Threw away my three piece

Threw away the tie

Can't even seem to try

Gave up on the love thang

Gave up on the game

They all let me down the same

Same ole...I'm feeling....20 something

Oooh, I'm feeling 20 something

The front door swung open and the cold air rushed into the small front office. Hailey looked up to see Marla rush in, hands full of paperwork and coffee.

Her head is down as she speaks, "I'm going to need you to come with me today-" She stopped midsentence when she looked up to see the once barren room now housing new office furniture and a little warmer with a new coat of paint.

Hailey stood behind the desk, wringing her hands in front of her. "I know you said not to overdo it but....come on, it looks great and you know it."

Marla looked around the room, an amused grin tugging at her lips. "I thought you'd just throw down a rug and get rid of the folding chairs."

"Yeah well, you gave me room to run and this is what happens." Hailey shrugged. "But don't worry. The furniture is rented from the office supply place downtown and the paint is just extra I had from when I moved into the apartment."

She had to admit, Hailey had done something in that room that she hadn't been able to do in the two years since she moved into that building. It now gave off a warm and inviting feel that would help any potential clients feel welcome. And that's what they wanted to see when they walked into a meeting with a realtor. That they knew what they were doing and what they were talking about when it came to purchasing a home.

"What was it you needed me to do today?" Hailey asked taking the cup of coffee from her hands so Marla could remove her jacket.

"I'm going to need some help today keeping my stuff organized and together." She walked into her office, Hailey following behind her. "I've got the Peterson's this morning and then-"

"Mr. Robinson this afternoon." Hailey interrupted her. "I've got two different folders ready for you. All the houses for both parties are in order based on how you're going to be visiting them.  I also spaced them out so that travel wouldn't be too much and everything is relatively close to one another. Should make for a shorter visit with each of them."

She just looked at her in slight wonderment. Since the day Hailey stepped into her office, she had been a Godsend. Always going above and beyond what any other receptionist would have done. In truth, she was more of an assistant to Marla, handling all the things that no other front desk would have done for her in the past.

"If you can make it back this afternoon, there's a family coming in with several small children and they're looking for a farm." Hailey went on. "Within a fifteen mile radius of the city."

Marla rolled her eyes. "I guess I'm going to add miracle worker to my list of characters today."

Laughing she turned back to the door. "I'll be here if you need anything."

"Thank you Hailey. For everything."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So you're going on a date with her?" Trace smirked, his head turned a little to face him. "You asshole."

"It's not a date." Justin rolled his eyes, his hand moving the iron back and forth over the black slacks. "It's just some stupid fucking dinner party at her parents. They won't even know I'm there."

"Says the tool who's ironing pants."

He shook his head and cast his eyes back down at the pants. Ok, so maybe he was ironing a pair of pants but they needed it. Besides showing up at Ella's parents house with wrinkled pants is not the impression he wanted to make.

And despite what Trace thought, it was not a date. Ella needed someone to go with her, something about keeping the seating arrangement even, at least that's what she had told him. So he was being a friend and going with her. True, she probably viewed it as more but he just didn't look at her like that.

"Where's Hailey?" Trace's voice broke his train of thoughts.

"Um....working I guess?" He shrugged, a small smile painting his features when he pictures her face. "I don't really hang with her man."

"Why not? She's hot."

"You need to get laid." He chuckled.

"I do. How ‘bout you put a good word in for me with her?" Trace looked over at him.

"With who?"

"Hailey!" He threw his hands up in the air, like Justin should have known that. "Jesus man. Have you not listened to a word I said?"

He sort of hadn't been. His mind wrapped up in all the trade talk. He still hadn't been able to bring himself to tell anyone yet, kept hoping for something a little more set in stone than ‘it's just talk' to tell his parents and friends.

"Sorry. I've just got a lot going on." Justin confessed.

Trace turned to fully face him when he heard the tone of his friends' voice. Something was off. "You ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." He turned the iron off and shook out the pants. "Just dreading this thing tonight."

He looked at him, not believing it for a second. They'd been friends far too long for him to not know when something was bothering him. But not telling him it the part that's confusing Trace right now. Justin always spoke his mind. Never could seem to keep anything to himself. Which was a big part of their friendship, they both possessed the ability to just open their mouths and not stop talking.

"Ok." Trace gave him one last look before turning back to the TV. "Hey, bring home some of their desert! You know they're gonna have some bomb ass food."

He laughed. "I'm not bringing a doggy bag home from Ella's parents' house. That's just wrong."

"Come on. Do me a solid and bring something back. I'll even come by tomorrow and pick it up." He tried to plead. "I'm too fucking lazy to go to the grocery store and I need lunch tomorrow."

"Fuck off." He laughed again before walking down the hall to his bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXX

She shuffled her feet, waiting for the door to open. She closed her eyes when she felt a yawn coming on and was unable to suppress it.

"Sleep much?" Justin grinned at her.

"Took you long enough to open the door." She smiled at him. "Your mail sir."

He reached out and took the envelopes from her hands. "Thanks."

"No problem." She looked at him. "What's with the getup?"

He pushed the door open and walked back towards the kitchen, Hailey shutting the door behind him. It was the first time she had been in his apartment and she'd by lying if she said she hadn't been curious.

