Lily had tears in her eyes when she ran out of Michael Shore's
office. She seemed to cry awfully a lot lately. Lily wondered aimlessly
around the London streets for hours. Her head was full of questions, full
of possibilities. Could Michael be James? Is there such a thing as being
alive after you die? With a different name?
No, no, James is dead. Lily kept on telling herself. And you have Justin now. Justin. Lily thought about her and Justin's future, and then she made a decision. She quickly walked back to the office and asked to see her boss, Katherine.
"Lily, how did the meeting with Mr. Shore go?" asked Katherine as she looked up from all the documents on her desk.
"Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about," said Lily as she sat down on one of chairs in front of the office. "I don't think I should work on this project. I just don't feel comfortable working with Michael Shore."
"Lily, is there a problem? Did something go wrong at the meeting?" asked a clearly worried Katherine. Lily wasn't the type of person to just refuse working with people.
"No, it's me," Lily insisted. "I have never asked an request of you, Kate. Just this once."
"All right," said Katherine reluctantly. "You are the best person for the case, but I'll figure something out."
"Thank you," said Lily as she walked the door. "Really, thank you."
Just as Lily left, an owl came through Katherine's window and left a note on her desk.
"I want to sign the contracts and begin work right away. Can you come by tomorrow? - Michael Shore."
Katherine quickly scribbled a yes on the paper and sent it back with the owl.
*** Next Afternoon
Michael was sitting in his office with his associate Kevin Hirsch having a cup of coffee.
"What would you think when a girl looked at your face, and then cried?" asked Michael suddenly.
"Maybe she was so thankful you should up in her life?" Kevin replied jokingly. "I would assume it happens a lot with you, Michael. The ladies seem all crazy about you."
Michael laughed before he said, "No, seriously, the other day, this woman was here and she had tears in my eyes when she looked at me. I mean she looked at me. I felt like she could look into my soul."
"Wow." said Kevin before he was cut off from the voice at the door.
"Mr. Shore, Mr. Hirsch, the person from the ministry is here," said the young wizard. "Should I send her in?"
"Please do," replied Michael, and to Kevin he said, "here she comes."
"The girl you are talking about is that cute one from the ministry?" asked Kevin. Before Michael can answer, Katherine walked in the door.
"Mr. Shore, it is good to finally meet you," said Katherine.
"Same here," said Michael as he got up from his seat to go shake her hand, clearly surprised not to see Lily. "I thought you would sent Miss Evans."
"Oh, I do all the contract stuff, she knows the details," Katherine quickly replied.
"But she will be handling this project?" asked Michael.
"Well, no, she's busy with something else right now, but I'm sure I can find you an equally good replacement."
"I'm afraid that can't be, Miss. Coulter," replied Michael. "You see, we want to sign the contract because we are very pleased with Miss. Evan's work so far. So if she won't be the one to work with us, I'm afraid we can't sign the contract."
"Are you saying you will only sign the contract if Lily works with you?" asked Katherine, not knowing what to think.
"Correct."
"I'm coming," Lily yelled out as she came out of the kitchen of London flat to open the door. She was surprised to find Katherine there. "Kate, what are you doing here? Oh, no, I didn't miss an appointment, did I?"
"No, no, I just need to talk to you," said Katherine.
"Come in, come in," said Lily. "I was just making some hot chocolate."
Minutes later, they both sat down in the cozy kitchen to slip their hot chocolate.
"Lily, I don't know how to ask you this," Katherine was the first to break the silence.
Lily looked up, surprised. "You can ask me anything, Kate. You are like an older sister to me."
"You have to work on the school project with Mr. Shore, Lily," said Katherine looking uncomfortable. "They requested you, and they wouldn't do it otherwise."
"Me, why me? I've only been there a couple of times," said a surprised Lily.
"They were really pleased with your work," Katherine simply said. "Lily, really, this school thing is very important to us at the ministry."
"Okay, okay, if you put it that way," said Lily. "It's just for 6 months. I can handle it."
"Lily, thank you," said a very happy Katherine. "I really appreciate this."
"I'm home," Martha's voice rang out from the door. "Lily, I bought us dinner."
