Project Shady

Unpacking

Clara didn't know how she'd managed it, but she had somehow made her way back to the studio without getting lost, which was a major achievement for her since she hadn't been sure how to get back.

As the doors hummed open to let her in, her phone rung, causing her to awkwardly delve into her bag to find it. Once she'd found it she took the call in the lift, surprised to find it was about her flat and that it was ready for her to move in to. She was also told that the key would be with the neighbour for her to collect. Clara wasn't sure what to do with knowing that her neighbour had the key to her empty apartment, somebody she didn't even know. Either way, she listened thanked them and by the time the phone call had ended she was making her way down the corridor to her office.

As she made her way down the hallway to her office, she couldn't help but be confused by the lack of noise. She'd only walked in the building twice since working for Marshall and both times she'd heard the laughter or sound of music radiating from the studio Marshall worked in. However, now the noise had been covered by a blanket of silence and it felt odd. never the less she dismissed the motion making her way back to the office, Paul had given her some files to got though untill Marshall needed anything specific, so that's what she'd planned to do. That plan was stopped heavily in its tracks once she opened the door to her office.

Now it was clear to her as to why there was no noise coming from the studio because the person who usually made the noise was sat behind her desk in her chair. His arms were folded across his chest as he lent back in the chair. Clara had no inkling about what he wanted as he sat motionless in her chair, just staring at her.

''Can I help you, Mr Mathers,'' Marshall sighed at her use of words, slumping forward in the chair to rest his elbows on the desk.

''Look about that I'm sorry. I just... I don't get you,'' it was Clara's turn to sigh as she made her way across the room to take residence in the chair opposite the desk he sat at.

''I admit, maybe I overreacted at what you said to Denaun, but you have to understand Marshall that if you got a problem with me or you don't like the way I do things, you gotta tell me. I'm not for the I'm just going to tell my friend behind their back shit because that's where I have a problem,'' as Clara explained, Marshall took in everything she had said. At the end of it, his shook his head, moving backwards in his seat.

''So are we good because I don't think you're a freak in that sense, Clara. It's just... Ok don't get mad with me, but I wanted to know more about you so last night I googled you and...''

''Found nothing?'' She finished for him and he nodded, ''I don't have any type of social media Marshall, you won't find anything about me on the surface of the internet. You have to delve deeper or you know talking is always good,'' she added, a small smile gracing her lips ever so slightly.

''Paul did say I should get to know you instead of justing finding stuff out through the internet. What do ya wanna do, have dinner get to know each other?'' Marshall asked, raising a tentative eyebrow at her.

''My flat's ready to move into and all my stuff should have been shipped over and inside by now. You could help me move in?'' She offered, causing his eyes to go wide.

''You're moving out?'' Wasn't exactly the answer Clara was hoping for.

''I did say I only needed somewhere for a couple of nights and it's not like it's such a big deal,'' she shrugged and Marshall was silent for a moment as he tried to work out what to reply with.

''Yeah ya did. Sorry yeah, I'll help you, we could start now, I ain't going to get anything done anyway Royce and Porter went home a while ago,'' with that lasting comment the two of them walked out of the office together, starting over again for what seemed like the hundredth time.

°°°

''I just gotta get my key from my neighbour, give me a second,'' Marshall nodded as Clara left him to lean against the wall next to her new apartment.

Some part of him had hoped she didn't have to leave his house, he had seen it as an opportunity not to get so caught up in work when nobody was around. He had hoped her presence would allow him to take a break. The news of her actually moving out had given him feelings he'd never felt much before.

Clara came back with the key and he waited in silence as she struggled with the lock. After he'd watched her struggle for a few more minutes he placed his hand over her own, taking the key from it. She stared at him as he turned the key the other way to how she had been holding it and slotted it in the lock. Then all he had to do was turn the key and the click of the door signalled the opening of the door.

''Unlocking doors isn't my speciality,'' she mumbled pushing past him into her new home. It was to her surprisingly better looking than she had thought it was.

The flat for the most part was open plan, the kitchen backed onto the living room, which was then backed on by a door that she assumed led to her bedroom. She was also surprised to see that whoever had brought her stuff up had put them in the relevant place depending on what was written on the boxes.

''You're a fan,'' Clara whipped around to where Marshall's voice had originated from and of course, it had come from the bedroom. She could have put money on the room he was most likey to gravitate to first.

Marshall had found an already half open box on the bed and he couldn't help but have taken a sneaky peek as to what was inside. Although he was aware that it wouldn't contain clothes as most of that was back at his house; he wanted to get to know Clara, get a read on her. The only way he was going to do that was to start with what stuff she possessed.

Clara walked in on him to see him holding the Slim Shady EP in his hands. She watched him as he turned it over in his hands glancing over the track list before putting back in the box before taking out another one of his albums.

''It's the lyrics that do it for me, that's why I listen. I couldn't give a shit about the beat, I'm all about the lyrics,'' she explained taking the rest out of the box to spread across her bed so he could see them all, literally every album he had done was staring back up at him.

''I wouldn't have known. I thought you didn't like my music the way you just didn't care when we first met. That's why I walked out when you stopped me from falling over, I thought you had no idea who I was,'' he replied placing The Eminem Show down with the others on the bed.

''It's called being professional something I've realised you don't care about,'' he nodded at that and watched Clara as she emptied out the rest of the box and started to put things where she wanted them, ''how about you start in the kitchen, that shouldn't be too hard,'' she suggested noticing Marshall standing just watching her.

''Yeah I'll go do that,'' he replied nodding his head and leaving her in her bedroom. Clara was glad he'd gone and done what she'd said to him because there was some questionable items in some of the boxes and to her knowledge, none of them would be in the kitchen ones. Well, at least she hoped because otherwise there would be one hell of a conversation and explanation she had to give to Marshall.