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"Josie," Florian smiled as she entered his bedroom as he finished buttoning his waistcoat while still watching her. She looked incredible, the black lace dress simple but looking beautiful on her while her hair was pinned back in its usual fashion, the large smile on her face however making her look stunning. "You look beautiful," he said quietly before approaching her and gently pressing a kiss to her lips while her smile continued to grow as his hand rested on the small of her back. She really did look gorgeous. "Are you nearly ready Josie?" he asked as she nodded, her arm linking around his before he led her out of his bedroom. "I am looking forward to tonight," he admitted, glancing down at her as she nodded, grabbing her coat before pulling it on over her body and smiling at him once more.

"So am I," she admitted before opening the front door and stepping outside, Florian stepping out after her before shutting the door behind her and finding her arm once more and placing it around his own.

"Our first evening out together," he commented as she nodded, walking down the street with him as he continued to beam at her. He loved that he was walking down the street with her and she was smiling and enjoying her time with him, that she wasn't panicking about someone catching the two of them together as a couple. "I'm looking forward to this performance," he admitted, excited about the concert they were on their way to see. She had arranged the tickets after a friend had told her how wonderful the musicians and Florian was excited that she had agreed to go out for an evening with him. "Thank you for arranging this Josie," he declared, leaning across to kiss her gently after checking that the street was empty, knowing that she would not be impressed if someone had saw him.

"I thought we could do with an evening out, just the two of us, seeing something that we both love," she admitted before they continued to walk down the street together. "I have hardly seen you this week, you have been so busy with all your events," she smiled, knowing that he had adored playing at the numerous events that had been arranged after his performance at Mr Selfridge's but she had missed him. With her working throughout the day and him working most evenings now, the only time they saw each other was when he snuck into her bedroom and curled himself around her when she was half asleep and just happy to be reunited with him again. "Anyway, I thought you deserved a night off performing and instead the opportunity to enjoy someone else's music," she explained as he nodded, still holding her close as she smiled up at him. "And also you get to spend the evening in my fantastic company and who would want more than that?," she smiled before he laughed and kissed her once more before they began to walk once more.

"Are you my partner tonight or just my friend Josie?" he asked quietly, his voice full of desperation as they began to approach the theatre, Josie sighing as she stopped with him and laced her fingers with his for a moment.

"If I believe that we are safe, that there is no-one there that we know, then I can be your partner," she explained before kissing him gently, her arm wrapping around his again as he smiled at her. Approaching the theatre with him in silence before they stepped inside, Josie smiled as she showed their tickets before they found their seats and sat down. He couldn't take his eyes off her, she was so beautiful when she was happy, and she was currently so happy as she sat beside him beaming. "I have missed you this week Florian," Josie admitted as she turned to face Florian again before relaxing into her seat as the music began to play, his fingers slowly moving to touch her hand while she remained completely focused on the musicians while allowing her fingers to entwine with his.

XOXOXOXOXO

"Mr Grove, Miss Towler said that you wanted to see me," Josie stated as she stepped into his office before he glanced up from his work and noticing the large smile that was covering her face. She looked so happy, so beautiful and he couldn't take his eyes off her. Pointing at the seat in front of his desk, Roger watched as she sat down and looked at him, confusion covering her face slightly as she continued to watch him for a moment. She didn't understand why she had been called into his office, they had nothing to discuss and she had been about to go home for an evening with Florian and a good book. "Mr Grove, I am extremely busy today, I would like to return to my station," she stated.

"Do you know what I did last night?" he asked as she began to look even more confused.

"Mr Grove, I have actually got plans tonight and I would like to go home," Josie immediately responded, moving to stand up as he began to talk again.

"I attended a concert with Doris, she had heard about it from Kitty and we thought we would go out for an evening before the new baby arrived," he explained, Josie staring at him in silence as he continued to stare at her. "I was surprised to see you and Mr Dupont also there Miss Mardle," he stated as she remained completely silent, already knowing what he was going to say. "Then I thought that you were both probably attending because of Mr Dupont's musical interest," he said quickly before shaking his head. "That was until I saw you kissing him outside the theatre on the way out," he stated, the brunette remaining perfectly still as it finally hit her. Her worst nightmare was starting to come true. Someone had seen her and Florian together and the person who had discovered them had been the one person she had dreaded finding out.

"Florian and I…" she began.

"This is completely inappropriate behaviour Josie for a member of staff of Selfridges to behave like that and it is embarrassing that you are behaving like this," he interrupted as she stared at him, shaking her head at his statement.

"Inappropriate? What about our twelve year relationship Roger?" she immediately responded, her frustration becoming obvious as she stood up and glared at him. "You didn't seem to have a problem with what was inappropriate when you visited me once a week, when your sick wife believed you to be at your club, in order to sleep with me," she declared as he also stood up, also glaring at her as her anger. "Staff of Selfridges are not allowed to enter a romantic relationship with one another, that was clearly stated to all staff when we started working at Selfridges, but we continued to have an affair until you decided that I wasn't enough for you."

