"Hey Dec, I'm going to head off now. Thanks for the good day today! I'll be at the office tomorrow for some meetings. Feel free to call or message me when you need me!"
Declan's head snapped around to face her. "You should stay, Mase is coming round in a sec."
Florence thought about the offer. She had been aware of how close the duo were and working closely alongside Declan meant seeing Mason frequently. The night out from a few weeks ago allowed for Florence to form opinions of Jack's friends and her new employer's friends, Mason was different. He was quiet, mysterious and clearly had some weird dislike towards her but then again, not everyone has to like her. Florence's relationship with his friend was that of a professional manner and he had every right not to acknowledge Florence.
"I think I'll pass, thank you for the offer though! I'll see you on wednesday! Enjoy the rest of your day!"
"At least let me give you a lift home?"
"No, it's alright! Thank you! I'm meeting some friends in Chinatown!"
---
"Floss, you make my head spin. You're working alongside THE Declan Rice and you went out with half of the England squad and you never told us!"
"Who said I'm working with Declan Rice?"
"Kyle told me."
She rolled her eyes. Of course he did. Kyle always ran his mouth at any given chance. Everyone's private business was his to share. He was annoying and unbearable but he was Florence's friend and she loved him nevertheless. She was surprised it had taken him longer than three days to tell everyone.
"What was it like being out with John Stones?" Larissa asked "He's so lush!"
"I'm not answering anything."
"It's because she can't remember anything!" Aimee replied. Aimee was her flatmate in the first year of university and she was never able to shake her off. Since that first year, they had lived together and will probably live together until Aimee gets bored of her. She had put up with so much of Florence's drama and Florence never truly knew how to repay her. Aimee was beautiful and she was the best part of her life in London.
The night was filled with laughter and gossping. It was a regular monday evening for their group of friends to meet in Chinatown. "It makes mondays more bearable." Larissa claimed. She had chosen monday as their set day when the three of them were 18 and they had never changed it since then. Every monday at 6pm in the same restaurant and the same table. It had been more difficult to maintain this meeting when they were broke university students, but when they all got stable full time jobs, it became easier and the more people that came amd what started as a thing between the three of them expanded and suddenly they were a group of 7.
A notification snapped Florence out of her thoughts. Mason Mount had followed her on instagram.
"Bitch! Look at this notif!" Florence held her phone up to Noah's face.
"No FUCKING way"
"I know! I'm gobsmacked!"
Larissa, Aimee and Adam ran over peeking at the phone screen in front of her. The three of them looked at each other before looking back at Florence.
"I swear to God, if you do not follow that man back right now." Larissa nudged the girl slightly. "We will disown you!"
She grabbed Florence's phone off her and clicked the notification. Florence burst out laughing to see Mason had unfollowed her immediately, knowing he was with Declan, she suddenly felt watched. Florence snatched her phone back from Larissa and started scrolling through her own instagram, trying to see it from a third person's perspective, archiving posts as she went along.
---
Mason groaned out of frustration. He felt his cheeks heat up. She definitely would've gotten the notification.
"Fuck! I don't know how that happened! What if she got a notification?"
Declan let out his stifled laugh as he watched Mason grow redder by the minute. Mason let out another frustrated grumble. He couldn't believe he had been so clumsy whilst stalking her.
"Should've just stuck it out, mate. Kept following her, more embarrassing that you unfollowed her."
Mason and Declan continued with their night, waiting for their food to arrive. They didn't talk much, Declan distracted on his phone. He let out a few laughs, occasionally showing Mason the video he would be laughing at. A notification on top of the screen grab his attention and he began reading it.
"Is Florence messaging you about me?"
"She saw the notification mate but don't stress! She was just asking if you approved of the gram."
"Oh, I saw something about Harry and Son." Mason frowned. He felt a lot more than just embarrassment.
---
declan rice
Today 19:21
so boss, how was the ig? Did it
meet the Mount standard?
You saw that? HAHAHA
yes! My friends are
freaking out
Not you though?
Today 20:37
tell Harry Kane to tell
Son Heung-min to
follow her instead
-Aimee x
Best I can do is to get
Mase to follow her
again.
slay! she'll take that
Delivered
---
The office was boring, filled to the brim with pointless meetings and demands from client sponsors that wouldn't be met by neither Declan or herself. The emails came one after the other, she felt like she was drowning. Florence found herself preferring the constant hovering of Declan asking her what she was doing like a curious toddler seeing something new and shiny for the first time. The office felt empty without Kyle nagging her, telling her some gossip about Linda from HR. Knowing Kyle wasn't in the office meant that it was a little more peaceful and quieter for everyone, who was in the office.
