Wicked Men Set Impossible Tasks, Even In Glamorous Attire

Day 185 of The Andie Chronicles

I shared the lift with James; we ran into each other in the building's lobby, and he presented me with a takeaway cup. 

"I got you a coffee. Hope that's ok." 

"More than ok," I replied, swiftly taking it from him. "I didn't get much sleep last night." 

James winked at me. "Oh really?" 

We both laughed, our heads tipping back in joy. I stared at my best friend as we continued to laugh, ascending to the top level. Would James enjoy meeting Cooper? Would the two of them get along?

I thought about my friends coming face to face with my sexy, intelligent wrestling champion. I wanted to keep the man I loved to myself, but I knew it couldn't last forever. I could hope, though. 

Sophia stood at Angela's desk opposite the lifts when James and I paraded into the foyer. She was fretting, pacing back and forth whilst Douglas' aging secretary was trying to get rid of her. 

"You guys are here, great," she said, once seeing us walking towards her. "Douglas wants us all in his office now." 

"Why can't he send an email? Or call or something?" 

Angela chuckled at my assessment. "The man prefers to either scream or say nothing at all. There's no middle ground, my dear." She didn't need to tell me that twice. 

I followed James and Sophia into Douglas' office. I found GG standing in the corner, surprised to see her without a blazer or tailored skirt. She was actually wearing a leather pinafore with a frilled blouse. Lucky Taylor, I thought. GG looked hot. 

The four of us stood in a line along Douglas' office as he sat crossed-legged behind his desk, his dated argyle sock poking from above his patent loafers. 

It was like being pulled into the principal's office. Who was caught smoking in the toilets? Who dobbed on us? Despite my joke, the news my ex was about to deliver might as well have been detention at school. We were going to suffer. 

"The date for the launch, I have it sorted now." He has it sorted, I noted. It was always Douglas' world, and we were suffering in it. 

"December 10th. Write it down, mark it in the calendars, and you will receive the full schedule shortly." 

I heard James clear his throat the way he did when he needed to say something but didn't want to. "Douglas, that's not very far away. How are you going to accelerate production to meet that deadline?" 

"How am I?" repeated Douglas, staring at James in disbelief. 

"Yeah," I replied, joining my voice, supporting James. "We can't do this without you moving heaven and earth to get it done. I mean, that's why we're here, right? You're meant to be the guy to get it done?"

I could feel all the eyes on me. I was saying what everyone was thinking. And at this moment, I knew I was the only one who could tell him. I was the ex; I could call him on his bullshit. And now, I didn't care about the consequences.

He could go for his life if he wanted to fire me or throw me out on my ass.

I didn't care anymore. 

"I will get it done," Douglas boomed with a twisted warble. 

I didn't believe him. The louder his voice became, the less I trusted him. 

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You’re reading The Andie Chronicles, the 2023 romance-fiction series from the 1 Lovelock Drive (1LD) universe.

By the way, this all started when Andie turned thirty-five, and her then-boyfriend didn’t call her.

Or the day after that.

Or the day after that, too. 

Everything started to unravel when her BFFs got into bed with her ex, too… ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

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DAY 1: Tales Of People Forgetting Your Birthday And Lovers Who Don't Materialise

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Just a moment! 1 Lovelock Drive is a reader-supported publication (I can’t do this without you!). If you love what you read, and want to receive the next instalment and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber!

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A little lost on what’s happening at 1 Lovelock Drive?

Well, you see, Andie’s break-up started back in February and so much has happened since then. These stories will help you catch right up! xx