The Sun, Moon & Stars [GxGxG]

1. King of Queens (Part I)

Monday, September 30th, 2024
(Present)

I'd spent the entire weekend anticipating this very moment, and now that I'm here, I can't help but feel the slightest bit out of place. Much of Monday is gone, and, as planned, I sit, awaiting the arrival of my newest investment, who was... running late.

It's not like I had anywhere to be, but the anticipation was killing me. I'm a mess, emotionally and mentally drained. If I'm being honest, talking is the last thing I want to do. Five minutes of delay feels like an eternity, giving me the chance to get lost in thought. So much so that I hardly notice when she makes her appearance.

"Please excuse my tardiness, Miss Hunt. There were a few matters I had to attend to beforehand that... Are you alright?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm fine," I dismiss. "Did you see to your business? I'd hate to come between you and your obligations."

Dr. Rivera's gaze softens. "You're an obligation of mine now, and of the highest priority, so please forgive me."

"All is forgiven."

Satisfied, she unlocks her door and leads us inside. "How was your weekend?"

"Quite uneventful," I admit, somewhat bitter. Loneliness could do that to a person. "And yours, doctor?"

"Far too short."

Penélope moves swiftly about the cabin, unpacking books and documents from a bag, all while keeping up the conversation. It's impressive, and the casual tone of the setting gradually chips away at my anxiety. She soon settles with a notepad in the chair before me, sliding bottled water my way.

"Thank you."

"Of course. Are you comfortable?"

I nod.

"Very well. If at any point you are not, feel free to interrupt," she invites. "Shall we begin?"

"Please."

"Alright. First things first, how did you spend your weekend? You said it was uneventful, right?"

"I did, and it was. I'm used to having company, is all," I say.

Her following query is to be expected. "Ah, I see, and is it usually of the romantic variety?"

"Yes, but it wasn't always like that."

"Friends turned to lovers, was it?"

I roll out the kinks in my neck, fishing for the right words. "Eventually. We hated each other at first but were forced to work with and rely on one another."

"How so?"

Too little, too late, do I realize my mistake in revealing too much of my current situation. We had agreed to lie low while things ran their course. In the meantime, my relationship has progressively gone downhill, seemingly leading to the opening of Pandora's box. I cherished the bonds I created over the last two and a half years more than anything, so naturally, watching them slip hurt like hell as if the idea of losing them wasn't enough – no, I had to live it. I can confidently say that a life without them would hardly be worth living, but I won't have any chance to rebuild if I let my past fuck up my future. There was a chance that showing my hand would backfire in the worst ways, but confiding in Penélope felt like the best course of action.

"Miss Hunt?"

"We worked together," I blurt out. "As elites, we were in charge of one larger aspect of the company and oversaw activity falling under our 'jurisdiction.' Individually, we were efficient, but because our personalities mixed like oil, water, and fire, collaborative work often fell through. Little did we realize that working together would be crucial to Studio Janelle's success."