Instar Diviner

The Wheels On The Bus Go Meow Meow Meow (Irene & Leighton)

Irene had been thinking about the proposal she's been outlining on her macbook ever since she met the humble bookstore owner just around the block near her office; Mr Leighton Kingsman. She had to admit though, calling him that? It sounds way too formal, something she cannot picture the therian in any setting at all. The way she sees it, and with the way they've been corresponding messages with one another over the past month, they were a bit around the casual terms of being friends. That's what they are, right? Friends? Albeit she had been planning on this deal for at least three weeks now, but they still talked outside of the office setting, knowing how it suits the two of them better. Irene needed time away from the office and Leigh is not a guy who would come to work in an office only to go back after working 9 to 5. She decided that he really does belong at his humble bookstore that seemingly had plenty of books stored from each aisle neatly and according to their genres as well. 

She stopped by a few weeks ago to get another book that looked outside the economic world, it was a storybook actually. Irene partially remembered that Leigh raised his eyebrows up in surprise when he saw the book she placed on top of the counter to purchase. Obviously he didn't judge and she likes him for that. The two of them had no room to judge and it was nice. She had it all planned out, of course. Today, she didn't check in for work at all. Irene had notified Nadia of her absence for today and while it surprised her secretary greatly, the latter did not attempt to question any further, knowing that the blonde wouldn't be taking a day off for no reason when she's always cooped around work. Technically, she is still working, but… consider it off site and investing her time on another project that piqued her interest and would profit from either way. She slung her bag around her shoulders and grabbed the car keys on the table after donning her coat and scarf before making her way outside of her apartment. 

The sounds of her heels clicked every time she hit the floor, and with the sunglasses she had slid on, it was clear that she was a woman who carries herself with class. Though, anyone could take a look once and tell that she wasn't going to where she actually is going. The elevator ride to the basement parking lot didn't take long since she didn't like to live anywhere high. As soon as she arrived downstairs, Irene dashed over to her white Maserati Quattroporte and started the engine so she could get to her destination on time. Irene didn't drive around often because her driver or Nadia would usually do that, but she was way too lazy to actually be walking around without any mode of transportation of her own, so there it sat prettily parked, when she probably only used it once a month. 

She had texted Leigh two days ago, asking if he would be free on a Friday morning, and told him to make time for her today, which he did. She wouldn't give him any straight answers and only said they were going somewhere. The drive to the animal shelter wouldn't take because it wasn't that far since Evermore is always cornered up but since she told Leigh nothing about where they were going, only for him to dress warmly since winter had already set it, she was here to also fetch him. Irene parked her car across the bookstore and lowered the windows down while perching her head out after sliding her sunglasses down, while texting Leigh he looks cute because she could see him from outside. Her fingers swiped his contact and pressed the phone against her ear as she leaned against her seat, "A, cute sweater. B, I hope you didn't forget our appointment today mister. I totally took a day off work for this so… and C, I'm here. You can probably spot me easily because I'm parked right outside your bookstore and I'm totally waving at you right now." Oh, she did.

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TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on August 27, 2020 at 19:45

He looked up at her with a curious look when she asked if he thought she was dwindling and he shrugged slightly “I think sometimes you let the stress get the better of people and then you yell at them but” he tilted his head slightly “I think most people will be able to see it’s because you’re dedicated to the company and want the best for it” he nodded a few times, and for that reason, he didn’t think she was dwindling because her focus was in the right place. He grinned and looked down to the floor when she asked if he wasn’t a 9-5 person “More like I don’t have the courage nor the patience to be sitting through long board meetings and giving presentations” he gave a slightly dramatic shudder because that was hardly what he would want to spend his time doing, he did chuckle when she slyly asked for help with the financial reports “I’ll get my fine-tooth comb ready” he teased noting how he was always so meticulous when it came to numbers.

