big changes [erika]

"Errrriikkaaaa!" A voice rang out, echoing down the hallway, the urgent but excited tone filling the quiet apartment.

Lulu Prescott was juggling quite a few things. She had a box of things from her office levitating on her right and a bag of groceries on her left hip and her sky blue purse bumping against her back. She quickly deposited the box near the front door, kicking it to the side as she slipped off her pumps, rushing to get into the main room to find her friend.

It had been one helluva day for Lulu. She had been offered a new job by some kajillionaire man who held his business meetings in the middle of a grand ballroom, accepted his job offer, and quit her job at the Ministry! Lulu, a girl who was usually too afraid to do anything daring and reckless like this, had made waves! She was still reeling from the upheaval of changes that had swept her away today and in her excitement, had stopped by the store to get a few ingredients for the best cocktails she could imagine, a three tiered cake all in pink, and some bonbons she couldn't resist.

The sky was tinged with lavender and reds as the sun set as she was home later than usual due to all of the day's activities, but she was so happy that today of all days was one that her best friend was not out on some adventure in some country Lulu had never been before. "Erika!" she exclaimed as she finally had everything out of her arms and had spied her roommate coming toward her. Lulu stopped, a ridiculously happy grin on her face, and flung her arms out wide. "I quit my job!" she confessed proudly. She then proceeded to stamp her feet in a little happy dance as she squeezed her eyes shut, and clasped her hands in front of her.

Oh gosh.

Sat on the comfy, squishy sofa in the living room, Erika was glued to the television. Erika and Lulu lived in a Muggle community for a number of reasons. One, the rent was cheaper. Two, it was in a great location and three, it was crap loads of fun. She'd bought the television on a whim because her neighbours had one. There was also a phone that Erika wasn't sure what to do and she started to scream whenever it began to ring.

The tall blonde was dressed in a plain white tee shirt and a pair of Murphy's boxer shorts. Originally, she was going to steal a shirt of his because they felt nice and they smelt al manly but when she examined it, the act seemed a bit…couple-y? Erika had pretty much fallen for the Healer but she hadn't realised it quite yet. The underwear (which she wore over her own) were clean and comfortable and fit her just snugly with enough room to wander around in. Her long bare legs were folded underneath her, her feet tucked into some fuzzy socks and a half eaten box of chocolates on her lap.

"Oh no, Paolo!" The treasure hunter gasped at the screen, her deeply blue eyes wide in shock as a tall, dark haired man stared broodily into space. She was watching a telenovela. And it was entirely in Spanish. It had a lot of fighting and hair tossing and door slamming and it was amazing. Seeing as Erika usually worked three months on, three months off, her days were usually spent watching television. Paolo and Rita were having an argument. Rita had been cheating and Paolo had just found out and the actors on screen were arguing. Paolo was holding Rita as she tried to hit him, screaming obscenities in Spanish and Erika had no idea what was going on. But she liked it.

The language was rapid and loud and her eyes flicked back and forth as she shovelled another caramel cream chocolate into her face and chewed hurriedly. "Rita, you're such a slut!" She yelled at the screen, feeling a strong connection to poor, lovely Paolo. He was gentle and kind and worked on his father's farm nearby. Totally enraptured, she chewed another chocolate as he pulled Rita in for another long and totally melodramatic kiss, the exact same time as the front door flung open and the chocolates went up in the air as Erika screamed in surprise. She was up and off the sofa fast. "Lulu?" She called, opening the living room door. First she saw the cake, the cocktails and then the cardboard box. Hang on.

"You did what?!"

Erika's jaw dropped open as she stared at her friend. She'd bought a cake and…quit her job? Sure she knew her Ministry job was as exciting as watching paint dry but to quit? Really? Holy shitballs. How were they going to make rent? Oh. Wait. Erika had plenty of money and she wasn't thinking straight. "Wait, wait, wait," she said, flapping her hands at her friend. "You quit? Just now?" Oh dear. Her father would be positively apoplectic with rage and the thought made her grin quickly.

"Yeeeah!" Erika squealed, throwing her hands up in the air triumphantly as she joined in her best friend's happy dance by wiggling her hips and flapping her hands around. The Trickett was plenty of things but elegant, she was not. The setting sun cast a beautiful colour on the white walls of the living room as she threw her arms around Lulu's neck and pulled her into an affectionate hug. "I'm so proud of you!" She gushed, eyes wide as she laughed. "What brought this on?" She asked. What about Jarrod, her office crush? Now that they didn't work together, there was no reason why she couldn't ask him out. "Little Louise Precott," she grinned, cocking her head. "Well knock me over with a feather. Shall we have a sacrificial bonfire?" She asked, gesturing to cardboard box that was levitating.

