Categories > Celebrities > My Chemical Romance > 17 Going On 27
Disclaimer: I don’t own any part of My Chemical Romance or the movie ‘13 Going On 30’. Please don’t sue! =)
Chapter Two
She felt her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks as her eyes blinked repeatedly, taking in her surroundings as she slowly woke from sleep. A ceiling fan rotated gently above her, blowing cool air onto her lethargic body. She swallowed hard, letting her head lift from the pillow and look around carefully at the room she had been presumably sleeping in. It appeared that she was in an apartment complex of some sort, and that she was currently sprawled out under a beige blanket on an off-white leather couch.
What the?
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
Allison’s head snapped to the side at the sound of a female voice addressing her, and was met with the sight of a woman strolling in from a doorway with a mug in hand. She appeared to be in her late twenties, with short, raven locks and dark brown eyes accentuated with dramatic eye makeup. A pair of black pants hung low on her thin hips and a red top stood out against her pale skin. Allison’s eyes widened as the woman slowly walked towards her, with no readable expression on her face.
“I wasn’t sure if you were going to be up this early,” The woman commented as she sat on an armchair identical to the sofa across from her. She took a small sip from the mug and leaned back, her eyes now locked on Allison. “With the way things went last night, I wasn’t sure you’d be up at all today,” She laughed shortly, taking another sip from her mug.
Allison slowly and shakily stood to her feet, the blanket wrapped around her lower body. With wide eyes, she stumbled backwards and away from the woman lounging lazily on the armchair. “Who are you?” She whispered to her, shocked to find that she was having trouble recognizing her voice.
The woman snorted, “God, you really did have too much to drink, didn’t you?” She rolled her eyes and set the mug down on a glass coffee table before her before looking at the clock. “We should get going soon. Ten minutes, I’d say.”
“Get going for what?” Allison hissed, clutching the blanket tighter to her body, her back flat against the wall. The woman laughed curtly again and stood to her feet, tucking a short strand of hair behind an ear.
“Just because you’re hung over doesn’t give you an excuse to stay home from work,” The woman replied. "Although it would be nice..." Her eyes scanned Allison‘s figure quickly. “You might want to comb your hair. And put on some nice pants.”
“N-no,” Allison stuttered firmly, shaking her head. “I don’t have a job… a-and I don’t even know you!”
“Oh, sweetie,” The woman sighed, cocking her head to side. “Pretending to be in denial won’t get you out of work, either.” She checked the clock once more, “Come on, we really have to leave in five minutes or else Joseph will have our heads.”
“Joseph?” Allison whispered shakily. What the hell was going on? Who was this woman? And who the hell was Joseph?
The woman rolled your eyes, “Honey, look, you’re not drunk anymore. The whole ‘I don’t know who I am or where I am’ bit isn’t going to work right now. But what is going to work is if you get your butt into that bathroom and brush your teeth and hair and get some decent clothing on. Okay?”
Allison took a deep breath and swallowed hard as the woman talked to her. “Who am I?”
The woman sighed again in annoyance and crossed her arms, her eyes hard and serious on her. “Allison-”
“Allison!” She whispered to herself, her eyes flicking on the ground. So she was herself… sort of. She bit her lower lip and looked up hesitantly. “Allison Jenning?”
“Yes,” The woman nodded slowly, her arms still crossed against her chest. “You are Allison Jenning. I am Rebecca Lewis. And we-” She paused to motion between the two of them with a thin finger. “-Are going to be late for work.”
“Rebec-” Allison froze and looked up quickly, her eyes widened with surprise. “Rebecca Lewis? Varsity cheerleader and homecoming queen, Rebecca Lewis?” Allison asked softly. The woman let out a small laugh and nodded.
“Many years ago, yes,” She replied with a shrug. “Look, we really need to get going.” She stepped forward and gently pushed Allison into a hallway and near a door. “Get in there and try to look presentable for Joseph. We have a meeting today and I have feeling it’s not going to be peachy.”
Allison nodded to herself, feeling her mouth dry as she slowly opened the door, revealing a sleek white bathroom. She exhaled slowly from her nose as the door closed behind her and leaned against it, closing her eyes.