He chuckled slightly when she called him mature and then blamed it on the green tea he drank, he shrugged a little “You’re talking about the guy who still gets excited to go to conventions and dress up as his favorite cartoons remember” he could still be childish when he wanted to be, he was just also pretty mindful of the world around him. “Though I can hook you up with some of the tea if you’re really convinced that’s it” he winked playfully with a smirk. He shook his head when she asked him if he was at least halfway through his list “Mostly because a lot of the things I want are pretty...ambitious” he confessed, a warmth coming to his cheeks as he thought about it “Marry a handsome kind man, adopt a child and give them a chance to have a happy life like my parents did me” he shrugged, grinning bashfully “Who knows if anything will happen but I have to keep hoping for it right?” she looked up at Irene for a moment and then smiled.

She seemed pleasantly surprised by the way he described her, honestly, she was quite an intimidating person to be around and most people probably didn’t try to see past that and so it had the desired effect of keeping people at arm’s length. Leigh had always been there for Irene though, from the moment they met in his store there had been a weird sense of companionship and understanding between them “They don’t care to ask, most people just see what they want to see, which is either competition or a means to an end” he shrugged slightly “I like the way you talk when you have the change to build things...to make new things” he nodded slightly “You sound excited and inspired when it comes to those things” she could often get weighed down in the red tape but her intentions with her company always seemed good and honest to him. "

“That very much depends on how much I have to worry about that day” when his mind go into something he couldn’t just forget it and would find himself mulling over it for hours, unable to shake it from his mind and keeping him awake “Which is another reason the office environment isn’t for me, I’d be up half the night worrying about hostile takeovers” he chuckled under his breath, he was sure she dealt with things like that much better than he would. “I’d love to see you try” he retorted to her bold statement about stealing away his dog “She might not appear it on the outside but she’s very loyal I’ll have you know” he shook his head in a disapproving manner “Why does everyone threaten to steal my dog for me?” he mused playfully noting she wasn’t the first one to say that. “I don’t know” he responded with wide eyes as they put out the bowls of food on the floor, Leigh helped by going over to the big sacks of kibble and distriibuting it into one of the many bowls and then before long they were going to each kennel and slipping the bowls inside, all the dogs jumped and wagged their tails excitedly at the thought of their dinner. It was pretty cute.


Instar DivinerPermalink Reply by ✓ Irene Farley on November 5, 2020 at 18:24

She couldn't help but chew her bottom lip as she heard him tell her how she's behaving. It does make her feel bad that some of her employees had to deal with her mood swings but there were times when they acted like they just started on the work when they clearly have been there for years. It has only been a few years since Irene revealed herself publicly as the CEO of Unruly Eve. Before this, it was all proxies. She didn't want them to take her lightly. "I do want the best for the company… the board of directors don't take me seriously and some of the employees think they can do the same which honestly irks me more than it should. It shouldn't bother me but it does." And it stresses her out to know that she had to command their respect or else people will always walk over her. It doesn't help that the blonde had a defensive switch too. She let out a groan when he mentioned presentations, those had to be the thing she hated the most while working in her executive position. 

"Even as an executive officer in my own company, I can tell you that it is so exhausting to be doing presentations. I don't think half the room even paid attention." Sometimes she tried to embarrass them by enquiring on a few things related to it. She felt lucky that Leigh was there to help her with the financial skirmish. She has never been able to work well around numbers simply because it frustrates her. Other things set aside, her brain is pretty much useful for the company. "Hey, conventions are nice. Packed and chaotic with humans being humans but… nice. Cartoons are cool too…" she defended, admittedly she was a fan of Happy Tree Friends. They were cute. To her. The look on her face upon hearing that he was willing to hook her up on some of the tea he drank religiously was priceless, Irene was more of a coffee person but she did stop by a few times to drink tea just to convey her respects to the kitsune himself. Doesn't mean she especially adored them. "I love you Leigh but no thank you. You can keep the tea." 

