♡︎~Chapter 8~♡︎ CORA

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Cora had to cancel. Again.

A date with Josh could always wait, this issue on other hand, couldn't. It needed to be dealt with at once. What had Tori meant by that nonsense? Of all the staffs at Varvara, Kendall would be the one her heart would be drawn to?

He was nothing more than her boss, and a friend. They only talked about business, and sometimes, other matters. But never their personal lives.

She was running, her short legs scurrying through the walking lane down to the selected location. A coffee shop just down the street, a few blocks to her house. She decided to race down to the shop—Aunt Loras', and with her fast paces, would be there under ten minutes.

They agreed to meet up by eleven, and it had taken Cora exactly an hour to prepare her make up and dressing. These were dangerous times, and they called for dangerous measures. Cora was in a white stretchy skinny Jean—the best types of jeans—a large sweetheart blouse for comfort, dangling earrings that made a statement and a necklace that hugged the collarbone. She bounced in a pair of low-top sneakers.

Minutes later, she arrived at Aunt Loras', and met with her colleagues. There were three of them—two girls and a boy. The place didn't look so impressive, but as she saw some served snacks on the table, she got hungry. They were seated on a table filled with donuts, bagels and breakfast sandwiches, along with cups of Cappuccinos and something else Cora couldn't quite distinguish. She knew only of black coffee and black coffee alone.

"HI guys," she said, announcing her presence. They smiled and greeted her warmly. She took her seat next to the man in their midst; Thomas Hart. Her seat was opposite to Tori, then at the sides sat the other two; Kimberly and Anne.

"We ordered donuts, bagels and sandwich, not knowing which you'd prefer." Said Thomas.

"Though I have clearly stated we orders bagels for you." Kimberly said, just after Tori cut her off.

"No silly, Cora is ma gurl, and she loves Donuts. Who doesn't love donuts?" She smiled loudly, squinting her eyes as she stated the obvious.

They'd all been present with casual jeans and polos. Tori was the most familiar face of them all, as Kimberly and Thomas weren't from their department, but they had their jobs intertwined and sometimes visited the sales department—Cora's section.

Cora wondered whether to break it to them that she loved neither of the stated options. She would prefer just her coffee—black, and perhaps a burger. Instead, she stuck with the oily cake(the donuts).

"I'm so glad you could make it." Tori announced, and the rest of her peers cheered in reply.

"You know why I came here, right?" She put down her coffee and faced the portable lady opposite her. "You called me earlier, stating a misleading news."

"Judging that you're here right now speaks otherwise you know?" Kimberly said, shooting Cora with an ominous glare.

Tori chucked. "Oh, sweetheart. It wasn't misleading. It was simply the fact."

"What fact?" In frustration, Cora flung her hands opened in the thin air.

"That you and Kendall are... Lovers." Said Thomas, chuckling loudly.

"What?" Cora frowned, then smiled trying to keep her cool. "What makes you think that?"

Tori smirked, sipped her drink, then balanced her gaze on Cora. "Kendall asked for your personal informations, things you love and hate, everything that makes up the amazing Cora Flames. And you know who the perfect guy is for the job, right?" She said, through casual raised brows and pouting lips.

Steve.

"So, Steve told you this?" She asked, and Tori's head nodded in affirmation. "That doesn't give you a core reason to think like that? I mean, there's absolutely nothing going on between Kendall and I."

"Yet he was asking all these facts from Steve." She said with a wide grin, then instantly swallowed up all cheers and transformed her oval face into a frown. "We know you're lying, Cora. Isn't it obvious?" She threw her gaze at Kimberly, then at Thomas. "They're absolutely dating. That's the only reason he would want to know about your shoe size, and favorite movie genre, and your favorite restaurant, and favorite food and song, and--"

"She gets it, Tori. Breathe," Kimberly stopped her friend.

"Still, that is not enough reason to say things like that." Cora stated.

"Cora, why do you think he asked for all those infos?" Thomas asked, and the blank stare on Cora's face pushed him to reply his own question. "Because he's probably searching for the perfect Christmas present for you." He said, sounding so confident in himself.

"No you silly," Kimberly said. "He's asking so he could present her with the perfect gift, not for Christmas, for her birthday. Remember? It's this July?"

"Oh my gosh! You guys are so slow." Tori said out loud. "Kendall's birthday is July, not Cora's. Hers is like three months ago."

"Oh really?" Asked Kimberly. "Then why do you think he was asking now?"

"Yea, how come we found out of their secrets now?" Thomas asked.

"Well, because they only started dating of course. Like four months ago."Tori replied.

"Oh, yes! Of course," they all chorused and muttered a few more other things Cora's mind couldn't make of anymore. She could only watched and stared in horror.

"Lord Jesus, you guys? Snap out of it!" She screamed out of the blue, and all eyes turned to face her. With uneasiness, she lowered her head and began to say in a low tone, "what I mean to say is, you're all making up a boring story. Really?" Tori was about to say something, but Cora's cold gaze silenced her. "Stop making these rumors, okay? It is really not cool."

Cora heaved in a deep sigh, stared at each of her colleagues, Tori especially, then kindly excused herself to the bathroom.

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She didn't know where it was, but eventually, found her way to a tiny cream-colored door that had the bathroom sign on it. She entered, and quickly began to dial his number, ignoring the funny odours that seeped through her nostrils. It rang like five times, and she knew her patient was running out because she was counting. On the sixth ring, he picked up. "We need to talk Kendall, Now!.

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