"I should really get going," said Katherine as she picked up her bag and put on her jacket. "I'll see you at the presentation on Wednesday."
"Katherine! I didn't know you were here," said Martha when she came in the kitchen. "I only bought dinner for two."
"I'm leaving," smiled Katherine at Martha.
"What was she doing here, Lily? And why that troubled face?" asked Martha as she took the food out of the packages.
"It's something at work," said Lily as she took out plates and forks. "I can handle it, I think."
The presentation on Wednesday went remarkably well for Lily. All her hard work was really paying off for her. She had only stayed a few minutes after the presentation to accept some congradulations and some small talk. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. She didn't want to spent another minute in there. She didn't want to spend another minute in the presence of Michael Shore. She just didn't want to.
She took a deep breath as she came out the building. "Lily, what are you doing here?" asked a cold and oddly familiar voice.
Lily turned around, and looked to see who called out her name. "Rebecca?" asked a shocked Lily. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see my boyfriend," said Rebecca in that cold and confident look. "You still haven't told me why you are here?"
"Well, I'm working on a project here," replied Lily, still can't believe it's Rebecca, whom she haven't seen since Grauation 10 years ago. She haven't changed at all: the long blond hair, the icy stare, the cold voice, and that air about her.
"Don't tell me you work with Michael," said Rebecca.
"Michael Shore?" asked Lily. "He's handling the project."
"Were you surprised when you saw him?" asked Rebecca, with a hint of emotion in her eyes. "He does really look like James."
"He does," said Lily wanting to drop the subject. Rebecca was dating Michael Shore.
"But you should know that he only looks like James. They are nothing alike," said Rebecca with a warning tone in her voice, and she quickly walked to the building.
"Rebecca," cried out Lily just when Rebecca started to open the door. "Where did you meet him?"
"I met him when we both worked in France last year," said Rebecca with her back to Lily. "He was there from America."
"So, he grew up in America, then?" asked Lily, more to herself than to Rebecca.
"He was born and raised in America," said Rebecca. "And this is the first time he's every been in London." Then she disappeared inside the door.
Lily had wanted ask more questions. She had a million questions in her head, but she just slowly walked away. She has to walk away. Justin was waiting for her. He was waiting for her in the restaurant where they planned to have dinner.
No, no, James is dead. Lily kept on telling herself. And you have Justin now. Justin. Lily thought about her and Justin's future, and then she made a decision. She quickly walked back to the office and asked to see her boss, Katherine.
"Lily, how did the meeting with Mr. Shore go?" asked Katherine as she looked up from all the documents on her desk.
"Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about," said Lily as she sat down on one of chairs in front of the office. "I don't think I should work on this project. I just don't feel comfortable working with Michael Shore."
"Lily, is there a problem? Did something go wrong at the meeting?" asked a clearly worried Katherine. Lily wasn't the type of person to just refuse working with people.
"No, it's me," Lily insisted. "I have never asked an request of you, Kate. Just this once."
"All right," said Katherine reluctantly. "You are the best person for the case, but I'll figure something out."
"Thank you," said Lily as she walked the door. "Really, thank you."
Just as Lily left, an owl came through Katherine's window and left a note on her desk.
"I want to sign the contracts and begin work right away. Can you come by tomorrow? - Michael Shore."
Katherine quickly scribbled a yes on the paper and sent it back with the owl.
*** Next Afternoon
Michael was sitting in his office with his associate Kevin Hirsch having a cup of coffee.
"What would you think when a girl looked at your face, and then cried?" asked Michael suddenly.
"Maybe she was so thankful you should up in her life?" Kevin replied jokingly. "I would assume it happens a lot with you, Michael. The ladies seem all crazy about you."
Michael laughed before he said, "No, seriously, the other day, this woman was here and she had tears in my eyes when she looked at me. I mean she looked at me. I felt like she could look into my soul."
"Wow." said Kevin before he was cut off from the voice at the door.
"Mr. Shore, Mr. Hirsch, the person from the ministry is here," said the young wizard. "Should I send her in?"
"Please do," replied Michael, and to Kevin he said, "here she comes."
"The girl you are talking about is that cute one from the ministry?" asked Kevin. Before Michael can answer, Katherine walked in the door.