"Josie, this is not about our previous relationship. This is about you embarrassing yourself and acting stupidly in relation to this boy," he declared quickly as she laughed, shaking her head at him again as she moved towards the window and looked out at London. What right did he have to make comments about her relationship? He knew nothing about what was happening between Florian and her, he knew nothing about how she felt towards Florian or how he felt towards her and yet he was passing judgement.

"You just hate that another man likes me Roger," she snapped, immediately turning to face him in anger. "You hate that someone else has fallen in love with me," she declared.

"In love? Josie are you blind?" he asked as he walked towards her. "He is a young man with no job, no friends and no family in this country. You are a lonely older woman who has money, have you not thought about why he may be interested in this relationship?" he stated as she shook her head at him, becoming more and more angry as he approached her.

"Florian loves me. He loves me and you hate that. You hate that I am no longer a lonely woman sat in her empty house, waiting for you to change your mind and come back to me, you hate that don't you? You hate that my life no longer revolves around you," she said quickly, her anger obvious as they stared at each other. "You have affected seventeen years of my life. I have sat in a house for seventeen years alone because of the fact that I believed that you loved me," she explained as he stared at her.

"Josie I did, I do…" he began as she shook her head.

"You made how you felt perfectly cleared when you married Doris and had four children with her," she explained. "And I hated you for that, I hated you for leaving me alone after I had been there for twelve years, after I threw away all my chances of having my own family because I believed myself to be in love with you," she explained quickly as she began to shake her head at him.

"Josie I'm concerned about you. I don't want you to be hurt when this boy suddenly disappears after he's got what he wanted from you," Roger explained as shook her head again, not knowing what to say to him. "Josie, you're an intelligent woman. You have to be wondering about why he is in this relationship with you,"" he stated as she remained silent. "He is a attractive, talented and young man and you are…" he began.

"Yes?" she asked quietly.

"You are an older woman Josie, who can not give him a future," he said quietly as she turned away and shut her eyes. "Do you not think that when he wants more he will just leave and find someone his own age?" he asked as she remained perfectly silent for a moment, taking in what he was saying. Opening her eyes, Josie forced herself to calm down before she turned to face Roger and remained silent for a moment.

"It couldn't just be that he's interested in me, could it?" she said quietly, clearly upset, before walking towards the door and leaving his office in silence. Walking down the corridor in complete silence as she attempted to control her emotions, Josie quickly stepped into the elevator, not surprised that it was empty before she found her handkerchief and began to wipe the tears that had started to become free. She hated him, she really really hated him.

XOXOXOXOXOXOX

"Josie is that you?" Florian called out as Josie entered the house, removing her coat and hat before she approached the stairs, just as he walked out of the living room with a large smile on his face. "I was wondering when you were going to come home, Agnes told me that you had a meeting with Mr Grove," he smiled as she stood on the bottom step in silence, forcing a small smile onto her face as she looked at him, trying desperately not to think about everything Roger had said. "Is everything alright?" he asked quietly as he moved towards her, shocked when the brunette moved further up the stairs, like desperately trying to get away from him. "Josie, are you unwell?" he asked quietly. "You look very pale."

"I'm just tired, I'm going to try and get some sleep," she said quietly, remaining perfectly still while he continued to watch her, clearly not believing her.

"Is there anything I can do Josie? To help?" he asked as she shook her head, moving further upstairs while he followed her, his concern getting deeper as he watched her move towards her bedroom door like she was desperate to get away from him. "Josie have I done something wrong? Have I upset you?" he asked, his voice full of worry as she shook her head quickly, opening her bedroom door as he continued to watch her. How was he supposed to help if she wouldn't let him in? He wanted nothing more than to tell her that everything would be alright and he would make the situation better if she just told him what had happened to upset her.

"You have done nothing wrong Florian, I am just tired. I just want to get some sleep," she stated, stepping into her bedroom while he stood in the landing.

"Maybe I could join you?" he suggested as she began to shake her head.

"No, I just want to get some sleep. I will see you this evening," she stated before stepping into her room and shutting her door, surprise covering Florian's face as he heard the bedroom door lock. So she was avoiding him. Looking into her bedroom after she had locked the door, Josie slowly moved towards her dressing table before sitting down and unpinning her hair, allowing the curls to fall down before she stared at her reflection. She was definitely ageing, she had more wrinkles now than she had done and she was definitely looking older. Hearing a knock at the door, Josie turned her head to look at it before she shut her eyes.

"Josie, if you want to talk about whatever has upset you, I will be in my room. Whenever you want to talk, even if its in the middle of the night, just come and see me. We don't even have to talk, we can just be together if you want some company," he began before he fell silent for a moment. "Please Josie, I'm worried," he said quietly as she shut her eyes, the Belgian standing outside the door with his head resting the wood as he heard her start to sob from within the locked room when he could do nothing to help her.

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