Chapter 9|The Old Friend

"I need to get there early today."

"Why?"

"Because the new shipment is coming in today and I have to beat everyone to it."

"Keys are on the table outside."

"Thanks, babe."

"Mmm...love you..." Jesse said sleepily.

"Love you!" An said kissing him in the forehead then rushed out.

***

"No, no, no. How can this happen? I thought you said there was a hundred stocks coming in today?"

"Yes, and they're all sold out. I'm sorry honey, it was all gone thirty minutes after it was restocked."

"What?! Great!"

"I'm sorry, honey. Next shipment is next month, same day."

"Aw...alright thanks, Kat." Anais came out of the store with her head down in disappointment. She was thinking how this could've happened. She woke up early and got here as soon as she could. She can't start her business without the materials she needed and soon she will have to pay rent for the place she got. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the man in front of her and accidentally bumped into him.

"An?" Asked the man.

"Wh--Mark?! Oh my--Mark! It's you!"

"Hey! How long has it been?"

"2? 3 years?"

"So...uh....you still with....you know."

"Oh, Jesse?" She asked and Mark nodded. "Oh, yes, yes." She said raising her hand to show the promise ring.

"Oh....that's nice. So, uh, you--what have you been up to?"

"I got my own studio now."

"Wow! Really? That must be nice! I have got to see it!"

"Yeah, sure. I'm actually headed there now, since they ran out of the fabric I need."

"Lead the way."

They reached An's little studio. She opened the door and opened the lights.

"It's not much but it's a start." Her voice echoed throughout the hollow room.

"You just moved in?" He asked looking at all the boxes piled on the floor.

"Yeah."

"Hey, listen, I'm actually glad I bumped into you." He started. "I'm currently working on a project and I was kinda hoping if you'd be interested. See, I need your level of expertise."

"ME?! You want ME!?"

"Yeah, of course. I need someone who's got fresh ideas and great talent. So, what do you say?"

"Say no more, I'm in!"

"That took a lot less convincing than I thought." He said surprised at her sudden approval. "Gotta warn you though, this time it won't be just the two of us working together. There would be other designers too."

"Oh, yeah! Sure! Just working for you is an honor! Thank you!"

"Yeah, sure, anytime. So, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah!"

***

"Hey, I'm home!" Anais said putting the keys back on the table.

"Hey, honey!" Jesse called back.

"So, guess who I bumped into today."

"Who?" Jesse asked, curiously.

"Mark!" An said.

"Mark?" He asked trying to think of anyone he knows named Mark.

"Mark, back in college." She said. It took a while but it finally came to him. He realized that this was the Mark that he had beat up back in college.

"Mark! What'd he want?"

"He offered me a job!"

"Tell me you didn't take it." Jesse said sounding a little disapproving.

"It's Mark Wrights. He's the grandson of Paul Wrights. Of course I took the job!"

"An, do you remember what happened last time?"

"Oh come on, Jesse, he's over that, and so should you. I am working with him as a professional, we're not in college anymore, okay?"

"I trust you."He said, "just be cautious around him, okay? I don't trust the guy." Jesse said getting closer to An, wrapping his arms around her to stop himself from getting mad.

"Alright. I will." She said and kissed him.

***

Anais woke up early the next day and got to Paul Wrights.

"Hey, An! You're super early!"

"Hey Mark!" An greeted. "No wait, sorry, I believe it's Mr. Wrights now." She joked and they laughed. "Yeah, I wanted to come early to review on what's happening so far. I mean, I am a little behind."

"No, not really. We just started a month ago, but feel free." He said gesturing to a room with mannequins, computers and a big long table covered with scraps of fabric and thread.

"This place hasn't changed much since I last saw it."

"Really?."

"For starters, I'm still under the same management." She said looking back at him and he chuckled. "The walls are still the same brick design." She said looking around.

"Well, anyway, you can browse the designs in here." Mark said sitting in front of a computer and clicking, Anais walked to where he was. She stood behind him and carefully followed everything he clicked.

"Wow!"

"Right?" He replied at her remark. "Best ones I've ever came up with."

"I can tell."

They spent the whole morning talking and looking through the works until people started coming in.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, I need your attention for a minute." Everyone look to Mark's direction. "The board wants a collection by September 1st."

"But that's impossible, that's like five months from now." Commented a blonde girl with big square-rimmed glasses.

"I know. That is why I want to ask everyone to work overtime. I believe if we put in 3 more hours everyday from our usual time off, we can get it done before September. SO! Let's get to work!" He said and everyone scattered back to what they were doing before while sighing under their breaths.

"An, I need you here." Mark said and Anais made her way to him. "There's something missing here." He said pointing at the screen.

"Hmm...." she squinted her eyes, thinking deeply. Mark looked at her and smiled while she was deep in thought. "I think it needs a little more....volume." She said.

"You're right!" He said when he looked back at the screen.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah, help me file this please." He said pointing to the stacks of folders beside him.

"Sure." She grabbed the folders and opened them. "These are all for the same line?"

"Kind of," he said then saw her flip to a new sketch, "but some are for a different one," she flipped through another part and saw some finished products, "I used those for inspiration and ideas."

Anais filed through the sketches, pictures, and papers. She finished them and moved on to help with the blonde girl with the square-rimmed glasses.

Everyone worked hard all day. Anais also worked hard, she stayed behind when everyone had left. Mark came into the room with take out in his hands.

"Hey, why are you still here?"

"I want to catch up on my part. Everyone's working hard and I started late."

"You hungry? I got pot stickers." Anais was focused on her work so she didn't hear what Mark had said. He opened the box and the smell of freshly cooked pot stickers hit her. She looked up from her work. "Take a break." He said.

"Thanks." She took the chopsticks and started digging into the food.

"You know what I like about you?" She was taken aback by his sudden question.

"What?" She said, bewildered.

"You work really hard." He said looking at her intently. "It's your first day, yet, here you are. Everyone left and you're still here.

"No, it's nothing! I want to contribute as much as I can." She said smiling at him.

All that's in his mind is that how he could have missed his chance with a girl like her. He cherished every moment he spent with her, while she remained clueless to how he feels towards her.

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