Substitute for Lawson

14

- Get up! Came a barking voice over his ear. There was a loud hum in my head. It was difficult for Emily to even open her eyes, let alone get up.

- Mmm ... - the girl moaned trying to turn her head on the other side.

- I said get up! - the characteristic sound of a slap on a woman's bare thigh is heard, from which the girl practically flew up on the bed, clutching at the causal place with her hands. The head buzzed harder from the sudden rise, Emily grimaced and hissed.

- Well, what ... - she moaned. Looking up, she found the boss. Strong déjà vu.

- Do you want to explain?

- But you must? I feel so bad now ...

- Yes. Deign. How much did you drink?

- I drank a little ... - Offendedly puffs out her cheeks and looks away. Outraged, Damian gasps for air and tries to say something.

- Little?! Do you even remember what you did yesterday?

In truth, she didn’t remember how she got to Mr. Lawsen’s house.

- What happened? - She murmured apprehensively, squeezing her temples with her fingers.

- You were going to sleep outside right on the lawn! And also, the guards informed me that you responded unflatteringly to me and beat up an innocent tree! Damian hissed, angry.

In horror, the girl covered her mouth with her hand.

“Forgive me… I… really, I… said that alcohol had a peculiar effect on me, but Alice said that nothing would happen… And…” she tried to hopelessly justify herself, but Lowsen just clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.

- Yes, in a peculiar way. Alright enough. No sense from you anyway, and now even more so. Relax and close your eyes. He breathed out condescendingly. Still in a half-naked distance, he was headed for the door, but, thinking about something, he stopped. “No, though. Make me breakfast first. You just won't get off. - he grins and once again walking a mocking glance at the poor thing, goes out the door.

After watching the man, Emily sighed sadly and, falling back on the pillows, wrapped herself in a blanket.

- Prepare breakfast for him ... - came from the mountain of crumpled cloth. With a groan, the girl rolled off the bed. Turning to the half-wall mirror, she almost screamed when she found smeared makeup on her face. And now he saw her like this ?! Slowly realizing that she is in a white T-shirt, which she has now taken away, just from Damian, and if she is still wearing makeup, then she could not even physically wear a T-shirt on herself. Awareness of reality does not come immediately, the eyes widen several times, and a palm stretches to the open mouth with amazement. Emitting a high-pitched squeak, she flies out of the bedroom and finds the surprised boss at the refrigerator, quietly drinking juice.

- Why are you yelling there?

- You ... you ... you ... changed my clothes ?! She screeches, blushing deeply. Covering the causal places with his hands, as if standing naked in front of him.

- Would it be more pleasant for you to sleep in the clothes in which you lay on the grass? - he draws an eyebrow and chuckles.

- Have you seen me naked? - the girl sighs resignedly. No matter how silly it may sound, but such a prospect did not please me much.

- What is supernatural in this? - the boss makes a helpless gesture. - Or do you want to look at me naked in exchange? - Immediately puts the transparent glass on the table top and reaches out to the buttons of the black shirt.

- Hey, no! The girl screamed. - I'm not talking about that. Maybe it doesn't mean anything to you, but to me ... I don't want strangers staring at me naked. - awkwardly pulls his tousled hair behind his ears and crosses his arms over his chest.

- Outsiders? We actually get married at least in a month. - Damian sits down on a chair and, taking working documents in his hands, begins to examine them. - Yes, and there is not much to look at. He adds, peering cautiously from behind the folder.

The girl frowns resentfully and throws her eyebrows at the clock built into the oven.

- Are you late?

- What? Oh no. Today I need to go to the facility, so I'm not in the office. Make breakfast, please. - adds the last word after a short pause and slightly stretches his mouth in a smile.

- And I? She asks carefully. After all, it seems that if we talk about work, then it is late.

- What are you? - without being distracted from pieces of paper, the owner of the apartment supports the dialogue.

Following his example, the girl pulls food out of the refrigerator and simultaneously puts a tick in her head that there are not so many food left.

- If you are at the facility. Then I can be late and not be afraid that the crazy boss will fire me? - she also wants to pry him, although she does it clumsily.

