Havoc

@ honeysucklelips

Derek groaned in response and followed her into the kitchen, knowing that he was utterly screwed. The wrath of his father was incomparable and the mere thought made his hair stand on end. "You don't think that I know that?" He thought, needing a cup of coffee to pull himself together. It was too early in the morning to deal with this nor did he have enough time. Derek's eyes darkened at the reminder of what occurred last night as his fingers gripped the edges of the counter. "Anderson got what he deserved, and I don't regret a single punch," He muttered, breathing in the scent of the coffee brewing.

Despite wanting to explain the situation, they clearly didn't have enough time. Their father would arrive at any moment, and Derek was not prepared for it. He was no where near presentable, and his morning breath was enough to send his father into a downward spiral. "Andrea, I was planning on doing that anyway," He sighed, downing the coffee in one gulp and jogging down to his bedroom. If he only had five minutes, Derek needed to throw on the first few things he saw.

Entering inside of his closet, he found Charlie curled up on the floor with his blanket. It was possible one of the most endearing yet heartbreaking moments. "Hey," He softly called out to her, kneeling down. "I don't know how to say this in a better way, and I don't have much time. So, my father is coming and my sister is here. He wants to talk about the Anderson incident, and there will be yelling. Just stay here, okay? Don't worry. I'll take care of it," He attempted to reassure her, although this was something he could never be certain of. Pulling off a tie and dress shirt from one of the racks, he began to change his clothes as soon as possible and finished in record time.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie jumped when the door opened, Derek in a whirlwind of words and ripping clothes off. Charlie sat up, crossing her legs and to meet him halfway as he knelt before her. She felt relieved, feeling herself slip into a very dark place that she wasn't sure she was ready to go to yet. She nodded when he told her stay and felt a twist in her stomach when he offered little to no comfort except for his words. She watched him as he became just a whirlwind of fabric and nerves and she had never seen him set on edge like this.

"Wait," she called, as he just about finished. She snagged his tie, fixing it slightly and sighing. She felt all these tears start to well up in her eyes and she let out a half sigh-half laugh. "You look good," she commented and reached on her tip-toes to brush a kiss against his lips. "I'll be here, I guess," she muttered, stepping away. She wasn't exactly ready to go back to that dark place yet.

---

Andrea sighed, finishing her coffee as Derek moved to his bedroom, she crossed her arms and waited for that knock. She sighed, maybe she shouldn't be here when he arrives. That would be smart, she walked to Derek's room as he walked out of the closet. "Derek, could I please chill in here? I don't think I want to see him," she muttered, laughing a little.

---

Mr. Charles Langston was a man of principle: honor and loyalty. He respected the clients that respected (and protected) his business and he cracked his neck with frustration at that thought. He fixed the cufflinks on his shirt as his limo traveled through the rainy streets of New York. He felt himself grower tenser by the second, as they wound to the street towards his son's apartment. He grit his teeth, unclenching his fist until they arrived.

He used his cane as he walked, the sickness overwhelming his body, but not his mind. He moved up, clicking the button to the penthouse until it dinged. He knocked, the apartment silent in a strange way and he waited. He waited for the footsteps and the eventual opening of the door. "Derek," he said, pushing past him and moving inside. "We have a problem."

@ honeysucklelips

Derek paused at Charlie's word and turned to face her once more. It was obvious that he was jittery and completely unprepared for this impromptu meeting with his father. "Thanks," He sighed, relishing the lingering feeling of her lips against his own. Gritting his teeth once more, he reached out to cup her cheek even for the most brief moment. "Stay here, alright? No matter what," He requested before exiting the closet, closing the door behind him. As his sister stepped inside, his heart almost skipped a beat and he exhaled loudly. A moment earlier and she would have spotted Charlie. "God, Andrea," He shook out shoulders, trying to get rid of the nerves. Although, that was impossible. "Why don't you wait inside of your room? Besides, you made me keep some of your clothes in there," He suggested, glancing over at the clock, practically dragging her out of his room. His father would be here in mere seconds, and he didn't have time for this. That was when the banging at the door began, similar to Andrea's. The impatience in the Langston family was infamous.

