End Of The Day

The next week is crazy. Between preparing for my interview with one of the most popular entertainment shows in England, and having had two interviews here in LA. Both of those seeming to go well. When my current boss heard that these other shows were interested in me, he wanted me to come back. I promptly told him to shove it.
Louis is busy working today, so I’ve decided to do some shopping. I mean, of course I need a new outfit for my interview in England, right?
The day doesn’t go quite as I planned. The first store I enter, as I turn a corner, there she is. Monica. Crap.
The look of fear in her eyes as she sees me is quite satisfying. I approach her. “Monica, how could you do that to me? I thought we were friends.”
“I was desperate.” She insists. “My boyfriend left me, I had no money.”
Shaking my head. “No, you had this planned all along. Why else would you have taken that video?”
She stays silent.
Getting right up in her face, I tell her. “Next time, before you do something so selfish, think how you’d feel if someone did that to you.”

I move on to the next store, taking my time, trying to calm down. I manage to find the perfect outfit for my interview.
Just as I’m finishing checking out, I hear a familiar voice behind me. “Lea?”
Seriously?....
I thank the clerk as I take my purchases. Turning around slowly. “Tom.”
“Can I please buy you a coffee? We need to talk.”
I sigh. “Tom, I’m pretty sure you said everything that day in the kitchen.”
“No, I didn’t, Lea. Please? I feel horrible about all this.”
“Fine. I don’t have much time though.” As we walk to the cafe, I try to call Louis. No answer.

Tom directs me to an outside table, away from the others.
After our drinks arrive, Tom begins.
“Lea, I can’t apologize enough. What I did was unforgivable. I don’t blame you if you hate me.”
I sit quietly.
“I have had feelings for you for some time now. Our friendship was so important to me, I didn’t want to jeopardize that. So I never told you, until I saw you with Louis. The jealousy made me crazy.”
“Tom, you…”
“I know, Lea. I can see how much you love him. No more problems from me, I swear. It’s my own fault, and I’m trying to come to grips with that. Can we still be friends, Lea?”
My phone goes off. Looking, I see it’s Tracy calling.“Hello?”
“Lea, you are with Tom?”
My brow furrows. “Yes, how do you know that?”
“I just texted you a link.”
I click on the link. It’s one of those crappy paparazzi websites. A picture of Tom and I at the cafe, with the caption, Has she left Louis Tomlinson for this model?
It’s official, I should have stayed in bed today. Besides the amazing outfit I found, everything else has sucked.
“Thanks for letting me know, Tracy. I gotta go.”
“Look Tom, I have to go. As far as our friendship...I just don’t know, not only would I have to learn to trust you again, so would Louis.”

Notes