What the hell was happening? She must have been dreaming because she was standing in an apartment with an adult Rebecca Lewis who was actually being civil to her. She kept calling her ‘sweetie’ and ‘honey’ and kept babbling on about work and some man named Joseph and meetings and-
She froze as she opened her eyes and caught glimpse of a mirror hanging on the wall just a few feet away from her. Taking a steady breath, she straightened her shoulders and slowly walked in front of the mirror, her eyes closed.
Just look.
Her eyes fluttered open and her vision adjusted as her reflection came into sight. She studied the reflection for a split second before she felt her lungs close.
What the hell?!
It was her… but it… wasn’t. She recognized her face, but it was so different. She looked older. Her hair was no longer a lank brown color that hung to her ribcage, but was now a light brown color and cut in layers a few inches below her shoulders. Her eyes were still blue. Her lips and her cheekbones and nose still appeared the same. She glanced at her body. She was thinner, and still was unfortunate enough to not possess large…assets… on some areas. She licked her lower lip quickly and looked away, breathing shakily.
It’s just a dream.
She turned again and saw her reflection once again and then realized that she was no longer in the body of a seventeen year old girl. Feeling panic wash over her, she let her mouth fall open as a blood-curdling scream erupted through the apartment.
Within seconds, the sounds of heavy footsteps approached and the door swung open, revealing Rebecca once more, her face drawn in concern. “What?” She looked at her and then looked around frantically before setting her eyes back on. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Rebecca opened her mouth slowly, her eyes wide, but couldn’t seem to talk. “I…me… I’m not… I’m…” She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. “H-how…. How old am I?”
“What?” Rebecca made a face at her question as her eyes scanned her.
“How old am I?” Allison repeated quietly, her eyes fluttering open to meet with those of Rebecca. Rebecca’s eyebrows furrowed and it was apparent she was beyond confusion at this point.
“You’re twenty-seven, Allison.”
A pause of silence.
More silence.
Another scream.
Rebecca jumped and stepped forward, alarm etched on her pale features. She extended an arm and grasped Allison by the arm, who was standing in front of the mirror with a look of horror on her face. She shook her arm gently. “What? What is it?”
Allison shook her head slowly, her eyes wide and unwavering in the mirror. She swallowed hard. “I-I’m not… I’m not twenty-seven.”
Rebecca let a sigh escape her red lips and let her hand fall from Allison’s arm. “Honey, look. I know your birthday was only a few weeks ago, and I know that the reality that the big three-oh is approaching in three years is terrifying, but you really need to accept it.” She let out a laugh and ran a hand through her hair. “God, you scared me. I thought you found a zit or something.”
“I’m…” Allison felt numb. What the hell happened? One moment she was seventeen and crying on the floor of her bedroom, and the next moment she was a twenty seven year old woman? “I’m not really twenty-seven, am I?” She asked in a shaky breath, facing the dark-haired woman. “I think I’m dreaming. I must be.” She mumbled to herself.
“Hon,” Rebecca reached out and took Allison’s shoulders firmly, forcing her to look into her face. “I will never let you have that much again. My mistake,” She smiled teasingly at her before releasing her shoulders. “We need to go. Just throw on some pants and you can use my brush in the cab.” Rebecca turned to walk out of the bathroom.
“Cab?”
Rebecca stopped and her body visibly tensed. She was irritated. “How else would we get to work?”
Allison swallowed and nodded quickly before following out of the bathroom. “Right…” She mumbled to herself. She was in a daze as she pulled on some dark pants and a long jacket, and even more of a daze as she left the apartment complex and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The busy sidewalk surrounded by tall skyscrapers and expensive retail stores.
“Rebecca…?” She called to her friend in a hushed tone as a bright yellow taxi pulled to the side of the street where they were standing. Rebecca turned around and arched an eyebrow, waiting. Rebecca swallowed. “Are we…are we in-”
“Allison, I’ve had enough,” Rebecca let her shoulders go slack as an irritated expression flashed over her face. “I’ve played along this whole morning. And now I’m through with it. You need to pull yourself together and get into the cab.” She opened the cab door and stepped inside, sitting on the dark material. “Get in!” She called out.