"But first, margaritaaaas!" Erika exclaimed in her best Mexican accent, clicking her fingers together like castanets and totally misrepresenting the culture. Flailing, she grabbed the bags from Lulu head headed to the kitchen, popping bottles and opening cupboards before pouring various liquors into some mismatching glasses. Throwing in some ice, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and covering the rim in sugar, she handed her friend a glass and clinked them together in a cheers. Erika took a sip and instantly gagged, eyes watering and she started to cough. "Blimey," she offered as she blinked. "Too much tequila. I'm gonna put more into them."

"I quit my job!" she repeated again for Eri, a grin on her face, her heart swelling when her friend wrapped her in a warm hug and told her she was proud. "And I have another job already! Just wait til you here it all. I marched into Mr. Thorne's office and quit and then I told Mildred her sweater was ugly and walked out of there with a huge smile! And I got stuff for margaritas! Oh! And a cake! I couldn't resist," Lulu confessed with another smile as she followed her friend into the kitchen. Her excitement was abundantly evident. She was nearly bursting out of her own skin.

She set the cake on the counter, pulling open a drawer to get a knife, her long fingers brandishing it with a flash. She cut generous slices of cake but stopped before she plated them to take the margarita from Eri. Lulu clinked her glass against her friend's happily  and took a sip. Her face squished for a few seconds as she swallowed but she shrugged and took another sip anyway. Lulu wasn't much of a drinker, but tonight she was in the mood to celebrate! As Eri worked on the margaritas, Lulu moved the slices of velvety cake onto plates and pushed one across the counter to the blonde.

"So! I was sent to this kajillionaire's house to hand deliver some paperwork that needed signing. The house was ammaazzzzing!" she drawled, her eyes wide as she remembered the elegance and beauty of the house that had pretty much been a palace. "The man had his office set up in the middle of a ballroom! A ballroom, Eri! He was gorgeous but a little intimidating and I was nervous because Mr. Thorne wanted the paperwork signed quickly. And then he offered me a job! He wanted me to quit and work for him as his personal assistant! He offered me more money than I make now! And he said I would get to travel with him! And that he would take me to his personal tailor for hand-made clothing!!"

As she went on, her voice got higher and higher with the excitement, her grey blue eyes gleaming happily. "I quit my job!" she repeated, still in astonishment at her own actions of the day. Then she exhaled heavily as she unshouldered the load of what had happened today. She bit her lip and sipped at her margarita, not even reacting to the fact that the tequila was too strong. Unease crept in and cast a shadow over her. Lulu looked back to her friend, eyes wide, as she repeated once more "I quit my job" but this time, it was whispered with a slight edge of horror.

Lulu reached out and clasped a hand around Erika's wrist, squeezing it with apprehension. "Do you think I'm crazy?" she whispered, her need of approval showing its face. Then she glanced down at her toes on the white tile of their kitchen, her red nail polish shining up at her. "My da is going to kill me."

"Eeee!" Erika chorused, bouncing on the spot happily as she applauded her friend's bold decision. "You do?" The tall blonde asked incredulously, her navy blue eyes wide with wonder. How did Lulu do that? Maybe it was karma. Good things came to good people, that was certainly true in this case. As she was told to wait, she nodded and sipped her yellow drink. "Mildred's sweater was ugly," she agreed and nodded. "And it smelled like cat," she wrinkled her nose and then gagged. Nasty. Mildred was snooty and dressed like a librarian with a demeanour to match. She had the sneaking suspicion that she hated Lulu purely because she was younger, prettier and not a dickhead.

"Caaake!" The treasure hunter followed her friend, making grabby hands at her bestie before taking the plate. She picked up the slice and chewed, making happy noises and getting cream all on her fingers but she didn't really care. Who needed a fork anyway, right? "So good," she nodded eagerly before she drained her drink and gagged again. "This is disgusting," she added before taking the blender and filling up both of their glasses again. "Have another one."

What was a kajillionaire?

"A ballroom?" Erika echoed, eyes wide, powdered sugar stuck above her upper lip like a frosty moustache as she gulped down more of the jet fuel cocktail. "Yeah?" She asked with a glow grin. "How gorgeous?" She pressed Lulu, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. She sometimes worried about her friend. She'd been single for a while and she knew that she didn't like being alone. As they were unable to have a pet, she thought a boyfriend might be a nice replacement. "Does he have any rich friends?" She joked, winking melodramatically.