Wandering over toward the door, he glanced over to make sure that Andrea was out of sight. Derek paused at the doorknob and readjusted his jacket before opening the door for him. "Hello, Father," He greeted, stepping back to let his father inside. "If this is about the Andersons, then yes we have a problem. I can't have these men raping the girls not matter how much money he has. It's my job to protect them and screen them, and Anderson slipped through my fingers. I had no choice but to terminate his membership, Father," He explained, hoping that his father would understand. There was no other explanation for why Anderson passed other than the fact that it was a mistake on his father's part. "You have to understand where I'm coming from."

@ Dandy Darling;
Charles walked into the apartment, moved to the kitchen where there was a pot of coffee simmering. He grabbed himself a cup and poured as Derek spoke. His son, irresponsible and misguided as he has always been, rattled on with his excuses. Charles sigh, his son was completely guided by his emotions and didn't understand the business side. This business they run, ever efficiently and illegally, sometimes required a lapse in sensitivity. He allowed Derek to rattle his excuses, however valid they may be, while sipping his coffee.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. He didn't wait for Derek to sit, he adjusted his tie. "I think you have misunderstood things, son. Mr. Anderson, he has particular taste and if those particular tastes did not align with Charlotte's. Well..for that, I am sorry." He pressed his hands to his lips and measured his next words carefully. "I understand where you are coming from. You acted quite valiantly and you did preserve the allegiance of the girls, which says a lot of that side of the business. However, I do respect Mr. Anderson's business, his protection, and it is one that we cannot go without. I'm not sure I would use the word rape here, let's not give anyone any ideas, yes?" He finished by taking another sip of his coffee. He waited for the back lash and the outburst, knowing that Derek did not have the temperament of a businessman.

@ honeysucklelips

Derek joined his father inside of the kitchen and settled down at the table, waiting for the lecture and anticipating the words. It was already foreseen that he would be told how he made the wrong decision and how they needed Anderson back. However, he never would have predicted the approach his father took. Listening to his father speak, Derek's eyebrows rose in surprise before furrowing in a mixture of confusion and anger. His father was chalking this up to be a slight, minor difference in tastes and wants between Anderson and Charlie. A mere scoff left Derek's mouth in utter shock, unable to form the proper words. His blood boiled and Derek struggled to properly express his thoughts. He had witnessed rape right before his eyes but his father needed it be overlooked because of the money.

"You have to be kidding me," He seethed, balling his hands into tight fists. The bruises from the previous night still remained, showcasing his intolerance toward what his father requested. "So, you are telling me that Anderson has done this with the other girls before, but we need to blame it on a difference in tastes? Father, what you're asking of me goes against every single principle you taught me. This monster harms the girls and there is no amount of money that could make up for that. Who else have you passed despite knowing they're rapists, huh? I am not going to do it, Father. I can't," He countered, unable to keep his emotions out of the conversation. The mere thought of allowing Anderson to do that to Charlie again sent him over the edge.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charles sighed, though Derek's response was far better than he had anticipated, it was still unfortunately incorrect. Of course his son would never understand the business, not entirely, but as far as everyone else who could have taken the job, he was the best suited for the job. He tapped his fingers against the coffee mug. "I'm sorry, son. I've never had a rape reported before, have you?" He asked, raising his brow. "In fact, I'm quite curious how you found out at exactly the right moment." He moved back to the coffee pot and poured another cup before continuing. "The way I see it, we have never had anything like this happen. This is their jobs, lest you forgot we run a prostitution ring," he practically yelled. "It is not your job to protect their dignity or honor because, quite frankly, they do not have it. They are your employees, not your friends."

Charlie reflected easily on Charlotte, remembering the exact day he hired her. She was kind, curious and sassy and, of course, beautiful. She was lost, trying to find her way in a world that would never let her and Nightly, that was the place for someone like her. Charles remembered how quickly she sold and vigorously she seemed to enjoy the attention, the money, the pleasure. She was perfect and she had never refused a request before. She was smart enough to remain detached and he was curious as to what changed. "Just wondering, what is your relationship with Charlotte?"

