Dear Dulcie [h.s.]

Singeing Eyebrows; Wedding To Plan.

Seconds feel like hours, and minutes feel like days as we wait for him to return, my eyes shifting to anyone wearing a white lab coat of that has a similar hairstyle - maybe she is in a coma. Seriously, I warn myself in a frustrated manner, why the hell would I think of something like that at a time like this. "Okay so she's fine," Dr Richards breathes a sigh of relief and I think he actually relaxes as well, "she was severely dehydrated and it resulted in her fainting. She must have been really warm. Sometimes hot flushes occur during the healing process, it's completely natural. Just make sure that she has plenty of water during the day."

"What about coffee? Can she have a cup of coffee or would you advise differently?" From the first day that I met Odette she has had cup of coffee in her hand, in fact when she invited me into her home she made us both a tea and then herself a coffee afterwards - that's was the first time I realised how much of a coffee lover she was, that and the numerous amounts of different types of coffee in one of her kitchen cabinets. Not having coffee would probably be the most unbearable thing to happen to Odette, and that includes dealing with all of her upcoming recovery.

"No, I would strongly advise that she doesn't have caffeine, the drugs that she is taking don't react well to it. Just water from now on until her next check-up."

I clap his shoulder, "I'm going to let you be the one to tell her that. Thank you Dr Richards."

He chuckles at my remark, most likely dealing with worse patients than Odette on a day-to-day basis. "My pleasure mate. You can both go on in, she's awake at the moment."

Amy leaves immediately with a nod to reconnect with her friend, most likely apologising profusely like she has been doing to me for the past half an hour, I follow closely behind and spot Odette in the furthest bed on the ward, an image that reminds me of her not too long ago when she came out of surgery. 'Stop apologising!' She chuckles to Amy, trying to ease her nerves. 'Amy it's my own fault, I should have been drinking more.'

"I'm so sorry though, I came in and you just wouldn't wake up, I've never been so scared in my life."

'Even including the time that Niall decided to cook for you and almost singed both of your eyebrows off?' Odette chuckles at the thought and it seems to calm Amy, a small smile erupting from her lips as she reads what Odette says, obviously remembering the occasion; I glance fondly at my fiancée sat up perkily in bed, her fingers riddled with clasps and wires as she engages in conversation, completely oblivious to my presence. 'Have you called Harry?' She asks and my heart perks at the mention of my name, her concern is etched across her face and waits apprehensively as she waits for Amy's reply, only to receive a glance in my direction, Odette takes the hint.

As always it's as if the world has stopped turning and everything around us begins to freeze, every person becoming a simple statue of themselves as we lock eyes and engage in what I can only describe at a telepathic conversation, I know exactly what she is thinking and she seems to know exactly what my reply will be. I saunter over as calmly as possible, still in complete adoration for the beautiful woman the has turned my life upside down in the most glorious way possible, she sits up with a heavy smile and eager blue eyes, patiently waiting for my inevitable embrace.

My phone drags me back to reality as I receive an incoming call from Elliot, "hey mate, how is everything going?"

"Great pal, just spoken to some potential hires which look really promising, just wanted to know what time our meeting is."

"Meeting? I don't have a meeting with you." I tell him but the intonation in my voice is more question as my mind reels back through my calendar to double check.

"No I know, but I figured that you were with Mr Miller and Mr James and I have a meeting with them. I'm assuming that you'll be there too." I glance up at Miller asking him in a discreet mime if I will be attending the meeting with Elliot.

After a small confirmation I reply with as much confused confidence as I can muster, "Yes we're ready for you mate, see you in a minute." The phone hangs up with ease and I stare back down to my paperwork, the laptop in front of me testing all of the will power I have not to email my beautiful neighbour to see how she is getting on at home without me. Today will be Odette's first day back in work after her surgery, she is only working a half day this afternoon and I will be picking her up after work, Ben reassured me that he will be keeping a close eye on her which has given me peace of mind at least.

"Ahh Mr Anderson, it's good to see you." Miller shakes Elliot's hand as he waltz' through the open door, glancing between the three of us stationed in different corners of the office and using whatever surface we could find to lean on and begin our work; "I have brought you here because I want you to work closely with Mr Styles regarding the northeast expansion, they will need staff and you're our best HR manager throughout the branches so I'm hoping you will deliver. Harry you will oversee this."

"What about the new northeast area manager, will he be overseeing any of this?" I mean it's his job after all...

"Not for now, I want you to start it up and then hand it over once everything is running smoothly." I bite my lips inwardly and nod, there's no way I can really argue with him, and like William has said previously, it gives me more experience.

"Will do." My ballpoint pen glides effortlessly across my notepad as I write down notes, reminding me of the time that Odette and I went out for breakfast and I brought this very notepad for her to write down what she was saying because I was yet to learn sign language, it feels like a lifetime ago now. "Is there anything else I can do for either of you?"

"Could you call any potential investors and set up individual meetings, we'll also need a pitch so speak to Aaron for the spreadsheets and go to marketing or graphics for some visuals."

I sigh and check my calendar, "I have already called potential investors and set up five meetings already, I spoke to Katherine earlier and she put them in your calendar. Graphics are already designing some visuals for the meeting and I've also asked a caterer if the would supply some food for the meeting to which they obliged."

He furrows his eyebrows at what I can only assume is my last remark, "you didn't have to go to all of the trouble of getting a caterer Harry, it's only a meeting."

"No I know but I also have a wedding to plan and I need to check different caterers out. Also there aren't many occasions that you can ask people to cook for you at home for no reason just to check if their food is 'wedding worthy', and they really don't like it when you say that it's not."

"Fair enough, food it is, but I don't want anything too extravagant. It's only a meeting after all."

"Copy that. I'll see you all after lunch."

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Had to split this chapter in two because it was too long! The next one will just be a continuation :)

Comment and vote please! Thank you :)

- Pianogirl56