HI! This is fairly short chapter a 'filler' if you will, but if you stick with this the next chapter is where things being to kick it up!
Anyway disclaimer: I don't own anything
I exited the crowed subway and took a deep breath as my nerves hit in the pit of my stomach with force. I was dressed to impress, simple black dress pants a white blouse with the ends and the ruffles near my neck a nice pale blue, and simple black heels. I decided to loose my trademark pigtails back in high school so I now had pulled my hair back into a sleek ponytail. Sophisticated. I was clutching a black file to my chest tightly weary it was going to get knocked from my grasp.
I crossed the full roads my black handbag sitting on my shoulder as I could hear the entire contents jiggling about. I had printed out the e-mail I received 2 months ago and was once again scanning the page for the address of the company. I hadn't told anyone about my meeting or the very fact that I was almost financially bust, I didn't want anyone taking pity on me I wanted to show everyone that I can do things on my own. I'm always treated as the 'baby' of our group, the one that needs to be looked after because of my over trusting nature and untoward ways of being friendly to almost everyone. I was 22 for goodness sake I can stand on my own two feet.
K.K Industries is where I'm ment to be, I had googled mapped the place and noticed it wasn't too far from the cafe. Following the mental map I had in my head from what I had looked it up, I ended up outside a huge glass building standing tall on it's own with people constantly coming and going. Looking through the massive glass windows the back wall of the lobby had 'K.K Idustries' attached to it in thick gold capital letters.
"Guessing this is it" I said sarcastically, my nerves hit me again harder and I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. I slowly walked into the lobby of the building and up to the reception desk, the man behind it had a large oval head and pointy eyebrows; he was looking down scribbling out a form clearly unaware of my presence. I cleared my throat in hope to get his attention.
Nothing. My eyebrows scrunched together for a split seconds before I tried again a little louder. Still nothing. Buttercup probably would have ripped his pen and launched it across the lobby by now.
"Excuse me" I said in a soft voice, he looked up slowly and gave a sigh clearly wishing the day away already.
"Yes? Can I help you?" He asks placing his pen down and lacing his fingers together.
"Uhm yes I have a meeting with Bruce Syth at 2pm today" I explain still clutching my file with more force than necessary. The man rolls his eyes and begins typing on his small computer.
"Name?" He asks
"Bubbles Onium"
He raises one pointy eyebrow at my name, (something I get a lot) before he slowly goes back to typing away at his computer and I let my eyes scan the huge place in awe, ignoring him.
"Okay can I see some proof of ID?"
"Oh um sure let me just..." I begin rummaging through my black bag picking up my apartment keys with a small purple octopus attached to it, I find my purse and pull out my provisional driving license and hand it over. He checks both sides, grunts then hands it back to me.
"Thank you" I say politely (something this guys clearly knows nothing about).
"Okay you in conference room 597 on the 7th floor, here's your visitors pass for the day and be sure to hand it back in at the end of the day" He explains handing me the pass.
"Okay thank you" I say once again before heading over to the elevators, praying the next hour or so goes as smoothly as possible.
Walking down a long white corridor I count up the numbers at each door I pass.
"595.. 596... 597 okay well here we go" I mutter to myself. I stand outside the door. Should I knock? Should I walk straight in? I mean they where expecting me but I didn't want to seem rude.
'Knock-Knock'
I tapped at the door and grip the sides of my file tightly.
Deep breaths Bubbles there only here to help.
I kept repeating over and over in my head trying anything to calm me down.
"Come in" A manly voice orders, I let a squeak escape my lips and I quickly regained my composure. Taking a shaky breath I entered the office.
I exited K.K Industries with a smile on my face, the meeting had gone extremely well and plans where now in motion as soon as I can decide...
"After evaluating you cafe we feel that as potential investors it would be beneficial for you to expand your business more nationally rather than locally." A smart dressed man explained from the head of the table (He had already introduced himself as Bruce Syth.)
"Nationally?" I questioned I looked around the table to see two men at either side of Bruce making 6 of us in the room together.
"Yes we feel if you opened another cafe here in this town it might not be successful, seen as your current occupancy is dipping" His voice taking a disapproving tone on the last word. My lip twitched slightly at his words and my mind was quickly clouded with information.
"So what did you have in mind?" I asked tentatively.
"Well me and the board" He says glancing at each man who nodded and looked at me with warm smiles, as Bruce laced his fingers together. "Had a look and we feel that Garsdale would be the perfect place to expand" He says smiling.
"Garsdale!" I splutter shocked. Garsdale was hours away from Townsville, I would never be able to commute in time... that could only mean... I'd have to move.
"It's the most reasonable choice and we have found a lot that we would be able to use in a suitable destination... financially" One of the younger looking men explained on Bruce's right.
"I'd have to leave?" I pointed out getting straight to the point.