---

It felt like hours, waiting for the time to pass and Charlie needed to get out of here. She opened the door, Derek's room empty and safe, full of sunshine. She pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear but they were both keeping their voices down that she could hear nothing. She glanced down at herself, those purple bruises staring a her and reminding her of everything that was wrong with her today. She pushed against the door further, hearing her name and that made her stomach sink.

@ honeysucklelips

Derek frowned in response to his father's counterargument because it was true. None of the girls ever reported that there was any sexual misconduct from the men, but there was no doubt that Charlie's case was real. Would she have reported the incident if he hadn't known? He hoped that she would have. Derek was there for her whenever she needed him under any circumstances. "Yes, but the contract also stated that consent was always required," He stated, disagreeing with his father's logic. As his father began to yell, Derek cringed and dropped his gaze. His body was too accustomed to always submitting to his father's demands. "They're my employees, but that doesn't excuse the fact that they're also people. My people. You always spout about how we need to take care of the girls physically and emotionally but this man comes along with his particular tastes. Since you claim that this has never happened before, then you shouldn't have a problem with my decision to terminate Anderson's membership, considering the circumstances," Derek argued, refusing to budge.

Pausing at his father's next question, Derek racked his brain for an answer. What was their relationship? Of course, he would never admit that it was more than platonic. "Father, obviously, I'm just her boss and she is my employee. Why are you asking? I am being adamant about this, because Anderson is a danger to all of these girls. I've never liked that family. They think they own everything they touch because of money," He simply countered, narrowing his eyes at his father. Derek had to be convincing, because his father was so perceptive. His father could practically read Derek with one mere glance and know everything about how he was feeling to what he was hiding. "That's all," He concluded, crossing his arms over his chest.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charles nodded, rubbing his mouth and sighing. He was frustrated, his son was blind to the world of protection and influence that the Anderson family had. He was blind to it all and didn't see how this family had kept the authorities off their backs for years. They had the kind of money that people listen to, that they have listened to for a long time. If Derek felt like he could find a suitable replacement for their protection, so be it. If the business failed because of him, so be it. Furthermore, Charles was still curious of why he had been so quickly on the scene. "Well, yes. I do believe that and of course, we keep them safe. But you see, the Anderson family does keep us safe; they keep us employed. And here's the thing, Anderson just expressed some concerns that you were perhaps too close to Charlie, you were there so quickly, on the scene. How did you know?" He asked, finishing his coffee again.

He raised his hand to silence his son before continuing, "Let me explain this to you before you continue. You believe that you can find a way to protect the business the way that Anderson does, so be it. You will be in charge of that. Let's say, you have seven days to find a replacement and if not, Anderson's membership is reestablished and you fix the business relationship." He finished his coffee and put his mug in his sink. "I would like to inform you that Anderson expressed some concerns," he said, with a pause. "Like I stated before, you seemed to arrive just ever so promptly to come to her rescue. I wonder if you're too..concerned with her." He almost laughed, "I understand, son. She is very beautiful, but she cannot be your piece of ass. If it needs to be, I will handle her business arrangements. Let's talk again in 7 days," he concluded before walking himself out. He did not need, want or expect Derek to escort him out. He would rather leave him to his thoughts.

@ honeysucklelips

Derek clearly distinguished his father's look of disappointment and frustration; one that he viewed all too often. From his point of view, Derek believed that his father was missing the entire point. Every girl placed her trust into the company to take care of her. By protecting the Andersons, they would be turning a blind eye for the sake of protection and influence. It was tad ironic that he had such a strong moral compass, considering the family business. Although, Derek seemed to be more concerned with Charlie's safety than anyone else. "Fine, give me seven days then. I will find a replacement for the Andersons," He stated with determination, wanting to prove his father wrong. Derek would comb the entire city for another family of wealth and influence as long as it wasn't the Andersons.