- You don't have to go. The psycho boss lets you go on an extra day off with pay. - He chuckles sarcastically, casting a slightly caustic glance in the direction of the cooking girl. The expression softened a little and, completely forgetting that he was getting acquainted with the documentation that Brittany had slipped him, began to watch Emily. Forgetting about the "evil boss" and about a terrible hangover, she was carried away by cooking. She seemed to him quite funny and to some extent cutely funny. Like the rest of the girls who were here at night and in the morning, she did not seem disgusting to him, as was the case with the others. Maybe this is because that they never slept together? But even the look ... It seemed to him that it was not spoiled by the smudged mascara under the eyes, and his T-shirt. He did not return it back to himself, and even yesterday, he thought what to change into a drunkard, rummaged through a lot of things, but he put on a T-shirt. This girl, by his own stupidity, will soon become his wife, but what will happen next? What to do all that year? What if he really gets used to it? And if he doesn't want to let her go? It turns out he spoils the personal life of a young girl. He will have to let her go when she finds a better option that will truly love her. Is it worth letting her go before the stupidity is not certified by the law of the United Kingdom? Maybe just listen to his mother, and marry one of those whom she has been offering him for many years. And what's the difference, what, because he can freely poke his finger at any of them and will not feel the difference at all. Living for such a long time in another country, Damian is no longer even attracted to foreign women, and even when visiting his distant homeland, a strange question arises inside: why are the girls here so the same? No, this is not a joke about the fact that Asians are one person, just when his mother pokes him with photographs of potential daughters-in-law and wives, he sees the same thing. The feeling that they all made their face with the same surgeon, even if it was a good one, but still, one. He has lost the habit of the fact that the fair s*x around him love to change facial features, injections against fat and do monotonous makeup.

Thinking about the painful, he does not immediately notice how a plate with a hot and so inviting breakfast stands in front of him, and the girls are gone. Waking up and listening, she realizes that water is making noise in the bathroom, which means that Emily is there. While he is having breakfast, she appears all in the same clothes, but she has a towel on her head, and her face shines with cleanliness and freshness. She's like a child. Here it is really possible to compare with Alice. Only the characters are completely different. Yeah. Once, a friend spoke about how he managed to find a wife with the same character as Damian, they say, this was not enough for him yet. And this one is calm, to some extent passive, but this is not at all repulsive now. While Emily makes herself tea and folds something, he continues to glare.

- What? - the blonde lady, who is no longer comfortable with the testing gaze, asks awkwardly.

- Nothing. Damian chuckles and finishes his coffee in one gulp.

Putting her mug of tea on the table, Emily silently places a small food container in front of Damian and sits down on a chair.

- What's this? - the man asks.

“I don’t know where this lunch will be or how long you’ll be, so I’ve made a snack.” - slightly smacking his lips, sips a little liquid and squints with satisfaction. It seems this is what she needs.

- Have a snack? - the deputy is amazed, wrapping the box in his hands. He opens and finds sandwiches there with various fillings, which makes you wonder. When did she cook it?

- Yes. Isn't that what a good wife should do? - suggests the girl with a little apprehension looking at him.

- Well ... - he was confused and sniffed and fell silent. - Suddenly. - after a short pause he adds and getting up from the table takes the container with him.

While the man was gathering in the corridor, the girl followed her and leaned her elbows against the wall, silently watching. There is so much thoughtfulness in his actions, even if they simply consist in taking a work case with documents and putting on a jacket on top. Taking off his slippers, Damian put his feet in leather, black shoes and straightened his tie, looked at Amy.

- Do you want to run away from me before it's too late? - After a couple of seconds of silence, he said with a completely impenetrable expression on his face. The girl that at this time, lowering her eyes to her feet, wiggled her toes and tried to forget about the headache and seems to be approaching nausea. Such a strange question made her look up.

- What? - she did not understand him at all.

- No, nothing. - purses his lips and shaking his head takes his hand on the doorknob. - All I left. Rest.

- Bye ... - she answers monotonously.

Emily's poisoned body haunted all morning. Headache, bouts of vomiting. After all, she knew how it could end if even to drink just a glass, but even if she was so glad.

