Yes, Sir

7.0

•- Austin Wood -•

Throughout my morning I'd been sent over the entirety of Manhattan looking for inspiration for Evaleen's store. I intended to make it my best work to date, and that meant my time away from Laine and work was spent drawing up designs and boards for both the exterior and interior.

Something about being at the forefront of this project, especially one so emotionally attached to me had really made my heart rate rise unexpectedly. I'd forgotten the stress that followed while trying to pinpoint the right architectural necessities for a long lasting building. All the paperwork had been filed and it all had come down to the final plans.

I'd found myself wandering the streets of New York City before finding myself in Brooklyn. I wasn't too far from Laine's apartment, but from the many pleading texts I received earlier this morning, I was well aware her and Thea had gone to find gowns for the dawning event coming on Saturday.

No matter what angle I decided to look at it, I felt too old to be hosting a party. My mother insisted on a yearly commitment to hosting a get together of the rich and well-known, but it had all been for show. This year, however, would be different. Laine and her friends would be in attendance and they would market he first of my employees to be invited to a Wood family gathering. Neither held high ranks in the company, but they were apart of Laine and I had no problem with spending my birthday near the ones she cared deeply for.

A birthday cake and no clothes would suffice just as well, but I was saving that for her own date of birth.

I pull into a familiar location, where Laine and I had not been in months.

Putting the vehicle in park, I exit my car and make my way to the front door where a bell sounded lightly to announce my arrival.

Immediately the woman behind the counter looks up with a smile.

"You're Laine's boss, right?" She asks, making me nod in reply as I stride across the tiled floor to meet the island.

The retro themed interior matched the same decor outside and there seemed to be no structural difficulties from a brief rundown of my surroundings.

"It's been a while since I've seen her," the woman makes small talk as she pours a cup of coffee, having to have had remembered my order from months ago.

"We just returned from-"

Before I could finish my sentence she looks from the mug in front of me and meets my eyes with a knowing expression, "Hawaii," she replies, making me nod politely, "She needed a break. Poor girl. Dane and I never knew the specifics of her father's issues. We suspected he was dead from the sounds of her short words on the subject. I know that once her name hit the media and Dane came rushing in here, it was bound for her to escape. She can only hold so much internalized emotions."

I trace my thumb along the rim of my mug awkwardly. Laine's lack of communication outside of her friend group had surely stemmed from Dane's revolting reaction to my being in her apartment.

Looking back on those early days of our relationship, I can't help but choke on how disgustingly naive we were. I'd been so lost in the betrayal of Hannah that I couldn't see past the beauty that was Laine. I had tried to get myself on my feet sexually, and had I known all it took was a woman like Laine, or rather my Laine, then I would have been sexually active prior to our deal.