𝐍𝐀𝐎𝐌𝐈
It was bad enough working in a bakery with karens, but being an assistant is probably worse.
Working at Cyber Tech is like highschool all over again. Gossiping girls who point and laugh. I just have to navigate my way through the waters o...
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It's been a week.
Rhys was finally discharged from the hospital, his wound almost healed. The doctor told him to take it easy and not to stress too much.
Work has been relatively normal. Lindsey has made it blatantly clear to everyone not to talk about what happened, so we don't. And I'm thankful for it.
"Naomi." I blink out of my daze, turning away from my computer screen. "You spaced out again."
I sigh, leaning back in my chair. "I know."
"Rhys is supposed to be coming back today. When was the last time you talked to him?" She leans against the wall.
"When he was in the hospital." I look down at my desk. "I couldn't bring myself to talk to him after everything. It... It hurt."
"I know what we should do." I look up to her. "We're going to get coffee."
"What?" She pulls me up off my chair. "No. Lindsey, the fundraiser is in less than a week."
"Two weeks and three days, actually. And we still get Christmas and Christmas Eve off." She grabs my jacket and purse, dragging me to the elevator.
"I need to work on the fundraiser. I'm behind on everything." I whine.
"I'll help you get caught up." She shrugs, forcing me into the elevator.
As we walk the street, I turn to her with my hands in my pockets, "How come you don't have to hide your face from the public?"
"Like I said, a new scandal will pop up. Plus, I choose not to feed the media." I raise a brow at her. "I avoid him." I snort. She suddenly taps on my arm, whipping us back around. "Don't look."
"What? What is it?"
"Don't make a big deal about it, but, you know that popular rockstar?"
I nod. "What about him?"
"He's—"
"Hey, princess." An arm wraps around Lindsey's neck. "You're not avoiding me, are you?"
"I was trying." She mutters.
"Who's your friend?"
"Naomi. Walker." I hold my hand out to him.
He seems to recognize me. "The assistant. What's it like having your boyfriend as your boss?" He raises a brow.
"Alex." Lindsey scolds.
"Lindsey." He retorts mockingly. "Relax, Lynn. She's not uncomfortable." He turns to me. "Are you?"
I glance at Lindsey, who widens her eyes slightly to tell me something. "Uh...no. I-I'm not. But I am now." I laugh nervously.
Lindsey rolls her eyes before shoving Alex off of her. "Don't you have bandmates to go bother?"
"But you're more entertaining." He gives her a cheeky grin, and she rolls her eyes again. "So, where you two ladies heading?"
"We were going to get coffee and go over the fundraiser, but now we can't because soon we're going to be swarmed with paparazzi." Lindsey scowls at him.
"Not like they'll recognize me." He shrugs. I raise a brow, intrigued. "The most they'll think is I'm some random dude."
Lindsey's arm goes flying into his stomach. "Like that's any better!"
"Okayyyy..." I step in between the two. "We don't need to cause a scene."
"Did you hear him? He's just trying to make us the frontpage news again." She glares at him.
"No need to be so uptight." He retorts.
"Uptight? I'll show you uptight!" Lindsey charges at Alex, but I push her back.
"Let's go somewhere private, yeah? That sounds like an amazing idea. Let's go." I grab both their arms and drag them down the street to a café. We find a table and I point to the right side of the table. "You, sit there." Alex sits down. "You, sit here." Lindsey sits near the window, opposite of Alex. I sit beside Lindsey. "Now, can you two talk without fighting?"
"Ask him." She scowls, looking out the window.
I sigh, turning to him. "Alex?"
"She's the one who started everything." He retorts.
She launches herself at him. "No!" I stop her, pushing her back down.
"You—" She cuts herself off, growling at him as she leans back in her chair.
"Can you go one second without trying to attack him?" I raise a brow at her.
"Can he go one minute without getting on my nerves?" She retorts, staring directly at him.
"You make it so easy!" He exclaims.
She leans forward. "It won't be so easy when you're pulling my foot out of your ass." I slap a hand over her mouth, and she pushes my hand away with a disgusted look.
"There are children around."
"So?"
"Would you want your child hearing something like that?" She slumps back in her seat, staring out the window. "Didn't think so." I turn to Alex, but he's staring at Lindsey, seemingly confused. "Alex?"
"You've never cared about children." He ignores me. I throw my arms up in the air, exasperated.
"Well, that's the thing about time, Alex. People change. This isn't high-school." She glares.
"I never said that—"
"Okay, she doesn't want to talk anymore. Now—"
"Oh, my god! You're Alex Lancaster! From Soundcircus!" A girl squeals, stopping at our table. I groan, dropping my head down on the table.
Lindsey places a hand on my back. "You and me both, sister."
***
I sit in my chair, staring up at the ceiling as I spin my chair. I can't think of a theme.
Lindsey walks by as she stares at the papers in her hands. "If you're stuck on a theme, think of your dress." She calls without looking up.
My dress? As in the one I got for my birthday?
Two girls stand around a cubicle, whispering — rather loudly. "Did you hear?"
"Yeah. Rhys is back."
"I wonder what it was like to go through that."
"It must've been traumatizing."
"I hope he's okay." Oh, cause me almost being murdered isn't traumatizing.
"Shh." One of the girls scolds. "Naomi is over there." I see her point to me in the corner of my eye.
I exhale, irritated. I want nothing more than for this day to end.
Lindsey suddenly hurries to me, looking panicked. She leans down, whispering in my ear, "He's back, and he's trying to fight Rhys."