"Woah woah woah," the tall blonde said, holding up a hand as she tried to play catch up. "He made you quit your job? So you can be his personal assistant? Where is he taking you?" Erika asked with narrowed eyed before she snorted with laughter. "Jackpot!" She called. "And hand made clothes? Oooh girl, you better come home and give me a runway show, mm-hm," Erika said in a very bad sassy American accent, snapping her fingers in a Z formation as she pursed her lips. Damn. So lucky! Lulu loved clothes and she was getting an entire new wardrobe from some strange rich man?

"Louise Prescott," the treasure hunter replied, grinning as she tilted her head. "Finally getting what she wants in life. I'm so pleased," she gushed and she was. Erika had sat back and watched Lulu work at a job she hated, just because it paid the bills. It was drab and boring and monotonous and nothing like the bright, beautiful and vivacious girl that she was. This new mystery man sounded like a change for the better, for sure. "Tell me more about Mr. Moneybags," she insisted, drinking the cocktail some more. "He's not mental, right?" She asked Lulu sharply with a slim eyebrow arched in question.

"Yeah you did!" Erika cheered, throwing her arms in the air triumphantly, spilling her margarita everywhere but she barely noticed. Erika's grin faltered as she watched the realisation settle in. "Lou?" She asked carefully, watching her closely. "Hello?" She called, waving a hand in front of the other girl's face, starting to panic as she watched Lulu's emotions flicker across her pretty face like an open book. Oh shit balls; she was having a crisis.

"Ooof," Erika grunted, taking a step towards Lulu. "No. Of course I don't think you're crazy," she soothed her. "But I do think that you're holding onto my arm too tightly," she joked with a smile. "I think you made the right call," she said with certainty before nodding again. "That job was laaaaame-o, Lu! It paid barely anything and it was boring and you hated it and your boss was a twatwaffle and didn't realise how great you are," she said kindly, nodding with wide eyes and smiling. "Mr. Moneybags obviously saw your potential," she said. "You needed a change. Your Ministry job was dead end and everyone wore brown suits and ate cardboard sandwiches for lunch and clocked off and trudged home to their equally dull and boring families. Lu," she began, looking directly at her. "You needed this. That job was squashing your spirit and that's super uncool and stuff, mmhm." Oh wow. That tequila was going straight to her head. Fwee!

"Pfft, no way," Erika pooh-poohed her friend's concern as she flapped her hand at her nonchalantly. "Your dad is lovely but he's too traditional. He's stuffy and straight laced like Adrian," she said, referring to Lulu's eldest brother. "Remember that Halloween party when I turned up as Cleopatra?" She asked her friend. "I had on all the eyeliner and the gold bikini thing? Yeah. He didn't even look at my boobs I mean, come on," she exclaimed, pointing to her chest. "These things are great and your brother is a dolt and he needs to lighten up. He didn't even compliment my belly ring. Rude."

"Your dad should be proud of what a strong, confident and independent woman you are," she said fondly, slinging an arm around Lulu's shoulder clumsily. "And if he gets mad at you, I'll set fire to his door mat. Yup. More cake?"

Lulu happily munched on cake and sipped at her too-strong margarita. But she cared not. This was a serious catchup sesh and it occurred to Lulu that she was very lucky to have someone like Erika in her life. She smiled as Erika reacted in all the right places. "Really, very handsome. Like an old world handsome," Lulu detailed, her eyes up at the ceiling as she recalled the man's looks. Then she looked back at her friend and grinned. "You'd like him." Mr. Bojkov and Erika? Well Lulu was a bit of a matchmaker and what girl didn't like a rich boyfriend to lavish gifts on her?

"He didn't make me quit my job," Lulu said, correcting her friend before she got the wrong idea. "He just suggested it, you know? Since he was offering me a better job and all? And somehow he knew that I didn't like my job at the Ministry. Merlin only knows how he knew that!" She sipped at her margita as she lifted a shoulder in a dainty shrug. "Not sure entirely. Although he did say travel was part of the job." Her eyes lit up as a new thought occurred to her. "What if I get to travel to France every weekend as my job?!! How amaaazing would that be, Eri!" It was no secret that Lulu loved France. Paris specifically and any thought of spending time in that city and getting paid for it blew her mind.

Lulu's smile grew larger and she squeezed her hands together as she shook her head, her hair cascading around her face. Yes a new wardrobe! She was so excited she didn't know what to do with herself. "I'll show you everything! We can share too!"

Hearing Eri's praise made her blush and she couldn't hold herself back. She threw one arm around her friend's shoulders and squeezed. Her friend's approval of the hasty decision she had made only made this day much, much better. "No, of course he's not mental!" Lulu said with a laugh as she broke off another piece of cake. Of course... she didn't really know that, but she didn't want Eri to think she should be placed in a mental institution herself. Mr. Bojkov was... well unique. Nothing wrong with that right?

