A/N: I'm so happy you guys have no idea... I love this story and all of you, thank you for reading!! Also get ready for some backstory(;
SCARLETT'S POV:
I sit at my front desk, the one right in front of the office of the director of design... Aka my boss for the rest of this semester. No matter who's office I'm sitting in front of, or what's going on, I can't stop thinking about yesterday, and the fact that I ran straight into Harry. No literally... Straight into him, spilling the wine I had for my boss in my hands.. I got yelled at for that by the way. Not the fact that I spilled it, she doesn't know I did that. She was just pissy because I took too long.
Harry is somewhere in this building right now. He's working somewhere, probably writing some beautiful report on the fashion show yesterday, and what he saw, and what he loved and hated. All while I'm here, hole punching paper for Candace. I don't know why I'm hole punching paper, truly I don't think there's a reason for it, I think she wants me out of her way. I've brought her at least 3 large bouquets from people praising her for yesterday and the work she put in. She's not a designer anymore. Now all she does is pull and pick the designers Vogue works with for their shows and for the magazine, and with that comes me. I learn from the designers she chooses, and soon she'll see if I can make something that's up to par for her. I failed last time.
"Here you go, miss." I look up from my hole puncher to the same delivery guy who's been here 3 times today. He has a giant, larger than life bouquet and he sits it on my desk.
"Thanks." I smile, and he nods, walking away. I swear.... Despite the fact that I know Candace can see through the windows to my desk and the flowers atop it right now I call her on my phone.
"What is it Sarah?" She sighs into the phone.
"It's Scarlett.. And you have more flowers." I tell her. I hear her hang up promptly and on cue she walks out of her office and around my desk with the brightest smile that matches her intense bright pink lipstick. She's got dark hair, dark thick bangs too, and she always wears long bodycon skirts that hug her frame. It's a nice frame, I can't lie.
"These are for you." I continue my hole punching until she clears her throat and I realize she's talking to me.
"Me?" I look behind me to make sure no one is standing back there.
"Yes you." She actually looks pleased, and I just stare at her, waiting for her to say sike right now. She looks down at the card.
"What you wore yesterday should have been on that runway. One day it will be." She reads the small card attached to the gigantic flowers, and I cringe down.
"Don't say it.. Don't say it.. Don't say it.." I mumble to myself quietly.
"From Harry." She speaks the words and I let out a large sigh. Of course. "It's on one of our Vogue cards we use for flowers... Does your new boyfriend work here Sarah?" She asks, and I shake my head.
"He's not my boyfriend. He's a writer here.." I tell her, ignoring the botched name.
"It can't be Harry that writes the new designer column. He's good looking isn't he?" She asks, smiling to herself.
"I heard my name." We both turn around to see Harry behind us, and for the first time since my internship started I see Candace blush. Wow.. I thought she might be a lifeless vampire, I guess not... While she's turned around I point at her, signaling to Harry it wasn't me talking about him.
"Sarah and I were just talking about the beautiful flowers someone sent her.. It couldn't be you could it?" She asks. Harry gives me a look at the new name and I shake my head, telling him not to correct her, but he looks straight at her, straightening his suit jacket. Speaking of. He's wearing another black suit today, and he looks just as mouth watering as he did yesterday. You wouldn't know he had tattoos at all if this was the only way you saw him.
"I don't know a Sarah. I did send flowers to your extraordinary intern Scarlett though." He nods to me, and now my cheeks are red. He can't talk back to her, she'll eat me alive, and shit me out in a second.. Or even worse she'll fire me.
"Oh Scarlett right... She's alright." Candace smiles at me, one of those bitter smiles, like she can't believe what's happening.
"More than alright. I've got my eyes on her, speaking of. I'd like her to come with me if that's alright." He nods his head to me but I stay seated, waiting for Candace's approval.
"I could be of use more than her.. What could you possibly need from her?" She asks him, and despite the fact that he's my spoken enemy right now, she doesn't realize that he will defend me to the ends of the earth, especially right now.