She raised her eyebrows up in surprise when he confessed the things he wished for were ambitious, how ambitious could they be? "I think that's cute. Not ambitious by the way. Realistic. You want to find someone you love sincerely and then start a family with them. What's so ambitious about that? And here I thought you were going to unveil your evil master plan this entire time to take over the world." Their friendship was weird, it started so randomly but then it progressed into something better. Now she didn't want to let him go. She had a small blush on her cheeks when he pointed out her excitement about creating new projects, Irene did like doing that. But nobody ever saw it past her cold exterior which was why it was hard to go through it. "I mean… it's exciting to create something on your own, you know…" That's why she was so happy to know Leigh wanted to be a partner in this joint project too. 

She understood his reasoning, some people are not well equipped for the office war. Irene might not like it as much but she sure as hell would make sure she gets to win at the end of the day. "Because your dog is cute, that's why. Did anyone else want to do the same? I may need to cut the line then" she jested playfully. The sacks were big and for a brief moment, Irene stared at them with wide eyes because there is no way she can lift even half of that. "I think if I attempt to lift it is just going to fall over me. Man it's big…" she shook her head and took a few bowls to scoop generous amount of kibbles on each before making her way to the kennel. "Why can't humans be more like them…" 


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on November 6, 2020 at 20:43

Leigh smiled slightly sheepishly, he was sure there weren’t many people who could call her out for her flaws and get away with it, she was quite a stern person and he could certainly understand why people even saw her as quite intimidating “I don’t think you necessarily need to scare them into believing you’re the right person for the job...they want to see a vision they can believe in, someone they believe is doing something great” he nodded slightly, sometimes he did feel like she lost sight of the bigger picture when she got frustrated and when people saw that side of her, it might make them believe she didn’t care.

But the truth was when you looked past everything, Irene did care, probably more deeply than even she would. People didn’t just drive their friend to a shelter to volunteer for no good reason, she had good intentions but sometimes bad executions of them. “Presentations are just one of those things where...you know someone must have invented it and you just...really want to slap that person” he laughed under his breath, he avoided doing them at all costs. He grinned slightly when she said she liked conventions “It’s the one kind of chaos I’m actually okay with...mostly because there’s usually something there I’m really excited to see or do and so that outweighs my worries” plus he found people at conventions were just nicer people mostly, everyone was willing to talk about their favorite things and complement one another on costumes. It was nice.

He winked when she said he could keep the tea “Your loss” he responded with a wry smile, he would always be tea’s number one fan, especially bubble tea made with jasmine green, he loved that a whole lot. Leigh blushed slightly when she said he was cute for wanting the things he wanted, she called it realistic but sometimes he wondered if time was passing by too fast for it to become a reality “Don’t you think if I was going to find my life partner...life would have brought me him by now?” he asked in a shy voice, maybe he was being greedy but he had spent most of his 20s on a relationship that only ended in heartbreak and honestly, he was hoping maybe he could be happy soon. Was that too much to ask?

He grinned slightly “You know it wouldn’t hurt to let more people see that side of you” he jested as he nudged against her shoulder between pouring out bowls for the dogs, making sure to put enough in each. He laughed when she asked him if anyone else had tried to steal Minha to which he shrugged “There have been a few claims, though no one has been able to do it yet” he gave an amused smile “They have a lot of dogs to care for here huh?” it made him a little sad to be honest because they all deserved to have happy homes “They deserve so much better than these little kennels” he commented sadly, it made him feel a little down that he couldn’t save them all himself.


Instar DivinerPermalink Reply by ✓ Irene Farley on February 10, 2021 at 17:42

Leigh had a point but Irene had this understanding whenever she does something out of the ordinary, or something that doesn't quite intimidate the other board members into a corner they couldn't escape, they tend to belittle her and start stepping on her. That is when she realized she hated how the hierarchy works there. "Yeah I tried that… it didn't work, Leigh" she sighed, "it wasn't as if I want to hold their firstborn and dangle them in the air, threatening to drop the poor baby from a 60 storey building should they disrespect me again but they do kinda make it seem like I'm the villain in that story." So to pay them back, she became the villain they thought she was. "I'll try… again" she mumbled, she could give it a try, right? "But I can't promise the outcome will be pretty because it's not up to me, it's up to them to accept the person I am." Irene sometimes means pure business only and when personal issues often get in the way, she gets aggravated by it. 