"Well yes, you would have to look at getting someone to cover for you here in Townsville and while this new cafe is being set up you would have to most likely have to move to be able to give your full attention to this project in order to be a success. On that grounds we are willing to give you 3 months to decide, that's when our bid on the lot in Garsdale will expire. You have until then to choose if you are will to be involved, unless you have decided now?" Bruce clarifies.
I shake my head in a daze. "No, I just need a little time to process everything if that's okay?"
"Understandable" Bruce nods, I'll send you another e-mail with a date for our next meeting with your decision, I look forward to working with you" He says extending his hand.
Looking up the road I decide to hail a cab, the squashed subway was not appealing to me right now. I needed breathing space.
"Bubbles?"
I spin round at the sound of my name and I'm greeted with bright red eyes.
"Oh hi Brick, what are you doing here?" I was sure he worked around the block.
"I've just given my old friend Bruce Syth some documents for him to go over" Brick said pointed over his shoulder to the building I just left.
"Bruce Syth?" I questioned raising my eyebrow. Wow small world.
"Yeah known him years, good business man knows how to play things in his favour let me tell you" He chuckles "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Erm nothing just curious" I lie.
"Okay... you going back to your apartment?" He asks.
"Yeah if a cab will stop!" I say annoyed.
"No need, my car is in the company car park I'll give you a lift" He says.
"Thank you"
We reach his car (which by the way is HUGE!) and he pushes a CD into the system. I recognise the singers voice immediately.
"You listen to Boomer's band?" I says shocked.
"Yeah only this song though all the other pansy ones he plays aren't my style" He laughs
The song playing was a cover of a Good Charlotte song - 'Lifestyles of the rich & famous'
I didn't think Boomer's songs where pansy at all, they where all amazingly good! He was good, great even! It's just a cafe owner like me surely doesn't stand a chance with a soon-to-be rockstar like him. No matter how much I wanted it to happen, I was probably more scared of losing him as a friends than I was worth willing to risk to see if he liked me. His beautiful sea blue eyes, shaggy dirty blonde hair and his jaw dropping lazy smirk where just a few of his amazing qualities that had me weak at the knees (not that anyone knows!) However Boomer has been acting really really strange lately, he's been keeping his distance from everyone mainly the boys... hmm I hope they haven't had an argument.
I sigh...
"So what where you doing at K.K Industries?" Brick asks as we set off.
"Oh uhm well... you see... I was... ahhh" The stop start words tumbled out of my mouth, as I was completely caught off guard by Brick's question which was stupid really as he was bound to wonder why I was there.
Brick looked at me as if I had grown an extra head, I swallowed the lump in my throat. Gosh I'm such a dummy agreeing for Brick to take me home! He was obviously going to ask what I was doing and I'm the worlds worst liar! Ask Buttercup, I ruined Blossom's surprise birthday party BC had organised because I took Blossom shopping... for her party dress!
"Want to try that again?" Brick says with a 'caught-you-red-handed' tone to his voice. I sank a little in my seat... Well might as well tell him now, plus might be good to get a business man's point of view anyway. Even if this business was stupid enough to knock up one of my best friends.
"Okay well I actually had a meeting with Bruce Syth about expanding... my cafe" I say simply.
"Wow Bubbles that's amazing... Congratulations!" Brick says smiling, I gave a weak smile back.
"Thank you, but there's bad news..." I begin not really wanting to get to it but at this moment I have no choice.
"Go on..." Brick encourages.
"The new cafe would be in Garsdale so that would mean I would have to leave" I say straight to the point hating how much it actually hurt telling my friend. Gosh if I was this bad at telling Brick how bad would it be telling Blossom and Buttercup? Or even Boomer! Ugh I just couldn't think about that right now.
Brick didn't say anything straight away and kept his concentration on the road, however soon enough we reached our apartment block. As we where walking up the stairs Brick finally spoke.
"If it's what you really want Bubbles then I think you should go for it, I mean yeah I guess I'll kind of miss you a little" He says the last part sarcastically as I giggle.
"You really think so? I mean I want a busniness persective on things is it really the best career move I can make at this moment in time? But leaving everyone is just going to be so hard" I say as we climb the stairs.
"Well from a business angle I think its a make or break deal, you go for this your going to go far especially with someone like Bruce involved, he only ever invests in things he knows are going to succeed. As for the moving part sure we'll all miss you but you can come visit us and vice versa right?" He says, his words are reassuring and blunt which I'm thankful for, but I'm going to have to think things over personally before I make my final discussion, but at this moment my mind seems pretty much set...
"Your right Brick" I smile as we enter my apartment for some lunch, however if I'd had known that a blue eyed man had heard my entire convocation from inside of Brick's apartment my mind would have done a U-turn. But I didn't.
r&r :)