Mindless

Five

~Cole~

I spent the whole week after seeing Callie again avoiding anywhere she might be. The girl was too good to look at. I stand in the same room as her for 5 minutes and my eyes are practically stuck on her until I'm hard as a rock and I find a reason to leave. It's not normal and I don't even know what it is about her. 

She's overly confident, which I hate. I hate when girls know they can stand in a room a get any guy they set their eyes on. The chase isn't as fun when they're like that. There's no work to put in, no effort, it's too easy. A few drinks, a few sweet words and bam, you're taking them home. I've never had a thing for blondes, or for girls who actually have a work ethic. I've never had a girl walk away from me without trying to give me their number. I've had 3 run ins with her now and she hasn't hit on me once. Not really. Not like I saw her doing with the other hockey guys, sitting in their laps, laughing like she doesn't have a care in the world. 

I don't know what has her cemented in my fucking head but she's there and it's fucking stupid. 

So my plan was simple. Go in, get the jewellery, sign anything I need to and get out with minimal contact with her. Leave the manager of the bar to do whatever they need to and I'll just sign off on whatever they think is best. Hopefully once the renovations are done she'll be back to being too busy to tag along with Lilah and I'll be able to go back to a state pre-Callie where my head was set on it's tracks and I could focus on work and figuring out how to get my dad off my back permanently. 

I parked up a short walk from the store, and headed into the store that, for once, wasn't empty. Callie was alone in the staffing there and currently looking like she was about to burst into tears as some middle aged woman practically threw a bag across the counter at her. I kept back, not wanting to know what was being said out of fear my anger would crack and I'd be screaming at the woman for daring to treat Callie like shit on her shoe. 

The woman said something and Callie's face changed, deepening a shade of red before a fake smile plastered on her face and she said something. Calm and quiet and polite but the woman- the woman stopped. Froze, grabbed the bag and walked out in a huff. The second she was gone, Callie laid her head down on the counter for a few seconds before framing herself together and standing up straight and catching my eye. 

"Oh." She swallows. "Didn't see you there. Sorry about that-" 

"Why are you apologizing? She was a bitch." Callie snorted, bending her knees until she dopped from view and I was forced to head towards her. The uniform of this place drives me fucking mad. I know it's all branding but there is no way working in a skirt that short even makes sense, and the heels? At least she has tights on under. It's mid March but it's still freezing out there. "What did you say to her?" 

"She was bugging out about quality and said it was cheap and below her standard. Which pissed me off because she was wearing fucking high street retailer jewellery. I'm sure I saw it turning green. So I said to her that it was perfectly okay for this to not be a quality she is familiar with but that this quality is the quality that Belle, daughter of world famous luxury designer Oliver Di Laurentis, wants to put out into the world and if she had higher standards than Oliver and his family then she should start her own brand and sell her knock off Cartier shite." I blinked as Callie stood up, gently putting a bag onto the counter and opening it up. "You made the right choice, swapping that emerald for the lavender sapphire." 

"I did?" 

"Mhm." Callie opened the box and turned it around. "Looks better in the silver too. Belle sent me a message yesterday saying it's probably one of her favourites she's made. I'm sure your sister will love it."  I nod slowly, staring at the open box. Bea will love it. There's no doubt about it. "Happy?"