"Well, Microsoft PowerPoint's virtual software was developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin so you can try finding those two and slap them. Considering they're still alive anyhow." She didn't mind doing presentations, as someone who operates as an executive in her own company that often invested in a lot of things, she is used to it and convincing is one skill she had to retain until today if she wanted to survive in the corporate world. It doesn't mean she liked it though. "It sounds nice… I'm not sure if I'll ever have the time to even think about going there but maybe one day… nothing is impossible" as long as she has someone to accompany her and actually hold her back in case she meets any rival or anyone that pisses her off. "I just need to make sure the company is left under someone… reliable before doing any of that, which used to be my CFO who is now… well, gone." To say that the blonde wasn't bitter her CFO had to quit would be an understatement. 

"Leigh, you're in your late twenties, not forties… you'll find someone or they'll knock on your doorstep maybe, people would be blind to not see you… pun intended." She didn't bother with relationships because the diviner never took them seriously so she couldn't exactly give viable advice to the kitsune without making herself look like a hypocrite. Irene pursed her lips slightly and looked down when he pointed out that she should let people see this side of her more often, "Oh really? I was nice for an hour and the people around me were ready to pounce on my weak spot like a bunch of hungry hyenas, Leigh. But maybe I'll curate my own audience next time, that'll work. It worked with you" because Leigh is a generally kind person, of course it works well with him but the kind of people she was too used to being surrounded by? Not so much. 

"Now that you said that, maybe it's time I do some spring cleaning in the company… you know… some people are slacking way above their pay grade and maybe they need a reminder that I don't employ lazy people." That would cause chaos in the office, for sure. "So not yet huh… I guess I can give it a go." She allowed her bright hues to scour the place and pout, Leigh was right, "Maybe we can give them a better home… you know the dog cafe plan we have, there's a reason why I brought you here today and no it's not just to volunteer…" 


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on February 11, 2021 at 20:32

“Aren’t you just proving them right if all you ever do is argue with them though? You’re supposed to be a team...not at a war” he shrugged, he didn’t know too much about corporate dynamics but he did know when people weren’t focused on the overall goal, progress was very difficult to make when teams were warring against one another. “Have you thought about...redistributing?” he didn’t like the idea of firing people but if the problem was getting so bad she couldn’t lead her own ideas she had to do something “I mean there has to be someone there who believes in your vision no?” though he couldn’t definitely say for sure she needed to do some work on her own attitude too.

He laughed because she somehow knew who the developers of PowerPoint were and it honestly didn’t surprise him because this was Irene he was talking to and somehow she always knew these random things “Have I ever told you that I need to drag you to a quiz night some time” he jested, he was sure she would win with ease somehow. They’d be a hell of a team that was for sure. “You can make time” he insisted as he gave Irene a judging look, she always talked about being constantly busy but he had noticed she tended to create work for herself to do which often created the busyness “Well it sounds like you need to do some serious hiring, don’t CEOs know a bunch of others” he commented wondering how networking in that scene worked.

Leigh sighed under his breath, she did have a decent point that he was still young enough to find someone but it was frustrating watching pretty much everyone he knew find their partner and settle down, most even had kids by now and then there was him “But what if I’m not paying enough attention and I miss them” he sighed under his breath, it was frustrating because he had spent so much time single now. The kitsune gave her an exasperated look when she said people were looking to pounce on her weak spot the moment she let her guard “You know I’ve seen the very worst in people and I still found a way to give people a chance...it’s not a scary as you might think” it did work with him indeed and he’d met many good people in his life while taking chances.

