AN: Thanks for the support! :D You people are the best!
The word workspace was a bit of an understatement. It was more like an office room. Tastefully decorated like the rest of the house with art and potted plants. A table made entirely out of glass commanded Molly's attention as soon as she stepped into the room. A comfortable chair was placed behind it. There was no clutter on the table, just an apple laptop and a pen stand (also made of glass).
"This is where you'll be working, my dear" Mrs. Hudson said. Though she talked a lot, Molly liked her. She was kind and nice, unlike some people.
Molly immediately headed to the chair and took a seat. She smiled. She finally had a job. And from the job description which Mrs. Hudson had given her, she could handle it. But then the thought of her employer put a frown on her face.
The housekeeper, observant as ever, noticed the frown upon her face.
"Oh! Don't you fret dear, you would do just fine. I know. You're quite different. You didn't burst into tears or spit some insult before walking away" she said with a smile.
And suddenly the mystery of why people wouldn't kill to work for Sherlock Holmes was solved.
However she refused to let Sherlock's behavior dampen her mood. She had a job and it was a decent one too. She resolved right there that she would do her best to ignore her rude employer and give her best.
While she had been making her silent vow, Mrs. Hudson had opened the drawer of the mahogany cupboard and was now retrieving few documents from inside.
"The confidentiality agreement" she said and placed the papers in front of her. Molly signed them. A part of her job was to handle the scripts of movies and these documents made sure that she keep her mouth shut about them and not give away spoilers, else be sued. Seriously if she spoiled anything, Mary would personally kill her.
"And here is your advance" the old lady said, handing a check. She blushed at that.
She accepted it meekly. Then with a kind smile the housekeeper left, promising to check on her later.
Molly took a deep breath. She could do this.
/-/-/-/-/-/
Molly still couldn't believe that it took so many people to make a movie. All around her technicians were buzzing around, fixing this or changing that. She tried her best to stay out of way.
Frankly she had no idea what she was doing here.
She was well into the third week of her job. Honestly, it was an achievement. Mary and she had gone out for drinks to celebrate. It sounded quite pathetic, but she could assure you that it was not.
Molly's job was a mine field. Sherlock had been away in the states for a movie promotion in the first week. She had to simply plan his organizer when he would be back and arrange for meetings with a choice few directors. Mrs. Hudson had often popped around her 'workspace' with some tea and biscuits. It was pretty great.
But the moment he came back, all hell broke loose.
"What is this?" he had asked Molly, pointing to the organizer which she had forwarded him earlier.
She couldn't gauge his reaction. There had been no emotion on his face.
"Um…your organizer?" God! Why had it sounded like a question.
"Ms. Hooper according to this 'organizer' which you have prepared, I'm to attend two meetings a day, before and after shooting."
Yes. That was what it said. She had meticulously made the organizer in such a way that he wouldn't be in any rush. The thought of someone questioning her work had made her indignant.
"Yes. That way there would be plenty of time for you to have food and other relaxations. Also, this ensures that all the events for the week are also covered." She didn't stutter at all.
Sherlock just looked at her for a moment and before she knew what happened, he was in her personal space, towering over her.
"Ms. Hooper I do not need relaxations. And more importantly I don't eat when I work. Change it. I want the meetings planned for the next two weeks, scheduled in this week." And with that he had left her office. Dramatically.
It was all Molly could do to not burst into tears.
It wasn't that bad, she knew that. But this had been her first assignment and she had clearly failed. And the look in his eyes. As if she were an utter moron.
It was already five, her job hours were over but she hadn't left that day. She had stayed and planned the organizer, starting with ripping the initial one into pieces until she was satisfied she wouldn't weep. She had to make calls and change the timings with the concerned parties. Not all of them had been cooperative but she had drudged on. Only after emailing him the new one did she leave. It had already been twelve and her phone had been bursting with worried messages from her best friend.
The next day, she found him seated on the sofa (the lush one), the printed organizer in his hand. Molly had simply ignored him, foregoing her usual cheerful 'good morning' and went to her office. Moments later her laptop had pinged with a new email.
This will do.
-SH
Ha! Will do? The new organizer not only jam packed the next two weeks in this one, it also gave breathing time to 'Mr. I don't eat or relax.' Well as long as he didn't think she was stupid, she was happy.
The next few days felt literally like dancing with the devil. She would do something and could only pray that he wasn't pissed by it. Sometimes her prayers were answered and sometimes not.
But then slowly she understood his expectations, which were quite high mind you, and delivered her best which was probably good enough so he didn't make her feel like crying or slapping him.
So it had really been a surprise when her phone pinged and it was a message from her boss.
Come at once to Harrow.
-SH
And then another.
Bring Coffee.
-SH
Molly had rolled her eyes. It was his typical behavior. Make her cross half of London just to bring him coffee. But then he had never called her to any shooting spots.
After having Mrs. Hudson make coffee and transferring it to a thermos, apparently there was something wrong with Starbucks coffee (she had almost upended the cup on his head for the reasoning), she was finally here.
Still looking around, she made her way to where the filming was taking place. She spotted her boss. The makeup artist was struggling to get his curly hair to cooperate.
"Ah! Molly" he said when he looked up and saw her. She didn't know when she became 'Molly' from 'Ms. Hooper' but she wasn't complaining. His voice made her name sound so good.
"Your coffee." She offered it to him with a big smile.
He was about to tell her something when they were interrupted.
"Oh! The new PA" a man with silver hair said.
He was quite handsome and had a twinkle in his eyes.
"Molly, meet Gavin Lestrade, director. Lestrade, Molly Hooper, my PA." Sherlock introduced them.
"It's Greg not Gavin and you know it" Lestrade said, giving a him withering look, who simply shrugged in response. He then turned to her with a smile.
"You must be special" he said with a laugh and upon seeing her confused look he added, "We didn't get to meet his other assistants. I heard every single one fled."
She laughed with him.
"Yes, very funny. Now, Lestrade I don't want Anderson handling my shooting details anymore. He's an imbecile. Molly you'll be handling them from now on."
"Oh!" she squeaked. While one part of her broke into a touch down dance another part of her was daunted. This was a much bigger responsibility. She would have to accompany him on his every shoot including the abroad ones. But she could do it.
Clearing her throat she added firmly. "Okay."
"Well it's better this way. I will finally get some peace from Anderson complaining about what an arse you are" Greg said.
A woman with long red hair approached them and said that the shot was ready. In the meantime when they had been conversing, the makeup artist had somehow turned Sherlock's curls into sleek ones which were drawn back.
The director gave her a hurried goodbye and followed the red head. So did her boss, sans the goodbye. The thermos lay abandoned, much to her ire.
Molly watched Sherlock in awe as the filming began. He was such a brilliant actor, his face seamlessly moving on from one emotion to another. Something which was so different from the cold and detached personality that he usually put up. She felt her heart speed up as she continued to watch, mesmerized.
Oh! She had forgot to mention. She had developed a huge crush on Sherlock Holmes. Yup, despite the fact that he was the biggest git in the world. Also yes, Molly Hooper was an idiot.
AN: Hope this was okay. :)