DARK LONDON NIGHTS // sully from top boy

4 - what a coincidence

London
Sept. 20th

Nora fixed her hair in the mirror of the ladies' bathroom at the office. She wore it in a low, tight ponytail, her dark curls falling voluminously down her neck.

She wore a tight violet colored dress with long sleeves and a beautiful neckline which emphasized her collarbone and neck. That dress made her feel amazing and powerful. It just had a great feeling to it.

Nora had found early on in her career that the right outfit could make or break one's confidence and therefore success. The right fit would make one feel confident, confidence makes you feel like you could achieve anything you want and therefore the right outfit will make you successful.
These were the kind of wisdoms that she shared with Louis when the two of them had too many Gin Tonics after work. Then the they would break out into contagious laughter.

The last few days had been totally ordinary. Nora strictly refused to think about her brothers or to visit them. The conversation with Jamal had upset her so much that she now needed some distance from him. As expected, he and Omar had not been released from prison, of course. Instead, they were now in custody.

She tried to distance herself from that especially since her job was very important to her. Engagement in the wrong crowd, criminal family members etc could single-handedly kill your carrier as a lawyer. Particularly as women, Nora and many other female colleges had to keep their private life clean. She had seen to many successful women being picked apart for their private lives. For being too prude or too promiscuous. For having children or not having children. Regular and personal conversation and visits to an alleged murderer - maybe not so smart.

Therefore, Nora had spent the last few days with crazy amounts of paper work. Working had always been a good way for her to get out of her own mind. The last week had been messing her head up and she didn't want anything but to feel calm again.

Nora felt that ever since she read that one e-mail her daily life hasn't been the same. There was an uncertainty about what was going to happen. She didn't really find out what her brothers had done. Nora was totally fed up with Jamal and his stories. She didn't believe his story but she also didn't think that her brothers killed someone. Actually, Nora knew nothing. Absolutely nothing about anything.

And that cluelessness was getting to her. She found herself laying in bed, tired but still awake, struggling to silence her loud thoughts. She was nervous.

But today had been a good day.

At least work was a factor that kept her balanced.

This was truly her only place of peace and security.

Nora didn't know what was going on in summerhouse but here in the law firm she was at the top of the game.

As she walked back to her office, her glance was attracted by a silhouette of a person down the hallway to her right.

Her heart stopped for a painfully long second. Then started racing so violently that she heard the blood pumping through her ear.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!

Quickly, she turned her head straight forward and walked at a faster pace. The nearer she got to her office the faster her walk got. The hectic click-clack sound of her beige high heels on the glossy floor reverberated through the hallway. The panic inside her grew stronger and stronger. As soon as Nora had reached the glass door she literally ran into the room and didn't dare to look back.

Breathe.

It's okay.

This is your safe space.

After a few breaths she felt a presence behind her. And at that moment she knew that things would never be the same again.

„Nora Brown, what a fucking coincidence, innit?"