The Stand In

Chapter 6

How. Freaking. Stupid.

The whole car ride home last night, I blasted myself for being so dumb into believing that Zak, (Gorgeous, panty melting smile, well spoken, ridiculously handsome, captivating eyes, salt pepper goatee, great listener, did I mention handsome?) Zak, didn't have a woman on his arm already!

I didn't even look for a ring when I ogled his hands, because let's face it ladies, we like men's hands. It's one of our things, some deny it, but it's there...

"I'm such an idiot." I groan to myself, replaying the situation of me leaning in for a kiss in his car, over in my head.

"You are an idiot. But why?" Sophie asks appearing from nowhere.

I sigh and glance around the office to find Mia approaching. "Well? What happened? Full details."

"Wait, you know what's happened?" Sophie asks pointing her finger between us.

"That she went on a second date with Ed. It was a disaster, but that's it, why? What did I miss?" Mia asks ditching her bag and pulling her chair into our little area.

"Oh girls..." I groan again.

I then go through the date with Ed, because truth be known I was so out of touch with this dating that maybe I was the problem?

The thought troubles me, but as I come to the end, I find both Mia and Sophie looking furious.

"Go on, hold nothing back." I sigh.

"Left or right?" Mia asks Sophie.

"I gotta choose? I can't have both?"

"No."

"Have what?" I ask confused.

"Which ball she wants. I'm gonna rip them off. Are you flaming kidding me?! You had a seizure and he was too busy looking at Gemma?!" Mia almost shouts.

I hush her as others in the office look up to see what the commotion was about. "It was a mild o-"

"I don't care!" Mia hisses before glaring at her computer screen, when a few clicks on the mouse fails to wake the computer up, she thumps at the keyboard.

"Hey, I'm okay." I tell her, knowing this was her worry and concern.

"Besides the point. Do you know what caused it?" Sophie asks in a softer tone.

I shake my head "I- I don't know. I woke up feeling off, but I carried on. I should have took notice, it was my fault."

"Not accepting that." Sophie answers making my shoulders sink.

"Well it's my brain messing up, isn't it?"

"You can't help this, Elle." Mia answers before pushing the keyboard away with a sigh. "I can't even think about work right now. How were you last night? Did you eat? Did you drive home? Please tell me you've skipped the bath and came in smelly today?"

"I- uh... Well I did drive home, but it was a little later by then." I tell them.

Mia's eyes go from concerned to terrifyingly worried "What do you mean? Did you have a big one after?"

"No, I was with someone." I admit.

"Who?" Sophie turns hearing the story hasn't finished.

"Zak." I then have to tell them about the rest of the night, how I spent it with Zak in his car. Simply enjoying the conversation between us and how relaxed the atmosphere was. So relaxed in fact, that the larger seizure didn't happen.