I have taken the advice of a few reader and tried my best lengthen my chapters.
Everything written is fiction including people, locations, and companies. I edit the story myself so if there are any horrible mistakes I apologize and please disregard them.
Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter.
Amelia
Sitting at my desk, I was still staring at the small piece of paper that was given to me the night before with the same questions buzzing through my head.
"Amelia? Have you read the email I sent you earlier?"
I hadn't heard my door open and jumped at the sound of Amanda's voice.
"Uh, not yet. What was it about again?"
She looked at me with an arched eyebrow.
"It's the numbers you said you needed immediately."
I shut my eyes tight trying to think through the fog of Lora and Mel, but the numbers she was referring to didn't come to mind.
"I'm sorry I'll look at those right now," I said hoping she wouldn't hear the pretense in my voice.
I began clicking away trying to enter into my email when I felt a hand stop my fingers.
"Hey, what's with you? You aren't usually this scattered brain."
I sighed before moving my hands from the keys and closing the laptop.
"You're right... I have a lot on my mind and Lora is back in town."
Amanda's usually poised and stern appearance relaxed a bit, something I didn't see too often.
Amanda was a person I would call a professional best friend.
She was a beautiful blonde with blue eyes who was as tall as I was, but her personality was completely different.
She would always accuse me of being too lax, while I would mention that she was way too uptight. She always had a strict demeanor with me and hardly ever called us friends, even though we obviously were. It had always been about the business with her, so this small glance at the human being inside her was a small surprise.
She had always been this way as long as I could remember. We had both come from prominent families and even though we had known each other since childhood and went to the same schools, we were mostly rivals.
As we entered our college years and followed our respective paths that competition turned into admiration and friendship and we've been partners ever since.
I saw her a business goddess. I may be skilled as an engineer and the years at my father side may have prepared me to take over his business, but it was Amanda who truly helped keep everything on track.
"Hmmm."
Amanda set her stuff down and leaned against my desk.
"Amelia, you know after all these years we have gotten to know each other quite well. I might even go as far as calling us, close friends. I really don't think we could run this company as effectively if we weren't. So, I want to tell you, as a friend, something needs to change."
I stiffen a bit at her remark. One thing I always cherished about Amanda was that she never questioned my personal life.
"I don't normally get..."
"Don't misunderstand me. I have seen how you look at Lora when she comes and visits you. Honestly, I don't know how the girl doesn't know you are in love with her or how you can keep your feelings bottled up like this. You need to do something, Amelia. Either fight for what you want or let it go. This whole," she said while pointing at me, head to toe, "Is starting to get annoying."
Her words may have sounded harsh to anyone else, but I saw real concern in her eyes.
I sat there quietly as I let the words sink in.
"You're right. I can't keep going like this."
Amanda pushed off my desk taking her stuff back into her arms.
"Ok, now seriously look at those numbers I don't want you falling behind on your work. In the meantime, I'm going to meet with the team leads."
"Right," I said with new determination, reopening my laptop, and focusing on the very important matters in front of me.
I was rubbing my temples as I finished the last pages of work I needed to have done tonight. Having my head filled with my personal problems had in fact gotten me behind and had required me to stay later than usual to catch up.
I was packing a few things to take home and review when my phone started ringing. I smiled when I saw the name on the caller ID, Lora.
"Amelia! Guess what?!"
I chuckled at her enthusiasm as I left the office.
"What? You found a better junk food place than Tim's?"
"That is impossible, but I think you're going to like the news."
I could tell she was pausing to be dramatic.
"Come on, Lora, tell me."
"Well, since you insist. I'm going to be Mel's stunt double for her new movie and it's being shot here in New York!"
I nearly froze in my tracks. Lora only stayed home between movies and this was the first time a movie would be shot here.
"That's amazing Lora! I'm so happy for you!"
"Mel and I are going to celebrate. You should come out with us."
I took a quick glance at my watch. It was already past eleven.
"Mind if I go in my work clothes?"
"Never, just get your butt down here to The Lantern."
"I'll see you in a few, bye."
"Bye!"
I shut my phone as I hurried to my car to drop off my stuff.
The Lantern was a bar close to Reid Engineering. Actually, it was walking distance. It was the bar Amanda and I would visit in times of decompressing and where we went when we were both just interns trying to learn the business.
As I pushed opened the familiar set of wooden doors the air around me filled with the sound of live music.
The crowd was a little thicker than usual and took me a moment to find Lora and Mel sitting at a corner table with the top already filled with a display of differently colored liquids.