He raised brow when she explained how she brought him today for more reasons than to just volunteer “Well you got a dog too” he pointed out, noting that the pup she had picked out earlier had barely left her side since she had given it a name. Of course that was him naturally being pedantic because it was clean she was talking about something else “You wanna ask the owners if they’ll lend us some of their dogs?” he questioned and tilted his head slightly.


Instar DivinerPermalink Reply by ✓ Irene Farley on March 30, 2021 at 13:05

The entire time, she had a frown that actually did make her look like a girl who was pouting after not being able to win her mother's heart after 8 hours of convincing them to buy her a doll. It actually looked funny considering who she is. "Redistributing? Yeah a few times… they don't make it easy though. I wouldn't locate them at the main office in Paris of course but that leaves him in Prague, Berlin, and probably Milan… since the other branches are occupied already a few months ago. These managers also pick their own too… do there's that." Irene never paid mind to what they wanted so long as they do their job and not cause trouble for her company. 

"Or were you meaning by cutting them off the teams? Could do that too but to terminate their contracts is also another hassle gosh" she grumbled, she had enough things to stress over, "Admittedly I can just leave that to Nadia" what can't her secretary do? "My only ally in that goddamn company is my secretary who has worked with me for a long time… but some are loyal so there's that… perhaps if I pitch the ideas better they'll realize I do more than just approve things in my seat." That could be a start. When Leigh said he would drag her to a quiz night , she chuckled and winked playfully, "I love trivia nights to be honest… I just never had the time to do them and nobody to accompany me. I once got so bored I used those flashcards to ask myself questions I could answer." 

He was right, as a CEO of a well known company in the interior architecture and design world as well as other minor fields since they've been branching out in the past two decades, she had a wall of contacts but she also knew who to trust and who to not."I guess I could give a few calls… To be honest, the only reason why I haven't done that is because they're either old geezers I need to kiss up to which I don't, or inexperienced 4th generation executives who know nothing because nepotism drives deep." And Irene Farley doesn't like dealing with unnecessary issues, though she could very well put on a nice front. It was so cute to see Leigh stressing over something that probably has happened and he didn't realize, "I can set you up on a blind date just to make him jealous if you want." 

He was doing a good job at convincing her if she was being honest, so Irene just sighed, "Chances are so rare so you have to be careful who you give them to… what if they end up betraying you for it." She did come here with the intention of acquiring some of them, "Mhmm I wanted to rent them instead of buying. That way we can always have a variety in the cafe every once in a while. I want to give the dogs here a chance to be loved by others too. How nice would it be to give them a space for that? A space to show they can also be loved even if they were once abandoned?" She will personally oversee the payment and every process involved.


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on April 1, 2021 at 8:40

He raised his brows as she mulled over different things she could do to strengthen the support behind her in a business “I mean if people aren’t aligned with your visions for the company the first thing you should do is listen to their concerns but if that doesn’t help then it makes no sense for people to be there antagonizing your vision right?” she seemed level-headed and strategic enough to make good decisions so if she was really facing adversity simply because they didn’t like her then he couldn’t see any other sane way to resolve that. “Well at least you have someone there for you” he reassured her when she said her secretary was the one who was always on her side “And someone in a close position to you too” though it sounded like this woman probably needed a raise or a promotion.

“You do?” he asked and lit up for a moment when she responded that she liked trivia nights “Me too..though I rarely get to go because you need a team and…” he didn’t really have to say out loud that he didn’t really have enough friends to make one did he? Of course he had some friends but not the type he could just assemble for a night out easily, it would probably take 6 months of planning to get Yeon’s time at the very least. “Well then why not look at newer companies, there’s plenty of junior CEOs with smaller companies that might be willing to trade you manpower for investment, bonus, you get to branch into an industry you don’t already have a window into...might benefit you right back” and of course Leigh being Leigh watched stocks like a hawk so he knew plenty of promising companies, there were several in Evermore alone.

