Toxic For Me

Chapter 27: The Day We Become One

"I'll go talk to Peter." He nervously chuckled before taking his leave.

At Kilns Word Publications, Lavender was supposedly in the most unprofessional meeting anyone could have ever attended. "LAVENDER! YOU ARE A STAR!" Jim stood in front of the conference table with his hands in the air. "You have done it! YOU WROTE A NOVEL IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS!" He shouted on top of his lungs.

"Jim..." Lavender rolled her eyes while the other staff sat holding their heads. "Sir, can we send it forward for technical editing and further procedure?" One of them asked. "SEND IT EVERYWHERE! Let them know that our STAR writer, Ms. Lavender Hills of KILNS WORD PUBLICATIONS, has written a second book in the same year!" Jim happily danced as he swayed his body from left to right like some windsock.

The employee looked at Lavender blankly. "Send it for technical editing and typeset proof, which I don't think will take much time. Jim will manage the invoice stuff and rest." Lavender said, standing up. "I feel like I'm on top of the WORLD!" Jim jumped on the conference table with the manuscripts in his hand. He kissed the papers as if he was married to them.

"The meeting is over. Get to work, everyone. Keep up with your good efforts!" Lavender smiled, dismissing everyone from the meeting. All the employees smiled back at her and took their leave. I'll surely be the one running this company someday if my boss keeps up with this behaviour, she shook her head before facing Jim. 

"Jim." Lavender said, picking up her purse. He was too busy dancing to his own tunes to listen to something else.

"JIM!" She stomped her foot on the floor, startling him. "Yeah?" He asked. "I'm not going to write another book for the next 8 months, probably more, got it?" She bargained. "Your wish is my command!" He answered melodiously. "And I'll be going away, out of the country." She added. "Fly away!" He said, spinning in circles.

"I'll be leaving then." She smiled, before exiting the room.

Soon after she left, there was a sound of someone falling hard on the floor, followed by a painful groan. "That was bound to happen. Poor Jim." She scoffed, entering the elevator. "Ah, right. I had to call Tristen." She pulled out her phone but stopped right before she could call him. "I'll just barge in for my plan to be more effective." She giggled, deciding to put a simple text.

Lavender: I'm coming.

Tristen: I'm waiting :)

Lavender smiled to herself, as she exited her company building. She made her way to the parking lot where she was unlocking her car. What she did not know, was that someone had been waiting for her. "Lavender?" A hand held her shoulder, making her gasp. She jerked it off and raised her purse to hit the person, stopping right after seeing their face. "Bates?" She squeezed her eyes at him.

"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you're okay." Bates said. "You know my answer is still no. You really dare to ask me out knowing that I'll be marrying Tristen?" She folded her arms. "No, it's not that." He panicked, when she saw a girl behind him. "Is that, your daughter Renee?" She asked. "Ah, yes." He said. "Renee, here's your favourite writer, Lavender Hills." He majestically said.

"You're the one who my dad works with?" Renee exclaimed. "Not quite, we're company friends. The company does the work, we just write." Lavender smiled, patting her head. "I like your books very much! I want to be a writer like you and my dad." She said. "That sounds lovely! You should read a lot of books for that." Lavender advised.