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'Ava, I'm nervous,' Kam mumbled, as we stood in the short queue of VC employees waiting to get by security. Each one showed their staff ID and were quickly waved in where a woman ticked them off the list. I knew there was a strong chance that I might get turned away, but I also told myself that Caden was just mad and wouldn't really do that to me.
'It'll be fine, Kam,' I said, taking his hand. 'Just act normal.'
We finally reached the front where there were two security guards at each side of the stairs. I turned to the one on the left as Kam turned to the one on the right, both showing our ID cards. As soon as the security guard spotted that my card was a legit staff ID, he waved me right through and Kam and I both grinned at each other as we continued forward.
'Hey, guys, I just need to tick your names off the list,' the small, quirky, blonde at the door with a headset and clipboard said to us.
'Kamran Patel,' Kam told her.
'Got you,' she replied, turning to me.
'Ava Marshall,' I told her.
'Thank you, Ava, let me just...' She trailed her pen down the list, stopping at my name before she looked back up at me awkwardly. 'I'm sorry, Ava, I can't let you into the venue.'
'Excuse me?' I asked, laughing softly. 'I work here.'
'I'm aware of that but I have a mark by your name and that means no entry,' she sighed. 'I'm sorry.'
'That's ridiculous!' Kam screeched. 'She's worked here for two damn years!'
'It's absolutely nothing to do with me, guys, I just go off the list and this list says the boss doesn't give Ava Marshall permission to be at this event,' she said. 'You will have to leave.'
'We are not leaving!' Kam snapped.
'If you don't I will have to ask security to remove you,' she replied.
'Kam, it's okay,' I sighed.
'No, it's not, A!' he yelled.
'I'm so sorry,' the girl said to me. 'I can see you're all dressed up and you seem like a nice girl but it's Mr. Clark's orders.'
'I totally understand,' I told her, calmly. 'Come on, Kam. We will just go back to The Butterfly Cabinet and have a few drinks then head home.'
'Sorry,' the girl repeated.
'It's not fair,' Kam whined, as I linked his arm and led him out, back onto the street. 'I can't believe we're going back to sit in The Butterfly Cabinet when all of our colleagues are in there!'
'We're not going to The Butterfly Cabinet,' I told him, quietly, as I led him away from the queue.
