**PLEASE READ** I had some issues with the last chapter where I had to pull it down, edit it, then put it back up the day after. I have the feeling that some of you may have not seen it because when I put it back up, it didn't go back to the top of the page and it also has fewer views than normal when I look at the traffic. So please check the previous chapter, chapter 13 and read it if you didn't already! :)
So I'm sitting here, eating a giant block of chocolate that's bigger than my own head. It's been a rough week already and I'm ready to hibernate. Just to warn you guys, I don't know when the next update will be. I've got more shifts at work than usual because the boss is away for the next two weeks and I act as the stand-in boss when he's gone. I'm missing out on a lot of lectures at uni and a lot of sleep!
"Phone... phone. God damn it, it has to be here. Phone..." I threw another sweatshirt over my shoulder as I continued my search.
"Are you calling out to an inanimate object?" Derek called from the living room. The amusement in his voice could be heard and I'm pretty sure he thought I was insane.
"I'm trying to concentrate."
"By calling out to an inanimate object?"
"Gotcha!" I snatched my cellphone from underneath the pile of laundry and thrust my fist in the air, feeling victorious. Snickering came from outside my bedroom but I ignored it.
I stuffed it into my handbag and began the hunt for my purse, creating an even bigger mess in the process. Pieces of clothing and shoes were strewn all over my bedroom in my haste to leave the apartment.
Derek had been driving me to work for two weeks now that my car was out of commission and it was my first time oversleeping, so I was frantically trying to rush through my morning and not hold him up all the while mumbling furiously to myself. He waited patiently in the living room as I quickly rushed around the apartment trying to gather my things, barely even finding the time to yank a brush through my crazy mess of hair.
With my growing frustration, he only expressed more amusement and I wanted nothing more than to tell him to shut up, but I didn't have the time.
"Calm down." He sighed as he filled up his travel mug with coffee. "If you rush then you're just going to get more frazzled."
I stopped in my tracks and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Have you seen my purse?"
"It's on the coffee table."
Why couldn't he tell me that earlier?
I thanked him as I walked over and scooped it up, putting it into my bag and I was finally ready to go. "Okay, let's head out." As I headed towards the door, I noticed that Derek was still in the kitchen. After a moment of hesitation, the tips of his ears turned pink and he scratched the back of his neck. "What?" I asked.
He cleared his throat and avoided my gaze, obviously feeling uncomfortable.
"You uh... your shirt. You might want to fix it." He mumbled.
My eyes traveled down and rested on my almost bare chest. Somewhere in the midst of my haste, I had forgotten to button up the top half of my shirt and my lacy pale blue bra peeked out. I let out an imaginative string of swears and dropped my bag as I frantically did up my buttons before smoothing out my blouse and skirt. Derek chuckled in the background as I checked myself over to see if I missed anything else.
"Don't tell me I have to start waking you up early in the morning too so we can avoid this happening again." He teased, an amused expression painted on his face replaced the uncomfortable one from before.
I poked my tongue out at him. Yeah, not the most mature response but it did get a response out of him - even if it was just him rolling his eyes.
We settled into the car and he turned on the engine. The heat kicked in straight away and I welcomed it, holding my hands up to the vents and rubbing them together.
"So what's happening with your car?" He asked as he pulled out of the garage and onto the street.
My car was currently sitting with the towing company while I decided on what to do with it. Just as I had expected, insurance wouldn't cover the cost of the repairs. They would, however, give me a cheque for the value of it and declare it a write off and I could use that money to go towards a new car. The more I thought about it, the more clear it was that the latter option was my only realistic option.
"The repairs are more than I can afford right now." I chewed my lip. "Like you said before, it might be time for an upgrade."
"But you love that car."
"Yeah, I do." I sighed, feeling a pang of sadness. That car had been with me for years. Hell, I even named her.
We continued in silence until we reached the office.
"I'll see you at five thirty." Derek called after me as I hopped out. I waved and watched him drive away before heading into work.
Angela was there already, holding out a steaming mug of coffee for me.
"I was going to drink it but you look terrible." She greeted.
"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" I replied, graciously taking the mug and sipping the hot liquid.
"Speaking of love..." She began in her teasing voice. "How's Mr Tall, Dark and Handsome?"
I held my hand up to stop her. Ever since I told her about my feelings for Derek, she had been non stop pestering me about him. "We're not going there today."
"You're no fun. I just want to live vicariously through you."
"If you were living vicariously through me then you'd be extremely disappointed."
I decided after New Year's that I wasn't going to spend any more time in confusion. Whatever was going on with Derek and I - not that there was much going on - well... I wasn't going to be the one to put a stop to it. He wasn't actively pursuing me, but he also wasn't pushing me away and that was good enough for me.
Angela and I went about our day as normal, but most of our clients had cancelled their appointments due to the weather. I peered outside as I was talking to Mrs. Talbot, who wanted to reschedule. A thick blanket of grey clouds hung in the sky and I knew we were in for a hell of a storm. But alas, while the power was still on, we were still working. I just prayed that the storm didn't start until I was home in the comfort of my apartment.
