Sorry it has been so long since an update! School really has been hectic with course work and my exams coming up, but I promise I will get this finished eventually :) Hope youenjoy, please let me know what you think! Thanks for all the alerts and favourites.
Donna xxx
"Charlie!" Anna sighed in relief as he sauntered in through the front doors and came straight over to her desk, "Where in god's name have you been? Natalie's been practically interrogating me about where you were!"
"God, really?" He grimaced, "What was she saying, then?"
"Well actually, she just asked me where you were." Anna admitted, before moving swiftly on, "But that's beside the point, I mean I had to think really quickly to come up with a good excuse."
"Oh, lord," Charlie's eyes glinted, "You having to think on your feet can only ever lead to disaster, Anna, we all know your imagination... So what did you tell her, that I'd been captured by giant mice or something?"
"No." She feigned a huff, smiling cheekily at him "I actually told her exactly what you suggested. That you were running an errand at the Doctor's."
"Well," He pretended to consider, "I suppose that's better than it could have been... Still completely off the wall, of course, but it's not the oddest thing you've ever come out with, Anna. You really are one of a kind, eh?"
There were three or four seconds where she merely gazed at him, open mouthed, seemingly totally unaware that there was anyone else in the room... And then, realising herself, promptly snapped out of it, looking a little embarrassed as she leaned forward and raised an eyebrow.
"So," She asked, "How did it go?"
He leaned in towards her and spoke in a quiet voice, and Anna felt her spine tingle, "It went well," he said, "Very well, in fact. Took your advice regarding Rebecca, and yeah, I think she liked me quite a lot."
"I bet she did, the desperate tart." Anna muttered before she could stop herself, "I mean, erm, so do you think you got the job?"
"Well, she said she'd let me know in a few days." He said, wisely skating over her previous comment, "But I reckon it's in the bag... The concierge winked at me as I left, friendly like, and he seems like the type of bloke who knows everything round there."
"Course he does." Anna said immediately, "It's Tony Casemore! Never met him, but I know of him of course, he's been Concierge of the Year for as long as anyone can remember."
"Like I said," Charlie smiled appreciatively, "You are one of a kind, Anna. Now, there's one more favour I wanted to ask you... Actually, I have a confession to make."
"Oh, really?" She couldn't help but feel a little excited, "Go on."
"Thing is," He admitted, "I've never actually worked on reception... I mean I know basically how to use the system, but when it comes to procedure, etiquette... I'm useless. So I was just wondering if, seeing as I'm quite likely to get this job-"
"If I could train you up?" She suggested smoothly, "Impart my wisdom, if you will?"
He grinned, "You're finishing my sentences, Anna. That's exactly what I was going to say."
"Well," She said as though weighing up the options, "You already owe me big time for covering for you today, and for generally spending most of my precious time behind reception when I could be staring blankly into space talking to you... This is going to cost you biiig." She narrowed her eyes, nodding her head slowly.
"I promise," He said, "That I will find an extra special way of making it up to you."
"Well in that case," Anna grinned, "I can hardly wait. Consider yourself as of tomorrow morning my official trainee receptionist."
"Great, I appreciate it, Anna." He looked at his watch, and she couldn't help but notice him looking slightly hopeful as he asked, "You working the night shift?"
"God, no, I'm thrilled not to be! In fact, I'm clocking off in approximately..." She took his wrist and turned it so she could see his watch, "Two minutes."
"Lucky you. Well, I'd probably better go and find Natalie, at any rate... She'll be hitting the roof. See you tomorrow, Anna."
"Ciao, Charlie." She smiled warmly, and he returned it as he headed to Natalie's office.
Anna heard footsteps approaching her desk, "Knock knock?"
"Caz!" She exclaimed, turning to see the girl she had met earlier in the day standing in front of her desk, "Sorry, I was totally in a-"
"World of your own." Catherine finished for her with a smile, "Again. You know, that's twice I've seen you today Anna, gazing dreamily into space in the direction of a closed door..."
"Oh, I've just got a lot on my mind." Anna trid to shake it off, "You know, stress with work and stuff, and I actually have..." She caught sight of Catherine's raised eyebrows, "...Sod it. You're a girl, you'll understand. It's a bloke."
"'Course it is." She said with a grin, "I can recognise that look a mile off... They can really get to you, can't they?"
"Tell me about it." Anna felt remarkably at ease talking to this girl, considering she had only met her this morning, "As if work could ever get me as worked up as I am about him."