Upon his father's next point, he could only freeze and struggle to string together words. How could he explain the situation? Under any normal circumstance, Derek would have never placed a bug into a girl's dress and remotely track her. His father knew that. He opened his mouth to respond, but it was clear that his father was not willing to listen to the excuse and promptly left. When the door finally closed behind his father, Derek leaned against the table with an exasperated sigh. He only had seven days to find a family, which would be a feat. Wandering down the hallway, he passed his bedroom and entered inside of his sister's room. "He's gone, Andrea," Derek stated, loosening the tie around his neck. "I'm sure that you could pick up on the circumstances from the conversation." He wondered what his sister's take on the situation would be.

@ Dandy Darling;
Andrea jumped back from the door when Derek walked inside and took a look at her disgruntled little brother. She sighed when she knew her father had gone; he was a man of few words. She bit her lip, puzzling over the entire conversation as a whole and wondering who in the hell they could find in just seven days. It's not like you can walk up to anyone and invite them to invest in a prostitution ring. Andrea huffed, flopping down on the bed and looking up at the popcorn ceilings. "Well, you're skating on thin ice, little brother. You're a good business man and I'm sure you can find another family like the Anderson's, but you'll have to make sure they don't run in the same circle. I'm sure Mr. Anderson has already told everyone under the sun about what happened." She laughed a little bit, "You know he's only hard on you because you aren't a fuck-up." Andrea had become a failure to their family since day one, tattooed by 16, drugs by 18 and in rehab by 20. She had yet to go beyond decorating the family home and taking care of their father lest she risk falling back into her same risky habits.

She sat back up to look over Derek, wondering how their father was so perceptive of everything else that may be going on. "Is he right, you know, about Charlotte?" She asked, stumbling a bit over her name because she wasn't sure if it was right. Seemed like something her perfect brother, with his moral compass and incessant need to be perfect, would not do. She never expected Derek to take advantage of a one of their girls, to do anything really with any of them or to even talk to them as more than employees seemed completely beyond him.

---

Charlie paced the room, the voices outside stopping to an eerie silence spreading over Derek's room. The city outside had come to life, with the pattering of rain and the gloominess of the day filtering through his blinds. She waited, pacing back and forth and chewing on her nails. This was better than waiting in the closet and maybe she could peek her head out for just a second. She knew where his sister was, waiting just down the hall and she figured that's where Derek went. Why didn't he come here first? She had a lot more riding on all of this than Andrea did, how many times had his father said her name? A piece of ass, that was actually what he had called her and her stomach sank as everything she thought about Mr. Charles Langston was shattered. She felt herself growing tenser by the minute and all the air starting to hitch in her throat. She had to stop working herself up like this, but everything had been a roller coaster since last night and she couldn't seem to get off.

Why was this all being taken so lightly? Did the Anderson's really have that much money? She rolled at her eyes. Of course they did, people were practically falling over them last night and Charlie was assumed to be important simply by association. She had never know if Anderson had been with another one of the Nightly girls before or if it was just her that had experienced all of this. She looked down at herself again and suddenly her entire body felt foreign. She looked down at herself again and she felt like all the walls around her were starting to crash in and all that stared back at her were these purple spots, the skin around them devoid of color. She only felt how sore her body felt, if it was even her body and suddenly, all these thoughts started to overwhelm her. She slid down the wall closest to the bed and she cried. he wanted to cry, cry from being left in this room for so long, cry for being ignored, for decisions being made for and about her, for losing every ounce of dignity she had left. Though, according to Mr. Langston Sr, she never had any of that in the first place.

@ honeysucklelips

Derek couldn't help but scoff in response to his sister believing that he wasn't a fuck-up. If she knew what had transpired over the course of the past few weeks, she would have a completely different opinion. "Sure," He simply replied, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Derek sighed as he glanced over at his sister for a brief moment. Despite having two completely different personalities, Derek could only rely on his sister while growing up. His mother was almost nonexistent and refused to partake in any family business matters. Andrea usually received the daily earful of whatever his father's lecture for Derek was about how he was incompetent or down right stupid. If anyone, she would understand the situation that he was going through or at least judge him the least. "And what if he were right about Charlotte?" He questioned back, nervous as to what her thoughts were.