She was glad that Erika was there for her, but mumbled an apology anyway as she loosened her grip on her arm. It was easy to see that she clung to every word her friend said anyway. Desperate for someone to confirm for her that she had made a good choice. Every justification that Erika voiced made Lulu feel a bit better and she nodded in agreement to her points. Yes, she did think her Ministry job was boring. Mildred really was a horrid girl to work with. Mr. Bojkov obviously wanted her for his assistant for some reason... even if she wasn't sure what that was yet. And she was feeling really down about her job and her life in general and what direction it had been heading in. Lulu glanced up at her friend with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Well he was still with his girlfriend.." Lulu murmured in defense of her brother even though she knew there was some truth to what Erika had said. Erika had been an absolute sexpot in that costume and Adrian really hadn't even noticed. She exhaled with a big breath as she leaned her head on Erika's shoulders and nodded. "Maybe he'll never find out?" she offered with a hopeful smile. And then decided to push off all the worrying thoughts. She nodded eagerly for more cake and then lifted her margarita glass and took a big slurp. "You up for celebrating tonight? Maybe hit the club with Monica and Ging?" she asked, naming two of their mutual friends. Lulu was definitely up for shaking it and she knew she had the perfect outfit for it too!

"Oooh," Erika replied, her deeply blue eyes widening. "I like boys like that," she mused, twirling a stray lock of her blonde hair around her index finger dreamily as she sighed. She didn't really have a "type". She supposed she liked the classics. Tall, broad shouldered, strong jaw, big hands…maybe someone who didn't mind throwing her over his shoulder every once in a while. Something like that. Yeah. She laughed. "I'm sure I would," she snorted, giggling into her haphazardly made cocktail. "What's he like?" She asked, interested. To her, he sounded like a bit of an oddball.

"Alright, alright," the tall blonde chided with a lopsided grin, attempting to calm her bestie down a little. Lulu was already defending her new boss? Damn. She really must have hated her Ministry job. "Bleck," Erika replied with a wrinkled nose as she sipped her tequila once again, pausing only to take another clumsy mouthful of cake. "Who would like a job at the Ministry?" She asked, making it sound like it was the worst thing in the world and to her, it was. Nine to five, the same routine, the same four walls, pen pushing, filing, eating boring sandwiches every day for lunch. No thanks.

"Travel!" Erika exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air, causing some of her cocktail to slosh on the floor. "Amazingly amazing!" She called back, wiggling her bum a little in her traditional happy dance. "Maybe you should consider renting an apartment or something," she offered casually. "You know, like a holiday home? You can rent it for a few weeks or months a year. If you do end up going back and forth to France, it'd be cheaper because I know you'd be spending your wages on shoes, not improving the ancient Parisian plumbing systems," she joked, winking.

Erika just grinned. It was about time that her best friend got a break. Her father and forced and herded her into a career she didn't want nor need but finally she was getting somewhere and she couldn't be any more happier for her. "Really?" The blonde asked, eyes wide, touched that Lulu would offer to share. Her friend was slimmer and taller than Erika was so she figured the only thing she'd be able to borrow from her new wardrobe would be shoes and bags. Erika didn't really have a "style". She was very much a jeans and tee shirt kinda girl, much to Lulu's chagrin.

"He seems a bit bonkers," she offered candidly, shrugging again as she sipped her drink. "Not that you aren't qualified for the position," Erika said kindly with another smile. "Because you know you are. It just seems a bit out of the blue," she mused with a thoughtful frown. "Still! The world works in mysterious ways. I hope you have fun," she said brightly. "And if you want me to stop by the Ministry and verbally abuse Mildred for you, I can so totally do that. I'm free all tomorrow morning."

"Pfft," Erika said with a roll of her eyes. "Adrian wouldn't know fun if it gave him a lap dance," she said darkly, scowling suddenly. It wasn't that she was interested in pursuing a relationship with Lulu's elder brother, it was simply that he seemed not to notice her. She'd been dressed up as the Queen of the Nile, in a navel-baring outfit with tones of eye liner and a belly dancer's belt and what she did get? Zilch. Nada. Sod all. "If you ask me, it's a total waste," she blabbered on. "He's hot. He's just boring. I bet his idea of a hot date is staying in and filling out his tax returns." It was unfair. She was tempted to dress up as a sexy elf and stop by his office, just for giggles.

"Maybe," she grinned, downing the last of her glass. "If not, I'll distract him and don't worry," she was quick to say, holding up a hand to stop her friend's complaint. "I won't get my boobs out in front of your dad," she said plainly. Erika's idea of a distraction usually was boobs.