Leigh parted his lips and raised his brows when Irene said she could set him up on a blind date and then he blushed slightly “I fall to pieces around one guy...I don’t think adding any more to the mix is a good idea” even if it was only to make Eun jealous, Leigh didn’t really like to mess with people’s feelings and he would feel bad if he met someone that really liked him and didn’t feel the same way “Besides...I kinda like crushing on the one guy” he was a special guy after all. “I like it” he commented when she proposed the idea of renting the dogs from the shelter “We would pass out flyers for the adoption center and it people fell in love then they could get in contact” in a way they’d be helping to get the poor animals into good homes and he could definitely get behind that.


Instar DivinerPermalink Reply by ✓ Irene Farley on July 14, 2021 at 17:31

He had a good point, she wanted to switch her own team and that could be a good start but you couldn't do the same with the board of directors. "I've been thinking of doing that, god how I wished that I could do the same with the stinking board of directors. Maybe it's time I actually roll up my sleeves and make the old men retire, giving up their position to their younger, albeit green, sons." She would rather be able to control them than being rejected every single chance she got. "They don't hate me, the employees don't… I don't mistreat them" she grumbled and crossed her arms, "but I've heard a few instances where they try not to show much emotion or anything to favor me because the board's eyes and ears are always there… except for that small team of mine." It's clearly time for some spring cleaning but those weeds can't be pulled out without effort. 

"Now that you've mentioned it, I'm gonna give Nadia a raise… she has stuck with me for so long and is the only one actually loyal without being fazed with higher pay from others who'd do so to spy on me." But then again, Irene did pay her pretty well and Nadia was already a friend. "You know you can always ring me up for those nights, right? Come on Leigh, I'm your friend. I can be a little bit over the top sometimes but… I'm pretty tame. But on Friday nights you'll need to watch over me because I'm very likely to get drunk…" She raised her eyebrows in amusement when Leigh suggested her to onvest on start ups who have the potential to go big and just lack funds. "See… this is why I want to take you as my new CFO" she whined softly, hut understood why the kitsune chose not to pursue a career out of it, the pressure would be insane and he won't even have time for himself. You shouldn't make a hobby turn into a chore. 

The blonde scoffed and shook her head in mirth, "You are so loyal to that guy, he should be lucky to get someone like you crushing on him." It was easy to overlook and take advantage of the man's kindness, it's why Irene hated the idea of anyone mistreating her friend. "What a romanticist" she cooed, it would be hard to find her doing that. One, she didn't have the time to do things like date. Two, her attention span is hard to focus on one person and one person only, they need to grab her attention in the most interesting way possible if so. Three, who would ever want an ill-tempered CEO? "Even if people don't end up adopting, I want to at least give these poor animals a chance to know people's affection and the opportunity to enjoy life instead of having to fear whether they'll be sent away by the end of the month…" She didn't like the idea of animals growing old and having to be put down because nobody was going to take care of it. In a way, it was reflecting on her childhood, living in a big place but feeling alone because she received no affection whatsoever, it's why she knew just paying to feed them wouldn't be enough. "What breeds would be best suited for a cafe though?"


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on July 18, 2021 at 11:36

Leigh laughed and scrunched his nose slightly “You’re a badass, I’m sure you handle them well enough and know how to get them to back off” he nodded slightly, she was complaining about it but he knew that was because she had handled it “I’m sure you can pull out some of your charms to get your way” he teased slightly, she was a businesswoman first and you could tell because she could persuade you into coming to animal shelter on a complete whim just because she asked. “Still...it wouldn’t hurt to have your employees on your side, perhaps if you give them stock options so they have some control in the company they’d be a force to fight for your side if things go south” she still needed to be majority shareholder but it wouldn’t hurt to have more voices on her side.