"I was the same recently... You almost feel ridiculous for letting yourself get so entranced buy him, and you tell yourself it's silly and that you'll forget about it... And then of course, you spend the entire time when you're apart thinking about him, and the next time you see him it only gets stronger."
"Exactly." Anna sighed, "God, you're like some sort of oracle... Tell you what, I'm just about to clock off - Do you fancy going somewhere for a drink? I could do with a wind-down."
"Absolutely," Caz agreed, "Just one, mind, I really shouldn't drink too much."
"Olé!!!" The girls cried in unison, raising their glasses before simultaneously downing at least half of their fifth margarita each.
"Now Anna, you've simply got to tell me," Caz slurred her words slightly, "What you use on that hair. I's just..." She hiccuped, "Divine!"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" She giggled in reply, although nothing was funny, "I'vegot the most horrible problem with split ends yousee, so my hair... man... styler... thing..." She carelessly waved her hand,"Hasto use this weird things...Oh, I can'tremember it!" The two of them burst out laughing.
"So, your man," Catherine said purposefully as their giggling subsided, "Whats'ee like?"
"What, my hairdresser?" Anna looked baffled, "He'sas camp as row of-
"NonononononoNO! Shhh!" Caz waved her arms around to cut her off, spilling a little of her drink and giggling, "Your dreamy man, the one from the-" Hiccup, "-Hotel."
"Ohhhh." Anna snapped her fingers, "He... He's the Ass... The deputy asstistant.. attisstans... ass... Some sort of manager."
"Nice. Powerful then." Caz grinned.
"Well actually..." Anna considered, "No. But I tell youwhat, he is cute beyond comparison. And not nearly rich enough for my usual taste, but hey. Whenyou love someone, wha'can you do?" She gulped down the last of her drink,a look of sorrow on her face as Caz gasped.
"You love him! You said it!" She squealed, "That is adorable."
"I guess..." Suddenly, and she wasn't sure why, Anna felt a hell of a lot more sober than she had ten seconds previously. She spoke quietly, "Yeah. I do."
"Mornin', Anna!"
"Owwwww..." She moaned from where she was sitting on the floor behind reception, her back leaning against the desk, "Too loud, Charlie."
"Rough night?" He asked with a smirk, noting her hands clutched to her head, "You don't sound too good."
"I don't look it either, and I never thought I'd say that." She groaned, holding out both hands so he could haul her to her feet. Even in her hungover, practically comatose state, she still felt a little tingle as his hands touched hers.
"Don't be silly, you look gorgeous." He said as she rested her head in her hands on the reception desk, and it was true. Instead of her usual neatly pinned updo she had left her hair completely loose, and it cascaded over her shoulders as she looked up at him.
"Thank you, Charlie." She managed a smile, "I took the new chambermaid out for a drink."
"Why?" He looked a little bemused.
"Because she's lovely." Anna told him, "Anyway, the drink turned into several, which is why I'm being so monumentally crap this morn-"
"Anna!" Barked a voice, and the two of them looked up to see Natalie with her arms crossed, "Can we make a bit more of an effort, please? You don't want anyone's first sight upon entering our establishment to be a hungover receptionist slouching all over the desk with her hair all over the place, and flirting with the Assistant Vice Deputy Manager rather than doing her job."
She felt fury bubble up inside her at that, but knowing it wasn't worth the effort it would require to argue, Anna merely gritted her teeth and nodded, "Of course, Natalie."
"And you, Charlie." The Manager snapped, "What are you doing talking to Anna? Why are you behind reception? And why aren't you wearing your name badge?"
"Erm..." He struggled, but before he could even remember what order the questions had been asked in, let alone attempt to answer them, Anna stepped in.
"Charlie was just offering to help me out today." She said smoothly, "One of my reception team has... Has fallen off the top of a bus, and so won't be in work this week. And because Charlie isn't doing his regular job he couldn't really be seen wearing a name badge that says Assistant Vice Deputy Manager , could he? It would give entirely the wrong impression. Here you go."
And with that, Anna slapped a pink post-it note onto his chest, unable to avoid thinking as she did so how taut his muscles were. Natalie merely glared at the hastily scrawled label of Charlie, and opened her mouth before apparently deciding they weren't worth the effort and sweeping off to her office with a look of disgust.
"Fell off the top of a bus?" He enquired, an eyebrow raised.
"Let me tell you the first rule of being a receptionist, Charlie." Anna considered in a deadpan voice, "Keep your enemies close. But your post-it's closer."