I was halfway through photocopying a stack of Nate's documents when the lights flickered overhead, causing Angela and I to look at each other in concern. We shrugged and resumed our work.
"Uh oh." She mumbled as we were sent into darkness just seconds later, the power finally having gone completely out.
Nate ushered out a patient a few moments later, apologizing profusely for the lack of power and promising to be in contact with them in the upcoming week for the rest of their appointment. Our other dentist, Amber, joined us at the desk a minute later with a sour look on her face.
"There's no point in staying." Nate said as he flicked through our appointment book. "After all of the cancellations there's only four appointments booked for the rest of the day. I'll contact those clients who had appointments for later and reschedule. The rest of you can go home."
Amber practically flew out the door while I hesitated, trying to gauge the weather. Walking was out of the question. I had no car and I'd be waiting forever for a taxi. Would Derek kill me if I called him asking for a ride?
Angela sensed my hesitation at the door.
"Need a ride?" She asked me as I shrugged on my coat.
"Sure, I'll just let Derek know that he doesn't need to pick me up later."
I fished my phone out of my bag and dialed his number. He picked up on the third ring.
"Hey."
"Hi, the power's gone out at work so I'm heading home. You don't need to come and get me later. Just thought I'd let you know."
"Do you need a ride now?" He asked.
"I've got one, thanks. I'll see you at home."
We said our goodbyes and hung up. Angela and I ventured outside where snow started to fall. The cold air nipped at my skin and the wind whipped my hair around my face as I tried, and failed, to pull it back into a ponytail. I swore under my breath as we jumped into her car, feeling my mood drop.
"With any luck, we won't have to go into work tomorrow." She said as she pulled out the parking lot.
"Might be lucky for you, but I need the money for a new car. I can't afford to be missing out on hours." I grumbled. The weather and possible lack of work put me in a bad mood. The idea of missing out on much needed money was not something I looked forward to.
"Hey, at least you've got Sexylegs to drive you to work and back every day until you get one. You're getting in that quality time together." She wiggled her eyebrows.
I groaned and shoved my face into my hands. "He's going to get sick of running me around."
She shrugged. "I doubt it's been that bad for him. He'd be a fool to not spend every moment he can with you."
I sighed and leaned my head against the cold window, hoping the chill of it would calm me from my soured mood. "You have high hopes for me."
"Somebody has to."
Angela stopped outside my apartment building and I thanked her before watching her drive away. I trudged up the stairs, deciding against the elevator.
Once I was in the safety of my apartment, I shrugged my jacket off and went straight for the radiator. A sigh left me as I held my hands up against it, welcoming the warmth.
"You look like an icicle." Tori's voice sang from the other side of the room, causing me to startle which earned me a chuckle from her. She was lounging back on the recliner underneath a blanket, looking cozy. I envied her, having just fell victim to the weather outside.
"It's freezing out there." I complained as I rubbed my hands together in front of the heat. "What are you doing home from work?"
"I went to look at an apartment this morning. Then I figured I could do some work from home." She gestured to her iPad. "The heating in our office is out. There was no way in hell that I was going to sit in the cold all day."
"An apartment?"
"I've saved enough for the deposit and first few months of rent on an apartment a few blocks away." She waved her hands dismissively.
"Congratulations."
"Nothing's set in stone yet. I know you're dying to get rid of me so you and Derek can spend some quality time together here and I'm trying to hurry it along but-"
"H-h-hold on-" I tried to interject.
"I don't need to be around twenty-four-seven to know that you have the hots for my brother. At first I thought you had it in for Simon but then I realized how bad you are at being discreet once I noticed how you act around Derek."
My face burned with embarrassment as she stared me down with an amused expression.
Tori knew, and I just hoped that she could keep her mouth shut.
"Chill, I'm not going to tell him. Simon's the one who can't keep secrets." She pushed herself off the recliner and sauntered into the kitchen. I sighed in relief. She began raiding the cabinets as she continued. "But if you're just fucking him around, stringing him along or whatever, then that will be the end of you. Derek and I might have had a rocky relationship but that doesn't mean I'm not going to play the overprotective little sister role when I think it's due."
I blinked at her and I guess she took it as my understanding, because she carried on.
"Good. Because I think you're good for him. My brother builds walls, which you know of because of our history. Somewhere along the line you've managed to soften him up. I mean, he sure as hell would have never let me stay here if it weren't for Saint Chloe standing in front of me."
"He doesn't know, does he?" I was afraid of what the answer might be.
Tori shook her head. "He's always been the smart one out the three of us, but he's dumb as a brick house when it comes to stuff like this. We used to joke that Derek was the brains and Simon and I were the tits - you know, the good looking ones. Don't worry though, your secret is safe with me."
"Thanks, Tori."
She scoffed. "I should be thanking you. He's happier now. Less uptight. I don't exactly know how he feels about you but it can't be bad." She shrugged.
I nodded and gave her a small smile before retreating my bedroom. Finally having time to mull it over, I sank into my bed and pulled the blankets up to my chin. Tori seemed confident that Derek hadn't caught onto anything, but I didn't think that he was as dumb as she led on.