Allison nodded softly and slowly stepped forward, her arm reaching to pull herself into the cab. Before she stepped inside, she slowly pushed the door slightly to catch a glimpse of the bold, black lettering on the side.
New York City Taxi.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Pull over!”
Rebecca’s shrill voice yelled through the small cab, making Allison wince, as the cab slowed to a stop at the side of the road. Allison slowly opened the door of the cab and stepped out onto the sidewalk, Rebecca following quickly.
“Let’s pick up the pace,” Rebecca huffed behind her in annoyance. “We’ve got five minutes until the conference meeting.”
Allison walked quickly beside Rebecca, trying to keep up with her power strides. She listened to Rebecca’s black pumps click noisily against the ground as they walked into a large glass building. Allison’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the large front desk, illuminated by the soft glow of white track lighting.
“Here we are…” Allison spoke slowly, attempting to think of a way to ask Rebecca if this was really where she worked without out-and-out saying it. “Here we are,” She repeated, louder this time. “…At work.”
“Yes, here we are,” Rebecca replied in a clipped tone. “And if we don’t pick up the pace, we may not be able to call Shimmer our work anymore.” She grabbed Allison by the elbow and dragged her quickly to the elevator, oblivious to the expression of disbelief adorning her friend’s face.
“I work at Shimmer,” Allison spoke up once in the elevator. Rebecca pressed a glowing number ‘ten’ button with a long, glossy red nail and then stepped back, straightening her jacket over her blouse. She brushed off her pants and reached into her purse, pulling out a black tube, and applied a bright crimson coat to her lips before smacking them together.
“Yes,” She replied curtly as the tube of lipstick disappeared in her bag once more. “You are the executive of marketing which is a pretty big deal, so I suggest you pull yourself together before we go in that room,” She finished sarcastically. She sighed and looked over at her friend with a guilty expression plastered on her face. “You’re my best friend. I’m looking out for you, okay?”
“I-”
“And I know I’m probably contradicting myself when I say that considering I let you drink your weight in tequila last night,” Rebecca interrupted quickly, her eyes upward and her hands moving rapidly. She looked at Allison with a small smile, “But you know, Christopher wasn’t around and I just wanted to have a girls night.”
Allison’s eyes narrowed. “Christopher?”
Who were these men? Joseph? Christopher? Who was next? And since when was Rebecca Lewis her best friend?
“Ah, you’re both here! Thank God!”
Allison jumped at the sound of a male voice greeting them as the elevator dinged on the tenth floor. A dark-haired man, appearing to be in his late thirties, stood in the doorway of the elevator, his hands clasped together and his face drawn tight in concern.
“Yes, sorry Joseph,” Rebecca answered respectfully and sincerely, dragging Allison off of the elevator with her. “Traffic was absolutely terrible, we-”
The man, Joseph, groaned. “I don’t care how awful traffic is, Rebecca. You two are key contributors to this company and when I need you on time, I expect you to be on time!” He sighed heavily and then paused to take a look at Allison. “Allison, what a fabulous outfit,” He grinned at her, scanning her form. His eyes stopped on the bag Rebecca had picked out for her just twenty minutes ago. He smirked and looked up, cocking an eyebrow. “Is that a Louis Vuitton I see, hmm?”
Allison glanced nervously at Rebecca, who was looking extremely annoyed. She looked down at the bag quickly and shrugged. “I, um, well….I think… yes.”
“Splendid!” Joseph clapped his hands together. He turned his eyes on Rebecca. “I’m glad to see someone still comes into work looking like an executive.” Ignoring the scowl of Rebecca, he turned to the two women quickly, his hands still clasped tightly together. “Right, then. I’ve come to tell you ladies that the meeting with corporate has been postponed until tomorrow morning,” He sighed in irritation and rolled his eyes, his hands waving nonchalantly. “Something about more time for preparation.”
“Preparation?” Rebecca repeated, her eyebrows furrowed. “On whose part? We’ve been prepared for this presentation for weeks.”