"You can't actually. I write about new voices in fashion. Up and coming designers, just like her.. So if you will allow it, I'd like to steal her away for a bit of time." He gives her a shit eating grin, and it pains her. I can tell she's hating every moment of this but she nods once, looking at me to get up. I do, and she watches me walk away, just the same as Harry watches me walk towards him.
I'm wearing a good outfit today. I'm wearing jeans I tailored to fit me perfectly, thrifted of course. I'm wearing a collared white shirt and a black Jimothy style sweater I crotched myself, all paired with heeled boots and chunky gold jewelry. My belt is gold too, matching my jewelry perfectly.The way he looks at me makes me feel naked though. He eyes my outfit, and gives a one syllable laugh, with a curved smile. He places his hand at the small of my back, and guides me towards the elevators, and away from my desk. Despite the fact that I hate my job and this internship, I think I might rather be hole punching than here..
"What are you doing.." I ask quietly as we get inside the elevator.
"Stealing you.. What were you doing?" He asks me.
"Hole punching papers." I tell him honestly.
"This is far more exciting than hole punching." He promises with his words, and I scoff, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Hole punching can turn into head punching very quickly if you pull something stupid." I warn him.
"Nothing stupid, I just think you should meet someone." He tells me, and walks me onto his floor now. This is where the Vogue Vault is. I was here yesterday... It's very sleek here, it's a bit more scattered on my floor, there's too many people in and out. Models and designers, and stylists, and... this is peaceful, and quiet.. And the perfect work space honestly. We walk through the space, and he brings me to a desk that I know is his just by the way it's set up. The desk in his old apartment was set up the exact same way.
"This is you?" I ask, trying to make myself feel smart.
"Yep." He agrees, and stops in front of his desk. "Birdie." He's so tall, and much bigger than I am so I have to step to the side to see around him. His intern I had briefly met when I spilled the glass of wine down his shirt. She's looking at the two of us from her desk that's placed right behind Harry's. Wow, a nice boss, what a cool concept.
"Yes?" She asks very politely.
"I want you and Scarlett to take your lunch together, go wherever, take however long you want." He tells her, and she nods, turning back around to get her things together. I tug on his sleeve, and he turns towards me. Our chests are very close together as we stand in front of his desk.
"What the hell are you doing?" I ask him softly. I'm not a people person. I don't get along with people unless it's Sierra, and the only reason I get along with her is because after so many years I had to.
"She's new to all of this, and you know the industry. She wants to do what I do one day. You're the kind of person I write about. I'd rather her ask you questions about this world to get some experience from a smaller designer that's up and coming, as opposed to some big name that won't give her the time of day." He explains, and though it makes sense, and it's sweet in a way for both of us..
"I'm not an up and coming designer. I'm barely even a designer... I failed my intern approval, what makes you think I'm qualified?" I ask, still in a whisper.
"I know you're qualified, and I know for a fact the only reason you failed is because she wants to keep you around to do the grunt work.. Like getting her wine at fashion shows..." His words instantly make my face burn red. I never thought of it that way.
"You have to say that, you're my.."
"Your what?" He asks, smirking above me. I glare at him, and roll my eyes.
"You're my enemy. You need to stop doing nice things for me." I warn him, and he straightens his suit.
"No can do.. I may be your enemy but I know the one way to get under your skin is to be nice to you... You hate it so much so I do it every opportunity I get. Now take my card, and go to lunch. Don't go crazy." He warns, handing me a sleek black card with his name on it. I won't lie... That was hot.. Incredibly hot. I didn't know being his enemy entailed him also being my sugar daddy but I'm not going to argue.
"Fine." I snatch his card from his hands with a smile, and step to the side looking at Birdie who's got on a cute red dress, and matching red loafers. She's looking at me with an innocent smile, and though she looks innocent I don't know if I believe it all that much. "Ready?" I ask her, and she nods. "Harry, can you get my stuff from upstairs.. Have it sent down maybe?" I push him a little bit as he sits down at his desk. He looks at me, and then back down to his work in front of him.
"Whatever you want darling, just go to lunch." He speaks out, and I don't know if he meant to call me his little pet name in front of his intern but I do know that my cheeks are red because they always fuck me over in situations like this. I wish blushing wasn't a thing. I don't look at Birdie as I turn away from him and towards the elevators now.
