PUPPY LOVE | neymar jr

FOURTEEN

Annie was the friendly girl with the coral shoes I had befriended from the shoot that I had assisted Neymar with. She had been nothing but a friendly, supportive fan of my work and a true sweetheart.

"Thank you, Annie. I'm glad to be here. These ranks don't compare to everything down below. Floor six is really starting to feel like home now."

She smiled a white toothed smile before leaning on her heel to get back to her own work. But she also told me something else. "Oh, and you'll be glad to know that Alyssa has finally designed a gorgeous centrepiece for her new range with us! You have to see it, Marilisa was looking for you a few moments ago. I never thought a girl like Alyssa would have it in her. The sketches look like something a professional designer would sketch, along the likes of your work. Well, have a great day. I'll chat to you later."

Then she was gone and I had some thinking to do.

I placed my oversized work handbag on my brand new spacious desk and browsed for my sketch folder. Well, I had multiple of them. The one I had showed Alyssa being the first original, and I had gotten the others for backups or for side projects or inspirations.

Sketch folder two... three, four and five.
But where was the original?

I tried to think back and retrace my steps from the last time it was in my eyesight. Two days ago in my apartment, I had invited Alyssa over because she needed inspiration. She had tried browsing through it and then tried her luck on the internet.

But wait. Just before Neymar came into the apartment, she wanted to make herself some coffee. She walked over to watch the kettle boiling and searched through it again while she waited. Enter Neymar making a beeline straight towards me and I gave him all of my attention. So then...

NO. I couldn't believe this stupid theory. I had to be wrong. Alyssa had put something into her handbag... had it been my sketch folder?! But I couldn't think of any other event after that where I was using it.

I suppose there was only one way to find out...

The main office which belonged to one of the head designers, Daphne, was full with about a dozen people standing inside grouped together marvelling about something on a page. Marilisa was there, who proudly pulled Alyssa in a tight hug. 'Oohs' and 'aahs' could be heard from the other side of the glass from where I was standing.

With the tips of my ears going red with rage, I marched straight in.

"Lola!" Alyssa herself was the first to greet me. "Come have a look at my designs, everyone keeps saying that they're done so well!" Well, I had to give her brownie points for that one. She had the audacity to steal one or possibly all of my sketches and designs, yet she acted so cool while lying right to my face. That woman could act.

"An emerald green necklace? I don't need to have a look at it, Alyssa. I know what my own design looks like!"

Heads turned in our direction right away, some people even frowned.

I couldn't believe this. Alyssa knew how much this exact sketch piece meant to me and I had clearly stated that I wanted to keep it to myself for another while, but she had gone and did this!

"Lola, please. Lets talk about this in private," Alyssa gestured me towards the door, like she was ushering me out of her own office. "There has to be some sort of misunderstanding..."