The Brothers

He watched as she exited the tube station and headed towards the glass fronted office of the magazine. She looked elegant and polished in a crisp white t-shirt, jeans and red bottom heels. He chuckled to himself as men turned to watch her pass. She had thick golden brown hair which fell in soft waves around her shoulders, shiny in the sunlight. He had to admit, she was rather beautiful. He glanced at his watch and thought he’d have another coffee and something to eat before following her in. He wasn’t in a hurry and the thought of making her wait amused him. He had done a little digging on Miss Jones, and was impressed with what he had discovered, including her aversion to lateness. He took in the scenery. It was a glorious day. He smiled at his waitress as she arrived at his table, noticing her blush at his attention. He returned her smile and began his order, his mouth watering. Not for the coffee, or the pastry he’d order. He licked his lips as her scent wafted all around. She smelt delicious and he imagined how she would taste. Yes, he would be late for his meeting and they would all just have to wait. Amara was all business as she strutted into her office. She ended her call with New York, and set down her bag. She turned and gazed out of her floor to ceiling office windows, over looking the city. She took in a deep breath. Today was important and if she could bring the deal in, she would finally have the ammunition and power to demand the board seat she so desperately wanted. Shelly her assistant burst into the room, already having launched into her update. Amara turned and smiled, taking the the offered coffee and information overload. Shelly was only 20. She was blonde and petite but made up for her lack of stature in energy. She was a one-woman tornado of efficiency and order but also prone to clumsiness as she was always rushing. But she was a brilliant PA and Amara wouldn’t be without her. She had taken a risk hiring her straight out of collage, but Shelly had proven herself ten times over. “Shelly, that’s brilliant, but why don’t we sit and discuss the rest of todays agenda?“ Shelly smiled and plonked herself into the offered seat, and took a breath. “Ok, so Louis called and asked for an update by 4” she read from her iPad. “Chanel asked if they can talk final dates for the winter shoot and to confirm photographer.” She looked up and crossed her fingers as she continued “lunch with the fashion team is at 1pm and then you’re free until 3pm when you will meet with legal to collect the contract and keys for the new apartment.” Amara nodded and tapped her keyboard to review her weeks schedule. Immediately, her mailbox dinged, her calendar launched and she sighed at the volume of things to do but went back to today's agenda. The Burford meeting was scheduled for 10am, a little over 20 minutes away. The two of them had spent hours preparing for this final meeting. Most of the discussion had been done via email, but todays meeting was held face to face as it was so important. Mr Burford although very busy, agreed that this final stage should be completed in person. Shelly had blocked out the entire morning knowing of Mr Burford’s habit of lateness and having seen the picture of him falling out of a club at 2am, his arm draped around yet another model. There were always calls to make, contracts to sign and details to finalise. She knew Amara would make good use of the free time if needed but she hoped he wasn’t too late as Amara was well known for her distaste for being made to wait.This meeting was a huge deal not just for Amara, but for the magazine. If they pulled it off, it would be a huge boost for them. Gabe sat behind the wheel of his E type and drummed his fingers on the wheel. Traffic was terrible and he knew he would be late. He was always late, but not because he was rude, more that he got caught up in whatever moment he was in. This morning it was searching for locations for his next art series. Gabe was essentially a portrait photographer but in the last year had gained notoriety for his editorial work. He’d been working with models, actors and lately, more for some of the best publications and was on his way to yet another big name. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this proposal but it could open more doors for his future plans. His own gallery and school. He huffed as a message was announced. “ Thank you for last night” the voice note purred. He’d already seen pictures splashed all over social media of him leaving a late night venue with a beautiful model on his arm. He sighed. He didn’t get any privacy anymore and thought if he took this gig he might escape the paparazzi for a few months. He checked the time and realising how late he was already and pressed his horn in frustration at the i***t in front blocking the road. Amara had been waiting an hour already and had given up on the meeting. Shelly had tried to contact Mr Burford several times, with no response from phone or email. Irritated, she now sat, laptop open with her desk unorganised, hair swept up in a messy bun engrossed in paperwork and proposals. Shelly had fielded calls from her desk out front, avoiding Amara until her mood dissipated. Once she’d calmed down they would thrash out a new plan to get the deal done. Amara looked up at the loud commotion outside. Her office door suddenly swung open revealing an embarrassed or was that flustered Tania, the new intern, and not one, but 2 Burford men. Amara rose from her desk to greet them, trying to disguise her surprise at their late and rather rude arrival. She took a breath and reached out her hand.