The elevator is filled with awkward silence, and I force myself not to sigh right now. I hate this. I hate being forced to make friends. No offense to her, but especially with people who can't spark a conversation at all. The only time I can open up, or talk at all is if others make me feel like I can talk... I need to feel comfortable. I can spark a conversation, I just don't know if I want to just yet. But... I do have a card in my hands, and we do have the opportunity to go anywhere for lunch..
"What do you want to eat?" I ask, hating my voice in this tight space, why do I sound like that?
"Whatever you'd like." She gives me a smile, and I think I already don't like her. I don't know if she really is quiet or if she's one of those pretend quiet type people who's pretending to be quiet but is really collecting all of your secrets, and planning your murder while we speak...
"Cool, we're going to get tacos." I sigh, walking out of the elevator. The only reason I chose tacos is because the place is within walking distance, and that means this will be over soon. I walk in front of her and she follows behind. We don't talk at all as we walk towards the place I've ordered from time and time again.
The two of us make our way to the restaurant. Once we're there and inside the quiet area we sit down, and the waitress takes our orders. Now all that's left to do is sit in silence. I look at Birdie, and really take her in now, seeing her face, and her clothes.. Maybe she really is just the quiet type..
"So.. I assume you went to school for fashion?" She asks, trying to start a conversation. Okay, we're getting somewhere.
"Yeah I did. This is my first semester out actually." I tell her.
"And I know this really has nothing to do with fashion, but how do you know Harry?" She asks, and I sigh.
"Well. Harry and I were best friends in college. He moved over here from England to study here in school and I'm not good at making friends, or making people like me, but for some reason he did. We became best friends my first year, his third. We split off for a while but now we're.. We're back." I keep from cringing as I pretend we're friends again, and all she can do is look at me.
"So you're... friends?" She asks, and I nod.
"Yeah why? Do you have the hots for your boss?" I ask, and she chokes on her water.
"Um.. No. I mean he's an attractive man, but I'm not interested in men." She tells me, and I nod.
"Good idea, men are the worst." I lean back in my chair, and she laughs softly.
"I was just asking because.. Excuse me if I'm overstepping at all, but he doesn't look at you in a friendly way." She tells me, and I cringe now.
"Yeah I know." I admit.
"You know?" She asks, and right away she's confused. I put my hand up, calling the waitress back over to us.
"Yeah I'm going to need alcohol if we're going to get into this one... Double shot of tequila please." The waitress nods, and I look back to Birdie.
"You don't have to answer I don't want to intrude on your personal life or-"
"Listen... I know him too well to know exactly what he's doing right now. Harry knows I can't make friends for shit, and he thinks you and I would be good friends so he sent us to lunch together. He's covering it up with work stuff but it has nothing to do with that. He wants me to get you out of your shell and he wants me to have a good time... I assume this won't be the last time, so I might as well treat you as my bestie now, and save time later... and you don't have to treat me like I'm your boss, or that I'll report to your boss. I don't give a shit what Harry thinks or says so this is a complete safe space with me." I tell her, and she raises her eyebrows, and relaxes a bit more.
"Alright so spill then." She nods, and I watch as the waitress brings my tequila back to me. As soon as she drops it off I throw it back, and look straight at Birdie.
"Have you ever had someone pine after you, and you want to want them the same way but you just can't?" I ask her, and she nods her head.
"Yes, but I feel like my reasons for saying no were different from yours, continue." She really opens herself up, showing me more and more of her personality.
"So Harry had graduated, and he had been here for a while after, working and stuff. We had been best friends for almost three years at that point. I was a second year student at the time. He and I were in his apartment mostly because it was nicer than mine. We were on his couch, and he said he needed to talk to me, and he admitted he had feelings for me, and I being the person that I am, decided that I didn't want to hear that so I got up and left." I tell her.
"You just got up and left, you didn't say anything?" She laughs, and I laugh too.
"What was I supposed to do? I don't do well with stuff like that!"
"Keep going." She waves me on, and I nod.
