Maven's Pov
I'm already late by the time I get to the office because i wasn't expecting Marlowe to call last minute and say she wouldn't make it because of her daughter. I'm a parent so i understand that kids always come first. I walk out of my private elevator with Paul already there handing me my hot mocha coffee.
"Fill me in Paul,"
"You have a meeting at noon with the CEO of Brand Beauties about adding their make up line to the magazine and now you have one in the boardroom with the staff," he says before my phone buzzes and its weekly schedule with everything I need to know or do for this week. "Thank you Paul,"i say getting into my glass office to put my things there before going to the boardroom. "Good morning people, i need updates!" I say walking to the front of the table with eyes all on me and i already know it's about to be a long day.
I dismiss everyone but the head of fashion, he's good at what he does and lucky for me he's the queer friend i didn't know needed. "I'm having a meeting with the CEO of Brand Beauties about adding their collection to the magazine and i need your opinion on it. Do you trust this brand?"
"It's an upcoming one and the magazine could use a new line that's not overly popular to give the magazine a new reface,"he says and I'm already glad i asked because I trust his intuition and he knows fashion that's why he's their leader. "Thank you Marc," i say giving him a half smile before he pffts it and walks away. Sometimes he forgets I'm his boss but then again we both started here as interns. When i get back to my office there's a person seated in my office but their back is facing the full glass window that shows the clear view of New York City.
"Who's in my office?" I ask Paul at his desk which is just outside my office. "She said she's your driver?" He says and i already know who it is. I nod my head in realisation and walk in. There she is in a suit that Frankie insisted she must have because she's always professional about things. Presentation is everything.
"Hey Marlowe, is everything okay?"
"Yeah...i err...I wanted to come apologize in person for inconveniencing you today," she says scratching the back of her neck before standing up reminding me once again of the height difference.
"You don't have to, i have a kid too and I'd drop everything if she needs me,"i say genuinely and she smiles showing me how her cheeks form to reveal her cute dimples and i concentrate on the action shamelessly. "You really have a nice smile,"i say thinking out loud. "Thank you. I'll wait for you in the car,"she says abruptly fishing out her ringing phone and turns to leave but not before i notice a tattoo i hadn't seen on her neck before which looks clearly handwritten by someone who isn't a tattoo artist with the writing ;
Love, MB❤️
I couldn't get a better look because she'd know i was prying. I go back to reviewing the writing an intern submitted. She has great potential but her work lacks one thing, herself. There's no her in the pieces and readers like to feel relatable. Like it's not for them it's with them. It's as if she's always timing before she gets here because I'm about to head to the meeting when Tommie walks in with the usual and a long face. I open my mouth to possibly bash her but my phone rings and i can see it's a call from Arlos teacher.
"Hello Mrs Lefèvre," she says butchering that french name but i don't blame her. Not everyone speaks or wants to speak french.
"Is everything okay?"
"Arlo just had an allergic reaction and is at the nurse's office and it's getting worse so we called the ambulance," she says making my heart beat faster. Why did she let her have Kiwi and i specifically listed that as one of her allergies because i have it too? "Is everything okay?" She asks once i hang up the phone on her teacher. I'm so worked up because Arlo is like an egg to me and trusted them with her. But maybe I'm just spiraling because of the hormones.
"I need to go get Arlo, she had an allergic reaction and is on her way to the hospital,"
"I'll come with you,"she says and i nod already dialing Frankie but her phone is not going through. "Paul cancel my meeting, tell them I'll make it up to them with the meeting over lunch or something. Make it convincing," i say and he nods understand what i meant. I call Marlowe and she picks up on the first ring already pulling upfront where Tommie gets in the back and I in the front seat explaining everything to her but I could have sworn her eyes weren't were they were supposed to be for a second. "Seat belt ladies,"she says in a rather commanding tone. "You don't tell me what to do, i tell you, got it?"i snap but she's so unphased by it.
In fact i see her smirk for a second before talking.
"It's for your own safety Maven,"
"I fucking now that!" i say covering my embarrassment. "Okay crazy pants calm down," Tommie says in the back seat and i listen to her. I should save it for that teacher who wasn't keen enough to let it not happen. We pull up to the hospital with Tommie and i getting out and so does Marlowe but i only have one person in mind to scold. "Where's my daughter?" I ask the nurse impatiently.
"Calm down ma'am,"
"Don't Tell me to fucking calm down!"
"uhh Maves i think you should listen to her,"Tommie says seeing how startled the nurse is. "What's the name of your daughter ma'am?"
"Arlo Lefèvre," i say and she looks up to me because i pronounced it in french. "Got it, she's in the pediatric section down the hall to your left..."she says trailing off because I'm already walking away to that direction. There's other kids there and I'm about to curse when i see her teacher seated outside.
"Where is she?"
"Inside with the doctor," she says. I hate hospitals because of the anxiety they give me. I get in without knocking because she's a minor and shouldn't be alone in there. She should fucking know this. "Mommy look what I got," she says immediately she sees me waving a candy stick in the air. "Ah Hello Mrs Lefèvre, we've been waiting for you,"she says as i rush over to Arlo who looks Abit better from the reaction.
"Your daughter suffered a mild allergic reaction to Kiwi, did you mention it to the teacher?"
" I did and also to the school in forms i filled. She has food allergies so she can't eat other people's foods but I'm guessing she did,"i say looking over to Arlo disappointed.
"Well she's good to go, but it's a good thing they brought her here because the first aid they were doing was fastening the reaction,"
"How?"
"They gave her milk?"
