Minute by Minute

Eight. Partner in Crime

"So, yeah I just never had good luck when it came to getting your attention." I shrugged, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"If I didn't notice you than I'm the one who wasn't lucky." He assured me.

After dinner he had set up a boat ride. The moon was out and bright and a speaker on the boat was playing Clair de Lune.

"You were just distracted... it's fine." I looked down. "Isn't it funny how things were switched around?" I finally said it out loud.

"What do you mean?" He stepped closer to me, his arm snaking across my waist.

"You know, me and Nathaniel, you and Chloe, Chloe and Nath, me and you?" It's been something I've been dying to ask, his history with Chloe.

"What I had with Chloe was very forced." He chuckled. "I mean a pretty girl I've grown up with, spent years throwing herself at me, and she just struck in my most vulnerable hour. It just felt like something that had to happen." He sighed.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Chloe and everything she's done for me, which I know doesn't look like a lot. But she's the only person who has always been there for me." He confessed. His arm started to retreat. "And she's always going to be apart of my life. And I know it wouldn't be fair to ask you to put up with her as well, so if that's a deal breaker then I'm sorry."

"No,no,no,no,no." The words tumbled out before I could even think about. I grabbed his hand quickly. "Totally not a deal breaker, t-that dumb thing I had with Chloe is in the past and with Nathaniel..." I looked away again, not wanting to lose my words to his eyes. "Nathaniel deserves to be happy and if it's Chloe that makes him happy, I accept it graciously."

All too soon that impromptu date had came to an end when he had his driver circle back to my part of town. I sat and wondered if this could possibly be it, that Adrien Agreste had gotten a taste of what it'd be like to court Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and had decided I wasn't his cup of tea.

I'd be okay with that fact, I'd accept that fact and the pain with it, and be pathetically gracious for even being given an inkling of attention from him. Because there are thousands of lifetimes in which I have already envisioned Adrien's rejection and the aftermath of it.

But never would I imagine that he'd walk me to my door for the second time in my life and kiss me sweetly on the cheek before telling me, "I'll call you in the morning, thanks for going out with me tonight." He bowed, giving my had a finial kiss before slinking back into his car, driving off into the night with my sanity.

And I was more than okay with this lifetime in which things went well and Adrien's going to call me in the morning.

•••
"Yes, uh huh." Natalie was in a hurry today rushing around our desk as she held her phone between her ear and shoulder. "Yes, Thank you, you too, bye." She let the phone drop securing the papers and folders in her hands before straightening out with a sigh.

"How did my life come to this?" She muttered to herself. "How do I look?" She turned to me and I smiled.

"Like a corporate badass."

"Just what I wanted." She breathed in deeply before making her way towards the elevators. Today is a special day for her as Mr.Agreste had other things to attend to in London so she would be heading his meetings in his absence. She knew this company like the back of her hand. And I spent little time wondering if that would've been me.

But all too soon I'm going to be saying goodbye to this job, as I'm making the biggest gamble with my fashion career. That would also mean that soon after whatever this thing is that's going on between me and Adrien is going to have to come to a halt.

"Marrrrrrrinnnnnettte." The little intercom whined making me roll my eyes in amusement.

"Yes Mr.Agreste."

"I bring good news, step into my office..." The tingles in my stomach ignited at his deep voice and I made sure the answering machine was all good before fixing my skirt and rushing to his door.

I stumbled through the door like a horse in ice skates and Adrien caught me with practiced ease and he led me to the chair with an amused laugh, kissing my cheek stunned and going back around to sit at his desk.

"I'm going to have to invest in shin guards and a helmet with you aren't I?" His question made me narrow my eyes at him but he responded with a wink.

The progression of his affection was not lost on me. Adrien Agreste is one flirtatious tease.

"So, as you know I've been meeting with more and more of the international moguls since I'm head of it's department." He rested his head on his hands grinning at me.

"Yeah, I had no idea you could speak so many languages." I muttered.

"I may be fluent in many languages but my kisses will always be French." He winked again making me blush.

"Your point."

"I'm bored that's my point." He deadpans slouching in his seat. "So take your pick."

"Of what?"

"Which investor do you want to make a personal visit to?" He slid his desktop monitor around showing me a list of investors as well as retailers armed with the Agreste brand. "We have Greece, Spain, Egypt, America, Japan-"

"America? Adrien it's New York fashion week do you know how insane that would be?" I sat in disbelief.

"You wanna go?"

"Wait What? Isn't this for you?" My heart was thundering in my chest.

"Well yeah, but I need you there to handle PR and possibly close a deal with a retailer I've been thinking about." He shrugged. "I don't know if you're interested in the business aspect of this company but it couldn't help to learn." My mind went back to Natalie probably being able to single handedly run Agreste enterprises.

I wasn't sure what hurt more the fact that he actually saw me being around long term or the fact that I couldn't.

"My English is terrible." I shook my head smiling.

"So is your Chinese." He teased making me roll my eyes. "So you're in?"

"Oh yes, certainly. Alya isn't going to believe this."

"Speaking of her, may I ask why Nino isn't talking my ear off about her anymore?"

I looked at him perplexed. "You talk to Nino?"

"I just recently got back in touch with him, I asked him for his resume because I want him to be considered for the contests fashion show." He looked away in thought.

"Well... they kinda ended things badly." I was reluctant to speak, I'm not one to gossip. "Unfaithful." Was all I said and Adrien frowned.

"We should do something."

"Huh?" My Head whipped towards him and he shrugged.

"They are made for each other. You can't tell me that Alya doesn't have feelings for him anymore." He gave me a prying look and I was sputtering to keep up.

"I can't tell you because she's my best friend!"

"So you don't think this would make her happy?" He pressed again.

I slumped at the thought. Of course it would, it would make her the happiest girl in all of Paris. I mean of course she's always going on about how Nino ruined everything but... I don't think Nino was or is capable of cheating on someone as amazing as Alya. What went down broke her apart and it was the scariest month of my life. Because I became so used to her being the one I leaned on that I had no idea she could buckle from the pressure too.

"I want her to be happy." I began and Adrien was about to speak. "But anything you scheme you have to run past me, got it, Agreste?"

"Of course, you're my partner in crime after all." He winked.