Black Velvet

Chapter 66 - "You must be worth nearly as much money as we are!"

“I’ll be back by about 11:00pm tonight,” Louis said. “Yeah you’ve said that three times… now go and enjoy yourself, you’ve a whole day you can spend with your family, so stop talking on the phone to me and go!” I said swapping the phone from one ear to the other as I stirred the pasta in the pot. “Thanks for making me do this June, I really owe you one,” he said. “You’re very welcome! Now go! I’ll talk to you later goodbye!” I said and hung up the phone.

Just last night Louis broke down to me, telling him about the heartache he was feeling about not being able to see his family. So this morning I called up one of the drivers and forced Louis to make the drive to Doncaster to visit his family. He was so over joyed it nearly broke my heart. However what I hadn’t anticipated was the boredom without having Louis around.

So here I was cooking, instead of ordering take-out ford, instead of lounging around watching shitty TV. It was when I was straining the pasta I felt the urge to go to Modest HQ, get some solid work done so at exactly 2:30pm I left my apartment, got into my car and drove the roads that would take me to 128 Kensington High St, a place I hadn’t been for work in way too long.

It was just gone three when I was getting out of my car –boxes in hand- and walking through the main doors of the glass building. “Ms Talford! Such a shock to see you here, are you here to see someone?" Jacob greeted before beginning to tap away at his computer. “Oh no, I just decided I’d get some work done, call my previous clients, that kind of thing,” I said with a tired smile. “Oh are you finishing up with One Direction?" Jacob asked. “No… why would you say that?” I asked in confusion.

“Because you haven’t been back here to ‘get some work done’ since the day before you flew for LA all those many months ago,” he explained. “You don’t miss anything do you? And no I’m not leaving the boys, whereabouts is Alexander?” I asked leaning my elbows up onto his high desk. “Last I heard he and Mrs Green were in California, Sacramento I think but I can’t be too sure,” Jacob answered. I nodded, “Right I’ll be up in my office if anyone asks, thanks Jacob,” I said and made my way around the left side of his desk, passed the fountain that I had admired the day of my trial and through the automatic double doors.

As I walked down the corridor I noticed that Midge wasn’t sitting in her usual chair behind the desk. It was a young girl with bouncy brown curls and big green glasses she smiled up at me. “Hi there, can I help you with anything?” she asked in a very strong Northern Irish accent. “Yeah I’m looking for Midge…” I said looking this girl up and down. Why was she here? And where the hell was Midge? “Oh I’m filling in for today because Mary is at her son’s graduation,” she explained. “How new are you?” I asked not afraid of being blunt. Anyone that was anyone knew that you didn’t call Midge Mary.

“Not new at all, I’ve been working in the clothing department for three years,” she explained, confusion on her voice. “If you don’t mind me asking what do you do in the clothing department?”

“Oh I hang the clothes,” she said with a smile, it took a lot of my strength to refrain from rolling my eyes. “And if you don’t mind me asking, I feel like I know you, do I?” she asked. I couldn’t help the little bubble of laugh that escaped my mouth.

“I’m June Talford, have a good day,” I said, taking a moment to look at her completely shocked face before turning to the left and walking down the corridor towards the silver elevators.