"Whatever happens in the next hour, you must never tell your family."
“Whatever happens in the next hour, you must never tell your family,” James whispered.
Lottie clicked the drawer of the filing cabinet shut. “Alright then. What’s so exciting that’s going to happen in the next-”
Before she could finish her sentence, James’s mouth covered her in a gentle, brief kiss.
She looked at him in surprise for a few seconds, before she laughed. “That was it? Fine, I won’t tell my sister about it. But if I were you, I wouldn’t have built up that ‘next hour’ thing. That barely lasted a second.”
James looked offended. “You’re laughing at me?”
Lottie shrugged, hugging the file closer to her chest. “You’re a funny guy sometimes, James. Actually,” she corrected herself. “Most of the time. Anyway, I had better get back to the work. See you at home.” She reached for the doorknob, but James grabbed her arm back.
“I kiss you, and all you do is laugh and then leave the room?” He asked. Lottie was surprised at how upset he looked.
“I thought this was a joke,” she whispered.
“Why would kissing you ever be a joke?” He asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just didn’t think you were meaning anything serious by it.”
“Is that really how little stock you put in yourself? And in how I feel about you?” James asked, before shaking his head. “Coming from someone as intelligent as you, I’m dumbfounded by how truly you are ridiculous when it comes to matters of the heart.”
“What do you mean by that?” She asked quietly.
“I know that Dillion has been absolutely horrible to you these past few months, but that doesn’t mean that no man is ever going to care about you again,” he said. “It’s like you’ve built a wall around yourself and you’re fighting off any attempt I make at showing you how I feel.”
“Well, maybe you need to be more obvious in your showing,” she replied, seeming to grow more confidence.
“I just kissed you, Lot,” he said. “What more do I need to do?”
The door to the room swung open, and another of the secretaries fell into the room. “Oh goodness, I didn’t realise you were in here Lottie...and, James it appears. Right, I’ll just leave you two to...whatever this is.” She blushed and slipped away again.
“I should really get back to work,” Lottie said, turning to grab the door-handle again.
James wanted to stop her, but held back. “Promise we’ll talk about this when we get home?”
“Sure,” Lottie whispered, opening the door.
“Actually, no,” he stepped forward. “Wait for me after work? We’ll travel home together. That way, when can talk without anyone interrupting us.”
“Okay,” she nodded, then slipped out of the room altogether.
But when James made it outside at the end of the day, Lottie wasn’t waiting for him.
Is she really worth fighting for? James asked, as he made his way towards the bus stop, in pursuit of the woman he’d inconceivably fallen in love with.
Word count: 505
Lottie clicked the drawer of the filing cabinet shut. “Alright then. What’s so exciting that’s going to happen in the next-”
Before she could finish her sentence, James’s mouth covered her in a gentle, brief kiss.
She looked at him in surprise for a few seconds, before she laughed. “That was it? Fine, I won’t tell my sister about it. But if I were you, I wouldn’t have built up that ‘next hour’ thing. That barely lasted a second.”
James looked offended. “You’re laughing at me?”
Lottie shrugged, hugging the file closer to her chest. “You’re a funny guy sometimes, James. Actually,” she corrected herself. “Most of the time. Anyway, I had better get back to the work. See you at home.” She reached for the doorknob, but James grabbed her arm back.
“I kiss you, and all you do is laugh and then leave the room?” He asked. Lottie was surprised at how upset he looked.
“I thought this was a joke,” she whispered.
“Why would kissing you ever be a joke?” He asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just didn’t think you were meaning anything serious by it.”
“Is that really how little stock you put in yourself? And in how I feel about you?” James asked, before shaking his head. “Coming from someone as intelligent as you, I’m dumbfounded by how truly you are ridiculous when it comes to matters of the heart.”
“What do you mean by that?” She asked quietly.
“I know that Dillion has been absolutely horrible to you these past few months, but that doesn’t mean that no man is ever going to care about you again,” he said. “It’s like you’ve built a wall around yourself and you’re fighting off any attempt I make at showing you how I feel.”
“Well, maybe you need to be more obvious in your showing,” she replied, seeming to grow more confidence.
“I just kissed you, Lot,” he said. “What more do I need to do?”
The door to the room swung open, and another of the secretaries fell into the room. “Oh goodness, I didn’t realise you were in here Lottie...and, James it appears. Right, I’ll just leave you two to...whatever this is.” She blushed and slipped away again.
“I should really get back to work,” Lottie said, turning to grab the door-handle again.
James wanted to stop her, but held back. “Promise we’ll talk about this when we get home?”
“Sure,” Lottie whispered, opening the door.
“Actually, no,” he stepped forward. “Wait for me after work? We’ll travel home together. That way, when can talk without anyone interrupting us.”
“Okay,” she nodded, then slipped out of the room altogether.
But when James made it outside at the end of the day, Lottie wasn’t waiting for him.
Is she really worth fighting for? James asked, as he made his way towards the bus stop, in pursuit of the woman he’d inconceivably fallen in love with.
Word count: 505