I change into my sleep shorts and a tank, and slip beneath the duvet. He wordlessly moves his arm to make space for me against his side. I put my head on his shoulder and he wraps his arm around me, tucking me to his side.
He reaches over and turns off the bedside lamp. I feel safe with him here, protected. I snuggle into him and eventually fall back to sleep.
I wake up in the morning when my alarm starts bleeping at me. I feel like I’m on fire. I open my eyes and move away from George’s sweltering body. Jesus, what is it with men? Do they all just run super hot? Maybe it’s just really ripped men. Who knows? I reach over and turn the alarm off. Sweet silence.
George stirs in his sleep and rolls over. “What time is it?” He mumbles.
“Seven thirty.”
“Ugh, you normal people with your normal jobs.” He grumbles.
“Have you got anything on today?” I ask.
“Just a rehearsal for a music video. Doesn’t start until twelve.” I love that this is the norm for him, roll out of bed and start work at lunchtime, bust some moves, get paid and repeat.
“Okay. Thanks for coming in last night.” I kiss his cheek. He doesn’t even open his eyes.
“Seriously girl, I wouldn’t just leave you.” He huffs.
“I know.” I ruffle his shaggy blonde hair. “You need a haircut George.”
“I’m working the homeless person look. I hear it’s all the rage this season.” He mutters.
“Uh- huh.” I smile and climb out of bed. I scoop my hair up into a bun and jump in the shower again. I feel all sticky, apparently being pressed up against hot men does that to a girl.
I decide to wear my favourite navy dress. It’s a bit cleavagy, but fuck it. It’s comfy, and I can totally get away with wearing my knee high brown boots with it. I pull my hair loose and run my fingers through it. It falls around my shoulders in its natural barrel curls.
Molly is already at the breakfast bar when I enter the kitchen. She pushes a cup of coffee toward me. Harry is nowhere to be seen. “Hey babe. Where’s Harry?” I ask.
“Went for a run.” She says absentmindedly as she studies her magazine. Molly used to read papers, now she reads fashion magazines, even though she hates them. She’s always looking for something that she can bring to the magazine, ever the career woman.
“Okay, well can you tell him I said bye. I need to go in early.”
“Sure.” She waves me off. I take two big gulps of coffee and burn my tongue. I’ll take it, for the sake of my morning caffeine fix.
Work is surprisingly busy, considering it’s eight o’ clock in the morning. Everyone must have a pile of work, just like me. Solicitors are not like normal people. If there is work to be done, then you simply stay longer or come in earlier to get it done. In a firm such as this one, they expect blood. God knows how I haven’t been sacked yet. Luckily I’m actually very good at my job. I just happen to have an awful lot of family drama. Either way, I’m walking a very fine line, and I need to bust my arse to make up for my time away.
I start in on the contracts that I was working on yesterday. I meant to get them wrapped up last night, but I just didn’t have the heart to leave Harry and go do work. I needed to spend time with him, to try and rid myself of some of this guilt that keeps eating away at me.
These contracts are lengthy and in depth. By the time I’m done it’s gone ten o’clock. Shit, where did that time go? I’m just thinking about going to get a coffee when my intercom buzzes.
“Miss Parker.” Amy’s voice comes over the speaker.
“Yes Amy.” I reply politely. Amy is an assistant, but she works for four solicitors here at the firm. We’re the solicitors that haven’t proven ourselves enough for our own assistant yet.
“Mr. Hardy is here to see you. He’s waiting in the board room.” Hardy? I’m not due to see him until Monday.
“Um, thank you. I’ll be there shortly.” Fuck. I’m totally unprepared. I planned to spend this afternoon organising a proposal for a new company. I’m going to have to wing it majorly.
I push open the doors to the board room. Hardy is seated in one of the chairs. He’s perfectly groomed, his salt and pepper hair combed back, his face clean shaven. His suit is perfect, his tie in place. He and Theo are polar opposites. Theo rocks up with his shirt unbuttoned, his hair a mess, and half the time hung over, and yet, he holds an aura of power that doesn’t require power dressing, it just is. Hardy is merely trying to replicate this. I could tell by the way he looked at Theo during the summer gala; he wanted what he had, but what man wouldn’t? Men want to be him, and women want to be under him. I don’t blame Hardy for looking at him like that.