Substitute for Lawson

18

[Jeremy: Would you do a little favor? :)]

[Emily: What other service?]

[Jeremy: If your boyfriend doesn't mind, can I invite you for a friendly outing and then for a photo shoot? Please ...]

[Emily: He won't mind. But, this ... I hardly fit as a model. Sorry.]

[Jeremy: You are the perfect fit, I beg you, don’t refuse! I haven't filmed anything worthwhile for a long time, until you showed up!]

After reading the message, the girl did not know for a long time what to answer her. That this weirdo was attached to her. What other photo session? Preparing to type the answer, the girl shuddered at a hoarse voice at the side of her.

- Can you not bang so hard on the keyboard? - croaked "dying", which began to irritate Fox.

- Why are you even sitting here if you feel so bad ?! She frowned. Recalling how loudly he came home at night, he made a noise about something and even confused the rooms by falling down to her and, starting to prove something about the wrongness of her plan, the girl was not going to regret him.

- This is my house, where I want, there I sit, lie and live. Damian snapped, which caused more outrage.

- Okay. Then I can leave. I will not bother you. - and why did she get so angry?

Damian's eyes widened in surprise. The frowning girl was about to get up from the sofa, as he stopped her, transferring her from the chair to the main sofa.

- Better bring me some water, and also my pillow from the bed and a blanket. - deciding to ignore these words, he said impudently putting his head on the armrest.

“I don’t want to serve you. She clicked and looked back at the laptop.

- Well, please, ah, I feel so bad ... - he moaned and reaching out with his hand to Amy's dangling ankle, grabbed it, squeezing it slightly.

- Okay. Glancing into those puffy eyes again, Fox put the laptop down on the couch. muttering to herself, she could not help but fulfill the request of the dying man, who had become so dear to her.

While the girl went to his bedroom, the man, taking a sitting position with curiosity, looked at the laptop, opened the tab with the browser and found there a new message from an unknown user.

[Jeremy: Come on, go ahead! I will prove that you are special! I promise you will love it!]

Damian frowned, something unpleasantly tingling in his chest. The hangover never happened.

- What the f**k? - he swore harder, knitting his eyebrows on the bridge of his nose. In the man's head convolutions began to work. Who is it? And what does this guy write about?

Slippers shuffled in the corridor, so after returning the laptop to its original position, Damian lay down. Either the pill began to work, or the interest in Emily's interlocutor had such an effect, but the fact is that, not feeling the previous state, Damian grimaced intensely, emitting himself on his deathbed. When the girl approached him with a pillow and a blanket, he began to groan like an elderly grandfather, and then pityingly recalled:

- And the water?

Having measured the guy with a slightly stern look, the girl silently brought him a bottle of mineral water and put it next to him on the floor, again grabbed onto the laptop.

“Rest Mr. Lowsen. - She muttered, already about to leave the living room, even turned off the TV, but at the last moment, Damian managed to grab her wrist.

- Where are you going?

- I'm leaving for the bedroom. I don't want to disturb you. Amy muttered a little frowningly, holding the laptop in one hand like a tray. She was already impatient to answer her new friend.

- If I wanted to be alone, I would have gone to the bedroom long ago! - as the offended boy said the dark-haired, along the way remembering a strange message and from this squeezing the woman's wrist more tightly in his hand. - I still turned off the TV ...

From these large and brown eyes, something aches in the girl's chest and it seems the heart starts beating too loudly. Emily purses her lips and looks away. Why can't she always refuse him ?! Exhaling loudly through her nostrils, she returns to the next sofa.

- Okay.

- And close the laptop. - as soon as she comfortably sits in an embrace with the computer, Damian distracts her attention by slamming the laptop right in front of Fox's nose.

- Hey! - does not have time to be indignant, as the man, having already selected the device, throws him into a chair and leans back on the pillow.

- Head splits when you type. - he shamelessly justifies his actions and closes his eyes.

That evening, muttering like an old grandfather, Damian did not let Emily turn on the laptop again. She realized that she had not responded to the message to her new friend, but it even gave her time to think about the decision. Why doesn't she try it? Isn't it a girl's dream to take beautiful photos, even in your imaginary portfolio.

Dependent on Damian, Amy managed to arrive at work even before her boss. The deputy himself had an important meeting, so he had to prepare, and later leave the office for the whole day.

