Erica Clifford - Completed

Thirty

"Ez?" Brooke shouted from my room as I brushed my teeth. I was very lucky I wasn't covered in marks after last night. I'd checked myself over in the mirror but there was absolutely no sign of anything that happened on my body. Lucky, lucky girl.

"Hold on."  I spat out and rinsed my brush off, quickly running to my room and wrapping my arms around Brooke's neck. "Hi." 

"Hello." I could tell by the tone in her voice she was already suspicious. "Everyone's in the back garden so no one will hear us."  I nodded and she sat on my bed. "Spill it. You don't hug voluntarily."

"I had a crazy night." She raised her eyebrows. "But, first. You're officially looking at Clifford Enterprises newly appointed COO." 

"WHAT. YOU TOOK IT?" I nodded, a huge smile on my face. "What made you change you're mind?" 

"I snapped at James and got him fired and the power of that may have gone to my head." 

"Hold the fuck up. You got James fired?" I nodded. "James from the party?" 

"Yeah, he's been pissing me off for months but he was talking about me in the dress from the party at Isaac's and I snapped like a bitch. I screamed at him and told him who I was and then told him I didn't like his attitude and got my dad to sack him." I shrugged. "Fuck boy." She laughed loudly, gripping my bedsheets tight. 

"Oh my god, that's so funny. I can't wait to tell Isaac." 

"Okay that's not all though." She stopped laughing and looked at me. "I'm going to surprise my dad at his party and sing. And I'm going to do the album." 

"STOP." She put her hand over her mouth. "Is that what you've been recording for when I've been with you?" I nodded and her grin got bigger. And then it stopped. "There's more isn't there? I feel like you're not as excited as you should be." 

"I had sex last night." 

"FUCK OFF." She jumped off my bed. "I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU WERE TALKING TO ANYONE. WHO? TELL ME EVERYTHING." She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the bed. 

"Let me get dressed first hold on. Turn around." She spun and I pulled my underwear out, slipping them on and then dropping my robe. She saw me in my undies regularly. "Okay." She turned back around and watched as I pulled the towel off my head. 

"So the guy?" 

"I'll tell you the story first because I don't want you to be, well you. You'll start looking into it too deep unless I tell you the details first. Okay?" 

"Fine." 

"We had been talking for a few weeks. It was purely platonic and then, the night when everything happened with Mia, the next day I bump into him and he helps me get Sof into work and we went for a coffee. I was exhausted and ended up saying stuff I didn't mean to and then left quickly because I was so embarrassed. Anyway, its pissing down rain and I'm so tired and embarrassed he ends up pulling me out of it and we stand against this building in town. I eventually tell him all about Jason and Mia and everything and we just bond over it." I took a breathe and sat down, pulling a pair of trainer socks on. 

"So anyway, one thing led to another without going into too much detail or giving it away, he kissed me. And I avoided him for 3 weeks." 

"3 weeks? Is that when you started working loads?" I nodded. 

"And I started dressing different."  I held out my hand hoping she'd connect the dots. 

"Oh my god, that was because of him?" 

"I mean kind of, but not really. He just gave me this boost of confidence. Like kissing someone else just pushed me forward. Anyway. We text and stuff but it was barely ever because of how manic it was. Then one day I'm getting in the lift at work, trying to escape my dad and his questions and he get's in the lift, closes it and takes me up to the roof.  He apologised for kissing me, saying he took it too far and he just got caught in the moment and I said it was fine. Then I said I didn't remember much from the day because I was so tired and could he tell me led to us kissing because I was clueless. So he told me. And I asked him to do it again. And we ended up kissing again. It was longer and hot and ugh I nearly died right there I swear to god."