Just down the hallway, Derek knew that Charlie was waiting for him to tell her that both parties were gone. He could picture her curled up on the ground with his blanket clutched to her chest. He didn't expect to leave her alone for this long of a period. "Andy, I know that we have a lot to talk about, but I don't have the time right now," He stated, being vague with the excuse. Derek couldn't exactly explain to her that Charlie was hiding out in his bedroom and that she needed to leave so that Charlie could come out. It was either that or introduce them, which he didn't think was the best option. "Please, I'll call you later. I need some space and time to think this out," He pleaded, running a hand through his hair. At this point, Derek's mind was swimming and he could barely handle the the pressure from his father and his concern for Charlie.

@ Dandy Darling;
Andrea glanced back up at Derek when all he did was respond with a question. He was so impossibly nervous that she had the very strong suspicion that Derek, for the first time in his life, seemed to care about someone else. She raised a brow at him, "I guess, I'd say that I'm surprised and we'll figure it out. But, it's good you feel this way," she commented. When he asked her to leave, she was a bit taken back, but looking at his disgruntled expression, she figured he must be quite stressed. She hoped off the bed, nodding her head. "Okay, but you actually have to call me like actually. You always say you're gonna call, but you never do and that's sort of exhausting because I'm not gonna call you about all of this," she sputtered out at him as they traveled down the hallway. When they reached the door, she turned to look at her little brother again, the spitting image of their father but with a kindness in his eyes that their father never really had. "Just be careful, okay?" She said before letting herself and letting the door shut behind her. She barely wanted to go home and deal with their fathers rantings, but it had to be done.

---

Charlie felt herself sinking, further down the wall and into this hole that she wasn't sure she was going to be able to get out of. The walls were all so slippery with the crumbling confusion that is her thoughts and she couldn't get herself to climb out. She felt all the air hitching in her sobs and she couldn't stop herself from all this crying she was doing. She couldn't decide if she wanted to scream or cry or fall asleep. She didn't want to go back home, she didn't want to work, she just wanted him to hold her and kiss her and tell her it's gonna be okay. But, how did that make any sense? She had only ever trusted him once with her body and it had never happened again. Besides, he would want this to be a secret and she couldn't do that. She couldn't hide herself like that, she didn't know what to do anymore.

@ honeysucklelips

Derek relaxed with his sister's answer and allowed the weight to slide off of his shoulders. It was a small amount of relief, but it was more than enough for him at this moment. "Yes, yes, I will actually call you. Thank you for stopping by and good luck at home. You know the drill. If Father starts talking too much, just hand him a glass of whiskey and he'll knock out," He stated while practically shoving her out of the door. Pausing, he glanced over at his sister and offered a hint of a smile. Derek was the only person in the family that admired his sister for being the furthest person from a Langston, and he always cherished her opinion. Sometimes he even envied her for that freedom that he would never have. "I will be careful," He reassured before the door promptly shut behind her. Once again, the house was silent and empty except for Charlie and him. It was the way that it should have been this entire time without having his father getting involved.

Rushing off down the hall, Derek burst open the door and glanced around to find Charlie slumped against the wall by his bed in a pool of tears. "Charlie," He softly called out, crossing the room to meet her. "I'm sorry. I didn't expect to take that long," He apologized, gathering her into his arms. He ran small circles against her back in an attempt to comfort her as she continued to sob. "You're going to be fine. Everything is going to be okay. I will sort this all out," He promised, pulling back to place a kiss against her forehead. She was so fragile and delicate in his arms that he was afraid she would crumble. Derek hated to admit that she was practically the shell of the girl he originally met and it was all because of Anderson.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie sank into Derek's arms and sobbed into his shoulders and when he promised to sort things out, Charlie almost believed him. She almost thought he meant it or that it was even relatively possible. She wanted to be say something, anything, but words just didn't and couldn't come to her. She nodded, sucking up her tears and looking back at him. "What happened?" She asked, though she didn't pull far away from him because she felt the safest right here. She had heard her name so many times, heard Anderson's name more but she couldn't understand what Mr. Langston was getting out or why Derek look so stressed. She had never seen him like this, always the picture of a business man but now the shaken man that he truly was. Perhaps this was where Derek and Mr. Langston met and where Charlie the person and Charlie the prostitute met as well. Maybe they were actually themselves with each other. Either way, she hated herself for crying, for being this way and for falling into little tiny pieces. She was embarrassed and most of all, she wanted to go home to her Nonna. She didn't want to go back to that stupid place and she couldn't. Maybe it would be easier for both of them if she just quit, just left the business and then all their problems would be fixed. Was it that simple?