From the moment Lowsen left his apartment, Amy didn't know what to do with her. Having found the first-aid kit she already knew, she drank the necessary medicines, waited in the living room at the TV and even talked on the phone with Alice, whom Damian had previously reprimanded. A friend asked about her health and even threatened to come or send a doctor. But no, it's all over. The moment of boredom came, so after concluding that she needed to do at least some business, she began to clean up. Probably one of Fox's weird and favorite things to do. When it came to the very last room, into which she was afraid to look to the last, but nevertheless, plucking up impudence, she timidly opened the door. Clutching a mop in her hands, Emily on tiptoes, as if afraid to disturb someone, walked inside. She happened to be here about once, but she could not really see anything, now, when Damian is gone, you can calmly walk around anywhere. Male minimalism: a huge bed, designer shelves with books, plasma on the wall and, in general, almost nothing remarkable, oh no, Emily did not immediately notice the passage to the dressing room. The smell of his perfume was in the air, a pair of shirts were casually scattered across the bed, and there were also house pants and a T-shirt.

“He didn't seem to be in a hurry,” Emily muttered, puzzled, and putting the mop aside she grabbed one of the shirts. Folding carefully, she admired the quality and delicacy of the fabric, along the way noted for herself what size he wears a shirt. - And where does he hang them? - She visited the dressing room, but now with her mouth open in amazement. Perfect cleanliness reigned here. Everything is laid out in its place like he's a terrible perfectionist. Finding the compartment for the shirts, she hung everything up on the hangers and quickly scrambled out of there.

The cleaning was over, so after deciding it would be nice to go for groceries, Emily got ready to go. Having found the nearest department store, the girl made a list of what she needed to buy, remembered the map and set off.

"Would you like to run away from me before it's too late?" - suddenly flashed in Emily's head forcing the brain to load a little. Walking through the light-colored hypermarket with the still empty cart, she tried to figure out exactly what Damian was trying to say. Did he offer to run away to her? But is there where? If you think about it, she herself no longer wants and does not consider this option. Damian's rather illogical idea doesn't make her run away. Could it be that she likes him? And mom doesn't need to know what stupid adventure she agreed to. In general, she doesn't need to know about anything. While she was thinking about it, the music that was playing in her headphones stopped and the ringing tone suddenly came in its place, and without pulling the smartphone out of her pocket, pressing the microphone, she answered:

- Yes?

- Daughter, - a gentle voice was heard on the other side, causing a smile on the girl's face.

- Hi Mom, - the blue-eyed purred contentedly. For a long time she had not heard her own voice. - How are you?

- Good and you? Are you okay? The woman said a little uneasily. - I'm not a distraction?

- No, mom, everything is fine! And it's great that you called. - a non-existent lump came up to my throat, the lower lip trembled convulsively. This always happens when you don't see your mother for a long time, or you have to say goodbye to her somewhere at the station and try not to cry. I wanted to go home and be in a warm embrace. To feel like a little girl is the only thing she wanted at the moment. Stopping at the first rack she came across, Emily stared at the many packs of cookies. When she talked to her mother, it didn't work out at all, and while the woman was talking about something, the girl grabbed the first box with the inscription "Choco Pie", squeezed it in her palms and, not knowing whether to put it in the cart or not, smiled with slightly watery eyes.

- I'm definitely not a distraction? - after a short story, the girl's mother caught herself, which is why she silently shook her head, as if her mother would have surprised.

- No mommy, I have a day off today, so I went to the grocery store. - Fox babbles, rubbing the moisture from his eyes with the outer side of his hand. For half the conversation, she stands still, but suddenly hearing the sound of the shutter in front of her, she shudders. In front of her is a young man, also with a cart in his hands, a DSLR camera hangs around his neck, and it was he who was the culprit of her anxiety.

- Oops, - the guy smiles spreading his hands, they say, it just so happened.

Without saying a word, Emily is in a hurry to retire to another department, somewhere closer to vegetables or meat, and not stand for a full hour at the cookies.

- Hello? You are listening? - in the speakers of the headset I heard the voice of my mother, who did not wait for an answer to her question because of a strange young man.

- Yes, yes, Mom, I can hear you, I'm sorry I was distracted ... - Emily muttered fearfully, turning back, checking whether there was a suspicious type in the vicinity. Why did he take the photo?

"Oh ... when are you coming?" Do you know how I miss you? - the woman gasps, changing the topic of conversation.

- Sorry ... this job ... - the secretary sighed guiltily.