Sitting at her workplace, and not knowing what to do with herself, Fox still got to the post office.

- What else did he write? - the girl muttered to herself in surprise as she looked through the last messages on the list. All of them were marked as read, but she clearly does not remember the last one at all. - When did I manage? .. - the girl was puzzled at the end, but she began to type an answer.

- [Okay, I agree. Let's see what happens.]

Naturally, Jeremy will not immediately see her message, so with some excitement in her soul, the girl safely closed the mail, starting to engage in her direct work.

***

- It is very important to discuss all these issues with Mr. Hiroshi. - gave the last instructions Lucas, making himself a boring boss. “As he will be passing through London today, meet him at the hotel.

- I got it, I got it already! - poke the deputy, collecting documents from all over the office.

Lucas, sitting businesslike on a leather sofa, in his deputy's office, crossed his legs, drank coffee and, like a playful cat on a hunt, watched the chaotic movements of the deputy.

- Brittany, where is that damn folder ?! - in the end, in despair, a friend barked, not even using the answering machine in the phone.

- I have it! - squeaked a frightened girl almost a second later, flying into the office of her boss. In her hands, the girl was holding a white mug with green tea, which Damian himself asked for, and under her arm, the same unfortunate folder that spoiled the deputy's mood. - Have a drink.

- Thank you ... - taking two things from her hands at once, takes a generous sip of hot drink and chokes, starting to cough.

Balanced and calm, unlike his friend, Kim begins to laugh openly, and Brittany, frightened by such a sharp change in the mood of her boss, quickly retreats to her place, out of harm's way.

- I don’t understand why are you so nervous? - did not appease the general director, amused by the situation.

- Yes, all this folder! - as if finding an extreme in this whole situation, Damian put it in his leather bag and, with a cup in hand, sat down next to his friend. Taking another sip, he closed his eyes in satisfaction and threw his head back against the back of the sofa.

“Um,” Lucas cleared his throat as he set his empty cup down on the table. - Back to business? Do you remember what pieces of paper you need to slip into Mr. Hiroshi?

- Yes, I remember ... - muttered the man, continuing to sip his tea.

“This is a huge project,” a friend sighs tiredly. - Official negotiations will be in Seoul ...

- Yes ... - Damian nods agreeing and fixing his gaze at one point, stops blinking. Silence in this way between men lasts about a minute, after which he gives out. - I don't know Japanese, I need to get a translator ...

- No need, he is with his. - Kim waved it off and getting up from the couch, stretched like a cat.

***

As he parked the Aston Martin across from the Corinthia Hotel London, Damian exhaled and looked around. Now it was necessary to focus on this project, namely on negotiations with Mr. Hiroshi Tora, who was the chief adviser to the chairman of the Japanese corporation, with whom the agreement was now being concluded. But it was as if the thoughts of the girl who now lives with him and whom he practically forced to become his feigned wife had entered his head on purpose. Who is Jeremy Parker and what exactly did he mean by that message? How was he going to prove the peculiarity of the girl? Who is he anyway? Maybe this naive muddler fell into the hands of some swindler? Or is it her friend? But can a friend ... or is there nothing like that, and only he sees in all this the hidden meaning of lewdness?

Thinking the devil knows what, Damian did not understand when he managed to get into the hotel lobby, and then get to the restaurant, where a table was booked and the meeting itself was scheduled. Recalling at least the simplest Japanese words, he ordered dinner according to all the preferences and traditions of the Japanese and, began to wait, rehearsing the further speech.

After a couple of minutes, distracted from his thoughts, Damian looks up and, seeing a middle-aged Japanese man who has just entered, recognizes him as a business partner. Raising himself politely from his chair, he straightens the knot of his tie around his neck, and as soon as he notices him, waves his hand, indicating that he is waiting for him. Behind Mr. Hiroshi, a girl in a strict, formal black suit is mincing, but he can not make out her face in any way, and it does not matter to him. All the attention of the deputy is directed to the man, therefore, as soon as these two were at the table assigned to him, Damian recalling Korean traditions that he managed to be a little forgotten living in a European country, he held out his hand and greeted him in Japanese.

- Hello Mr. Hiroshi-san.

