banging the ground floor button in the lift. There is no
way I’m being stuck in a lift with them.
The doors start to close painfully slowly
but just as I see Isabel’s red leather bag come into view from around the
corner before they shut. I sigh and lean back against the wall. Suddenly
something beside me moves, and I realise I’m not alone. How could I not have
seen anyone? Two whole people stand against the other side of the lift,
starting at me as if I’m crazy. Well I guess they had just witnessed me
screaming and punching a lift.
I laugh nervously. “Afternoon,” I say
politely. They nod their head in unison, opting not to reply verbally. I don’t
blame them.
Can this day get any worse?
The lift comes to a stop on the ground
floor and the doors open, proving this day can, in fact, get much worse.
My mother stands before me.
“Amelie?” she says, looking surprised to
see me. At the place I work. During works hours.
I step out and reply, “Mum.” She walks
closer, and her strong; eye wateringly expensive perfume hits me.
“How is work?”
I shrug. “Fine.” Every civilised
conversation with her is forced. We just aren’t meant to get along.
“Have you seen your sister? Is she with
Aden?”
“Yes,” I reply through gritted teeth. The
bastards are together.
“Oh there they are,” she says, raising her
hand to wave to them. Damn. Crap. Shit. I turn around just as they stop in
front of us. Aden’s looking at me, trying to get my attention, but I keep my
eyes on the tall Ficus trees either side of the lift.
Sister
shagging bastard.
“Well I’ve got to go,” I announce and make
a run for the door. No one tries to stop me or even acknowledge that I’ve just
left, not that I expect them to.
Wait. What the hell is Mum doing there? Oh
God is she going with them? I burst out laughing in the middle of the car park. Have a nice romantic lunch, losers. A
group of what looks like bankers turn to give me a strange look as I continue
laughing to myself on the way to my car. I shrug it off; I’ve already maxed out
my daily dose of being embarrassed in the lift.
I spend the entire lunch hour in the local
cafe eating bowl after bowl of ice cream with Will’s brother Matt. “You’ll get
fat,” Matt teases as I tuck into another double chocolate ice cream sundae.
“Really not the time, Matt,” I respond
flatly.
He chuckles, showing the contents of his
mouth, and I turn my nose up. “Well, what are we gonna do about this Aden
then?”
“Hit man?” I offer.
“Hmm that could work.” He frowns. “Actually
with your luck you’d be caught.”
“Yeah thanks for that.” I slam my head down
on the table. “Seriously, though, what am I going to do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe find another job?”
I shake my head. “Who the hell’s going to
employ me? I’m lucky to have this job.” I have no experience and there’s about
a million applicants to one job.
“You’re loaded, Millie. You could move out
today.”
“That’s their money, and I’m not using it.
That’s the whole point of me working. Matt, I don’t want anything from them.” I
sigh heavily. Why can’t anything be straightforward?
“You could get a job as a stripper, with
that body you’d earn enough to-”
I hold my hand up, silencing him. “You’re
about as much help as your brother.” There’s nothing else I can so. I just have
to work through it, block Aden out of my heart and move on. I hate that he’s
able to worm his way in so quickly.
Matt insists on walking me back to work.
He’s said it’s because he wants to make sure I get back okay, but I know he
really just wants to check Aden out. We walk up to my office and almost
straight into my boss. Matt holds his hand out and Aden frowns before shaking
it. “You must be Millie’s boss,” he says, almost too politely. What’s he doing?
Aden smiles tightly, jaw too tense. “And
you are?”
“Matt, Millie’s fuck buddy,” he
way I’m being stuck in a lift with them.
The doors start to close painfully slowly
but just as I see Isabel’s red leather bag come into view from around the
corner before they shut. I sigh and lean back against the wall. Suddenly
something beside me moves, and I realise I’m not alone. How could I not have
seen anyone? Two whole people stand against the other side of the lift,
starting at me as if I’m crazy. Well I guess they had just witnessed me
screaming and punching a lift.
I laugh nervously. “Afternoon,” I say
politely. They nod their head in unison, opting not to reply verbally. I don’t
blame them.
Can this day get any worse?
The lift comes to a stop on the ground
floor and the doors open, proving this day can, in fact, get much worse.
My mother stands before me.
“Amelie?” she says, looking surprised to
see me. At the place I work. During works hours.
I step out and reply, “Mum.” She walks
closer, and her strong; eye wateringly expensive perfume hits me.
“How is work?”
I shrug. “Fine.” Every civilised
conversation with her is forced. We just aren’t meant to get along.
“Have you seen your sister? Is she with
Aden?”
“Yes,” I reply through gritted teeth. The
bastards are together.
“Oh there they are,” she says, raising her
hand to wave to them. Damn. Crap. Shit. I turn around just as they stop in
front of us. Aden’s looking at me, trying to get my attention, but I keep my
eyes on the tall Ficus trees either side of the lift.
Sister
shagging bastard.
“Well I’ve got to go,” I announce and make
a run for the door. No one tries to stop me or even acknowledge that I’ve just
left, not that I expect them to.
Wait. What the hell is Mum doing there? Oh
God is she going with them? I burst out laughing in the middle of the car park. Have a nice romantic lunch, losers. A
group of what looks like bankers turn to give me a strange look as I continue
laughing to myself on the way to my car. I shrug it off; I’ve already maxed out
my daily dose of being embarrassed in the lift.
I spend the entire lunch hour in the local
cafe eating bowl after bowl of ice cream with Will’s brother Matt. “You’ll get
fat,” Matt teases as I tuck into another double chocolate ice cream sundae.
“Really not the time, Matt,” I respond
flatly.
He chuckles, showing the contents of his
mouth, and I turn my nose up. “Well, what are we gonna do about this Aden
then?”
“Hit man?” I offer.
“Hmm that could work.” He frowns. “Actually
with your luck you’d be caught.”
“Yeah thanks for that.” I slam my head down
on the table. “Seriously, though, what am I going to do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe find another job?”
I shake my head. “Who the hell’s going to
employ me? I’m lucky to have this job.” I have no experience and there’s about
a million applicants to one job.
“You’re loaded, Millie. You could move out
today.”
“That’s their money, and I’m not using it.
That’s the whole point of me working. Matt, I don’t want anything from them.” I
sigh heavily. Why can’t anything be straightforward?
“You could get a job as a stripper, with
that body you’d earn enough to-”
I hold my hand up, silencing him. “You’re
about as much help as your brother.” There’s nothing else I can so. I just have
to work through it, block Aden out of my heart and move on. I hate that he’s
able to worm his way in so quickly.
Matt insists on walking me back to work.
He’s said it’s because he wants to make sure I get back okay, but I know he
really just wants to check Aden out. We walk up to my office and almost
straight into my boss. Matt holds his hand out and Aden frowns before shaking
it. “You must be Millie’s boss,” he says, almost too politely. What’s he doing?
Aden smiles tightly, jaw too tense. “And
you are?”
“Matt, Millie’s fuck buddy,” he
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