- And boy, have you got someone? M? I already want grandchildren! - like any mother, after the 20th anniversary of her child, she increasingly begins to ask this question. There was a cheerful giggle on the other side, but Emily only pursed her lips.

- Yes, what a guy ... I have a job ... - the girl replies plaintively and grabbing a leek from the rack with herbs, puts it in a mesh cart. Next comes Chinese cabbage, celery, but somewhere on the side, the camera shutter clicks again. The girl looks up in fright and immediately frowns at the sight of the same guy in front of her. He quickly pretended that he was very busy looking at the head of cabbage, and Emily quickly made her legs out of this department, because she did not like this man more and more. A feeling of fear arose inside, one was glad that there were many people here.

- Well, you can't! Miili, I understand that you've been looking for such a job for a long time, but you can't work all the time! Do you have friends in London?

- Yes, mom, there is. - now without remorse, she could answer like this.

- Well, do you go anywhere with them? - all the woman, who is on the opposite side of the kingdom, was trying to find out.

- I go ... - yesterday's campaign came to mind, which made her curl her lips and swore to herself that even under Alice's persuasion she would not drink "just a glass".

- Do you know guys?

- If only at work ... - I wanted to say: Mom, I'm getting married. She would have been delighted, but having learned under what circumstances she would have taken to the hospital with a heart attack. Well, I do not.

- Well, be it easier, if you practically registered at work, that you don't even find the time to come to me, then maybe you will be able to establish a relationship with someone from work? - she hints slyly.

- What do you mean, with someone? - clinks the girl a little annoyed. Grabbing a package of tortilla from the shelf, waves it in the air and places it in the cart. - And in general, office romances are prohibited. - and where did she read that in the charter? But let it stay that way.

- Well, you will always find a thousand reasons!

- Okay mom. Until. - realizing that the conversation will lead nowhere, she is the first to hang up the phone and, examining the neighboring shelves, frantically recalls what else she wanted to buy.

Already at the exit, at the checkout, she looks around reassuringly and gazes at those around her, afraid to find the stranger who was chasing her, but exhales with relief.

She rolls a heavy cart through the department store and thinks about how best to get to the apartment. If you order a taxi, is it possible to spend money from the card for this case? And in general, she was terribly tired and did not notice how she had already spent several hours here. The time is approaching evening, it seems that Damian should come home from work soon, so we need to cook dinner, but she is still here. And with this thought, she impudently drives into a small cafe with fast food.

- I think I deserve it. - Emily concludes confidently and, going to the counter, orders herself a fruit and cereal smoothie. She waits a bit for it to be cooked for her, and taking it and paying for her order, she sits down on a table and comfortable sofas.

The long-awaited drink gets inside, because for the whole day she did not drink or eat anything except green tea. The mouth stretches into a smile and the eyes squint with pleasure. And at this very moment, as by the law of the genre, the ill-fated sound of the shutter is heard. Emily's eyes immediately open and immediately find a young man in front of them, who has pointed the portrait lens of his camera at her. From irritation, his eyebrows move, and his lips stretch in a line, but he, sitting on the opposite sofa, takes another photo and looking at the screen, begins to giggle.

- Who are you?! - Emily blurts out in amazement, shocked by such impudence. She was jumping up and down, but the stranger repeats her movement, stopping the frightened girl.

- Do not leave! You are welcome! - he blurts out, putting his hands in front of him and already going to grab her by the shoulders.

- I'll scream and call the guards! - Threatened the girl, frowning even more.

- I do not want anything bad, please listen! - begins to make excuses fearfully twisting his head to the sides. - My name is Jeremy! - trying to smooth over the situation, stretches out in a feline smile and stretches out his hand. He expects to the last that Emily will shake her back, but she grins skeptically, only lands back on the couch.

- Emily. - She answers incredulously, and picking up a paper glass with a drink, she puts the straw in her mouth.

- Very nice, - he sincerely declares, sitting back down.

- And I'm not very ... - she mutters with a straw in her mouth and looks around the black Nikon camera. - Why did you take the photo, Jeremy?

- Ah, a photo ... - he guiltily scratches the back of his head as if realizing why the girl is so unfriendly to him.

