To Color Your Life - Chapter 39

Emily wandered wearily towards the entrance to the Pharaoh magazine department. Probably, if she drank a liter of whiskey yesterday, she would feel better.

She tried not to think about the bad, but her thoughts still returned to the same thing.

Justin promised to come – and did not come.

All morning, while getting ready for work, the girl was having a mental conversation with her brain, coming up with reasons for this act. But no matter how logical her assumptions were, it did not really help the situation.

She was sad and hurt. It’s a shame that she waited for him for several hours, and he did not even call and warn that he would not return. And it’s sad that she felt as if she had been used.

It was like the man finally got what he wanted and lost interest.

Well, Hayes, you weren’t insured against such an outcome of events either, Emily sighed, putting the key card to the department door.

What makes you think that you are Cinderella, who is destined to charm the prince? So that he will look for you all over the country?

She may have charmed the prince. Yes, only he was looking for her (in her case: he was trying to conquer her heart), apparently for less noble purposes.

The girl noted the changed picture in the corridor only out of the corner of her eye. There was no mood to admire the masterpiece of technology.

“Good morning,” a voice said from a dark corner and Emily looked up.

Hmm, that’s right. She had forgotten that in addition to the light show, the butler was taking turns in the corridor.

She wanted to greet today’s performer of this honorable role even less.

“Emily, can I talk to you?” a man blocked her door that led to the office.

“I don’t remember we had anything to talk about, Bradley. Let me pass.” She took a side step to bypass her recent filming partner. But either the corridor was narrow, or Bradley was too wide – she failed to do this.

“I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to apologize.”

Emily raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Did you decide for yourself or did my lover advise you? Oh yeah, which of the two is Evans or Catherine? So that I know for the future whom to thank?” she snapped.

Bradley pursed his lips in displeasure but said nothing to the obvious prick in his address. “No, myself. Boss and Kat have nothing to do with it. Well, actually they have. But not because they asked.”

“Cut it to the chase.”

Emily was losing her patience. Her already not very bright mood threatened to develop into a tornado, at least of the fifth level.

How ideal it would be to pick up this impudent guy and throw him somewhere… to the country of Oz, for example. Let him ask the Wizard of Oz for brains.

“I was acting like the last jerk in the world,” he said.

You can’t argue with that. He still has a little brain.

“AND?” She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot impatiently. Being late for work at the cost of unnecessary apologies was the last thing she wanted.

“You see, I’ve been chasing after Catherine for over a year. You saw what she is! Eye-catching! Do you have any idea how many men and girls are running after her?!” Bradley’s expression went from inspired adoration to universal grief.

“And what do I have to do with it?” The dragon inside Emily began to yawn. If the apology continues in this rhythm, it will be easier to dig this Bradley somewhere in a nearby park than to send him to innocent wizards.

“So I thought you had plans for her too! Yes, I started rumors about the pregnancy, because the guys in the department said that she does not stick away from you even for a minute. But isn’t it true that you and the boss have a little rumpy-pumpy? Otherwise, why did he deprive me of my salary and all bonuses for the next six months?”

“Wait, he what?” More details from this point, please.

“On the day we had the shoot,” Bradley began, noticing that the girl showed interest in his words, “I found out that in the next six months I will be practically homeless! How can I buy expensive gifts for my girlfriend if I don’t have money?”

No, after all, Emily hurried to the conclusion about the brains in the guy’s head.

“Wait a minute!” She stopped his incipient stream of complaints with a wave of her hand, “Do you think that Kat is with you just to get expensive gifts from you? Seriously? Huh, now I understand why you have such crazy thoughts about me and Evans. Do you seriously think that girls can only be interested in money in a relationship?”

“Why only money. Sex too,” he replied.

Emily rolled her eyes.

“Do you think the boss thinks differently? You can bet your sweet life that all women want from him first of all sex and money,” Bradley said with complete seriousness as if he was Evans’ personal psychoanalyst and knew his secrets.

Oh, Bradley, how hard it is for me to live! Women just want to use me! Emily imagined the boss on the couch and the overgrown macho nodding beside him. What a complete nonsense!

“Though I’m not sure about you now,” the guy added, belatedly realizing what he had blurted out.

“Oh really? And what caused such a sharp change of opinion?” Emily clicked her tongue, grinning.

“Kat cleared my mind and proved how wrong I am,” Bradley scratched the back of his head guiltily and sighed, “You know, I love her very much. I was just scared that she would leave me if I could not match her level. That’s why I said nasty things to you on the set, and well… I’m sorry.”

Fear of not meeting the level, huh? It seemed like Emily was beginning to understand what it was. But she didn’t like this fear. It was nasty and slimy, like a rotten egg the smell of which haunts you, even if you got rid of its source.

No, she didn’t want such a life. No relationship in her life will be worth feeling like a rotten egg anymore.

“Bradley, do you even understand what it means, to love?” she asked.

The man stared with unblinking eyes, “Uh, well, this is dating, kissing, taking care of another person.”

“Exactly. To love is a verb. Actions. You can create the illusion of love as much as you like with gifts and beautiful words, but only your actions will serve as an indicator of whether you love a person or not.

Words are empty. Promises are nothing if they are not followed by action. You can say nothing at all, but only do it. You know, they say “Actions speak louder than words”. Now, think deep about this. And then Kat won’t even look in the direction of the other.”

Emily pushed the guy aside. Her own words gave her strength. Everything became clear and simple at once.

“Now I have to go to work. Your apology is accepted.”

“Emily!” the man called out to her when she turned the door handle, “I wanted to say, Miss Hayes,” he hesitated for a moment, “Well, I don’t know what is really going on between you and the boss, but if you become the head of Pharaoh magazine, I will not mind.”

Emily smiled, but her eyes remained calm. “I’m a temporary employee, Bradley. In two weeks my term will end and I will quit. But thanks anyway for that. Have a nice day.”

“And you have a nice day too, Miss Hayes.”