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Chapter 10

Noah

"Okay, Thanks Emma. I'll pass it on to whoever knew him. I know this may sound insensitive given the timing but I assume I'm still meant to be going to this brand launch in the shopping centre tomorrow?"

I sit and nod along as my manager confirms that my appearance is still scheduled to take place tomorrow.

"Perfect, thank you. I'll see you on Wednesday. Take care." I put the phone down as the call ends.

"Funeral?" Alice questions from my one seater sofa.

"Yeah, confirmed for next Wednesday at midday. Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"I'll try. Obviously it all depends on how my Dad is and whether work will give me the time off. They've been so good to me this week, I'm not sure they'll be too pleased about me taking more time off, but I can ask."

"Fair enough. And your Dad, any better?" I ask, not wanting to push but I think the questioning is expected given the circumstances.

"A little better. Not out of the woods but I'll take any sort of improvement at the minute."

I nod along, sensing that she doesn't want to talk too much about her Dad right now.

We sit in silence for a while, the air filled with an awkwardness we both know surrounds us but neither of us want to entertain. But I feel it's best to get it out in the open as soon as possible before it becomes far too awkward.

"Do you want to talk about the other night?" I ask, grimacing towards her, trying to gently break the ice.

"Do we have to?" She replies with a raised eyebrow and a cheeky grin.

"Not if you don't want to? I just thought one of us should acknowledge it at some point." I laugh because the atmosphere in the room is becoming more awkward with each passing second.

"It's fine. I was drunk and I shouldn't have crawled into your bed. I didn't know what was going on, I was so out of it. Do I regret it? Not at all." She winks across at me.

"I should hope not. I am not a regret, young lady." I poke my tongue out as a response.

"That doesn't mean it will happen again, Noah. So get that out of your head, right now!" Her look now stern and serious.

I know she wants me again and if I'm honest with myself. I want her again, too.

"Now that's cleared up. How's this Chelsea girl? And can I see a photo?" She holds her hand out, wanting complete access to my phone.

I pull up her profile page and hand my phone over like a piece of evidence. "Don't be getting jealous of her now, Alice. I know what you women are like." I shoot her a cheeky smile as she grabs the phone from me.

"Very pretty!" Alice nods her head in clear acceptance.

"You think?" I ask. Not sure if she is being genuine or not.

"Yeah, she's stunning. Her brown hair is flawless. She's a bit too good for you. No offence." She looks up from my phone and flashes me one of her famous dirty smiles.

"Offence taken. What's wrong me with me?"

No response.

"Alice?"

Finally. "Oh, that's her?!"

I look over confusion all over my face. "That's who? Alice?"

She raises a hand to her mouth as her lips widen. "That's the girl Becky was talking about the other day. That's her friend!"

I'm sat shaking my head, still completely oblivious to the conversation Alice is now having with herself. "Who's Becky?"

Alice appears to now be using her two fingers to zoom in on a photo for clarification. "That is her. That's Becky in the photo with her. Oh wow!"

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Unsure as to why I'm asking as if there is more than just the two of us in the room.

She hands the phone back to me with the picture of Chelsea and supposedly this Becky alongside her. "I work with Becky and she was telling me that her best friend was driving her mad. She's been fan-girling over you all week."

I feel the heat rising to my cheeks. "Oh." Is all I can muster.

"Noah, it's to be expected. What did you think she was? She's been in your DMs all week. She was never just going to be a curious passer by. Did you reply to her about the drink?"

I shake my head. "No, not yet. I've left it unanswered for a few days now and the event is tomorrow so probably should reply. Do you think I should go for it?"

"I don't see the harm, it's not like you've got anything to lose. She's an attractive girl and she might not be one of these crazy followers. She might genuinely like you."

"I guess. What should I say?" I begin to compose my reply back to Chelsea.

Alice holds her hand out once more gesturing for my phone. "Fuck sake. Let me do it."

I hand over the phone again and watch as Alice types away with her thumbs. "There. Done."

I take my phone back and read through the message she just sent. "Nice reply. Not to desperate. I like it."

She rolls her eyes at me. "No need for desperation, Noah. You hold all the chips. She loves you already, if anything all the pressure is on her."

She has a point.

My phone buzzes in my hand.

"Jesus, that was quick." Alice reaches for her glass once more.

"Easy, Al. Anyone would think you're jealous." I smile over at her once more. No response, just a faint eye roll back in my direction.

"She's told me to meet her at a bar in the shopping centre at 2. Apparently that's when she gets off work, half day tomorrow or something."

Alice raises her glass towards me. "There you go then. Your appearance finishes at half 1, then just make your way to the bar and have a drink to settle your nerves before she turns up."

"Wow, Al. You're full of good ideas tonight aren't you?" I throw my phone down beside me, not seeing the need to reply again.

"It's the wine. Although another few glasses and you never know, I might end up on the end of your dick again."

I laugh out loud as Alice attempts to stop the wine spitting from her mouth as she tries to stifle the laugh at her own joke.

"Cheeky."

                                      ***

Noah and Chelsea finally have a date!

How do you think it will go?