Love,Love?Love!-{ Dropped }

Lou stood in the hallway of the 4th floor, waiting for his documents to get scanned and filed. Leaning on a column, he had his phone out, texting his brother.

{ 

Luo: Got the job, my treat tonight 

Peta: Congrats!  I've set you up with a woman for a date tonight, so no can do amigo

Luo: Not another one, you need to stop 

Peta: she speaks German

Luo:  I don't speak German...

Peta: That's fine, you like to cook, she likes to cook and she flew out specially for you, I'll text you the restaurant details later. 

Peta: You owe me one

Lou: I owe you for the suit but no more!

} 

As he's standing, assistants began running back on the floor, looking like they were trying to hide goods, before the police raided the building.

Rails were being hurriedly moved left and right. 

People lightly jogged across the hall with bags or dresses in their arms, sometimes bumping into each other.

Tables were being cleared.

People were rearranging their clothing with pale sweaty faces, muttering heavily under their breath.

Presentation rooms were quickly being set up.

Luo looked up as he was bumped, he  quickly swayed around the intensified traffic, ending up near the lift. As he danced, people were shouting all around him.

"Have room 4 cleared! Now asap!" 

"Oh my god! Where is that board!" 

The workers end up lining up on either side of the long stretch of the corridor near the lift door with faces of anticipation. 

Luo got his arm pulled from behind, finding himself inserted into the line.

"Put away your phone! Are you crazy!" 

"Is the queen visiting or something" Luo asked the person who spoke to him, putting his phone away.

The lift opened with a ding and a gaggle of people exited one by one.

They immediately began giving out orders to the lined up workers.

Before Luo could registered the scene before him, a stack of white boxes were shoved into his chest, obscuring his view " Oy Intern, take these ...Follow me" 

Luo looked down, he was only able to make out a pair of burgundy matte high heels and thick black stockings. 

" he's so lucky "

" I wished I was in his place" 

Luo drowned out the sounds, focusing on the woman's voice as she walked on. 

" I need you take the boxes to Level 1, to a brunette haired old lady, she'll know what to do with them and come back with Soya Latte that's gently frothed like a cloud with three teapoons of sugar."

" Too much sugar is bad for you"

"I never asked for your opinion." She quickly replied, walking along talking to the people who approached her. 

As they turned the corner, she asked him " why are you wearing a tablecloth as a suit?" 

Luo almost fumbled at her words " It's a good suit"

" It's only good for a funeral, others will never have to see it"

" I'm sure there's someone in heaven that would love this suit" 

"Well they must have been one of the blind ones"  

she stopped walking, Luo saw her toes turning to point at him " Why are you still following me?"

" You never told me to stop" 

"Come" 

" EY, you need to get the prints from winter up to printing, meet me asap after you are done with that ….. JT, tell the workshop Augusta is coming here a few days earlier, so they need to hurry up with that space refit"

Lou heard her clapping her hands

" Alright! Thank you everyone with your hard work so far! Keep it up…. You, coffee on level 5, you have 20 minutes" 

Lou let a small chuckle as he heard her footsteps walking away from him. 

He made his way down to the first floor, where he sees an older brunette lady with a nylon tape over her neck and thin rectangle glasses.

"Ah, Finally" She snatched the boxes out of his arm putting them down on the table, she looked at Luo with wide eyes upon turning around  " Thanks...cut your hair, Mrs Duton doesn't like a messy appearance, trust me kid, it's for your own good, the last person with a beard got fired.

Luo raised his eyebrows at her words " Why did she do that?" 

she shrugged her shoulders, while opening the boxes  " I dunno, she just knows what she doesnt like and knowing her...that suit will be one of them" her finger pointed at Luo's suit. 

She looked over his body, proceeding to walk around him using the measuring tape " Can I borrow you to fit a model jacket?"

Luo slightly flinched at her action"S"Sure...call it thanks for the helpful advice" 

" Do you know where I can find a coffee shop?" Luo took off his jacket, standing in the middle of the platform she directed him too.  

She strapped on a jacket onto Luo and begun measuring away " there is one 20 minutes away but good luck with that, it will be cold and mostly likely taste like piss, your better off using the kitchen" 

"Well, I think Ms Duton asked for a coffee" 

She broke into a laugh upon hearing his words " good luck, you can find what you need to make her latte, on our floor's kitchen….if you're brave enough "

Luo looked down at her " Why do you say that?"  

She looked at him whilst pinning down pins " Didn't I just tell you about the beards " 

She quickly took off the jacket " Mrs Duton doesn't like to wait for her coffee, if you exit the room, turn left and keep heading straight, you'll find the kitchen.

Lou found the kitchen, inside was weirdly enough an old school silver coffee machine, that looked very brand new.

Raiding through the cupboard, he came across what he needed and quickly whipped up the latter, adding a fluffy frothed shaped cloud.

He whispered "arce calidus'' a thin yellow triangle rotated  around the cup for a brief second.

…..

" You're late" The assistant took the cup out of his hands and quickly handed him a card and pen  " Write down your number, Ms Duton may require something from you .. quickly" 

"Ah,Sure" Luo quickly scribbled down his number.

" Keep your phone on full charge"  The assistant lighty jogged down the hall, clutching the cup tightly. 

….

" Definitely a strange start " Luo made his way down to the 3rd floor.

" Sorry I got lost looking for the toilet "

Lily handed his documents back to him  " That's all done... When do you want to start and I'll let HR know?"  

" I would like to start next week, I've just moved into the city the other day and yet to get settled, if that's okay?"

"Sure that's fine, here let me give you a quick tour of the photography department before you go" Lily lead the way down. 

…..

Gabriel was slowly flicking through the image files presented in front her while feeling the fabric samples on the side. As she peroused, she spoke with a calm voice to the room, "Why are we trying to sell a farm?" 

"Ah, well Spring is usually"

Gabrial softly interjected "X-fx, Yves,Hoome, are all doing brown, and natural ….. Are we them?"

"Um,no"

"Then why do I see earthy colors all over this mood board …. get me the autumn line for spring, we'll bring it forward...you'll need to redo this for autumn"

"Yes, we'll get started right away"

Taking off her glasses, Gabriel tilted her head towards the assistant behind her "Is there a reason my coffee isn't here?" 

Just as she spoke, an assistant lightly walked in, holding a white cup on a saucer and placed down in front of her "Your coffee Ms Duton" 

Gabriel took a look at the cloud shaped foam on top of the cup and slightly smiled, causing the people in the room to freeze for a moment.

Taking a sip from the coffee, she nodded towards the members in the room to continue.

"Oh" escaped from her lips as her eyes lit up. Turning her attention to the assistant still standing beside her " who made the coffee?" 

" The intern with the yellow suit" The assistant quickly replied 

" Hmm, turns out he's useful.."