Becky
"Nice to finally hear from you. Lover boy finally put you down has he?"
"Only just." Becky replies with a smile. "What did you want anyway?"
"Well, seeing as you've asked...Noah followed me back and has messaged me...twice!" Chelsea clearly unable to hide her excitement.
"Oh. Wow! When's the wedding?"
Becky could tell that Chelsea had rolled her eyes at the sarcasm in her voice. "Very funny, Becks. I'm just excited is all."
"I can tell."
The call wasn't going as planned. Becky didn't seem interested at all.
"Listen, I need to get to work. I don't think another sick day would go down to well with the boss."
"Okay. Speak to you soon."
Becky hung up. She couldn't bare listening to her friend any longer go on about her imaginary boyfriend.
"Morning Becky."
Becky turned around at the sound of her name being mentioned.
"Feeling better today? I just heard you were off yesterday."
"Morning Alice. Yeah just a dodgy stomach. How's your Dad? I saw you have to rush off on Monday."
"Not great but I can't spend too long off of work. Me being around isn't going to change anything."
Becky shrugged her shoulders in some sort of acknowledgement. Unsure of what to say.
"I better get up to the office. Meeting first thing. I'll see you, yeah?"
Becky smiled "Actually Alice, would it be possible to catch up later. I have something to ask you....for a friend." Becky knew she had been off with Chelsea so thought she would do her a favour by finding out a bit more about Alice's friendship with this famous Noah.
"Sure, just drop me an email and I'll come
and find you when I have a spare 10 minutes. Sound okay?"
"Sounds great. Have a good morning, Alice."
Becky watched as Alice smiled and walked away towards her desk without a reply.
~~~
"Noah? Yeah, I know him why? You're not one of his fangirls are you?"
Becky laughed and couldn't think of being anything but. "No, no. My friend loves him and she showed me a picture of you and him at the weekend and I just mentioned that I knew you."
"Oh, fair enough."
They both stood in silence, Becky unable to think of anything to ask that would help Chelsea but before she could think of something, Alice leant in close and whispered.
"I actually had drunken sex with him on Monday night." She lifted her finger up to her mouth insisting that this was to stay between the two of them.
"Oh, right." Becky replied, still unable to find anything of relevance to say. "So are you two, you know..."
Alice looked blank waiting for Becky to continue.
"Friends with benefits?" Becky continued.
"Oh, no. Not at all!" Alice answered as a matter of fact. "I was drunk and crawled into his bed. And it just happened. I think with everything that's going on at the moment, I just needed a distraction. It won't be happening again!"
"Fair enough. We've all been there." Becky attempted to try and make Alice feel comfortable about confiding in her.
"So is he single? Would my friend have any sort of chance with her?"
Becky laughed "He is single but I'm not sure your friend would stand a chance, he never replies to any messages. I assume she has messaged him in the past?"
Becky nodded and continued to tell her that apparently Noah has responded and followed her back.
"Oh, has he now?" Alice replied with a screwed up face. "That's unlike him."
"Apparently so." Becky shrugged her shoulders and took a sip from her cup.
"I'll talk to him and try and give you some more inside information for your friend....?"
"Chelsea."
"I'll ask him. But don't say anything to your friend until I know where he's heads at." Alice began to walk away, all of a sudden becoming uncomfortable at the conversation.
"Okay, Thanks Alice."
"No problem. We should probably head back to work. I'll see you soon, Becks."
"See you around. Remember Alice, if there's anything I can do..."
"Appreciate it. Thank you."
And with that, Alice walked off. Leaving Becky in the office kitchen alone, taking another sip from her cup.
She looks up to see Brian walking towards her. Nobody ever wants to be stuck in conversation with him. The most boring man in the office, so she thinks quickly, pulling her phone from her back pocket and calls Chelsea.
"Hello?" She answers as she smiles towards Brian as he approaches, mouthing a Sorry towards him as she walks off.
~~~
Chelsea
"One large white wine?"
"Thanks Becky. I need this. Work is killing me at the minute. My feet feel like they are constantly on fire."
Becky smiles "Chels, Listen. I'm sorry for being such a bad friend this week. Tony and I have moved a lot faster than I ever imagined I would with someone and I know you've got things on your mind. So sorry for not being there."
Chelsea waves a hand as a gesture of telling her friend not to worry about it. "It's fine. I know my fascination has gone too far in such a short space of time. I've been acting like a teenage girl this week and I'm sorry for taking it out on you for not listening. I'd probably be fed up of me too."
They both laugh and agree to put it behind them.
"To be honest, Noah is the reason I called you earlier and asked you for a drink. I have gossip."
Chelsea across to Becky. "Go on..."
"Well, He is single."
Chelsea's smile growing by the second "I'm sure there's a but coming but carry on..."
"You know I said to you that I knew the girl in the photo with him the other day?" Chelsea nods and moves her body in closer across the table. "Well, she slept with him the other night."
"So?" Chelsea replies. "Everyone has sex, Becky. And I'd be surprised if Noah wasn't having sex!" She laughs out loud. "Why did you look so worried when you told me? He's not my boyfriend!" Chelsea laughs again as she picks up her wine glass.
"I was just saying. Giving you some inside knowledge."
"She couldn't have been that great anyway."
Becky looks across puzzles by Chelsea's statement. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, we've been messaging all day."
"Who has?" The puzzled face still evident on Becky's face.
"Noah and I. We've been talking over Instagram all day."
"Really? What about?"
"Well, I sent him a message because he's friend passed away. You know Daniel Morrow?" Becky shakes her head, none the wiser as to who she's talking about.
"Anyway, he's friend who is a big instagram star committed suicide this week. So I messaged him my condolences and we've just been talking ever since. He even followed me back!"
There it was again, the teenage girl reappearing in-front of Becky's eyes once more. "Right, so what's happening?"
"Well, I told him that I work in the shop he is making an appearance at on Saturday and I may have suggested that we go out for drinks after. To get to know each other."
Becky's eyes widen. "You've asked him out on a date?"
"Not a date, just a drink. But he hasn't responded in a few hours. Think I came across too strong."
"Erm, you think?" Becky laughs.
"Maybe, you and Tony can come along? It will take the pressure off a little."
"Seriously? You've dug yourself this hole, Chelsea. You'll have to lie in it should he accept. I'm away this weekend, remember? I'm meeting up with old university friends. So you're on your own, I'm afraid."
"Fine!" Chelsea responds theatrically. "I guess, I'll have to wait and see if I've scared him off or not. Should make Saturday fun if he doesn't reply. How awkward is that going to be?"
The friends laugh out loud, catching the attention of the majority of the bar.
***
Don't forget to vote and comment 😊