“On their part, I think,” Joseph sighed. “Anyways, this is actually a fine outcome-” He paused and glanced over Rebecca. “-It will give some of us time to look presentable. And that means you two have the day to perfect your presentation!”
“Oh, it’s already perfect,” Rebecca responded quickly with a grin. “We’ve tweaked everything so that-”
“I didn’t ask if it was perfect already, Rebecca,” Joseph sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples. “I asked you to perfect it today.” He turned around and made his way down the hallway, “Don’t disappoint me!”
Rebecca groaned and turned to Allison, her hands on her hips. “I don’t get it. He loves you. You could look like this-” She paused and wrinkled her nose at the sight of her friend, “-But he still goes crazy over you.” She sighed and shrugged, smiling lightly at Allison. “Anyways, should we work in your office or mine?”
Allison swallowed and blinked, looking around the crowded cubicles surrounding her. She couldn’t believe what was happening; she was an executive of marketing for Shimmer magazine? What did that even mean? What the hell was happening?
“Allison?”
“Hm, what?” She looked up, broken from her thoughts, to see Rebecca standing in front of her, waiting for an answer.
“Your office or mine?”
“Oh, um…” She thought a moment before shrugging. “I don’t mind either…”
“Alright. Yours it is,” Rebecca nodded before turning around, “I’ll get the materials and be back in a few minutes,” As she walked she turned over her shoulder. “Clear some space on your desk!”
Allison nodded to herself before leaning against the wall and putting a hand against her head. She was in either a very messed up dream or she actually was drunk. She didn’t know which one she preferred.
“Miss Jenning?”
“What?” She looked up to see a short, plump woman staring at her with concern. She was sitting at a desk typing on a computer in one of the small cubicles surrounding her.
“Are you alright? You look ill,” The woman commented as her eyes studied her face. “Would you like some aspirin?”
“Wha… um….” Allison pressed her lips together as the woman stared at her. She cleared her throat and leaned in slightly, “I’m… I’m sorry, who are you?”
The woman looked surprised and frowned slightly. “I’m Jean…” She spoke quietly, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Your secretary. Are you sure you’re alright? Maybe you should lie down…”
“I…my… my secretary?” Allison repeated. “You’re my secretary?”
“Yes…” Jean answered slowly with a nod. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Allison was silent for a moment as she contemplated. Was there anything this woman could do for her? She bit her lip as she thought, the woman staring on patiently. Suddenly, a thought popped in her mind.
“Yes!” She said suddenly, “Yes, there is!” She walked over quickly to her desk and looked around quickly, “Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?” Jean hesitantly handed her a small slip of paper and a blue pen. Allison quickly scribbled on the paper before setting it before the woman.
“I’d like for you to try to find him. His number, I mean.”
Jean stared at the paper for a long moment before she shook her head slightly and looked up. “I…I don’t think I can…” She replied softly. “I mean this is…he is…”
“Please?” Allison pleaded, her eyes big and desperate. “I just… I really need to talk to him…”
Jean swallowed and looked down at the piece of paper again, “I’ll… I’ll try, Miss Jenning. I-I can’t make any promises, though…” She bit her lip as her eyes studied the sheet of paper.
“Thank you!” Allison thanked her sincerely before turning to walk into the office labeled “Allison Jenning”. As she closed the door, she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly through her mouth. Her secretary seemed a bit nervous at her request to track down Gerard. She didn’t understand why. People did this all of the time; trying to find long-lost mothers and best friends and ex girlfriends, so why was Gerard such a problem?
She sighed and walked over to her desk, collapsing in her chair and looking out of the large window overlooking New York City. As she gently rocked back in forth in her black leather chair, her eyes scanned the city’s skyline.
“Are you out there, Gerard?”
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HOLY !!!! Long chapter! I wonder if anyone actually read this? Haha. Anyways, let me know what you thought… if you read through this whole chapter. It’s a monster, I know, but I can’t stop writing!! It’s like…. Addicting.
Anyways, read and review! And rate if you want ;]
Special thanks:
syn INC, Gerardsgurl07, and linerlover
..I love you guys the most!