It just meant I'd have to tread more carefully.
I woke up to a voicemail on my phone from Nate. Sure enough, the office was closed for the day. Not only had the power gone out, but a tree branch had smashed through one of the windows and caused some damage to our lobby. He said it would take the day to clean up and repair everything and that hopefully we'd back at work the following day. I hoped he was right.
After I was awake all night thinking about my current roommate predicament, maybe it was a good thing that I had a day off. I didn't trust myself to do anything right after running on so little sleep. As angry as I was about missing out on a day's worth of pay, I welcomed the idea of sleeping in and pulled the covers back over me once more before allowing sleep to drag me under.
Somewhere around lunch time I was jolted awake by the buzzing of my phone against my night stand. I scrambled over to it as I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and cleared my throat in a desperate attempt to sound awake when I answered. Caller ID was no help, it was a number I didn't recognize.
I pressed the answer button and held it up to my ear. "Hello?"
A man's voice replied on the other end. "Hello, is this Chloe?"
"Yes it is." I sat up in bed.
"Oh good. Hi, Chloe. My name's Michael; I work for Lyle Productions in Buffalo. Tori put in a good word for you late last year but the Christmas and New Year's festivities got in the way and I forgot to give you a call."
"That's okay, I think the holidays got on top of most of us." I blurted out, trying to find something to say.
"At least you get it." He laughed, which put me at ease about this phone call. "Would you still be interested in a job by any chance? Because I'm willing to offer you an interview. Tori has recommended a few of her friends before and she's never disappointed."
"Yes, of course!" I announced, admittedly a bit too excited, but he only seemed happy about my enthusiasm.
"Right now we're only looking for an intern. It's nothing glamorous, mostly just coffee runs, setting up equipment and following some boring orders but you'll be working directly under me if you're successful with this interview. There is potential to work your way up and get recognized so you won't be stuck as a coffee mule forever." He chuckled.
"Hey, it's a good way to get a foot in the door." I laughed, hoping that he would realize how eager I really was for this job.
"Well I like the attitude. You tell some kids it's an intern job and you can just hear the enthusiasm just drain from their voices."
"Well you'll get none of that from me." I assured him.
"Fantastic. So our interview will be a week from now. We just moved to a bigger office so we're still in the process of setting everything up and our conference room is a mess. Because of this are you okay to meet somewhere in town like Gloria's Cafe?"
I knew exactly where that was. "Yes, Gloria's is fine with me."
"Excellent, I have your phone number so I'll text you the details once I flip through my planner and find a time. I look forward to meeting you, Chloe."
"You too. Thank you, Michael."
After we said our goodbyes and hung up, I couldn't stop the stupid grin that spread across my face. This could be my opportunity to get my foot in the door and I was going to try damn hard to get this position, even if it was just an internship.
I waited in the living room until Tori arrived home. After flicking through the channels on TV for the next half hour, I started mumbling to myself about the trash they played during the day. I peered over to the bookshelf that sat in the corner of the living room. The bottom row was full of DVDs and I wandered over to it. They were Derek's technically. He said that they belonged to his ex roommate before he did a runner and never came back for them. I plucked out a movie I had never heard of and popped it in the DVD player.
Honestly I couldn't have told you what the movie was about. I spent most of it in thought about my job, my flatmate and my future.
"You look deep in thought." A voice rumbled from the door.
He was right, because his sudden presence didn't even cause me to startle. "Mhmm."
Derek didn't give me much more than a grunt in response before disappearing into his office. Not long after, Tori was walking through the door and I flung myself out of my seat and wrapped my arms around her.
In the same moment, I saw Derek out the corner of my eye walk out of his office. He took one look at me hugging his sister before mumbling something under his breath and going back in, closing the door behind him.
"Woah, I know we're kind of friends now but I never consented to hugs." She struggled against me. "What's got you so happy?"
"Michael called me today."
She frowned in thought over the name before it dawned. Eventually a grin spread over her face and she finally returned my hug. "I take it went well? He's a great guy."
This was a side I didn't see much from Tori. She was your typical hard-as-nails punk but in front of me stood a woman with a demeanor much like Liz's. I chalked it down to her being excited for me.
I nodded. "We arranged to meet up next Thursday, he seemed nice."
"He is. You'll love him. I'll even help you prep; I know that guy better than I know the back of my own hand."
"Thanks, Tori." I said, genuinely appreciative of her help.
She smiled at me before going to the kitchen and taking out a container of leftovers.
I settled back onto the couch where I watched the rest of the movie with a smile plastered on my face. Taking into account my rocky start to the year, things were finally beginning to look up and I was potentially looking at getting my career off the ground.
Ugh I was fighting with myself on how the end of this would go. I realized that a lot of interactions I write involve people in the kitchen. That should tell you enough about my love for food. I'm also kind of proud of how I captured Tori. Sometimes it's hard to get a happy medium with a character like her.
Please leave reviews, let me know what I can improve on or just tell me what you'd like to see more of!