@ honeysucklelips

Derek bit his lip lightly since he was unsure of where to start. There was too much that occurred within this small time span, and his head was ready to burst. "Well, long story short, I have a week to find a family to replace the Andersons," He stated, knowing that it would be the least of his worries. There were a plethora of families wealthy enough and willing to provide them protect, although Derek was unsure if they would still want to after the Andersons spoke to them. "And, um, my father is suspicious of us," He admitted with a small sigh, brushing back a loose strand of her hair. Looking down into her bloodshot eyes, he could sense her sadness and hollowness. He didn't want to worry her, considering all that she currently had on her plate, but she needed to know. "I have it covered. I'm going to take care of it," He reassured, even though he didn't know how yet. Derek was certain that every would work out for them. "My sister stopped by to warn me ahead of time about my father. On the bright side, she has my back, and I can rely on her for anything," He stated on a positive note.

"Anyway, how are you doing?" He changed the topic, needing to get his head off of the subject matter. It was quite obvious how she was feeling just from her body language, but Derek needed to hear it. Reaching out, he gently brought her wrist into view and noted the purplish bruising splotched against her skin, causing Derek to frown. "Where else?" He choked out, bring her wrist to his lips.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie nodded as he spoke and with his constant reassurance that he had everything under control, she felt like it was almost impossible for him to do so. She knew that everything had completely spiraled out of control and they day in the kitchen seemed so far away. She leaned into his hands as brushed her hair back and nodded when he finished explaining. She wanted to believe him, to look him in the eyes and feel a little bit better about everything, but she couldn't. Everything seemed to fucked up beyond return and she knew they weren't be careful. She was going to have to move back to the compound soon, her roommate would get suspicious, and if his father was suspicious, he probably had good reason. Maybe she should quit, maybe that's the smartest thing she could possibly do. She had a lot of money saved, enough to maybe get her and Nonna by for a year and then she would finish high school and things would get better.

She got lost and distracted in her thoughts, but she jumped when Derek grabbed her wrist, pulling her arms away from him. "I'm fine," she commented, crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall and casting her eyes down to the ground. Why would he ask something like that anyway? Did she look fine to him? She gestured to the lower half of her body, her hips and thighs in particular, that were not covered at all by his dress shirt. What did he want her to say?

@ honeysucklelips

Seeing the bruises scattered across her skin, Derek was only more determined to find a replacement for Anderson. He could only imagine how traumatizing the whole entire experience was, knowing that she most certainly was not fine. The only thing that he wanted was for her to be honest with him though and explain everything that she was feeling. Sure, he could never truly understand what was happening, but he could try to make it better. Make her as comfortable as possible. "Sorry," He sighed, forgetting that she was still sensitive around others. He needed to be more aware of his actions around her. "May I?" He asked, reaching out his hand to place it against her thigh. The bruises looked painful and mirrored fingerprints against her skin. Anderson's fingerprints. "Charlie, you need to see a doctor. Or at least someone with medical experience. Just to make sure that you're physically fine," He pleaded, wanting some sort of peace of mind. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

Nothing seemed to be okay or would ever be okay again. The damage was dealt, and they both have to deal with the consequences. There was no way to reverse back time and make it so that Derek refused Anderson from the beginning. Now, he had to deal with her father, his sister, and the Andersons. The pressure was building sky high onto his shoulders with no chance of coming down. The only person who seemed to make things better was Charlie as if she understood him.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie huffed, feeling cornered and stuck in Derek's gaze. She pushed herself off the ground, standing and slipping past him to cross the room. She crossed her arms and stopped, only briefly, to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess in a way that was not flattering, her face was splotchy from crying and she looked pale, drawn out and tired. She glanced back at Derek, finally seeing the reason his concern was etched so deeply in his eyes. She needed to pull herself together, even just a fraction so he would just stop looking at her like she was broken. She just couldn't stand to see him look at her like that.

