Not the One
Chapter 17
Tina decided to take me to her mom’s fashion design company. It was called BethStyle. When we got there, several employees greeted Tina.
“Where’s my mom?” Tina asked a girl with a name tag that read “Meg”.
“She’s across town visiting someone. I’m not sure who. She didn’t say,” said Meg.
“Do you know when she will be back?”
“No.”
Tina held my hand and we sat down on couches. Someone brought us coffees and pastries.
“Thanks,” I said.
I was looking around the room, admiring everything. We were in a room near the stage. Tina told me that in a week her mom was going to have the Summer Fashion Show. In a corner of the room, I spotted a girl with black hair holding up a red dress and examining it. Was that Jane? It looked like her from the back. But how could that be? Then she turned around. I gasped quietly. I didn’t think Tina could hear, but apparently she did.
“What?” She asked.
“That’s Jane.” I jutted my chin in the direction of her.
“Her? The Japanese girl? I saw her here two days ago when I was here.”
“So she works for your mom?”
“I guess so. So that’s the Jane you were talking about?”
“Yeah,” I said, quietly.
“Do you want to talk to her?”
“I don’t know. What am I supposed to say?” Before Tina could respond, Jane was walking towards us.
“Hi, Leo!” She was definitely more cheerful today than yesterday. I glanced over at Tina and she looked confused.
“Hey… uh, Jane,” I said, nervously.
“What are you doing here?” She asked.
“I’m um, here with Tina, my girlfriend.” Jane raised her eyebrows a bit, probably because she was surprised I was going out with someone like Tina.
“Beth’s daughter?” Jane asked Tina.
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
“So… Jane, you work here?” I asked.
“Yep. It’s been great. I’m still an intern, but I’m going to be designing my own clothes next year. I’m so excited!”
“That’s awesome. Congrats on living your dream.” I sounded a bit sad when I said that. It seemed that Jane was able to tell I wasn’t all that excited for her.
“Leo… do you want to hang out sometime? Since we’re both in Paris now.” I looked over at Tina, waiting for her silent approval. She looked down at her shoes.
“Um, I don’t really know,” I said.
“Aw, why not? I haven’t seen you in months. I think it’s fair to do something together,” Jane insisted.
Tina did a one shoulder shrug.
“Okay, we could do that.”
“Yay!” Tina handed me her phone. “Enter in your number and I’ll call you.”
Now Tina knew how I felt when Damien did that.
“Okay,” I said, still glancing over at Tina to see how she was reacting over this.
“Well I gotta go, I’ll see you later,” Jane said, and then walked away.
I faced Tina. “Sorry…”
“It’s fine, Leo. If you really want to hang out with her, you can. You guys are friends any way. I shouldn’t be allowed to tell you what to do and what not to do.”
I leaned over and kissed her on the lips. That was my way of saying thanks.
“Where’s my mom?” Tina asked a girl with a name tag that read “Meg”.
“She’s across town visiting someone. I’m not sure who. She didn’t say,” said Meg.
“Do you know when she will be back?”
“No.”
Tina held my hand and we sat down on couches. Someone brought us coffees and pastries.
“Thanks,” I said.
I was looking around the room, admiring everything. We were in a room near the stage. Tina told me that in a week her mom was going to have the Summer Fashion Show. In a corner of the room, I spotted a girl with black hair holding up a red dress and examining it. Was that Jane? It looked like her from the back. But how could that be? Then she turned around. I gasped quietly. I didn’t think Tina could hear, but apparently she did.
“What?” She asked.
“That’s Jane.” I jutted my chin in the direction of her.
“Her? The Japanese girl? I saw her here two days ago when I was here.”
“So she works for your mom?”
“I guess so. So that’s the Jane you were talking about?”
“Yeah,” I said, quietly.
“Do you want to talk to her?”
“I don’t know. What am I supposed to say?” Before Tina could respond, Jane was walking towards us.
“Hi, Leo!” She was definitely more cheerful today than yesterday. I glanced over at Tina and she looked confused.
“Hey… uh, Jane,” I said, nervously.
“What are you doing here?” She asked.
“I’m um, here with Tina, my girlfriend.” Jane raised her eyebrows a bit, probably because she was surprised I was going out with someone like Tina.
“Beth’s daughter?” Jane asked Tina.
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
“So… Jane, you work here?” I asked.
“Yep. It’s been great. I’m still an intern, but I’m going to be designing my own clothes next year. I’m so excited!”
“That’s awesome. Congrats on living your dream.” I sounded a bit sad when I said that. It seemed that Jane was able to tell I wasn’t all that excited for her.
“Leo… do you want to hang out sometime? Since we’re both in Paris now.” I looked over at Tina, waiting for her silent approval. She looked down at her shoes.
“Um, I don’t really know,” I said.
“Aw, why not? I haven’t seen you in months. I think it’s fair to do something together,” Jane insisted.
Tina did a one shoulder shrug.
“Okay, we could do that.”
“Yay!” Tina handed me her phone. “Enter in your number and I’ll call you.”
Now Tina knew how I felt when Damien did that.
“Okay,” I said, still glancing over at Tina to see how she was reacting over this.
“Well I gotta go, I’ll see you later,” Jane said, and then walked away.
I faced Tina. “Sorry…”
“It’s fine, Leo. If you really want to hang out with her, you can. You guys are friends any way. I shouldn’t be allowed to tell you what to do and what not to do.”
I leaned over and kissed her on the lips. That was my way of saying thanks.