Only You ── TOM HOLLAND

02. Tulips

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        At some point in a girl's life, she went through an annoying photography phase. The type where she pretended she was artsy and "different" from every other teenage girls, when in reality, she was one of the millions to say that exact same phrase. That was me when I was thirteen. One thing that set me apart from the rest of those girls was I stuck with it. I pissed off my family by snapping candids of them, most of them at bad times, but practice was practice. They got over it eventually, when I turned those badly taken photos into a career.

"Is there a reason your personal shoots are only in black and white?" Mandy asked as she stepped in, throwing herself down on the couch situated in the corner.

Looking away from the photos I'd previously been editing, I shrugged. "Aesthetic purposes, I guess." Leaning back in my seat, I rose an eyebrow at Mandy. "Are you here to distract me or do you have a good reasoning to be here?"

She perked up. "Are you editing? Is it Tom?" Before I even got the chance to open my mouth, Mandy was rushing to my side, giving my chair a harsh push. I shot her a look as she let out a dreamy sigh, hand pushing mine away to scroll through the photos. "He is so pretty, it's not even funny."

As much as I agreed, I couldn't help but let out a snort at her words. "He sure is."

Mandy waved a hand, silencing my snickers as her finger pointed to the screen. "Look." She turned to me with wide eyes. "He doesn't have numbers?"

With knitted brows, I inched closer to the screen, staring at the empty palm of his hand. "Weird," I muttered, not dwelling too much on it. "Now, your reasoning?"

"I went on a date last night." That was all it took for me to minimize my window, giving Mandy my full attention. Of all the people I've met, Mandy had the most interesting story of her numbers. Just like everyone else, the numbers appeared on her palm when she was sixteen, and she immediately knew who's matched hers. Worst part, it was her best friend's girlfriend, who much like myself, had chosen to not listen to the numbers and stay together with her girlfriend . A big fight broke out between the two best friend and from then on, she lost contact with both girls. It just so happened that last night the two girls ran into each other, leading to an abrupt date, which according to Mandy, went well.

"So that's it?" I questioned. "You guys are a thing now?"

Mandy grinned. "Pretty much."

"Why does everyone have an easy life but me?" I muttered, shifting my attention back to my computer. "Once my bitterness subsides, I'll send a cupcake to your desk or something."

"I know your resting sad face just means you're happy," Mandy teased, dropping a folder onto my desk before stepping out. So that's what she came in here for. My fingers barely grazed the folder before my phone began ringing, making me jump.

With a heavy sigh, I answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Vee."

I perked up. "Oh my god, Pa. I was gonna call you today to apologize about yesterday but things have been busy and it slipped my mind. I'm so sorry." It was barely a heartfelt apology like he deserved, but still, it was accepted. I found myself relaxing in my seat as our conversation progressed, my dad always somehow finding a way to destress me, no matter the circumstances.

Apparently after I left, Alex went looking for me in hopes of getting some girl advice. It didn't surprise me at all that he wanted to ask me instead of Selena, Selena always had too high of expectations, and she definitely would have suggested something Alex wasn't going to like.

My head snapped up as my door opened, Mandy poking her head in with wide eyes. "You have a visitor," she whisper-shouted, cheeks reddening by the second.

My brows knitted together in confusion. "I'm on the phone, Mandy, can they wait?"

"No!" Mandy rushed out, opening the door wider. She turned back around, a smile stretching across her lips. "She said go in."

I glared at the back of Mandy's head, letting out a huff. "I have to go, Papi. I have someone that came to see me."

"Okay, beba. I love you. Talk tomorrow?"

Just as I opened my mouth to say the words back, my visitor stepped through the door, causing me to choke. Rushing out a response to my father, I quickly hung up the phone, scrambling to the door. "What is this?" I breathed, holding the door open wider for the man holding a large bouquet.

"I got a weird call earlier," Mandy appeared at the door, flashing the delivery man a smile as he walked past her and out of the office. "They asked what your favorite flower was because a client of yours wanted to send a thank you gift. Have you been particularly kind to anybody lately?"

"I'm always kind," I muttered, examining the flowers. "I haven't been extra kind to anyone, not that I remember." I huffed as I stepped back. "And there's no note. How am I supposed to thank this person?"

"Dunno," Mandy shrugged. "Also, what's your favorite flower? I just told them tulips because it's mine, so..."

"Tie between carnations and sunflowers," I answered her question, though my gaze was still settled on the flowers. It just so happened that this week was one of my busiest, having me booked for sometimes four shoots a day. So not a single person stuck out as being capable of sending such a thoughtful gift. "This is so sweet. Now I feel bad."

"Feel bad? For what? Being a good person?"

I shot Mandy a pointed look, the girl taking it as her cue to settle down. "I haven't done anything special to deserve this," I sighed, picking up the flowers to move them to my desk. "God, they're gorgeous."

"Thank you Mandy. Oh, really, it was no biggie, Vee. Just happy to see you happy." I rose an eyebrow at Mandy. "I'm not taking credit or anything," she defended, "but, this wouldn't be here if I didn't answer that call, just saying."

"Don't you have a job to do, Mandy?" I muttered, walking around my desk to grab my camera.

"This is my job. Tending to you," she scoffed, while I lifted the camera to my eye, snapping a photo of the bouquet. I could hear her feet dragging across the ground as she moved closer to me, looking over my shoulder at the photo just taken. "God, it's even prettier in the picture. There's no way you're making that one black and white like the others."

I stared intently at the photo for a moment, before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I'm not."

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hella short but v important lil thing established here whoops