Chapter Two
She felt her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks as her eyes blinked repeatedly, taking in her surroundings as she slowly woke from sleep. A ceiling fan rotated gently above her, blowing cool air onto her lethargic body. She swallowed hard, letting her head lift from the pillow and look around carefully at the room she had been presumably sleeping in. It appeared that she was in an apartment complex of some sort, and that she was currently sprawled out under a beige blanket on an off-white leather couch.
What the?
“Oh, good. You’re awake.”
Allison’s head snapped to the side at the sound of a female voice addressing her, and was met with the sight of a woman strolling in from a doorway with a mug in hand. She appeared to be in her late twenties, with short, raven locks and dark brown eyes accentuated with dramatic eye makeup. A pair of black pants hung low on her thin hips and a red top stood out against her pale skin. Allison’s eyes widened as the woman slowly walked towards her, with no readable expression on her face.
“I wasn’t sure if you were going to be up this early,” The woman commented as she sat on an armchair identical to the sofa across from her. She took a small sip from the mug and leaned back, her eyes now locked on Allison. “With the way things went last night, I wasn’t sure you’d be up at all today,” She laughed shortly, taking another sip from her mug.
Allison slowly and shakily stood to her feet, the blanket wrapped around her lower body. With wide eyes, she stumbled backwards and away from the woman lounging lazily on the armchair. “Who are you?” She whispered to her, shocked to find that she was having trouble recognizing her voice.
The woman snorted, “God, you really did have too much to drink, didn’t you?” She rolled her eyes and set the mug down on a glass coffee table before her before looking at the clock. “We should get going soon. Ten minutes, I’d say.”
“Get going for what?” Allison hissed, clutching the blanket tighter to her body, her back flat against the wall. The woman laughed curtly again and stood to her feet, tucking a short strand of hair behind an ear.
“Just because you’re hung over doesn’t give you an excuse to stay home from work,” The woman replied. "Although it would be nice..." Her eyes scanned Allison‘s figure quickly. “You might want to comb your hair. And put on some nice pants.”
“N-no,” Allison stuttered firmly, shaking her head. “I don’t have a job… a-and I don’t even know you!”
“Oh, sweetie,” The woman sighed, cocking her head to side. “Pretending to be in denial won’t get you out of work, either.” She checked the clock once more, “Come on, we really have to leave in five minutes or else Joseph will have our heads.”
“Joseph?” Allison whispered shakily. What the hell was going on? Who was this woman? And who the hell was Joseph?
The woman rolled your eyes, “Honey, look, you’re not drunk anymore. The whole ‘I don’t know who I am or where I am’ bit isn’t going to work right now. But what is going to work is if you get your butt into that bathroom and brush your teeth and hair and get some decent clothing on. Okay?”
Allison took a deep breath and swallowed hard as the woman talked to her. “Who am I?”
The woman sighed again in annoyance and crossed her arms, her eyes hard and serious on her. “Allison-”
“Allison!” She whispered to herself, her eyes flicking on the ground. So she was herself… sort of. She bit her lower lip and looked up hesitantly. “Allison Jenning?”
“Yes,” The woman nodded slowly, her arms still crossed against her chest. “You are Allison Jenning. I am Rebecca Lewis. And we-” She paused to motion between the two of them with a thin finger. “-Are going to be late for work.”
“Rebec-” Allison froze and looked up quickly, her eyes widened with surprise. “Rebecca Lewis? Varsity cheerleader and homecoming queen, Rebecca Lewis?” Allison asked softly. The woman let out a small laugh and nodded.
“Many years ago, yes,” She replied with a shrug. “Look, we really need to get going.” She stepped forward and gently pushed Allison into a hallway and near a door. “Get in there and try to look presentable for Joseph. We have a meeting today and I have feeling it’s not going to be peachy.”
Allison nodded to herself, feeling her mouth dry as she slowly opened the door, revealing a sleek white bathroom. She exhaled slowly from her nose as the door closed behind her and leaned against it, closing her eyes.