"Fine, but I don't want to have to go out like this," she muttered. She barely had any clothes her that were hers, let alone anything that made her feel like herself. The last thing she wanted was to go back to the compound and listen to Maritza jabbering, but then maybe that would be comforting. Derek was so involved, so interlaced in everything that happened to her that maybe getting some space would be good or even 15 minutes to gather her things. She bit her lip, puzzling over it all.

@ hickey-a

(Hey! Sorry for taking such a long time to respond. I just finished up with finals.)

Derek loudly exhaled as he gave a nod in respond. "Yes, yes, of course. Take anything from my sister that you want. I doubt she'll even notice. I'll see you out by the elevator," He gestured toward the room down the hallway. To hear that she was willing to visit the doctor gave him peace of mind. "I'll go call the physician," He stated while reaching into his pocket to produce his cell phone. It was tad odd that this was the first time he had looked at it in hours between all of the events occurring at once. His cell phone was practically an extension of his body, and Derek could never imagine not looking at it at least once an hour. Scrolling through his message, he saw that there were multiple messages about the girls as per usual but one more from Anderson. Without even bothering to read it, he automatically deleted it.

"Hi, yes. I'm going to come in a few minutes with Charlie. Yes, a full-check up," Derek stated while pacing about the room. He was sure that Charlie would be grateful for the familiarity of the doctor. All the girls went to her to get their annual physicals and tests. Waiting near the elevator, he leaned against the wall with a small sigh. It seemed that their kitchen memory was so distant. As if it had occurred years ago as opposed to mere days.

@ Dandy Darling;
[No worries! I completely understand. I hope they went well for you!]

Charlie almost wanted to roll her eyes at him, but she walked down the hallway once he produced his phone. She didn't want to wear his sisters clothes and sneakers. She wanted to wear her clothes and shower with her shampoo and lay down with her blanket and feel like herself again. She didn't feel like herself anymore. Who was this girl who sleeps with her boss? Who lets her feelings get in the way of her profession? She told herself she was better than this, she had always promised that she would never, ever, do something like this. She wanted to be better than a hooker, she wanted to be known as someone who enjoyed her work and did it because she loved it and made good money. Now she was a hypocrite of everything she ever wanted to be and as she pulled off his dress shirt, she looked at the complete failure she was. She couldn't finish at a lot of things: a crossword puzzle, high school, sex with Anderson, anything. She couldn't finish anything and she threw on another graphic t-shirt, she felt even stranger. She would never wear a 'Sun Drop' lime green t-shirt or these off-white knocked up sneakers.

She let her hair fall, rummaging again until she found a brush and ran it through her hair, tearing out the knots from complete abuse. She pulled it half-up, something she rarely ever did, and looked again at this person in the mirror. She didn't recognize her and that was terrifying, it made her blood feel cold and her stomach drop to her feet. She wanted to go home, she wanted to be far away from here and yet, she felt she needed to be here. She knew Derek was doing his best, but she felt so angry with him and everything he stood for. He was something she would never understand and that once felt like a mystery she hoped to unravel, it now felt like another thing she would never finish. There wasn't any make-up in this apartment and she missed the ways her eyes looked with eyeliner. She looked tired without and small and she hated it. She huffed again before slamming all the drawers shut and walking down the hall.

She found him sitting by the elevator, that crease in his forehead seemed to be cemented there and she felt herself get angry again. Angry that he was just sitting there, in his suit and tie with his cellphone clutched in his hand, dinging and lighting up with each passing second. She was angry he made her go on that stupid fucking job in the first place, that he placed work over her. He had never even asked her if she wanted to go on the job, he assumed she was. He had completely blurred the lines between the his employee and the girl he caressed. He never even asked her if she wanted to do the job and yet, he acted surprised that it had turned out the way it had. He could have sent any other girl on that fucking job and they would have done exactly what Anderson wanted and then some. She pushed the button without saying anything, tapping her foot as she waited for the door to ding. She wanted to get this over with and get that stupid concerned look off of his face. She was fine, she was angry, not a sad puppy.