I could hear the rattling of the trains against the tracks, the bell of each stop piercing the muted journey, along with the crashing of the doors opening and closing.
Without the weekday commuters, it was like I was part of the journey, as opposed to enduring it.
I couldn’t believe I was going into Douglas’ office on the weekend.
Working on the designated days off wasn’t the problem. I could sustain life without ever having a day off.
No, it was the fact I was going into this office on a Sunday. Volunteering to be in the place every day I wished I didn’t have to associate with. What was I thinking?
It wasn’t the hangover. It had passed by the time I went to bed last night. But when I tried to do some designing, I realised I left my good pencils in my office.
I usually bring them home but forgot in the chaos of after-work drinks.
Settling for some cheap grey leads I had in a toolbox simply wouldn’t do. This takeover of my business, getting it back to where it belonged, was important. And I had to do it right.
It was nice not having to wait for the lifts or push past anyone to get to the top floor. Even better I could slip into my office, get what I needed and slip away without anyone seeing me.
There was no one there to see me. Or so I thought.
“Andie, what are you doing here?”
I recognised Sophia’s voice as it echoed down the hall. She peered out from her office and I quickly skipped towards her.
“Oh hey, love. I left something behind on Friday. What are you doing here?”
She looked sheepish, almost shy. If I didn’t know her, I would have thought she was taking a man on her desk, joining the office mile-high club.
But Sophia wasn’t like that. Even when she attempted a threesome with Malcolm, it was polite and dignified. And it never happened, either.
“I’m trying to find a new warehouse. Douglas rejected that one because of some beef with the investor of that place.” She rubbed at her neck and shoulder, squeezing herself tight before releasing it.
“He kept on and on about how I should have known about this conflict and how disappointed he was that I even entertained that warehouse. I’m not sure how I was meant to know.”
She paused, to think.
“You know what? He never spoke to anyone like that when you two were dating. It’s like something has changed.”
This wasn’t news to me. Everything had changed. When we were dating, it was all about fun, friendship, laughter, good times.
But I never wanted to mix pleasure with business, especially with not someone as ruthless as Douglas. We weren’t meant for his world, his business world.
“A lot has changed. Everything is different,” I added.
Sophia stared at me. “I miss the old days.”
“I do too. But it wasn’t my decision to change the status quo.”
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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