What the hell was happening? She must have been dreaming because she was standing in an apartment with an adult Rebecca Lewis who was actually being civil to her. She kept calling her ‘sweetie’ and ‘honey’ and kept babbling on about work and some man named Joseph and meetings and-
She froze as she opened her eyes and caught glimpse of a mirror hanging on the wall just a few feet away from her. Taking a steady breath, she straightened her shoulders and slowly walked in front of the mirror, her eyes closed.
Just look.
Her eyes fluttered open and her vision adjusted as her reflection came into sight. She studied the reflection for a split second before she felt her lungs close.
What the hell?!
It was her… but it… wasn’t. She recognized her face, but it was so different. She looked older. Her hair was no longer a lank brown color that hung to her ribcage, but was now a light brown color and cut in layers a few inches below her shoulders. Her eyes were still blue. Her lips and her cheekbones and nose still appeared the same. She glanced at her body. She was thinner, and still was unfortunate enough to not possess large…assets… on some areas. She licked her lower lip quickly and looked away, breathing shakily.
It’s just a dream.
She turned again and saw her reflection once again and then realized that she was no longer in the body of a seventeen year old girl. Feeling panic wash over her, she let her mouth fall open as a blood-curdling scream erupted through the apartment.
Within seconds, the sounds of heavy footsteps approached and the door swung open, revealing Rebecca once more, her face drawn in concern. “What?” She looked at her and then looked around frantically before setting her eyes back on. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Rebecca opened her mouth slowly, her eyes wide, but couldn’t seem to talk. “I…me… I’m not… I’m…” She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. “H-how…. How old am I?”
“What?” Rebecca made a face at her question as her eyes scanned her.
“How old am I?” Allison repeated quietly, her eyes fluttering open to meet with those of Rebecca. Rebecca’s eyebrows furrowed and it was apparent she was beyond confusion at this point.
“You’re twenty-seven, Allison.”
A pause of silence.
More silence.
Another scream.
Rebecca jumped and stepped forward, alarm etched on her pale features. She extended an arm and grasped Allison by the arm, who was standing in front of the mirror with a look of horror on her face. She shook her arm gently. “What? What is it?”
Allison shook her head slowly, her eyes wide and unwavering in the mirror. She swallowed hard. “I-I’m not… I’m not twenty-seven.”
Rebecca let a sigh escape her red lips and let her hand fall from Allison’s arm. “Honey, look. I know your birthday was only a few weeks ago, and I know that the reality that the big three-oh is approaching in three years is terrifying, but you really need to accept it.” She let out a laugh and ran a hand through her hair. “God, you scared me. I thought you found a zit or something.”
“I’m…” Allison felt numb. What the hell happened? One moment she was seventeen and crying on the floor of her bedroom, and the next moment she was a twenty seven year old woman? “I’m not really twenty-seven, am I?” She asked in a shaky breath, facing the dark-haired woman. “I think I’m dreaming. I must be.” She mumbled to herself.
“Hon,” Rebecca reached out and took Allison’s shoulders firmly, forcing her to look into her face. “I will never let you have that much again. My mistake,” She smiled teasingly at her before releasing her shoulders. “We need to go. Just throw on some pants and you can use my brush in the cab.” Rebecca turned to walk out of the bathroom.
“Cab?”
Rebecca stopped and her body visibly tensed. She was irritated. “How else would we get to work?”
Allison swallowed and nodded quickly before following out of the bathroom. “Right…” She mumbled to herself. She was in a daze as she pulled on some dark pants and a long jacket, and even more of a daze as she left the apartment complex and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The busy sidewalk surrounded by tall skyscrapers and expensive retail stores.
“Rebecca…?” She called to her friend in a hushed tone as a bright yellow taxi pulled to the side of the street where they were standing. Rebecca turned around and arched an eyebrow, waiting. Rebecca swallowed. “Are we…are we in-”
“Allison, I’ve had enough,” Rebecca let her shoulders go slack as an irritated expression flashed over her face. “I’ve played along this whole morning. And now I’m through with it. You need to pull yourself together and get into the cab.” She opened the cab door and stepped inside, sitting on the dark material. “Get in!” She called out.
