𝘋𝘰 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺

Chapter 41

-ZAYN'S P.o.V-
I walked into the office, the next morning. I was greeted with "Good Morning Mr. Malik" as i walked down the hall all the way to my office.
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I opened the door and I shut it behind me. I walk over and plop down on my desk. I yawn, and let my head fall onto the desk. Immediately my office phone rings.
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I groan pick it up and sit back. "Zayn Malik." I say in monotone.
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"Good Morning Sir!" Its Olivia.
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"Good Morning Olivia." I say.
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"Sir, you don't sound so good." She says.
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"I'm just a bit tired." I admit.
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"Would you like me to prepare your daily morning tea?" She offers.
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"Please, thank you so much. You're the best." I tell her.
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"It's my job sir, gladly. Anyways, would you like me to read you your agenda for today?" She says.
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"Please." I say.
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"At nine o' clock in the morning you have a meeting with Boris Wellington."
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I groan. "Why?"
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"He would like to know what are your future for Victoria Secret since you are the principal owner of it now." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Mhm go on."
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"I was called from the University of New York and was asked if you could be a guest speaker for those major in the field of marketing, Business and Finance and Economics." She says. "I told them I would have to get approval first."
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"Yes I'll do it. What time would they like me to be there?" I question.
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"The latest is two in the afternoon sir." She says.
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"Alright, call them and confirm my appearance." I say. "Anything else?"
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"You're mother called." She says.
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"What did she want?" I ask.
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"She said to call her back, it was very important." Olivia says.
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"Thank you so much Olivia." I thank her. "Oh and Olivia? Can you send in Alexander, i have something for him to do."
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"Yes, Sir." She says.
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"Thank you." I say and end the call.
•••
"You called sir?" Alex bursts into my room with a toothy smile on his face.
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"You're awfully happy today." I lean back in my chair.
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"Sorry Sir, it's just last night i had the most amazing date with such a beautiful girl and i think i might be in love." He touches his hand on his chest.
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I mentally roll my eyes. "That's great." I fake a smile.
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"While you float on cloud 9, make sure you also sort out the paperwork and send them to the correct companies, you better not fûck up, we have deadlines."
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"Don't you worry sir. I promise i will not disappoint." He says.
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"Alright you can go." I shoo him off.
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"As you wish sir." He says and walks out.
•••
Nine of clock hit and i was heading towards the meeting room, Mr. Wellington was sitting in one of the chairs sitting straight up and scrolling through his phone until my appearance was made visible.
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"Good morning, Mr. Wellington." I greet him and take a seat across from him.
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"Good morning Mr. Malik." He greets back.
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"What brings you by?" I smile slightly. Leaning forward and resting my arms on the table.
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"I simply cane by to ask you what you plan on doing for the future of Victoria Secret? We have a fashion show two weeks prime and you've not announced anything." He shrugs.
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"What would you like me to announce?" I question.
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"Sponsor ship, advertising, decor, theme...you know? My models have been training very hard including that new one." He says.
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"Tell you what, I'll sponsor it. I will put in the money for advertising like billboards and such around the country. Hire someone for decor, I'll pay them that is if they do a good job. Is that clear for you Mr. Wellington?" I said after I offered my prepositions.
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"Crystal." He says.
•••
After the meeting, I walk back into my office. My iPhone sits on the desk ringing and ringing until i go to pick it up. I touch of the green phone icon and i put it up to my ear.
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"Hello?" I say.
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"Where have you been? I was expecting a call you know? I told your secretary." Its my mum.
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"Hello mumma, yeah i just got out of meeting. Sorry." I apologize.
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"It's fine baby." she says. "Well, I call you, I'm going to be quick about this, yeah? With you being busy and all I don't want to keep you."
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"I always have time for you mum, you know that." I admit.
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"Then you should consider coming to Bradford once in a while, yeah? You haven't stopped by since for about what? Two years? That was your fathers birthday. You work to hard baby, relax hmm?" She says.
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"I'll make arrangements to make time mumma yeah? I'm sorry." I say.
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"Its fine baby, I just miss having my only son being around the house." She admits. "Doniya, has opened up her businesses now, Wailyha is in Uni in London. Your Father, Safaa and I get lonely."
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"I promise I'll be there soon." I promise.
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"You will? because I have some news." She says.
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"I'm listening mumma, go on." I encourage.
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"Wailyha is graduating Uni Wednesday and I really want you to here for your sister and your family." She says. "This is a special day for her, please darling."
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"I promise I'll be there yeah? I would miss my little sister's graduation. I promise." I mean it.
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"Alright, bye love. Love you darling." She says. "Hope to see you this Wednesday." She says.
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"You will bye mumma, love you. Alright bye. Tell father and the girls I love them as well, bye." I hang up.
•••
Just when i was going to sit down, Louis walked in, Liam followed behind. I plopped down on my office chair any way. I dropped my head down on my desk.
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"Malik!" He practically shouted.
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"Now is not the time Tommo." I groan lifting my head up to see a very happy Louis in front of me.
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"Aren't you shitty today?!" He laughed.