“It’s just…” he cannot describe, and taking off his equipment, he turns it on and stretches it with the screen forward. - I apologize for frightening you with my obsession, but you are so beautiful that I could not pass by! - said the guy admiringly. Emily looked at her photographs a little gloomily and, as he said, nothing beautiful, in fact, did not find.

- Are you kidding me?

- What? Not. Look, you smiled so sweetly when you talked to your mom!

- Did you overhear my conversation? - the girl opened her mouth with indignation.

- It happened by chance ... I was passing by nicely ... I wanted to buy myself some cookies, but here you are, I even forgot about cookies! - a new acquaintance tried to justify himself. - And here! There is such a concentrated gaze ...

- I just chose fresh leek ... - Fox grunted, continuing to disbelieve in the words of the photographer. - Yes, there is every second with such a face. Why did you come across me?

- I was inspired by you ... - looking at the pictures, the guy smiled and stroked the touch screen with his thumb, moved the camera to the side. - To tell the truth, I couldn't take a worthy photo for a long time ... You helped me, thank you ...

- Yes ... not at all, - the secretary shrugs her shoulders, continuing to suck from the tube almost finished smoothies.

“By the way, if you want to take your photos,” he says, as if recollecting himself, and pulling out a small notebook and pencil from his backpack, he quickly begins to write something. “Here,” he opens a white sheet and hands it to Emily. - My email address and phone number, well ... just in case.

- Yes, no need ... - she claps her eyes and no longer knows how to get rid of such a friendly type. Not that he annoyed her, he just appeared too suddenly.

- No, please take it and, once again I apologize, for frightening you ...

Damian was free today a little earlier and noticed in time that a message came to the phone from the bank, notifying that the card that Emily now had had been debited in a hypermarket of one of the department stores, he decided to pick up the girl, because she probably had not yet had time to go far leave.

- Why doesn't she pick up the phone forever? - he displeased, slowly walking past the windows of boutiques, in the direction of that very hypermarket. Many times I dialed her on the phone, but in response I received only long beeps. Squinting attentively, he looked at the girls that somehow resembled her. But suddenly finding the familiar top of her head that was sitting at the table, he quickened his pace in that direction. I wanted to call out, but a young man showed up nearby that he was actively gesticulating with his hands, telling something to the very visible top of his head, so, deciding to check it first, he silently walked towards them. - Emily? - now he definitely found her when she answered something to the red-haired guy.

- M? - turns his head to the side and blinks in surprise. - Damian? What are you doing here?

- I came for you. Why don't you pick up the phone? - claps back and looks at the guy who had to shut up.

- How did you find me? - the girl is even more surprised. After all, she did not say where she would be.

- I received a notification from the bank, you paid with your card. Everything is obvious. He explains, exhaling slightly impatiently through his nose.

- Well, - the guy suddenly breaks in, realizing that he seems to be superfluous here. - I'll probably go ...

“Yeah…” Lowsen answers first, again looking at the guy. His gaze falls on the camera. - Taking pictures? - as if by chance he wonders, shoving his hands into his pockets.

- BUT? Yes ... - the embarrassed guy nods in agreement and, taking the backpack, gets up. - Goodbye, Emily.

- Goodbye Jeremy. - the girl nods to him as she gets up from her seat.

While the guy is not hiding around the corner, Damian follows him with a look, as if remembering the girl standing next to him, turns his attention to her.

- Your friend? - he chuckles, taking several weighty bags of groceries from the cart.

- No, - the girl purses her lips hastily putting the folded sheet with the address into the bag. - Just ... met ...

Damian raises his eyebrows in surprise, not believing that such a shy girl could meet someone here. Without answering her, the man turns around and, having already added a step, heads to the exit of the department store. Recovering herself, the girl almost runs after him and, leveling herself, trying to keep up with her, walks in silence and sometimes looks from a brace at a slightly frowning face.

- "I thought again." - concludes Emily and slightly slowing down follows him through the automatic doors into the street, where the parking lot is already visible.

All in the same silence, they find the car, and while Damian is loading the packages into the trunk, the girl opens the passenger door and truly waits for him. They get into the car at the same time, after which the man opens his mouth.

- And I like Canon more, - he thoughtfully throws the phrase and the car starts smoothly.

Emily has been staring at Damian's profile in confusion for a couple of minutes. What is he talking about?