Allison nodded softly and slowly stepped forward, her arm reaching to pull herself into the cab. Before she stepped inside, she slowly pushed the door slightly to catch a glimpse of the bold, black lettering on the side.
New York City Taxi.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Pull over!”
Rebecca’s shrill voice yelled through the small cab, making Allison wince, as the cab slowed to a stop at the side of the road. Allison slowly opened the door of the cab and stepped out onto the sidewalk, Rebecca following quickly.
“Let’s pick up the pace,” Rebecca huffed behind her in annoyance. “We’ve got five minutes until the conference meeting.”
Allison walked quickly beside Rebecca, trying to keep up with her power strides. She listened to Rebecca’s black pumps click noisily against the ground as they walked into a large glass building. Allison’s eyes widened as she caught sight of the large front desk, illuminated by the soft glow of white track lighting.
“Here we are…” Allison spoke slowly, attempting to think of a way to ask Rebecca if this was really where she worked without out-and-out saying it. “Here we are,” She repeated, louder this time. “…At work.”
“Yes, here we are,” Rebecca replied in a clipped tone. “And if we don’t pick up the pace, we may not be able to call Shimmer our work anymore.” She grabbed Allison by the elbow and dragged her quickly to the elevator, oblivious to the expression of disbelief adorning her friend’s face.
“I work at Shimmer,” Allison spoke up once in the elevator. Rebecca pressed a glowing number ‘ten’ button with a long, glossy red nail and then stepped back, straightening her jacket over her blouse. She brushed off her pants and reached into her purse, pulling out a black tube, and applied a bright crimson coat to her lips before smacking them together.
“Yes,” She replied curtly as the tube of lipstick disappeared in her bag once more. “You are the executive of marketing which is a pretty big deal, so I suggest you pull yourself together before we go in that room,” She finished sarcastically. She sighed and looked over at her friend with a guilty expression plastered on her face. “You’re my best friend. I’m looking out for you, okay?”
“I-”
“And I know I’m probably contradicting myself when I say that considering I let you drink your weight in tequila last night,” Rebecca interrupted quickly, her eyes upward and her hands moving rapidly. She looked at Allison with a small smile, “But you know, Christopher wasn’t around and I just wanted to have a girls night.”
Allison’s eyes narrowed. “Christopher?”
Who were these men? Joseph? Christopher? Who was next? And since when was Rebecca Lewis her best friend?
“Ah, you’re both here! Thank God!”
Allison jumped at the sound of a male voice greeting them as the elevator dinged on the tenth floor. A dark-haired man, appearing to be in his late thirties, stood in the doorway of the elevator, his hands clasped together and his face drawn tight in concern.
“Yes, sorry Joseph,” Rebecca answered respectfully and sincerely, dragging Allison off of the elevator with her. “Traffic was absolutely terrible, we-”
The man, Joseph, groaned. “I don’t care how awful traffic is, Rebecca. You two are key contributors to this company and when I need you on time, I expect you to be on time!” He sighed heavily and then paused to take a look at Allison. “Allison, what a fabulous outfit,” He grinned at her, scanning her form. His eyes stopped on the bag Rebecca had picked out for her just twenty minutes ago. He smirked and looked up, cocking an eyebrow. “Is that a Louis Vuitton I see, hmm?”
Allison glanced nervously at Rebecca, who was looking extremely annoyed. She looked down at the bag quickly and shrugged. “I, um, well….I think… yes.”
“Splendid!” Joseph clapped his hands together. He turned his eyes on Rebecca. “I’m glad to see someone still comes into work looking like an executive.” Ignoring the scowl of Rebecca, he turned to the two women quickly, his hands still clasped tightly together. “Right, then. I’ve come to tell you ladies that the meeting with corporate has been postponed until tomorrow morning,” He sighed in irritation and rolled his eyes, his hands waving nonchalantly. “Something about more time for preparation.”
“Preparation?” Rebecca repeated, her eyebrows furrowed. “On whose part? We’ve been prepared for this presentation for weeks.”
