Florence kissed Cooper on the cheek as she waved goodbye to her friend, she couldn't have put into words what having her oldest friend fighting by her side today had meant to her, she would never have been able to survive today, not without someone with her.
As she climbed the flights of stairs her phone began to ring, it was Natalie, Florence had barely had enough time to talk to her as she had rushed off to go to an 'important' meeting.
"Darling!" shouted Natalie almost making her drop her phone in shock.
"I have the best of the best news!" chirped Natalie, she actually sounded like she was about to break out into song.
"Okay" she replied, gripping onto the railing, it sounded like she'd need support for whatever was coming.
"BCU want an interview!" cried Nat, as if she couldn't restrain herself, she really did drop her phone then, it hit the marble floor and if it hadn't been for her screen protector she would have been in the market for a new one, Florence's mouth was gaping open and she didn't seem to be capable of closing it, hastily she reached down to pick up her phone, where she could hear shrill shrieks.
"Is this a joke?" she asked, she had to be sure before she let herself go crazy with elation.
"Sure as the hairs on my head!" replied Nat "I just received a call from Professor Whittaker at the charity, he says he can send one of their representatives to interview you tomorrow!"
Her slow mind was still lagging, trying to keep up.
BCU was only the most respected body confidence charity running seven successful confidence campaigns in the space of five years, it had been one of her biggest dreams to be interviewed by them and featured in their monthly magazine, Body Confidence United.
"Thank you so much Nat!" she squealed "I love you, I love you, I love you! I could never have any agent as amazing as you"
"Well I do try" she could hear the smile in her agent's voice.
She beamed the entire way up the five flights of stairs which usually made her huff and puff, she would call her Mum later on, she hadn't checked up on them in a while, hadn't wanted to while the press hung around their home, this way she could tell her the great news.
She practically skipped into the door and to her shock saw that Cole too wore a similar expression of joy.
"Hi!" he said "Hello there" she replied, her face already aching with her persistent smile, she felt like doing something crazy, like dancing on the streets and flinging open the window to tell everyone in Phillipson her news.
"How was job hunting?" she asked, knowing something positive must have happened for him to be in such a good mood.
"Well I got a job" he replied
"Great! Where?"
"Deidre's" he made a face "The best I could get given the situation"
She could tell he was playing it cool, but she knew that he was secretly delighted that he'd managed to find a job.
"Amazing!"
She felt giddy, she was on cloud nine and nothing could bring her down, nothing.
But of course something could.
The smile seemed to die a little on Cole's face, his two eyebrows scrunched together and her was tactfully staring over her shoulder.
"I actually know a waitress there so I guess it helped me get the job"
Now he looked really awkward.
Why was her heart suddenly dropping, down, down, down into her shoes where it landed with a sickening thump.
"Her name's Charlie, I didn't actually know she was in town until now, she used to live in Montana back when we lived there"
But she had zoned out.
Charlie, what a stupid name, Charlie was practically a boy's name, and who did this Charlie think she was giving out jobs like they were sweets, Florence was sure that there was some kind of law against giving jobs out to friends.
And what did Cole mean, he knew her?
Knew her how?
He gulped "Um Florence... she came here because of Chase actually"
Chase.
"They were together before...before the fire, she told me she really wants to meet you"
Chase had told her he'd had a girlfriend before, so why did she feel like marching off to Deidre's and shoving a scone in the girls mouth?
She was being irrational, really irrational.
Chase had told her this Charlie wasn't the one for him, she'd been his true love, his only love... or had he just loved her by default?
No, no, no, no, she was not going to think like that.
Trying to stay calm and collected she faced Cole.
"What does she want and why exactly does she feel the need to come to Phillipson? Chase told me they weren't anything serious"
Cole cleared his throat.
"I'd say they were pretty serious"
Seeing her furious expression he lifted up both hands in surrender.
"Sorry! Open wounds and all of that, but its fine, she knows how Chase felt about you I told her everything, and she really does want to meet you, you'll like her! She might not be a published author but she's a whizz at writing, back at Montana I'd hardly see her anywhere without a pen in her hand scribbling away in her notebook"
His wistful expression caused her blood to boil with anger, why was he comparing this girl to her?
Was he trying to say she just fit a type Chase had already had with this Charlie?
She hadn't even met this girl, but she already hated her, there was this image formulated in Florence's mind of some airhead blonde bimbo who pretended to be all deep and soulful whilst fluttering fake eyelashes and causes hearts to melt.
What was wrong with her! She was an utter hypocrite writing an entire book about not judging people and here she was planning a hundred and fifty reasons why Charlie was the devil in disguise.
"I need to shower" she said abruptly.
Cole 's expression fell,
"Oh... okay how did the speech go?"
"Good"
She was halfway to the door when she remembered, he had called Cooper.
"Thanks for calling Cooper, that was nice of you"
He just nodded as she picked up a towel and walked into the bathroom, swinging the door behind her.
Was this how she was going to be the rest of her life?
Glad one second for those precious happy moments and then rooted and angered by memories and whispers of the past, she needed to move on although she'd told herself a hundred times that she'd already moved on.
She would have her interview tomorrow and it would go smoothly, she would promote her book and remember to smile for the cameras.
But she would be sure to avoid Deidre's at all costs, she didn't need more drama and meltdowns, she needed peace and stability.
The shower shot out cool water and as it spilled down her neck she closed her eyes and let herself be embraced by the memories of the past.
Just this once.