He smiled softly “Always keep the people who are good to you close, they are few and far between” he nodded his head slightly, Leigh didn’t have a lot of friends and it was mostly because he didn’t have many people he felt he could trust, he had been betrayed and left in the past and that made it hard for him to trust people’s intentions. Leigh bit his lip when she said he could invite her to nights out “The whole having friends thing is kinda new to me” he had been lucky to meet so many of them in the past year or so but he still wasn’t out of his loner mindset yet “Only on Fridays?” he commented and chuckled softly. He grinned playfully when she said she needed him to be her CFO “You’re doing okay without me, besides, it’s not like you can’t ask for my expert opinion as a friend” he bit his lip slightly “I’ll get you a list of potentials you can narrow down” he assured her.

Leigh blushed when she said he was really loyal to Eun and that the other male was lucky “I’m sure he could have anyone he wanted” he commented in a soft voice, he really was that guy, handsome, talented and kind, Leigh often wondered if he was actually real because it was unfair for one guy to have so much. “Besides while we’re talking about dates, you’re overdue a good person that would treat you right” he scolded, if anyone needed to meet someone it was her. He nodded in agreement when she said it would be good to give the animals a chance “I still think plenty of people are gonna fall in love...how could you not” he murmured softly as he looked at the little fluffs, he was tempted himself even “I think any breed deserves a chance...just because one is right for one person doesn’t mean another won’t be for another” he pouted his lips slightly.

“Maybe we can stick to smaller dogs at first though...until we figure out all the mechanics” since they would be less likely to knock over tables and break stuff if they didn’t know how to keep them under control.


Instar DivinerPermalink Reply by ✓ Irene Farley on August 4, 2021 at 15:48

She grinned when he expressed the confidence he thought she possessed, it was nice to get some encouragement, especially if it was coming from her own friend and someone as genuine as Leigh. "Of course I'll find a way to handle them, I always do… or else they would have buried me with that pile of work they haven't done" it was hard to get rid of her, she was sure everyone in the goddamn company knew that. When he proposed that she gave the people on their side some incentive to help them do their job better, she was seriously thinking about it, "I did try a few years back, but it didn't last long because somehow said people were the reason the board was infiltrated before I could even do anything… I did take care of it in the end though so that's something." And maybe she didn't want to divulge that to anyone, not even Leigh.

"Oh you're right about them being few and far between, it's easier to find a pair of matching Swarovski sets than a friend these days… and finding a matching set is hard." It was why she is eternally grateful to know she found someone like him to be a good friend of hers. Meeting Leigh was a sheer stroke of luck that she'll never forget. Who knew such an amazingly kind and smart person is just sitting behind the cash register machine? Not her, that's for sure. "New to me too, buddy." Though Leigh still declined to have such a position, when he told her he'd help her narrow down a few prospects, Irene was elated. 

"God I love you, you know that right? Maybe you're the best gift that I've ever received in all of my 80 years ish." She leaned against the gate and hummed in affirmation, "Could be Fridays if I'm feeling really good but it depends." Leigh is a very down to earth type of guy so she would love to hear that he got the guy he wanted. "He'll be lucky to have you and I'm sure… he feels the same way because in all honesty, who wouldn't like you? You're smart, kind, tall, hot," anyone with a pair of eyes could see the appeal about Leigh, and sometimes that shy demeanor of his wouldn't hide the fact that he's attractive. Smart people are always so attractive. When he pointed out that she's overdue someone, she rolled her eyes and groaned out loud, "I don't do dates, you know that. They're a waste of time…" it's not as if she's going to meet a decent person anyway. 

She has already calculated all the possible trajectory in their future plans, including the dogs, "Like you said, we'll start small but don't worry… we'll find a way that includes every breed, no dog should be left out. Come on, if you're done I want to show you the interior of the place that I received from the planner last week."


TherianPermalink Reply by ✓ Leighton Seth Kingsman on August 6, 2021 at 20:07

Part of the reason Leigh decided against going into business and investment was because of the politics that were involved in it all, he didn’t like people in general, but people in business were pretty much ruthless and he didn’t have the stomach to handle them all “Well I’m sure there are people who have stayed with the company because they believe in what you do, those are the ones you want to leverage” he nodded slightly, honest workers were hard to find but crucial to keep once you had them. He chuckled at her comment about finding matching Swarovski sets “Sounds like you know that from experience” he commented and tilted his head slightly.

