It was Carl. To his right was a lady of 5'5" wearing a denim jacket, and to his left was a young man sporting a pair of low-rise jeans with a navy blue hoodie.
Carl approached her. "Lilian, how's your first meeting with Alex?"
After her success in "Looking At You", the top wanted to focus on Lilian more and transferred her to another manager.
Among all with stellar qualifications, Alex was the single person that had only one artist. They never knew why he didn't want to handle another one. Even so, they took the chance and pushed Lilian to him.
Much to everyone's surprise, he accepted.
Lilian's eyes curved when she saw her former manager and said, "It was great! I'm ecstatic to be working with him."
As she said that, the woman beside Carl clenched her fist behind her back.
The man noticed this minor act but turned his head away. He spoke to Lilian. "Hey, how's our rising star doin?"
"Why would you say that?" Lilian turned pink when she heard Aiden's words.
"Come on, it's not like it's false." Adrian, Sophie, and Lilian had a friendly relationship. Being in the same manager for four years, they were now in the stage where they could tease each other.
Well, that was before. Apparently, Sophie seemed to have changed. At least it was not noticeable yet to Lilian.
Lilian shifted her attention to Sophie and excitedly gestured to hug her.
Sophie was about to step back, but an iron grip held her wrist. In an instant, Lilian's arms enveloped her.
With no choice, Sophie reluctantly returned the hug and patted Lilian's back.
She forced a smile and spoke, "It looks like you're doing great, Lily."
Lilian beamed and said, "How about we hang out this weekend?" Lilian wanted to share this momentous event in her life with her friends, and what more could she think of as a great get together than spending their weekend with each other. She couldn't help but look forward to it.
Unfortunately, Sophie's reply doused her enthusiasm. "Sorry, but my weekend is booked."
Lilian was a little sad when she heard it and looked over at Adrian.
Her downcast face almost moved Adrian and made him agree. Nonetheless, he still answered, "Sorry, Lil. I already have an appointment. But we'll hang out next time for sure."
He gave her a regretful look.
Though unhappy, Lilian understood that they have their own work schedules, and it would be selfish of her to force them.
Lilian extinguished her sadness and said, "That's fine. But text me when both of you are available. I'd love to hang out with everyone again."
Carl listened to their conversation and decided to step in.
"Well, I gotta interrupt your talk now," Carl cut them off. He put his arms around Sophie and Adrian's shoulders and said to Lilian, "These two still have to take some pictures."
Before leaving, Carl paused, and his eyes shook with hesitation. In those brief seconds of contemplation, he released a puff. "You have to take care of yourself. You hear that, Lily?"
His tender and fatherly look was the last straw. His gaze and those accumulated rejection made a pool around Lilian's eyes.
She slightly bowed her head trying to cover the redness in her eyes. This man in front of her has been a prominent figure in these past four years of her life. She treasured his presence. And now, she's off to a new start.
A shadow masked her face.
She said in a quavering voice, "Got it."
She wanted to pour her heart out. She wanted to say more.
But instead, she lifted her head to meet his sight.
"No waterworks please." A Cheshire smile blossomed on her face. I'll be alright.
He was appeased by what he saw. Carl gave her one last rub on the head and said, "See you around."
The figure of the three of them gradually grew shorter as they walked away.
Maine glanced at the frame of the two artists. She scrunched up her brows. "Are they your friends?"
"Yeah," Lilian affirmed.
Maine was in a pensive mood, but she was quickly pulled out by Lilian.
"Come, let's go have lunch," she uttered, much more muted than before.
***
Arriving in the parking lot, Carl instructed them. "Wait here. I'll go get the car."
Adrian watched as Carl's silhouette meld into the dim light.
Now that Carl wasn't in ear's range, he drifted his attention toward Sophie.
She noticed his piercing stare and asked, "What?"
Adrian didn't want to play this game with her. He confronted her. "What's with your attitude toward Lily earlier?"
"What attitude? I don't know what you're talking about," she denied
"'My weekend is booked', really?!" He couldn't believe she said that.
"What? I was just telling the truth. I'm busy this Saturday and Sunday so I couldn't hang out with her. What's wrong with that? I also said sorry, didn't I?" Sophie was getting irritated by the pressuring stance Adrian was emitting.
"Oh come on," Adrian clicked his tongue. "If I didn't grab your hand, you would've stepped back and avoided Lily's hug."
Sophie was exasperated, but she held it in. She took a deep breath. "I was caught off guard by her actions and did that. I don't see any problem at all."
Adrian was having trouble controlling his emotions, heaving up and down. They've been friends for a couple of years; of course, he recognized when one of them was feigning ignorance.
Right now, he was really interested in prying her head open to see what was in it.
Lilian's stooping back when they left aroused guilt in him.
He was happy for his friend for achieving such a milestone in her career. In fact, he was jumping with joy when he first heard the news of her becoming famous.
He didn't know when, but Sophie's attitude toward Lilian slowly changed.
Of course Lilian wouldn't notice it since she has been busy these past couple of months, and paired with her character of being unable to see her friends in a bad light, he didn't expect any reaction from her. But the him that was always by Sophie's side detected that all too well.
"Don't think that I didn't see your hand clen—" his words were cut off with a honk.
A van pulled over. Carl slid the door open and motioned them to get in.
In her black boots, Sophie strode toward it. She ignored Adrian and directly walked past him.
Adrian frustratingly ran his fingers through his hair and tugged it.
He was stuck between rock and a hard place; any careless act would topple the peace surrounding them.
That would be a disaster.
He lingered. He stood on his spot.
Adrian felt burdened and looked up in vexation.
Eventually, he followed Sophie into the car.
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