"Mr. Shore, it is good to finally meet you," said Katherine.
"Same here," said Michael as he got up from his seat to go shake her hand, clearly surprised not to see Lily. "I thought you would sent Miss Evans."
"Oh, I do all the contract stuff, she knows the details," Katherine quickly replied.
"But she will be handling this project?" asked Michael.
"Well, no, she's busy with something else right now, but I'm sure I can find you an equally good replacement."
"I'm afraid that can't be, Miss. Coulter," replied Michael. "You see, we want to sign the contract because we are very pleased with Miss. Evan's work so far. So if she won't be the one to work with us, I'm afraid we can't sign the contract."
"Are you saying you will only sign the contract if Lily works with you?" asked Katherine, not knowing what to think.
"Correct."
"I'm coming," Lily yelled out as she came out of the kitchen of London flat to open the door. She was surprised to find Katherine there. "Kate, what are you doing here? Oh, no, I didn't miss an appointment, did I?"
"No, no, I just need to talk to you," said Katherine.
"Come in, come in," said Lily. "I was just making some hot chocolate."
Minutes later, they both sat down in the cozy kitchen to slip their hot chocolate.
"Lily, I don't know how to ask you this," Katherine was the first to break the silence.
Lily looked up, surprised. "You can ask me anything, Kate. You are like an older sister to me."
"You have to work on the school project with Mr. Shore, Lily," said Katherine looking uncomfortable. "They requested you, and they wouldn't do it otherwise."
"Me, why me? I've only been there a couple of times," said a surprised Lily.
"They were really pleased with your work," Katherine simply said. "Lily, really, this school thing is very important to us at the ministry."
"Okay, okay, if you put it that way," said Lily. "It's just for 6 months. I can handle it."
"Lily, thank you," said a very happy Katherine. "I really appreciate this."
"I'm home," Martha's voice rang out from the door. "Lily, I bought us dinner."
"I should really get going," said Katherine as she picked up her bag and put on her jacket. "I'll see you at the presentation on Wednesday."
"Katherine! I didn't know you were here," said Martha when she came in the kitchen. "I only bought dinner for two."
"I'm leaving," smiled Katherine at Martha.
"What was she doing here, Lily? And why that troubled face?" asked Martha as she took the food out of the packages.
"It's something at work," said Lily as she took out plates and forks. "I can handle it, I think."
The presentation on Wednesday went remarkably well for Lily. All her hard work was really paying off for her. She had only stayed a few minutes after the presentation to accept some congradulations and some small talk. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. She didn't want to spent another minute in there. She didn't want to spend another minute in the presence of Michael Shore. She just didn't want to.
She took a deep breath as she came out the building. "Lily, what are you doing here?" asked a cold and oddly familiar voice.
Lily turned around, and looked to see who called out her name. "Rebecca?" asked a shocked Lily. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see my boyfriend," said Rebecca in that cold and confident look. "You still haven't told me why you are here?"
"Well, I'm working on a project here," replied Lily, still can't believe it's Rebecca, whom she haven't seen since Grauation 10 years ago. She haven't changed at all: the long blond hair, the icy stare, the cold voice, and that air about her.
"Don't tell me you work with Michael," said Rebecca.
"Michael Shore?" asked Lily. "He's handling the project."
"Were you surprised when you saw him?" asked Rebecca, with a hint of emotion in her eyes. "He does really look like James."
"He does," said Lily wanting to drop the subject. Rebecca was dating Michael Shore.
"But you should know that he only looks like James. They are nothing alike," said Rebecca with a warning tone in her voice, and she quickly walked to the building.
"Rebecca," cried out Lily just when Rebecca started to open the door. "Where did you meet him?"
"I met him when we both worked in France last year," said Rebecca with her back to Lily. "He was there from America."
"So, he grew up in America, then?" asked Lily, more to herself than to Rebecca.
"He was born and raised in America," said Rebecca. "And this is the first time he's every been in London." Then she disappeared inside the door.
Lily had wanted ask more questions. She had a million questions in her head, but she just slowly walked away. She has to walk away. Justin was waiting for her. He was waiting for her in the restaurant where they planned to have dinner.