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Liam nudges him. "Can't you see he's not feeling well?"
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"He's always in a shitty mood, c'mon payno." Louis says.
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"What's wrong Zayn?" Liam asks me.
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"I think i just made the worst mistake of my life." I tell them honestly.
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They both take a seat. "Whats wrong?" Louis asks in a seriousness now.
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"Selena called and she sound so sad and in need to see me." I begin. "I rushed over to her side right after work yesterday and instead of thinking that we were going to talk about what was wrong, we ended up fûcking on her living room sofa." I pinch the bridge of my nose.
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"Then?" Liam says.
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"She tells me to go home, that this was a big mistake and I should be home with Elizabeth because shes who I'm married too." I shrug. " I grew angry and i told her off and i went home to Elizabeth."
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"Then what?" Louis says.
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"Elizabeth seduced me and i ended up fûcking her too. Now she thinks everything in our marriage is fixed."
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"Well." Louis starts. "Didn't have the best of both worlds?!" He makes a joke.
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"Louis." I huff.
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"Sorry." He says.
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"I'm confused guys." I drop my head onto the desk.
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"Marry her." Louis blurts.
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I lift my head up. "What?"
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"Yeah, I mean if you don't want her slipping away. Marry her on the low." Louis says.
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"On the low?" Liam and I say in unison.
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"It's this thing phoebe and daisy taught me. You know teenagers." He rolls his eyes.
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"What does that even mean?" Liam questions.
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"It means you do everything secretly under everyone's noses with them finding out." He says.
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"She won't agree to that." I nod my head sideways.
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"Never said she had to be sober." He rolled his eyes.
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"i'm not taking her to the civil office and marrying her on the low while shes a drunk mess." I laugh.
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"Ok then!" He shouts. "Then you can live the boring way of life and die a loner. I'm just being a best mate and trying to help you. But never mind don't listen to Louis William Tomlinson he's a crazy motherfûcker." He rants on. "I may be crazy but at least i want to be remembered in a fun way." And walks out of me office.
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"He's insane!" Liam laughs.
•••
-Selena's P.o.V-
"Why so gloomy?" Cindy nudges me.
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Here i was an hour into work, i sat behind the register flipping through magazines, with my right hand pushing on my cheek.
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"I'm not, just tired, thats all." I shrug.
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Since stands in front of me. "When you're tired you go and hide out in the dressing rooms, That's how i know when you're tired. Now, tell me whats wrong?"
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"What do you do, if you love a married man?" I finally admit.
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"You're eighteen!" Cindy laughs.
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"But I'm in love and I don't know what to do! You're suppose to help me!" I exclaim.
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"Ok, ok calm down." She says. "How old is he?
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"Thirty-One? Thirty-Two? I can't remember." I shrug.
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Her eyes widen. "What?!" She chuckles, "What are you doing with a grown man like that?" She says. "He's old enough to be with me!"
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I roll my eyes. "It's complicated."
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"Ok, how did you meet him?" She says.
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"H-He worked with my mom?" It came more out like a question. "Yeah he worked with my mom."
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"You say he's married?" She says.
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"Yeah." I shrug.
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"You've got yourself dug into something deep." She says. "Why would you even think of getting with a older married man?"
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"We stopped seeing each other for a year or two." I admit to her. "He has a thing of not staying single, he always has to stay married to someone." I admit Zayn's problem.
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"Why do you think that is?" She says taking the broom and sweeping the tiles on the floor.
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"He's afraid to be alone." I take guess.
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"Then you should talk to him, I'm not saying convince him to leave his wife. But you know? Show him your options."
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"I think I should." Cindy's right. "I should go talk to him."
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"Don't sell yourself short, you have just as much to offer. I'm almost positive if you talk to him and help him understand what you want."
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"Ok, I will thanks Cindy." I thank her.
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"Don't mention it." She says. "Now back to work." She hands me boxes of tiaras that need to be on shelves.
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I roll my eyes. "Yes, Cindy Martion."
•••
-Zayn's P.o.V-
I stand here in a university class room, talking to students from a university, about their ambitions towards life. I stand at a podium, I clear my throat and fix my tie, when a pair of hands are in the air. I pick one.
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"Now, you can say success came to me easy, I didn't have to work for it. I was handed my success, but that doesn't mean I'm not humble. Feel free to shoot me with questions."
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"So, that mean you take everything for granted?" This young girl, with brunette hair, she looked about to be in her early twenties.
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"I don't actually, because with one mistake you can loose it all. How do you think some of the worlds richest CEO's are gone and bankrupt?" I say. "They let success and power, get to their heads." I pace around. "They look at their equals as someone below their social level. Moral of the lesson here is, if you want to be successful look at everyone and everything with equality." I say. "Besides, when you die you don't take credit cards or bank checks with you down in that six feet hole they got dug up for you. Instead, you should leave with dignity and respect and leave with a fair and equal memory that someone can make out of you."
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I call on another hand that is raised in the air. "Are you aware that your family is called The Billion Dollar Family by many." A young man in his twenties says.