"For ducks sake!" I say cautious with my language. "Thank you doctor," i say and leave with my baby who's still clueless about how serious not sharing food from her friends is, right now. "Aunt Twommie!" she says hiding her face in my chest shyly and i figure it's because of Marlowe. I try Frankie a few more times to approve the payment request but she doesn't pick up because we have a joint account for emergencies especially with Arlo, so I end up paying with my personal card. I called because she has this thing where she's organized with bills and there's specifics on how to pay for different things.
Sometimes having a lot of money is tiresome.
"Shit we don't have a car sit,"
"I'm sure she'll make it without one today,"Marlowe says playfully before her teacher approaches.
"I'm soo sorry Mrs Lefèvre, i left them for one second and-"
"Just be careful next time. Arlo is stubborn and if you can't handle her I'll look for a school that will. Why didn't you call me immediately it happened huh? Even the first aid done was wrong because she landed here!" I go off on her before feeling a hand on my shoulder feeling an instant presence behind me and i calm down immediately. Like all i needed in that minute was physical assurance that's it's okay now. "Maven it's not the right time,"she says softly and i forget immediately why she said that.
God her fucking intoxicating scent! Arlo looks frightened Abit by the altercation so i just walk past her to the car. I told Paul to reschedule the meeting to later in the day so the only options i have is to leave her with Marlowe or take her to work with me.
"I have a meeting in an hour, Marlowe can I -"
"Ofcourse, don't worry about it,"she says before i finish and I'm eternally grateful. "The meeting will be short then we'll all go home after,"i say as she drives us back into the city with Arlo taking a nap in my arms. I'm holding her tightly because she has a car seat for a reason. "Tommie what did you want to talk to me about?" I ask remembering that she came to see me.
"It's nothing,"
"Don't make me come back there missy,"i say in my mom tone making her scoff playfully. "It's Jay, he wants me to permanently move in with him,"
"and that's a problem why? I didn't even remember him, he was the secret boyfriend you had from college Right? Tom when you let something go and it comes back to you, you should hold on to it,"i say genuinely. She broke up with him because he wanted to be in control of her career, prioritize other things, from what she told me. Tommie was the first friend i made when I started my life after the coma. "In Washington,"she finishes and i don't know how to feel about that. I've never been farther than 30minutes away from her for a long period of time.
"I think you shouldn't," Marlowe says and we both focus our attention on her. I forgot she was there. "And why is that?,"i ask. "Because if you agree on his terms you'll always have a question of what if in your head. That's where his life is but what about yours?"she asks and it's like she saw it in my eyes that i wasn't ready to let my best friend go. "I'll think about it. I have built a lot for myself over the years,"she says referring to her newly started company for upcoming writers to be published. I leave a now bubbly Arlo in the car with Marlowe after listing all the dont's for her after what happened earlier.
Tommie insists on walking into the building with me because she has to go back to work as well.
"I care about you slot but i even i think it's too soon,"
"Maves i just need you to support my decision when i make it,"she says holding my arms. "Okay,"i say hugging her because it feels like she's already made up her mind and is indirectly letting me know. I watch her walk away before walking over to my elevator.
"Are they here yet?"
"Yes, in your office ma'am,"he says and I'm already grateful that he was fast. Olivia would have let them stay in the waiting room unattended to. I get in my office to find a well dressed man with a very familiar face because when i looked at him my heart rate increased. I had a bad feeling about him, like i had had an encounter with him before but I've never met him.
"Hello Mrs Lefèvre," he says with a wide smirk.
"My name is Maven Barnes,"i correct him because that's unprofessional. He raises his hands mid air in surrender before adjusting his posture. "So why fashion?" I ask implying that he looks nothing like a person into fashion,infact he looks more of an irritatingly annoying leader because of the many tattooes peaking out his shirt collar and his demeanor wasn't helping him sell it. "My wife recently passed on and she had a huge nack for fashion, brand Beauties is a tribute to her,"he says seriously but i can tell that's abit peculiar with the way he's specific with his story line but i let it go.
"Why my magazine? There's more that are more bigger than mine,"
"Because my wife grew up with this magazine, she says-said it was her best friend," he says and maybe it's just me not buying the story or I'm not the sympathetic type. "Okay I'll think about it and let you know in 24 hours,"i say already checking my wrist watch Frankie got me to keep time apparently.
"You really remind me of someone Maven," he says standing up.
"Who?"
"A woman a friend of mine used to be fond of, but she died,"he says with his eyes darkening at the last bit. As if it was an indirect hint that i didn't get. "I'll walk you out,"he says placing his hand on my lower back intentionally making me uncomfortable. I call Marlowe in the elevator with him to tell her that I'm leaving. When we're out of the building Marlowe is already parked upfront. "Nice talking to you Maven,"he says walking away where a black Benz is already parked. "Who was that?" She asks impatiently. "He's the CEO I had a meeting with," I say casually. She clenches her jaw gripping the steering wheel tightly.
"Do you know him?"
"Maybe,"is all she says before starting the car. "Where's Arlo?"I ask and she points in the back where she's in a car seat and her face all ice creamed up.
"Baby,"
"yes mommy,"
"what are you having?"
"Chocate ice cream,"she says innocently with a moustache making me chuckle softly. "I'm hungry,"I say looking over to Marlowe who's already doing the same. As if she's studying me, my face features. "Marlowe did you hear me? I said I'm hungry,"I repeat and she hears me this time.
"Oh right where do you want to go?"
"Surprise me," I say and she starts the car with a huge grin on her face.