"Okay so he admitted his feelings for me, and I left. Obviously he followed me, and I just told him I needed a second before we talked about anything. So I went back to my apartment with my sister, and my sister was also friends with Harry because she's like my only friend. So of course she told me I was an idiot, and that I needed to talk to him, and blah blah blah. She's a hopeless romantic I think."
"Spoiler alert, so am I." She tells me, and I already know she's going to be rooting for us in the end of this too which is just too bad.
"Then you're not going to like me at all when I tell you this.. I met with him the next day again, and I told him I just wanted to be his friend, and he said it was cool, but he didn't seem very cool. He's an aquarius so he doesn't take rejection well... Then he decided to drop the bomb on me that he was going back to England." I tell her, and she drops her jaw.
"Ooh.. So it made you feel like he was waiting on your reaction to decide if he was going to stay in the US or go back to England?" She asks, and I nod.
"Exactly! He didn't think of telling me, his best friend that he was thinking about going
back home until after I rejected him? It doesn't make sense... and it was a cheap shot, and I was livid, and I told him. He apologized and said I wasn't going to change his mind, and without actually breaking my heart he kind of broke my heart, and moved home and I hadn't spoken to him at all in two years until he showed back up in LA. So there's a lot of unspoken tension between us." I explain.
"Okay but why? I know he still has feelings, but if you don't want him then why are you so freaky about just being his friend again?" She asks.
"Because well because I lost my best friend because he was selfish, and now he's back, and just wants to pick up where we left off, and that's not fair to me." I shrug.
"And you're not telling me about your feelings either.. So you didn't feel anything for him at all?" She asks, and I open my mouth and close it right away.
"I never said that." I shake my head.
"You rejected him though?" She asks.
"Yeah because I'm a psychopath? He would not like girlfriend me. Not one bit." I tell her, and she tilts her head in question. "Hey, at least I'm self aware okay?" I ask.
"By psychopath you mean...."
"I mean I will right away want to spend everyday with him. I will kill a woman for speaking to him. I will fight someone for him. I'm not the bitch to mess with, and I know that side of me is not a side he's seen and it's probably not a side of me he would like." I tell her.
"Are you sure about that?" She asks me, and I thin my eyes now.
"What do you know that I don't?" I ask her.
"He has a picture of the two of you on his desk." She tells me,and my jaw drops.
"Absolutely not. I don't believe you." I shake my head, and she nods quickly.
"No really, it's a selfie, it looks like you guys were at a fair or something, there's a ferris wheel in the background, and you both are smiling really big too." She spills, and my jaw is basically on the floor. That's so sweet.. No, no, no, no. It's not cute. He's not allowed to make my stomach flutter.
"No. I'm going to pretend I don't know that.. Why did you tell me that? I didn't need to know." I shake my head again.
"I told you because it's obvious to me personally that he wants all of that, even the psychopath." She tells me, and I shake my head.
"No, I don't think so. I really don't." I can't agree, mostly because I know him, and I know what he likes is not me.
"So that's the only reason you rejected him?" She asks, almost like she can't believe it.
"Um yeah? I didn't want to ruin anything which he obviously already did... But that was the only thing, it really was me, not him. You've seen him.. He's hot, and he's rich now, and he's nice. I'm not his type, not at all. I'm a bitch, and I have no money... and I can be hot, but I normally don't enjoy the process so..." I shrug my shoulders, and now my tacos are in front of me, so I decide to dig in, wanting to direct the conversation elsewhere.
"Excuse me.. Can we get another round of shots please?" I look up from my food to see Birdie ordering from the waitress, and now I'm smirking.
"Okay... So we're clocking out for the day?" I ask, knowing Harry did this to himself.
"Oh hell yes we're clocking out today... I doubt he'll get mad at me when I'm with you." She tells me, and I know it's true. We could blame all of this on me, and he wouldn't be mad, but beside the point... We're about to have a good afternoon.
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A/N:
Okay I love Birdie... I know some of y'all are getting bad vibes but she's the moment truly.
I really am so thankful for you guys... ALMOST 10K ON 4 CHAPTERS???? YALL ARE INSANE!!!! Thank you forever, I love you and I'll see you soon.
*virtual hugs*