He blushed slightly when she said having friends was new to her too and he grinned slightly “I guess we can both navigate it together” it was an unlikely friendship they had but he enjoyed it very much, she was an interesting person, enigmatic and unpredictable at times but he liked that. He chuckled when she said he was the best gift she had received “Sounds like people haven’t been getting you the right birthday presents then” he jested and shook his head in amusement. Irene was a good person and though she could come off standoffish, everything she did, came from her own passion.

He licked his lips and then chuckled, bringing his hands up to hide his face out of embarrassment because of the way she was throwing compliments his way, he sighed and shook his head “Still, I couldn’t have found someone without the...arranged marriage complication?” just his luck but now that he had found Eun he didn’t want to let him go, even if things were messy. “Why do I attract complexity?” he commented almost in a whining manner. He gave her a pointed look “You don’t like the idea of dinner and doing something fun with an attractive person?” he raised his brows trying to pinpoint her issue with it.

Leigh straightened up and raised his brow in surprise when she said she wanted to show him the interior she had already designed “Damn you really went ahead and planned the whole thing already huh?” he was impressed but also a little overwhelmed because before a lot of it had felt like talk and now it felt very real “I can’t believe how much you’ve managed to get done already, it took me an entire week to talk myself into cleaning the store cupboard” he grumbled as he came closer to take a look at what she wanted to show him.


Instar DivinerPermalink Reply by ✓ Irene Farley on August 26, 2021 at 14:15

It does make her feel better to hear those words coming from him, maybe he's right, maybe there were more people who believed in her than she would've noticed. Perhaps it's time for Irene to keep her eyes out for those supporters, they'll be a good addition to her in the long-term. She can't always be making enemies, after all. "The matching Swarovski sets? Oh yes… that's definitely from experience, a hard one, it took me 4 days straight to search for them." She had some persistent clients and business associates she had to keep a good relationship with, so unfortunately, things like that are sometimes needed. "You have no idea how easy yet troublesome it is to figure out what these people want…" but then again, Irene isn't experienced in the friends department all that well in the first place anyway. 

She hit his side playfully and huffed "Right, because they're really just that good when it comes to giving gifts…" No wonder she had a 'good' circle of friends. "Still, you are giving me such a good gift." Which means a lot to the blonde, more than she would like to admit. To be honest, she had no idea how that kind of plot could stick around and allow her friend to find someone who fits him. It feels too much like a movie plot, which is fiction at most. But it's actually real. "I'm both jealous of you and not…" Mostly because Irene knew she could spare herself a moment for a relationship. Not with her schedule like this, and not with this kind of attitude? 

"Attractive people always attract complexity, my friend" she patted his shoulder in a reassuring manner and sighed "That's why we can never escape this." When he put it like that, she did feel somewhat defensive over it "That's not it… Of course I'd love to do… that, I just mean it's not it for me? Do you really think I can have a normal relationship with anyone? Without messing it all up?" It feels too good to be true. "On that note, I would love to have dinner and spend a good time with an attractive guy like him…" she muttered under her breath. The dilemma is there. 

Irene wasn't cutting back on her creativity outlet, when she was given this project, she knew she wanted to give it all. "It's been a while since I got to organise something I want, so I may have been a little bit excited?" She ran off for a bit, only to come back after pulling out the tablet from her bag to show him the interior design she had chosen last week "I'm a businesswoman, Leigh. If I can't have a hundred things done in a month, then I can't stay competitive. Anyway, I narrowed the designs down to 3 potential ones, you can choose which one you think compliments it most." The first was navy blue and silver themed, the second being orange and yellow with white resembling sunsets, and last was maroon and gold.

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