 

Anna smiles a warm smile back at me, and comes over to hug me, taking me by surprise. Her embrace is warm and makes me feel loved. Anna is a good friend, and even a better boss. In the time I've worked for her, she's never been angry at me, not even when I fuck up with the note taking. 

She's such a good person, and I've broken my promise to her. I sight quietly as realisation washes over me of what a terrible friend and employee I am. Why am I even allowed to be around such good people and call them my friends?

The hug doesn't last very long, but even in that short time her vanilla scent washes over me, making me want to inhale more deeply. I don't, though, because that would be creepy. 

Pulling back from the hug, Anna beams at me, and then walks over to the other wall to look at herself in the mirror. Her lipstick has mostly smeared off from lunch, so she takes her favourite Colour Pop lipstick from her handbag. The colour is a pretty beige colour, and compliments her skin tone. She gave me to try it on one day, but it looked terrible on me, so we joked that it was made just for her.  

I plop down on the couch and stare at her, as she applies the lipstick. Her blonde hair falls down her back in pretty waves, and my mind wanders off to thoughts about the time I styled my mother's hair like this. Her hair was naturally black back then, and she looked magnificent as I prepared her for her reunion date with dad. 

They had been split for a while back then, but then dad suddenly returned to us and started to fight for mom. She fell for his tricks, sadly, but at least she was truly happy when dad came back to her. 

We spent the whole day curling her hair, doing her make up and picking out her clothes. I was a child, but I was really good at make up. I didn't use much - mascara, lipstick and powder to hide her burning cheeks, but she truly looked great, when I was finished.

Her eyes were shining, as she opened the door. Dad's eyes widened, and he gave her three red roses. They weren't much, but my mother loved them. Of course, now dad buys his new wife loads of flowers, and he could have bought them to my mom back then, too, but he was just a cheap asshole.

"Emma, did you hear me?" Anna's voice pulls me out of my memories, and I realise my face has turned into a scowl. 

I blink, and the frown immediately disappears. "Sorry, I tripped down a memory lane." I smile apologetically, and Anna laughs, her warm laughter ringing through the trailer. 

Placing the lipstick back in her handbag, she turns to face me. "I was saying that you should rest here for an hour or so. We are going over some details with Andrew and Nicole that Devina and I agreed over the lunch." She looks away, as a thought pops in her head. I can even see in her eyes how she processes the thought. "And, um... You can stay here and relax for an hour or so. I'll have someone come and get you, when I need you." She looks back at me and smiles, but I can see that she's still distracted by the sudden thought. 

Without saying anything else, she rushes out of the trailer and doesn't completely close the door behind her. Though I hate when someone leaves the door to my room open, I don't feel even a little annoyed at Anna, as my sinful actions rise back in my mind. 

Getting up from the couch, I make my way to the door to close it, but, before I even reach it, it opens widely, and the devil herself stands in the doorway, smiling mischievously. 

Hello, my dear reader! Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, that you'll vote for it, and, most importantly, that you'll continue reading the story. :)