“On their part, I think,” Joseph sighed. “Anyways, this is actually a fine outcome-” He paused and glanced over Rebecca. “-It will give some of us time to look presentable. And that means you two have the day to perfect your presentation!”
“Oh, it’s already perfect,” Rebecca responded quickly with a grin. “We’ve tweaked everything so that-”
“I didn’t ask if it was perfect already, Rebecca,” Joseph sighed in exasperation, rubbing his temples. “I asked you to perfect it today.” He turned around and made his way down the hallway, “Don’t disappoint me!”
Rebecca groaned and turned to Allison, her hands on her hips. “I don’t get it. He loves you. You could look like this-” She paused and wrinkled her nose at the sight of her friend, “-But he still goes crazy over you.” She sighed and shrugged, smiling lightly at Allison. “Anyways, should we work in your office or mine?”
Allison swallowed and blinked, looking around the crowded cubicles surrounding her. She couldn’t believe what was happening; she was an executive of marketing for Shimmer magazine? What did that even mean? What the hell was happening?
“Allison?”
“Hm, what?” She looked up, broken from her thoughts, to see Rebecca standing in front of her, waiting for an answer.
“Your office or mine?”
“Oh, um…” She thought a moment before shrugging. “I don’t mind either…”
“Alright. Yours it is,” Rebecca nodded before turning around, “I’ll get the materials and be back in a few minutes,” As she walked she turned over her shoulder. “Clear some space on your desk!”
Allison nodded to herself before leaning against the wall and putting a hand against her head. She was in either a very messed up dream or she actually was drunk. She didn’t know which one she preferred.
“Miss Jenning?”
“What?” She looked up to see a short, plump woman staring at her with concern. She was sitting at a desk typing on a computer in one of the small cubicles surrounding her.
“Are you alright? You look ill,” The woman commented as her eyes studied her face. “Would you like some aspirin?”
“Wha… um….” Allison pressed her lips together as the woman stared at her. She cleared her throat and leaned in slightly, “I’m… I’m sorry, who are you?”
The woman looked surprised and frowned slightly. “I’m Jean…” She spoke quietly, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Your secretary. Are you sure you’re alright? Maybe you should lie down…”
“I…my… my secretary?” Allison repeated. “You’re my secretary?”
“Yes…” Jean answered slowly with a nod. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Allison was silent for a moment as she contemplated. Was there anything this woman could do for her? She bit her lip as she thought, the woman staring on patiently. Suddenly, a thought popped in her mind.
“Yes!” She said suddenly, “Yes, there is!” She walked over quickly to her desk and looked around quickly, “Do you have a piece of paper and a pen?” Jean hesitantly handed her a small slip of paper and a blue pen. Allison quickly scribbled on the paper before setting it before the woman.
“I’d like for you to try to find him. His number, I mean.”
Jean stared at the paper for a long moment before she shook her head slightly and looked up. “I…I don’t think I can…” She replied softly. “I mean this is…he is…”
“Please?” Allison pleaded, her eyes big and desperate. “I just… I really need to talk to him…”
Jean swallowed and looked down at the piece of paper again, “I’ll… I’ll try, Miss Jenning. I-I can’t make any promises, though…” She bit her lip as her eyes studied the sheet of paper.
“Thank you!” Allison thanked her sincerely before turning to walk into the office labeled “Allison Jenning”. As she closed the door, she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly through her mouth. Her secretary seemed a bit nervous at her request to track down Gerard. She didn’t understand why. People did this all of the time; trying to find long-lost mothers and best friends and ex girlfriends, so why was Gerard such a problem?
She sighed and walked over to her desk, collapsing in her chair and looking out of the large window overlooking New York City. As she gently rocked back in forth in her black leather chair, her eyes scanned the city’s skyline.
“Are you out there, Gerard?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
HOLY !!!! Long chapter! I wonder if anyone actually read this? Haha. Anyways, let me know what you thought… if you read through this whole chapter. It’s a monster, I know, but I can’t stop writing!! It’s like…. Addicting.
Anyways, read and review! And rate if you want ;]
Special thanks:
syn INC, Gerardsgurl07, and linerlover
..I love you guys the most!
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