out her phone. The sign read ‘Lanron 2’. Well better Lanron than nowhere. As she started walking, she flipped her phone open and began dialling.
Out on the street Val ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Luckily Shane’s was only a fifteen minute stroll from the bookstore and, at speed, a five minute sprint.
All Val could think about was where Delta was. She was so distracted that she almost missed the shop completely. Coming to a halt just past the doors, she paused for a split second, questioning whether Shane could be trusted. Well, it’s time to find out, she thought to herself, bursting through the double doors, which were heavily decorated with art.
As Val stepped inside, she began to feel the effects of her sprint. Flopping over completely breathlessly, her hands firmly placed on her hips for support, she took deep gasps of air. Her intense focus on her mission had made her oblivious to the poor man who was face down in front of Shane having Marilyn Monroe’s face tattooed across his back.
“What day is it?” Val gasped.
“Wednesday, and hello to you too, Val,” Shane responded.
“Good, I haven’t lost a day then.” Val strutted up and down. “Shane, we need to talk, now!” Val stopped to look at Shane.
He knew that she was genuinely in need of immediate attention, but it wasn’t that simple. “Val, I’m just with a client at the moment.” Shane’s looked down at the man’s back and for the first time, as if by magic, Val became aware of him.
“I’m sorry, but this is an emergency. I need you now. “ Val made a crazy-eyed expression whilst patting her arm, in the hope that Shane would interpret this as very important.
Shane tapped the guy on the back and, what had looked like a table top, now sat up. Even in the seated position he was nearly as tall as Val.
She stepped back, troubled that she had actually got that close to him in the first place.
“Val would you mind going out back to the office while I finish with this customer?” Shane smiled at her with exaggerated politeness.
“But…” Val started to speak but Shane had placed his glove-covered index finger to his lips.
Val knew instinctively to do as she was told. Walking past them quickly, she moved through a swing door and found herself in a corridor with three more doors. The one to the left was obviously the toilets as it had the girl/boy sign on it. The one in the middle said Private and the one to the right had no sign at all. Well, that was just great. She had to go somewhere. She decided most offices where private so she would go straight ahead, but when Val pushed the door, something instinctively told her that this was wrong. Nonetheless, she just had to keep going.
She peeped around the door and her eyes were met with the most glorious sight. Nothing could ever have prepared her for this. There were paintings from floor to ceiling. Not tattoos, as you would imagine, but art. Val stepped inside mesmerised by the beauty that was spread out before her like an extravagant canvas rainbow. Most of the paintings were of women, although there was one woman in particular who stood out because of her extraordinary beauty. She looked almost like a bird with jet-black hair that flowed down her back, a somewhat pointed nose the deepest green eyes that Val had ever seen. She was standing transfixed by the beauty of the paintings when a heavy hand grabbed her from behind. Val let out a scream and spun around to see who had collared her.
“This isn’t my office,” Shane said with a stern tone in his voice.
“I’m so sorry, I got lost.” Val was honestly sorry and she really didn’t care about anything but getting her friend back. “I really didn’t know which one was your office.”
“Come with me.” Shane pulled Val gently back out of the room and led her to the door with no name.
In the small and cluttered office, Shane sat on the edge of a large white desk and Val stood in front of him, like a patient at
Out on the street Val ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Luckily Shane’s was only a fifteen minute stroll from the bookstore and, at speed, a five minute sprint.
All Val could think about was where Delta was. She was so distracted that she almost missed the shop completely. Coming to a halt just past the doors, she paused for a split second, questioning whether Shane could be trusted. Well, it’s time to find out, she thought to herself, bursting through the double doors, which were heavily decorated with art.
As Val stepped inside, she began to feel the effects of her sprint. Flopping over completely breathlessly, her hands firmly placed on her hips for support, she took deep gasps of air. Her intense focus on her mission had made her oblivious to the poor man who was face down in front of Shane having Marilyn Monroe’s face tattooed across his back.
“What day is it?” Val gasped.
“Wednesday, and hello to you too, Val,” Shane responded.
“Good, I haven’t lost a day then.” Val strutted up and down. “Shane, we need to talk, now!” Val stopped to look at Shane.
He knew that she was genuinely in need of immediate attention, but it wasn’t that simple. “Val, I’m just with a client at the moment.” Shane’s looked down at the man’s back and for the first time, as if by magic, Val became aware of him.
“I’m sorry, but this is an emergency. I need you now. “ Val made a crazy-eyed expression whilst patting her arm, in the hope that Shane would interpret this as very important.
Shane tapped the guy on the back and, what had looked like a table top, now sat up. Even in the seated position he was nearly as tall as Val.
She stepped back, troubled that she had actually got that close to him in the first place.
“Val would you mind going out back to the office while I finish with this customer?” Shane smiled at her with exaggerated politeness.
“But…” Val started to speak but Shane had placed his glove-covered index finger to his lips.
Val knew instinctively to do as she was told. Walking past them quickly, she moved through a swing door and found herself in a corridor with three more doors. The one to the left was obviously the toilets as it had the girl/boy sign on it. The one in the middle said Private and the one to the right had no sign at all. Well, that was just great. She had to go somewhere. She decided most offices where private so she would go straight ahead, but when Val pushed the door, something instinctively told her that this was wrong. Nonetheless, she just had to keep going.
She peeped around the door and her eyes were met with the most glorious sight. Nothing could ever have prepared her for this. There were paintings from floor to ceiling. Not tattoos, as you would imagine, but art. Val stepped inside mesmerised by the beauty that was spread out before her like an extravagant canvas rainbow. Most of the paintings were of women, although there was one woman in particular who stood out because of her extraordinary beauty. She looked almost like a bird with jet-black hair that flowed down her back, a somewhat pointed nose the deepest green eyes that Val had ever seen. She was standing transfixed by the beauty of the paintings when a heavy hand grabbed her from behind. Val let out a scream and spun around to see who had collared her.
“This isn’t my office,” Shane said with a stern tone in his voice.
“I’m so sorry, I got lost.” Val was honestly sorry and she really didn’t care about anything but getting her friend back. “I really didn’t know which one was your office.”
“Come with me.” Shane pulled Val gently back out of the room and led her to the door with no name.
In the small and cluttered office, Shane sat on the edge of a large white desk and Val stood in front of him, like a patient at
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