YOU 1 [Charli D'Amelio]

Chapter 84

By the time we both take a shower and lay back in bed it is almost four in the morning.

"I have to be up in an hour." I groan against her chest.

"You could sleep until seven thirty and still make it on time." She reminds me. The idea doesn't sound appealing to have to rush around but I do need the sleep. I am thankful I took a nap earlier so I hopefully won't be dead on my feet during my first day of actually working at Vance.

"Mhmm.." I mumble against her skin.

"I'll fix your alarm." She says and I drift off.

My eyes are burning from lack of sleep as I try to curl my unruly hair. I line my watery eyes with brown eyeliner and put on my new ruby dress. The neckline is square and just low enough to accentuate my bust. The hem ends just above my knees and the small brown belt across my waist gives the illusion that I took longer to get ready than I actually did. I consider putting on a little blush but thanks to my night with Max, my cheeks are still glowing. I slip my feet into my new shoes and walk over to the mirror. The dress is quite flattering and I look better than I deserve. I glance over at Max wrapped in the blanket on my tiny bed, her feet dangling off the edge and smile. I wait until the very last minute to wake her, I consider not waking her at all but I am selfish and want to kiss her goodbye. I slip on my jacket and grab my purse.

"I have to leave." I say and gently shake her shoulder.

"I love you." She mumbles and puckers her lips without opening her eyes.

"Are you going to class?" I ask after I kiss her.

"Nope." She says and rolls back over.

I place another kiss on her shoulder and grab my things. I want to crawl back in bed with her so badly. Maybe living with her wouldn't be so bad, we spend almost every night together anyway. I shake the thought from my head. It's a bad idea, it's too soon. Too soon. I spend the entire drive imagining getting an apartment with Max, picking out curtains and painting walls.

When the elevator reaches the third floor a young man steps on with me. He is wearing a dark navy suit and smells like soap.

"What floor?" I ask him.

"Top please." He says. I was already going to the top anyway so I lean back against the wall of the elevator.

"Are you new here?" He asks. His eyes are a crispy blue which is a strange contrast to his dark hair.

"I'm just an intern." I tell him.

"Just an intern?" He laughs.

"I mean, I am an intern not an actual employee." I correct myself nervously.

"I started as an intern a few years ago and was hired on full time. Do you go to WSU?"

"Yea, did you?"

"Yep, just graduated last year. Glad that is over with." He chuckles. "You'll like it here."

"Thanks, I already love it." I tell him as we step off the elevator.

"I never caught your name." He says as I turn the corner.

"Charli, Charli D'Amelio." I call and he smiles and gives me a small wave.

The same woman from yesterday is at the desk and she introduces herself as Kimberly.  She smiles, wishes me good luck and gestures towards a table full of food and coffee. I smile and thank her, grabbing sprinkled donut and a cup of coffee before I head back to my office.  I find a thick folder on my desk with a note from Mr. Vance telling me to begin my first manuscript and good luck. I love the freedom of this internship, I can't believe my luck.  Digging into my donut I pluck the note off the folder and get to work.

The manuscript is actually really good, and I can't seem to put it down. I am only two hundred pages in when the phone on my desk rings.

"Hello?" I have no clue how to answer my own office phone. I feel much more grown up than I ever have. "I mean, Charli D'Amelio office?" I bite my lip and hear a small laugh on the other end.

"Ms. D'Amelio, there is someone here to see you. Shall I send her in?" Kimberly asks.

"Charli, call me Charli please." I tell her. It seems disrespectful to have her call me Ms. D'Amelio, she is far more experienced and older than me.

"Charli." She says and I can picture her friendly smile. "Should I send her in?" She asks again.

"Oh, yea. Wait.. who is it?"

"I'm not sure.. she uhm.. she has tattoos, lots of tattoos. " She whispers and I laugh.

"Yea, I will come out to get her." I tell her and hang up.

Maxxy is here, the thought thrills me then scares me. I hope everything is okay. When I walk out into the lobby Max is standing with her hands in her pockets and Kimberly is on the phone. I get the feeling that she is pretending to be on the phone, I can't tell for sure. I hope that it doesn't seem like I am taking advantage of the great opportunity Mr.Vance has given me by having visitors on my second day.

"Hey, is everything okay?" I approach her.

"Yea, I just wanted to see how your first day was going." She smiles.

"Oh. It's great I." I begin to say but stop when Mr. Vance strides toward us.

"Well..well..well.. Come to gravel for your job back?" He smiles at Max and pats her on the shoulder.

"You wish, you old wanker." Max laughs and my jaw drops. Mr. Vance chuckles and raises his fist before playfully nudging Max in her ribs. They must be closer than I thought.

"So what do I owe the honor? Or are you here to stalk my new intern?" He says and looks at me.

"The second. Stalking interns is my favorite pastime." She says and looks at me. I look back and forth between them, unsure what to say. I love seeing this playful side to Max, it doesn't come out much.

"Do you have time to get some lunch, if you haven't already?" Max asks me. My eyes dart to the clock on the wall, it's already two. The day has gone by quickly.

I look at Mr. Vance and he shrugs. "You have an hour each day for lunch so go ahead." He smiles and says goodbye to Max before disappearing down the hall.

"I text you a few times to make sure you got here but you didn't answer." Max tells me when we step onto the elevator.

"I haven't looked at my phone, I got sucked into a story." I tell her and I reach for her hand.

"You're okay right? We are okay?" She asks, her eyes locked into mine.

"Yea, why wouldn't we be?"

"I.. I don't know.. I was just getting worried because you weren't answering me. I had thought.. maybe you were starting to regret last night." She looks down.

"What? Of course not. I honestly didn't check my phone. I have no regrets from last night, not a single one." I can't hide my smile as the memories invade my thoughts.

"Good. Well that's a relief." She lets out a breath.

"You drove all the way here because you thought I was having regrets?" I ask. It's a little extreme but flattering all the same.