Two more days to go! This is getting scary... Let's hope I have time to write them!
This chapter is dedicated to Paul. I'm so glad you liked this fic. Also, ha, told you I'd dedicate you a chapter. Better late than never...?
Story so far...
The Warblers said goodbye to Robert. Janet, Kurt's boss, sent some samples of his work off to head office and they're waiting on the results of if they'll go any further with him as a designer.
-*T&C*-
Kurt flopped down on his chair in the break room. He often found himself flopping down on his chair in the break room. He didn't understand it, why he suddenly felt the need or flopping. He was happy enough, he thought. And he loved his work. Okay, so he hadn't left Ohio. But that was okay. It was okay because he still had Blaine. And Blaine was going through a rough time at the minute with Robert. But they had each other.
He sighed, stretching as he stood again and went to flick the kettle on, leaning against the counter as he waited for it to boil, rubbing his head with his forefinger. He was tired. Though the weekend had been amazing, it had taken everything out of him. On Monday, he'd come home to sing to Robert with Gaga, and then on Tuesday he'd come home late to discover Blaine already asleep under a blanket on their sofa, Being Bobby Brown playing on the television and dried tears on his boyfriend's cheeks, his own hoodie hugged in his arms. Waking him up had broken his heart, but he hadn't had any other choice. He'd then spent the rest of the evening making Blaine's job easier for the rest of the week, responding to his multitude of unread emails with a "Sorry, Blaine is going through a lot at the minute. He will reply to you as soon as he can. Thank you for your patience." He'd finally called it a night at about eleven o'clock, curling up behind Blaine and holding him close.
The kettle boiled and he blinked awake. He grabbed a mug and filled it with water before he realised he hadn't put any coffee in it. He rubbed at his eyes. This was getting ridiculous. He stirred the coffee granules in and gave it a tentative sip. It tasted horrible. He sighed. He needed caffeine and he didn't have the energy to make another; it'd have to do. He took it back to his table and flopped again. Just as he did so, he caught sight of Janet out of the corner of his eye, hunched over papers at the other end of the break room, sipping her own mug of something. He frowned.
Having told Janet about his Gaga project yesterday (or Project G as he was now calling it to keep its anonymity) he had kept on noticing her hovering nearby, like she was keeping an eye on him. He had promised that Project G wouldn't interfere with his work, that he'd do all the designing at home in the evenings, but he had asked if he might be able to use the sewing machine and some materials during his lunch break or after he clocked off. But still, he couldn't shake off that feeling that they didn't trust him, that they were just waiting for him to get his big break and then he'll escape into the sunset of New York, never to return. But that wasn't going to happen. He and Blaine had talked. Columbus was where they needed to be. For now, at least. He'd never leave them in the lurch like that.
Still, it made him uneasy. Janet didn't even drink coffee. At least, he hadn't thought so. He realised he was staring, but if she was spying on him... Gina came in, smiling, and sat down opposite him.
"How are you?"
"Mm?" He looked at her, trying to ignore the presence of Janet in the room.
Gina's smile faltered a little, and that only made Kurt feel guilty. "You look awful."
Kurt snorted. "Thanks!"
"No," she was quick to take it back. "I just mean... tired. How... Robert?"
"Still with us," Kurt replied with a sigh. He took another sip of coffee and grimaced again. It really was horrible. Who would have thought that doing things in the wrong order would turn out so badly? "He went in yesterday. To rehearsal, not school. He said goodbye."
Gina reached her hand out and closed it again over Kurt's. "How's Blaine?"
"Barely sleeping." He took his free hand and rubbed it over his face. "And then wearing himself out so much that he has no other choice but to sleep." He sighed. "It's just tough right now, waiting. It sounds horrible, but, I think, when he... goes... I think it'll be easier then."
Gina squeezed his hand more tightly then retracted her own. "I think you're right," she offered. "It's the waiting, always being on edge." She fell into silence, a silence which Kurt couldn't think of a way to fill, so eventually she spoke again. "How's Project G?"
Kurt smiled weekly. "I want to do it well. And I don't have a whole lot of time. But I think I've just about done it."
"When are you going to tell me what it is?"
Kurt shook his head. "I can't. I'm sorry."
"Kurt?"
Kurt looked up to see Janet standing right next to his table. "Janet. Hi."
But she ignored him and turned to Gina. "Could you leave us alone for a few minutes?"
Gina nodded and stood silently, slipping out the door and back onto the shop floor. Janet, meanwhile, took Gina's seat and leaned forward in it. She kept her voice low, talking only to Kurt and making sure only he could hear.
"Kurt," she began, "I've heard back from Head."
Kurt froze. His mouth went dry. "Yes?" Was this it? Was this the big break he'd been hoping for?
"They've decided to look elsewhere. Kurt, I'm really, really sorry."
Kurt froze for a few seconds more, letting it sink in. He hadn't been picked up. The hope that he'd had... No, it was fine. "It's okay. Was nice to dream though, hey." He absently took another sip of his coffee. He'd forgotten how foul it tasted. He grimaced again and set it down, this time pushing it away so he wouldn't make the same mistake again. "Is that it?"
Janet frowned. "Kurt, I... You're really great. I don't know why you weren't picked up but to be honest I'm relieved. Had you gotten that contract, you would have been whisked away to bigger and better places. And whilst I admit you're too good for us here, I don't want to see you go."
Kurt frowned at her. Initial disappointment over, his head was now clear. "I wouldn't've left you. I love working here."
Janet shook her head. "Something better is going to come along. And when it does, we'll support you. And we'll let you go."
"Janet," Kurt countered, "I don't want to leave."
"What's Project G?"
Kurt paused. "I can't tell you. I told you, I'm not allowed to reveal what it is to anyone."
Janet nodded slowly. "Well I wish you all the best with it. And as I said, we will support you when you leave."
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