luck for the night - rl.

14. it would be a pleasure.

A groan left my lips as a sound, way too loud, seeped into my dreams. I did not want to wake up yet, I did not want to go to work...

I turned around, reaching for my nightstand to turn off this extremely annoying alarm, but my hand only met a big bulge of fabric. What?

I forced open my eyes, blinking to get used to the bright light coming in through the window. Next to me was another Remington burrito, but this time had actually left some blanket for me to lay under.

That's when it dawned on me. It was Monday morning: I was supposed to be at work, on the other side of the sea. Fuck.

I rolled back to my side of the bed, where my phone actually was, and saw that the annoying noise was no alarm. It was Phoebe calling. Fuck.

I grabbed the phone, taking a deep breath before picking it up. Yes, she was my friend, but she could be a very unfriendly business partner. "Hey, Phoebe."

"Where are you? There's a client here for you, right now."

I checked the time. Nine thirty.

"I'm so sorry." My gaze fell on Remington, rolled up in the sheets. I needed an excuse, and fast. Not only was it very unprofessional of me to blow off clients for something like this, I knew I would hurt my friend. "I am ill. I had sushi for dinner and was up all night, you know... At some point, I must have turned off my alarm without remembering."

"I understand," Phoebe sighed, "lucky for you my client cancelled this morning, so I can take over for yours that is here now. Do you feel okay enough to call the rest of your appointments for today?'

"Yeah, I think I'll manage that."

"Okay, well get well soon, and if you need me to do anything for you, let me know okay?"

"I will. Thanks, Phoebe."

I hung up as fast as I could, that same feeling dawning in my chest I had felt a million times before. I was a bad friend: I had not spoken to Mel in a while, and I had lied to Phoebe just now... I did not have many friends, and I even managed to let the two who actually cared about me slip away.

With a sigh, I lifted myself from the comfortable mattress, looking up the calendar on my phone. Time to call some people, and hopefully reschedule them as soon as possible, because with having my own studio came the harsh truth of no work for a day, no money made that day.

I sat down on one of the comfortable chairs, still only wearing my white shirt with no pants, and started calling. After the third "This is Rylin from Inner Beauty. Sadly, I have to reschedule our appointment today, I have unexpectedly fallen ill..." I felt I could not do it anymore, the guilt turning my blood into cold, hard stone.

I pushed through, and when I was talking to my last client, who kept telling me it was no problem, and that I just had to focus on getting better, I saw the Remington burrito move. He slowly sat up, and I pressed my finger against my lips, hoping he would understand he could not talk right now.

He nodded, eyelids still heavy.

"I will be there Friday at 7!" The person on the other end of the line said.

"Thank you so much, see you Friday!" I answered, before hanging up. A long sigh left my lips.

"Everything okay?" Remington asked, his eyes following me as I fiddled with the pack of cigarettes, not able to open it. "Maybe you should not start your day with a cigarette. Speaking from experience here."

"Maybe not." I sighed again, sitting down next to him on the bed. "Sorry if I woke you up. Had to deal with some work things."

"What happened?" Worry played in the man's voice.