Two stops until InStyle. I love catching the Subway it is so different to the trains back home and it's faster. It gives me time to think or read or just people watch.
Time to think.
Like ... why hasn't he called? We had a great time at lunch, a couple of weeks of ago... calls, texts, dinners... and then a lovely time at the Theatre. So why? Why hasn't he called? Ok so the Theatre was last night but he just dropped me home and nothing. I'm going insane. Normally he'd say goodnight. No call. No text. No smoke signal. No postcard. Argh!
Technically lunch was Maddie's doing and then we went to the Theatre with Maddie and Tom but all those dates in between I thought that maybe he liked me.
"Miss is that your phone?" The old man next to me taps me on the shoulder.
My phone? "My phone. Thank you!"
I rummage through my bag. Dammit! Come on. It's probably Mark and now I can't- I press the phone to my ear without looking at the caller ID.
"Hello" oh damn. Maybe the subway isn't so great! "Ok just hold on. I'm on the Subway. Just getting off. Please don't hang up." I jump off at the next stop and race through the crowds and up the stairs to street of New York. "Ok... oops excuse me. I'm here. Hello" I bet it's him... "Mark?"
"Amber honey it's mum"
Mum! "Oh hi!"
"Who's Mark?" I hear one of my brothers yell in the background.
"Mum am I on speaker phone?"
"Of course Amie, we are all here. So who is Mark?"
"Um... uh he is my contact at the magazine. I'm on my way there now" Nice save...
"Oh that's nice. So you are on your way to work now then?"
"Yep. I just got off the Subway and am walking to InStyle"
"When are you coming home?" My little brother asks.
"Leave her alone Aaron " my big brother Aiden replies for me. I round the corner. Now only five hundred metres from InStyle.
"Any cute boys Amie?" My little sister asks.
"Alyssa she is there to live life not date" Aiden answers for me... again.
"Guys! Calm down. I won't be home for a while Aaron you know this. But you could come visit."
"And boys dear?" Mum asks "anyone taking your fancy?"
Any information in my mum's hands is dangerous...
"Um...uh... no. No boys mum" I reply to my mum's nosiness as I reach the InStyle building and head inside to wait for the lift. Two hands cover my eyes and I jump startled.
"Oh Shit!"
"Amber Louise Bishop!!"
I take my hands off Amber's face as she turns to face me. She is glaring. Oh crap I may have crossed a line.
"Sorry mum. I stubbed my toe."
"..."
"Yes I know that is no excuse to swear."
"..."
"Shut up Alex I can hear you laughing!"
"..."
Amber mouths 'one second' to me and continues listening to the person on the other end of the phone.
"Yes mum. Ok I should go."
"..."
"Bye guys."
"..."
"Love you too"
Amber hangs up from her call and shoves her phone in her bag.
"Hey" ok maybe I should have called. She seems standoffish.
"Hi. How are you?"
"Fine. That was just my family. They are crazy" she says and smiles.
"Alex is?"
"One of my brothers. The little turd"
"One of them?"
"Yeah I said I was from a big family. I'm the second oldest"
"Really?"
"Uh huh. It goes Aiden, me, Alex, Alyssa and Aaron"
"All your names start with 'A'"
"Yeah I told you my family is crazy" The lift opens and Amber steps in. "Sorry I'm going to be late"
I use my hand to hold the door back, "I should have called"
"Don't worry about it. It's ok"
"You're disappointed?" I ask already knowing the answer.
"I was" Was? Dammit. I ruined it.
"Can I make it up to you?"
"I'm late Mark"
"I'll pick you up at twelve-thirty"
"Mark -"
"Please Amber" I plead with her doing
my best to master the puppy dog eyes. I have watched Dylan use it on Mads multiple times.
She smiles, "Fine"
Smiling I remove my hand from the lift doors and they shut. I turn to leave the InStyle building as my phone buzzes.
"If I go with you at 12.30pm you better be feeding me. A x"
"I know. I know. For the love of food!"
.............
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