"Soo, did Mason refollow you?" Adam popped up from behind Florence, making the girl flinch, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"You scared me, you dick!"
"Yes or no, Floss!"
"I dunno! I haven't checked! Adam, I've been working!"
"Fine! I'll check myself!" He rolled his eyes at her, pulling his phone out of his back pocket, typing away eagerly at his phone, a smile breaking out on his face as he stared down at his phone intently.
"He's only gone and bloody done it!"
Almost as an instict, she grabbed her phone and checked it for herself. She thought he was kidding but as she pressed on the notification tab, she saw the words 'masonmount started following you'.
"He's going to absolutely despise me by the end of my contract."
---
A grunt of frustration came out of her. "Stupid fucking laptop!" It had been the third time in five minutes where her laptop had crashed whilst she was sorting through some posts for work. Florence had been running behind on work and was already at her wit's end. The boiler had broken at her home and she found herself relying on the gym membership, she hardly used, to shower. To top things off, her laptop refused to function properly and crashed every app within 2 seconds of being opened. In a fit of frustration, she slammed her laptop shut and picked her bag up from the stool next to her, rummaging through it to find her phone. Declan was busy with visitors and she didn't want to disturb. Through a text she made him aware that she would be taking her lunch break early and would be back in an hour and that he was free to contact her if he needed. As she reached the door, she had heard him call out her name telling her to stay and join him and his guest for lunch. She spun around to see the man talking to her and was met with a sheepish wave from Mason.
"Oh, err, it's okay! I wanna go for a walk!"
"Fab, we'll join you!" Declan smiled "Got to make the most of the weather before it goes again!"
Florence nodded, not saying a word and gave them both a smile whilst they got their things together. The three of them made their way toward Greenwich Park, none of them saying a word just taking in the surroundings. The sun was blaring, the sky clear. It was the sticky type of heat that you couldn't cool from no matter what.
"What's got you all frowny, Flozza?"
"I hate that for me, thank you!" She nudged him slightly "Just stress, man. The boiler's gone and so is my blimmin' laptop. I'm so behind on work!"
Mason looked at her, his eyebrows frowned. "So you're behind on your work and decided to go for a walk instead?"
"Yes, Mr. Mount. I did!" She grinned sarcastically at him "Even Jesus couldn't bring my laptop back from the dead."
The rest of the walk was filled with small chatter but nothing of note. The air was hot on her skin and she found herself squinting from the brightness, getting more irritated by the minute, with her eyes irritated and dry. She began rubbing her eyes, knowing it was an awful idea "Fuck! Fuck! Fuuck!"
Declan stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at the woman, on the ground searching for her fallen contact. "Are you okay, Flossie?"
"No, my contact fell out. I don't have my glasses on me. I can't see out me eye."
Mason walked back towards her, picking something off her top. "Here, you're lucky it fell on you!"
"Thank you so much! I'm gonna have to leave you guys and run to boots for some cleaning solution!"
"Nah, we're coming with you, mate." Mason smiled at the girl, to which she gladly returned "You're half blind. You might fall in a manhole or summat."
---
Mason Mount
masonmount
Today 17:57
hey !! just wanted to say
thanks for today !! x
Seen
---
The train station was packed despite the early time. Florence had made sure to leave early to pick up her new laptop from the company office and arrive at Declan's shoot on time, but clearly the world was against her. She rushed off her stop and pushed through the crowd forming on the platform. She refused to be late, or, worse, bump into Kyle at the office and be forced to listen to the latest gossip about Molly from the insurance company on the floor below and Alex from IT but frankly, she didn't even have time to greet security at the entrance. When she finally reached the office building, it was quiet, with few security at the entrance of the office. She had never seen it this quiet before but she had never been there at seven in the morning.
The rush of the morning made her head spin and she gripped onto the bar on the train like her life depended on it. As she approached Declan's house, she felt her phone vibrate. As she waited for Declan, she pulled out her phone, met with multiple notifications:
---
Monday 7 June
08:04
Instagram
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Mason Mount
No worries. Glad to help a friend of some friends :)
Mason Mount
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