Just a little one - lockdown has been kicking my arse more than I expected and turned my brain to mush, but I know exactly where this story is going...I just don't know how to get it there, yet. But I promise the next couple will be much more action-packed.
Thank you again to anyone who is bearing with this story, or who is new to the family - welcome! As always, feedback and messages are welcomed and very greatly appreciated.
Stay safe xoxox
By the early hours of the morning, Sebastian was completely done. He was lounging on the carpet next to the coffee table – or what used to be the coffee table, which has been transformed into a mountain of folders and case reports and receipts – and trying to hide his yawns from Jim. It was getting harder, as they were getting progressively wider as the night wore on.
Jim was unaware, hunched over a stack of receipts with a highlighter, determined to get the staff expenses straightened out before he would allow either of them to sleep. No one ever thinks about this side of the job, he mused. His employees, his associates, his victims – he doubted any of them would let their minds wander to the most wanted man on most continents poring over a spreadsheet and trying to calculate tax breaks. Most businesses would have an accountant to do this shit for them, or a secretary who was in charge of the paperwork, but Jim had never felt comfortable trusting anyone else with it. The only person he allowed close enough was Moran, and his tasks this evening had mostly been organising papers into date order – nothing too vital. Jim needed control over every aspect of his operation, which was why he needed so much caffeine. It was hard work.
Sebastian checked his phone and groaned inwardly. Nearly three…which meant only five hours until the first meeting of the morning. So he'd be fucked up from no sleep all day, and then he was probably going to have to find a way to sneak out to see Molly the next night or they'd never make up the lost time. Excellent. He was getting too old for all-nighters, although he hated to admit it. And he was definitely too old to be sneaking around like he was. It felt like being a teenager trying to hide an inappropriate girlfriend or a smoking habit from his parents. But Jim wasn't his father – God forbid, although he had had a couple of stomach-churning moments where he had identified some distinct similarities between them. Horrific thought. He stretched his arms above his head, feeling a satisfying crack in his shoulders and back as he twisted.
Molly's intention to distract herself hadn't quite gone to plan. She'd cleaned the oven, she'd reorganised her cutlery drawer, she'd had a long shower, and she was still staring up at the ceiling, willing the time to pass faster. She couldn't even practise, really – not without Sebastian's help. She turned onto her side and checked the blinking red numbers of her clock: 03:27. With a huff, she turned back to the ceiling. She hated this limbo. She just wanted Jim to know. But she wasn't ready, Sebastian had made that clear. But she would be soon, she was sure. She could feel herself getting better, and she couldn't help but imagine how Jim would react. She really really hoped he would…understand.