Among The Trees.

Chapter 1

 Libby McDonald-

Hamilton Drive. Two bedrooms. £795 per calendar month. Fully furnished. The West End of Glasgow.

She knew this flat like the back of her hand. It was small, adorable and pretty much perfect. And here she was selling it.

"Oh Darling! It's absolutely precious! This is the one, I knew it!”

 The client squealed and clung to her partner, eyes huge and mouth in a pout, a picture of happiness. Libby stifled the urge to throw up the sandwich and coffee she had had for lunch earlier.

 "Are you absolutely sure this time, Gorgeous?"

 The boyfriend replied, his deep Scottish accent contrasting with her sweet Texan twang as he hung his arms loosely around his little blonde bombshell's waist. She squealed something about how she'd just paint the bedroom wall hot pink and everything would be just so gosh darn perfect.

Will she fuck, Jane thought, but as usual, it was just empty words and made no effort in stopping the boyfriend - who looked like the Hulk and a WWE fighter had spawned a baby, only he wasn't green - from grinning down at his beauty and promising her they would buy it.

 "Okay, great!"

 Jane said through a perfect forced smile, the one she had spent too many nights practicing,

 "Let's you both back to the office and we can get the forms sorted out, shall we?"

 The blonde bombshell let out another squeal and wrapped her arms around the muscly arm of her man as they went through the door - Libby holding it for them, of course - and down the stairs to the outside world.

- -

"And then; get this right? Oh my god, he was sitting on the stairs with her. Half naked.  And her tongue cleaning his tonsils, I mean really! All outside my bedroom door as well! I’m in the right mind to go drown him."

 "Mmm,"

Libby replied to the phone, flipping over to the next page of her favourite book; Wicked Lovely. There was something about an enchanted world with fairies and dark magic and-

 "Libbyyy! You're not listening to me, yet again!"

 Sophie, Libby’s friend yelled down the line. You could almost hear the pout in her voice. Reminding Libby of the blonde bombshell from earlier today. She sighed, folded the corner of her page and pulled up her legs, bringing them to her chest,

 "Sorry."

 "Where are you, Libby?"

 "In my flat Sophie, you called my house phone." She rolled her eyes and lifted her hand to play with the elastic at the bottom of her grey jogging bottoms.

 "I mean in your head. You'd usually come out with some smart remark about how Shane was a asshole anyway and-"