Chapter 2: Life Goes On

Alice smiled when Victoria walked passed her. She couldn't stand her. That girl thought she was irresistible and acted like everyone else was below her. Alice had to admit the girl was pretty, in a very caricatural way. Long blond hair, blue eyes, long fit legs...Victoria looked like a model. Alice sighted, she knew she was no competition.

Very conscientious, Alice had been working for Graham Bill from the beginning seven years ago, when he was a nobody. More than a secretary she was also a friend. She totally disapproved of his relationship with Victoria but again; she was in no position to tell him what to do. When they started dating, Alice thought it wouldn't last and yet, it had been three years already. Three years of having to deal with his girlfriend's superior looks.

Alice never felt as humiliated as the first time Victoria tried entering Graham's office unannounced. Alice stopped her; she made such a scene everyone on the floor rushed to see. Graham told Alice under no circumstances should Victoria be announced. She almost quit, she felt like a fool. He later apologized so nicely; it was hard not to forgive him.

"I wonder what she wanted this time."

Every time Victoria would step in the office it'd rarely be for business. The few times it would, she’d always want  a favour, like an extension on an important account. Victoria was as incompetent as she was beautiful. Most of the time, Graham would tell her not to worry and hand out the work to another agent rushing them to finish on keeping the original deadline. Publicity is a tough world; Victoria wouldn't have survived in it for a week if it weren't for Graham.

He stepped out of the office visibly upset, she wanted to offer a listening ear but whenever Victoria was involved, it was hard. Truth be told, for the seven years she had been working with Graham, she had been in love with him for five of them. Very respectful of their professional relationship, she thought it was preferable to let this love die quietly. Already being friends with the boss was unusual for her.

" Maybe Graham won't care to talk about it..."

Just as Alice made up her mind and decided not to ask and let it go, Graham asked her if she'd join him for coffee. He really needed a friend. He had to vent about his feelings towards Victoria, badly.

"I can't believe that girl's nerve! And Graham, how could you be so nice?"

"I don't know...I love Victoria, everything about her, the good and the bad. I love her one moment, I hate her the next but it's always so intense and I just can't refuse her anything."

"Graham, you're like a toy she plays with. I'm telling you this as a friend. I don't want to bad-mouth Victoria but she takes you for granted and believes that it's as easy as: "I shoot, I score," whenever it has to do with you. She knows you'll never refuse her anything and she's taken advantage of that over and over again. She made you a favor. Probably the only thanks you'll ever get from her."

He looked so lost, how could such a powerful man be turned into a puppet in the hands of one woman was beyond her. She'd told him all she had to tell. Alice didn't care if she'd later regret it. She just wanted to believe one day, he'd see Victoria for who she truly was.

"Would you dine with me tonight, Alice?"

"Huh...I guess so, yes."

"Thanks, you're such a good friend, I don't want to be alone."

"You'll never be alone Graham."

This was her, another nice person. While it killed her to hear the object of her affection speaking of another girl all the time, she just couldn't say no. First and foremost, he was a friend she couldn't let down.

Third chapter: November 20th---Breaking the news

Introduction of new characters, Keshia and Mandy, Victoria's best friends...
Break-up explanation