It was exactly like she pictured it. Beige walls, black leather couch and recliner. Plasma TV playing Sports Center quietly in the background. The walls were almost bare except for two things. Two picture frames. One of what had to be his family. And another of him with a young blonde girl who's smile matched his.

"My sister." He spoke when he caught where her eyes were looking. "She's sixteen."

"She's beautiful."

"She is." He smiled at the picture. She looked exactly like him, only prettier. The same blue eyes, same smile.  Most people could look at them and instantly tell they were related. "Damn it."

Hailey turned to him, finding him fumbling with the tie that had been hanging around his neck. "Want some help?"

"Nah, I'll get it sooner or later." He squatted some in front of the microwave and tried again with the fabric.

"Move." She pushed at his shoulder a little until he turned to face her. "Are you always this stubborn?"

He quirked an eyebrow. "Are you always this bossy?"

She stuck her tongue out at him and he felt a gentle tug around his neck. "You really wanna say that to me while I'm doing this? I could just pull and choke you out."

He laughed. "You'd never."

"You haven't known me long enough to assume that yet my friend." She slipped the silky fabric between her fingers and pulled. "And done."

He looked down and smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." He took a step back and moved towards the door, grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch before turning to look at her. She suddenly realized why he was staring at her.  "Oh. Sorry. I'm leaving."

"It's fine. I don't mean to rush you but I've got this thing and being late sort of isn't an option." He held the door open for her.

"I'm gone, I'm gone." She rushed past him out the door. "Where you going anyways?"

They walked down the stairs together. He didn't know why but he didn't want to tell her that he was going to a dinner function at Ella's parents. With Ella.

"Just some stupid dinner thing." He shrugged. "I'm hoping to be in and out in just a few hours. It's not really my kind of crowd."

She nodded and stopped at her door. "Well, have fun. It'll go by fast enough."

He grinned and rounded the stairs. "Later!"

"Night!" She closed the door behind her.

The empty silence in the apartment was a sound that was deafening. And one that makes her a little stir crazy. She walked across the room and turned the TV on, not really caring what was playing just so long as it was noise.

Instead of taking a seat on the couch she walked into the kitchen and took a bowl from the cabinet and poured Lucky Charms into it. After picking out a few marshmallows and popping them into her mouth, she poured a glass of milk and made her way to the couch. Before she could get really comfortable the phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hello to you too grump."

She smiled at her dad's voice. "Hi dad. And I'm not a grump, just eating."

"Yeah, ok. What's for dinner?"

She shifted on the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table. "Lucky charms?"

He laughed and she couldn't help but laugh along with him. "So, aside from eating healthy, how's life? How's the job going?"

"It's good. Marla's really great and she seems really happy with everything I've been doing for her." She shrugged knowing he couldn't see her. "And I like her. She's sorta like my mom away from home or something like that."

"You better not let your mother hear you say that."

"How is she?"

"Busy. She's out with your aunt doing some early Christmas shopping." She knew her dad well enough to know that he was rolling his eyes.

"Dad, it's not early if it's after Thanksgiving. That is the normal time to do Christmas shopping."

"All you women say that. It's really just an excuse to spend my hard earned money." He paused. "You coming home?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. She wanted nothing more than to go home for Christmas but it's too soon to go back there.

"You know, he's out now." He starts. "Maybe you need to see him. Sort all this mess out."

"No." She said firmly. "No. And let's not talk about that. Ok."

He sighed deeply but didn't press the issue. He knew better than to rock the boat on this situation.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Justin shuffled around the room, looking for an exit. He just wanted to get outside and breathe. The atmosphere in this room was suffocating and he didn't understand these people. Money spoke and they listened.

He breathed in deeply, his hands resting on the railing in front of him.

"Want some company?"

He looked over his shoulder to see Ella standing in the doorway. In the light, he had to admit she looked beautiful. The white dress showing off her shape, her hair framing her face.

He smiled at her as she walked across the distance to stand next to him. "Sorry. It was getting to be a little...."

"Stuffy?" She grinned at him.

He laughed. "Yeah, stuffy."

"Well, I'm glad you came with me." She bumped her shoulder with his. "It's nice to have someone to make fun of these people with."

He looked at her as she stared out over the huge backyard. He didn't know why he was insisting on putting her off his radar. Ella was beautiful and funny and kind. Sort of. He knew she had the tendency to be a little catty but in his experience most women were. That's what made them women. Trace was always giving him a hard time about the way he was stringing her along; get close without getting too close.

And he didn't feel like he was getting anywhere on his own with women. He met them, he dated them, he ended it with them. He couldn't put a finger on it but there was always something that just didn't fit, didn't feel right.

"You free Saturday night?" He blurted without thinking.

Ella turned to look at him, surprise and bewilderment on her face. "As in tomorrow night?"

He nodded and straightened up. Clearing his throat, "Yeah, I was wondering if you wanted to grab some dinner."

He could tell by the look on her face that she was still confused and part of him felt guilty for asking her like this. Another part of him felt like he was settling for something. While he knows that he doesn't feel the way she feels for him, he's hoping that the feelings will grow into something more.

"Of course." She smiled brightly at him.

He returned the smile but couldn't ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach.