/ phantom /
a figment of the imagination
"She was like a dark wave crashing upon the bright shores of his horizon."
Anne Wheeler. An outcast. A loner. A street orphan. A disregarded, disgraced child born out of wedlock. A broken girl waiting for a s...
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Her heart fluttered with eager apprehension. Her feet padded hurriedly across the hard, boarded floor. Her dark eyes were wide with consternation. Her hands clenched and unclenched in nervous trepidation.
"Anne! What brings you to the office?"
Anne paused before slowly turning to face Phillip, who had quickly risen to his feet upon seeing her tall, slim form.
"I - I need to see Mr Barnum," she shot him a small smile. "Do you know where he is?"
"I believe he's out the back going over some last-minute constructions plans for the set," he returned with a shrug. "Anything I can help you with?"
Anne hesitated. Should she let Phillip in on the secret? "Well...I know registrations closed a few days ago but my best friend would really like to be a part of the show. I - er - was going to ask Mr Barnum to set up an interview..."
"No need," Phillip waved her statement aside. "I own ten percent of this show. I can do the interview just as well as he can."
Anne's face brightened. "You? You'll do the interview?"
"Of course. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."
"Even still, you should probably tell Mr Barnum if you're adding randoms to his show," a flat, dry tone resounded from right beside the two.
Anne and Phillip turned to see Bec leaning carelessly against the corner of Barnum's desk. He had a pair of thick-rimmed glasses perched on the end of his nose and he was flicking a pen niftily around his fingers.
Phillip let out a loud chuckle. "Why don't you mind your own business, Mr Ivans, and let me handle the complicated side of matters, hmm? Last time I checked you were Mr Barnum's assistant not his mother."
A deep flush stained Bec's cheeks upon hearing these words. His brow furrowed slightly in anger and his eyes narrowed in disgust.
Trying to ease the tension, Anne piped up, "Great! I'll go and tell her the good news."
As she was about to leave, Phillip placed a restraining hand on her arm and said, "I'll go with you. I'd like to see your friend."
Bec scoffed under his breath which earned him a glare from Anne.
Hoping that his actions didn't complicate matters any further, Anne wheeled Phillip away from the office and towards the front door. Maybe, just maybe, Deng Yan would be allowed to participate in the upcoming show thanks to the kind Mr Carlyle.
"Deng!" Anne called out as she approached her friend who was fidgeting nervously from the wait. "Meet Phillip Carlyle. He's a partner in Mr Barnum's business."