“I’m glad to meet you, Mr. Damian Lowsen,” smiles sweetly and answers in Japanese, but the girl who came out from behind her boss instantly translated into English.

Forgetting about everything in the world, Lowsen freezes for a couple of seconds.

- Please sit down, I ordered dinner for us, I hope you will keep me company, - the man cleared his throat, pointing with his palm to the chair opposite him, and noting to himself that he had not ordered dinner for three people in vain, sat down.

- No, what are you, - in completely broken English, said the Japanese, which greatly impressed Damian. - Bona and I only managed to have breakfast, - because of the smile, the eyes turned into small slits, the man kindly rushed to the girl who sat next to him, and he, who did not pay any attention to the translator before, directs his black eyes to the girl, which so interestedly looked at him.

Involuntarily, the man's eyes freeze, displaying strong amazement on his face, his mouth almost opens up making a silly look, and his heart speeds up the rhythm so treacherously, making him suffocate.

- "Bona?" - rushes through my head like a hurricane, and before my eyes is the face of a painfully familiar girl. She faintly smiles more, showing a smile on duty in front of her boss, who apparently did not understand anything, and it’s for the better.

“Yes, Mr. Hiroshi-san,” a smirk flashed across the girl’s face, after which she agreed with her boss.

At first uninterested, Demina can't take his eyes off the girl across from him. The facial features seem to have matured, but this is her, definitely she. Bona. Kim Bona. Student love.

“Mr. Lowsen, would you mind if we discuss everything before our dinner begins?” We don't have a lot to do, do we? - the Japanese man hastily pulled out of Jungkook's prostration, but there was no strength to take his eyes off the girl, because she hastily translated the phrase.

- Oh, yes, - the deputy hastily nods, barely catching the essence of the phrase.

Needless to say, how difficult were the seemingly trifling negotiations on a further contract? The man was tormented by questions not related to direct work, but this girl was interested in that she busily translated all the words from Japanese and impenetrably drilled Damian with her eyes. Does she remember him? At least the name ... His name should remind her of something, namely middle and high school.

Slightly disappointed, but no less excited by such a meeting, he left the main doors of the hotel. He almost felt again like that naive teenage schoolboy. A lot has changed since then, and why resume a relationship with a person who threw you away with the words that you are too young and do not understand anything about a relationship? They have not seen each other since they graduated from high school, and there Demin flew to study in London and watch his then whimsical friend. He heard later that Bona flew away to study in Tokyo and that she remained there apparently, but not the point. Although Damian's male ego was now bursting, it seems the sediment remained and I wanted to show that he is now an enviable bachelor, that he grew up and ceased to be that boy.

- Damian Lowsen ?! - as soon as the last step of the porch was overcome, a thin, female voice rang out behind. A smug grin formed on his face. I found out. The man turned around.

- M? He purred with provocative calm. The girl descended quickly enough, and sharply bumping into the young man, almost knocked him down.

- You did recognize me! She said, holding her index finger in front of her. - Don't pretend that we don't know each other.

“Whose cow would moan, Mrs. Kim. Damian grinned, putting his hands in his pockets. - I could not even think that I would be lucky, and maybe vice versa ... Meet you here. Did you want something? - oh, how bursting everything inside.

- What will you do after work? - squeezed out of herself Bona, who was not accustomed to asking such a question herself. The girl's cheeks have become a little pinkish, or maybe this is from blush? Never mind.

- And for what purpose are you interested? - he squinted slyly. He was clearly having fun. The queen herself descended from heaven.

- Damian Lowsen! She snorted, all in the same manner as before. The little face began to resemble an angry hamster.

- What? - He grinned cheerfully.

- We have not seen each other for so long, and you ask, for what purpose? - she is amazed. - Wouldn't you like to have dinner together? Remember the past?

- The past, what? Our childhood relationship and how you dumped me because of a student? Somehow I didn't plan to arrange nostalgic meetings with classmates.

- Dami ... - Bona purses her lips. - So many years have passed. Isn't only the good that comes to mind over time?

- Okay ... - he was not going to spoil the mood of the girl. “I’ll pick you up after I’m off work.”

The girl's face, like a chameleon, changed from a sad grimace to a cheerful and naive one.

- Then I will choose where to go?

- Yes, choose ... - the man agreed and reached into his pocket. - Give me your number.