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I chuckle. "Yes I know, just how the Kardashians are compared to the Obamas." I say. "A title is a title." I shrug. "Any more questions?"
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"Since your father had stepped down and given the business to you, what does he do now?" Someone says.
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"He deals with the money part of the company. For example, how much is saved, how much we give away to charity and so on." I say.
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I pick on another hand in the air. "You're mother, runs practically all charities named in the world. If you raised in a very stable home, why would your mother care to end world hunger?"
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"My mother, raised all four of us to never take anything for granted. She feels the need to end world hunger and poverty, well...answer me this? Do you see any of our world leaders trying to?"
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"Yeah I guess." He shrugs
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"They are, you're correct." I nod. "Just not enough." I pause for effect. "And if it has to take one person, to make huge difference then she will try and she will succeed."
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"According to media, you're older sister Doniya is the only one in your family that doesn't have anything to do with the wine business. She had projects of her own correct?" Someone says. I nod. "She went to university for her degrees in Law and Criminal Justice and Business and and Finance. She's opened her business in cosmetology and has opened a school of cosmetology, in her high school she's was honored top student and held a 4.0 GPA. Do you think her career choice to not follow the wine business is because it's in your family tradition not to let women into running the business?"
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"For as long as I could possibly remember, as kids Doniya has always has interest in cosmetology. I can recall the memories of grabbing onto my mothers makeup and wearing her heels around the house." I smile. "I would not say she's not followed into the family business because currently in London we have a few wine shops opened and she so happens to run them."
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"Keeping in mind the fact that you have two younger sisters, do you think they are going to be following into their family's footsteps?" A young female says, who chews on her pen cap.
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"Wailyha and Safaa, well for one I can be so honest with you and say I don't know. Wailyha is currently in Uni, she's graduating this Wednesday. As for Safaa, she's still in high school, I think she's a little to young to be held up to such a brutal question." I say.
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I take the the last question. "What is your ultimate advice?"
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"Stay true to yourself." I pause. "That's the number one key, you can still have so much success, don't greed with hunger. Do discriminate based on your social class. Treat everyone as an equal. Because I promise you, before you know it you will end up with no one, bankrupt and alone."
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I get a stand ovation by the student body, and a round of applause. "Thank you Mr. Malik for being here with us today!"
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"It's my pleasure." I shoot a smile.
•••
I arrive home and I see Sarah dusting the main table at the front entrance.
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"Good evening, Mr. Malik." She gives a smile smile.
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"Good evening, Sarah. Where is Elizabeth?" I question her absence.
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"She's in the backyard getting decor ready for her father's birthday tomorrow." She says.
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"Damn it." I huff. "I totally forgot about that." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Thanks Sarah."
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"Sure thing dear." She says.
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I head towards the backyard and i see that tents have been put up and so have round table with white table cloths hanging loosely around them.
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"I want the music over here!" I hear Elizabeth order the people she has hired for her father's big birthday bash.
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I approach her. "Honey, you're home!" She claps her hands together. "Look, what do you think?" She says meaning what she has set up for the dinner party .
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"Great!" I lie. "I think it looks great." I say looking about.
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"Father's gonna love it!" She exclaims.
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"There are a lot of tables here, you said this was going to be a small dinner party." I remind her.
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"It's a small party don't worry, I didn't invite that much people." She says.
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"Who's all on the guest list?" I question since she holds a clip board.
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"Uhm let's see." She says flipping through pages. "My mothers side of the family, my fathers side of the family of course, some people I work with. You're friends, Louis and Liam, Harry and Niall. Victoria Secret, Cindy Martion and Selena, since she's been nothing but nice to me." She smiles. "And other people.."
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"Thats great." I fake smile.
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Kill. Me. Now.
•••
-Selena's P.o.V-
After a long day I get home. I throw my bag to the side, and I plop down on my living room sofa. I take off my shoes and I let my muscles rest for a while.
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Then there's a knock at the door.
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"Go away." I groan. I get up and walk towards the door.
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I pull it open. "What?!" I roll my eyes.
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"Selena." It's Alex.
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"Alex? What a surprise." I quickly turn my frown into a smile. "What bring you by."
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He pulls our a bouquet of flowers from behind him. "These are for you." He smiles, handing them to me.
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"Thank you, they are beautiful." I smile.
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"Oh and I just really wanted to see you." He says nervously. "Listen, I really liked yesterday, and I wondered if you wanted to do it again."
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"I'd love too." I smile. "Listen, wanna come to a dinner party with me tomorrow?" I suggest.
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"I'd love too." He says.
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"Great." I smile. "Thank you for the flowers." I admire the red roses.
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"You're welcome." He says. "What time should I be here?"
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"Eight o' Clock the latest." I say.
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"See you then." I smile.
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"See you Selena." He says leaning down and kissing my cheek.
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Dear Zayn,
All is fair in love and war.
                                  Love, Selena.
__________________________
I was listening to REVIVAL while writing the last parts of this chapter. 😊 Loving the album so far! 😍 My favs right now are "Survivors" and "Rise" 😊
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Question of the Chapter:
• What are your favs off of REVIVAL right now?
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~Jasmine 💗