- Okay, - coquettishly sounded First love was lost, and taking the iPhone from Damian's hands quickly dialed numbers. - I threw myself a call.

“Okay,” he sighed. Looking at his wristwatch, he was saddened that he had to go to work and that the working day was still far from over. - Okay, I'm sorry, but now I'll go.

- Yes, of course, until the evening! - The interlocutor nodded, seeing off Lawsen that, having hurried to leave, he had already crossed the road heading for his car.

Dinner with friends - what could be more beautiful? Damian disappeared somewhere early, so Amy gladly accepted the invitation of Alice and Lucas to dine in a small company. Watching a young, married couple, the girl was amazed and touched by how harmoniously they looked together and looked at each other. All that remained was to envy white envy.

The two friends were currently lying on a large bed in the guest room, chatting and secreting in the dark, while father and daughter were making noise in the living room.

- Soon your wedding ... - after a short pause that the girls endured, silently looking at the ceiling, Alice was the first to voice.

Emily didn't want to answer anything. The girl pursed her lips into a narrow line and closed her eyes, exhaling deeply.

- Why did you agree? M? - the girl continued.

“I don’t know… I must have acted stupidly…” the blue-eyed woman babbled, opening her eyes. - It just seems to me that he would not have suggested something like that thoughtlessly? Or ... Oh, I don't know, I'm confused ... I'm trying to suppress empty hopes that I'm special to him. I'm acting so stupid ... I myself feel ashamed, - the eyes that so steadily looked at the ceiling, filled with tears so as not to pretend, Amy just covered them with her hand. - Damn, I understand that in a year, we will become completely strangers to each other, but ... I think then I will simply die morally. - the voice trembled treacherously, and the nose already began to squelch.

Alice did not get into the reasoning of her friend and tried not to dwell on the fact that she had already burst into tears, because if she starts to get into useless chatter, there will be no sense.

- It seems he began to like me from the moment you sent me to heal him. At home he was different ... And then, he also saved me then, he was so attentive and gentle ... - the girl squelched. - He took care of me, looked after me ... He didn't give a damn about me ... And you know, I didn't want to agree, he puzzled me with this proposal, it just didn't fit in my head, it seemed complete delirium ... - Amy sniffled again and smiled. Turning their heads towards their friend, they looked at each other.

“These two really have ideas that are equally delusional. - Alice chuckles and, turning over on her side, raises her head and rests it on her palm.

- What are you talking about? - Fox blinks interestedly and sits down on the mattress.

- I also decided to help mine, - she winced. - But as you can see, we now have one surname and a child.

- How did you meet? Damian said that your story was like a fairy tale ...

- For a fairy tale? Alice burst out, widening her eyes in amazement. - Yes, this one ... he took me for another girl and locked me in this house! He kept him here by force, and then said that I would stay with him ... He is ... - the girl sighed deeply. - He was already married.

- What? - the girl did not know about this and could not even think about this.

- She was sick with leukemia ... And I somehow look like her outwardly, well ... he loved her very much and now I think he loves her, so after her death he could not cope with the loss and seemed to go crazy ... Lucas asked to live with him, as if the presence of his wife is nearby. He looked at me as if possessed, called her by her name ...

- Indeed, as in a fairy tale ... does this really happen in real life? Amy collapsed onto the bed again, covering her eyes.

- I, too, was a naive fool ... I agreed, tolerated the fact that I was mistaken for another person. And it was also for a while. And then, he did not let me go ...

- And now? Does he compare you?

- Not. Lucas says we are completely different. He let her go for me ...

The dark bedroom plunged into silence again, in which only the cheerful laughter and squeal that came from the first floor was heard. Suddenly, the sound of a piano is heard, and behind it, the screeching changes to singing, which was like an opera. But it was so incomprehensible that it alerted Emily.

- What's this? - she was frightened, getting out of bed.

- Do not pay attention ... - Alice clicked in response. - It's just that Lucas Kim loves to imagine himself as a singer and stubbornly thinks that this is in the genes of our daughter ... They sing like that every night ... Or howl? - Both girls laughed, relaxing from the fact that they just talked out.

- Will you be my witness at registration? - the blue-eyed one hesitated, but received an affirmative answer almost immediately.

- Well, of course, I will be your witness! - smugly chuckled a friend. - What are you asking about?