"Always!" The treasure hunter called cheerfully. "Just let me get out of this first," she said, plucking at Murphy's dark grey tee shirt. He asked her if she'd seen it and she'd lied and said no because it was comfy. It was her television and reading tee shirt, it was soft and warm and oversized in just the right way. He wasn't getting it back. Erika was sort of like a magpie, she tended to just keep things. Not steal, more….like collecting items. If Murphy got shirty with her, she'd just buy him another, more expensive one or something.

Reaching up, Erika untied her hair, grabbed Lulu and clumsily ran up the stairs, giggling on the way. "I need help!" She called over her shoulder, yanking open her meagre wardrobe and rummaging through it. There were jeans and jumper and a few dresses. They were all short and rather figure hugging. She had a great bum or so she'd been told. There was a rather sexy black one with a short hemline and it was backless…but it was freezing outside. Pulling a face, she thumbed through the hangers, pausing on a shock of violet and a rather drab looking pale pink midi-length dress that her nanna had given her for Christmas. Rather than throw it out, she'd considered maybe taking up the hemline, getting rid of the sleeves and making it look decent.

"How about this?" Erika asked, holding a figure hugging white dress against her lithe body. "My bum looks really great in this," she explained.

Lulu grinned at Erika's reaction to her new boss (new boss! how strange!) and shook her head. She knew Erika would like him (what boy didn't she like?) and the brunette was itching to set them up together. Except how awkward would that be if Mr. Bojkov wasn't interested.. or Erika didn't like how bossy he was. Hmm. Better rethink this one, Prescott. Nevertheless, Lulu forged on in answering her friend's questions. "I don't know all that much about him. It all went by so fast and I was shocked by his job proposal, you know? But he's always been very involved with our department.. but more with the Wizarding Chess Tournament and such. Mildred is always saying he's very particular and that's why I had to go deliver the paperwork in person... I hope that's particular as in choosy and not particular in the bat-shit-crazy, weird sort of sense?" Lulu looked to Erika with a speculative look on her face and thought the first day of work was going to be interesting at least.

The brunette just rolled her eyes at Erika's dislike about Ministry jobs and tried to ignore the little pain that shot through her chest. Who wanted to work at the Ministry? I did.. once upon a time, she thought, reflecting back on her desire to become an Auror, something that hadn't been possible due to her marks. She sighed with longing, but as always, Erika changed subjects and was able to pull her attention.

"A holiday home?" Lulu gasped, both beyond excited at the idea and dubious at the same time. "How can I afford that?" she blurted out before realizing that's what she always used to say about everything she wanted... but now that she had a new salary, she might had to rethink some things. "I could have my own apartment in Paris?!" she said, her voice going up and up in pitch until she was almost squeaking. Just the thought of it made her stomp her feet in that little excited dance she had and she squeezed her hands together around her margarita glass. "I don't know how often he travels to France or for how long, but wouldn't it be absolutely amazing if I could do that! Live in France! Maybe above a little bistro where I could go down in the mornings and get a crepe or cafe au lait?" she said, dreaming the details already, adding in a (horrible) French accent at the end even.

As conversation drifted back to her boss and the 'why me' question came up again, Lulu nodded. She was excited and surprised, but there was a little bit of doubt in the back of her mind. She still couldn't figure out why he wanted her. It was something she would try to get to the bottom of the next time she saw him. Or whenever she stopped being intimidated by him. If that ever happened. Erika's mention of Mildred made her grin devilishly even though she tried to hide it. "Oh! Tell her that she needs to get rid of that gray, ugly sweater she wears almost every day and that her breath smells and that no one wants to see more pictures of her moles or that she shouldn't bring fish into the office for lunch everyday and smelling up the whole office!" Lulu had obviously been holding a few things back while working with that horrid woman..

"Adrian can be fun.." Lulu murmured, eyes on the cake as she picked off another piece. She tried to come up with concrete examples, but she failed. She loved her brother and even if he wasn't exactly a 'fun' guy, he did make her laugh. And he was always there for her.. Oh Adrian. Lulu was nodding and taking another sip of her margarita and then almost choked on it when Erika admitted that she wouldn't distract her da with her books. "I should hope not!" Lulu stammered out, surprised, but laughing her way through it.

I need help! Lulu brightened as the blonde called out to her and set her glass down hastily to follow. Outfit assistance? That was pretty much Lulu's special power. And she knew Erika needed all the help she could get. She was worried her party outfits would always turn out to be jeans and a tshirt. Ugh. Lulu sat on the edge of the bed, one long leg crossed over the other, as she watched with interest as Erika pulled item after item out of the closet. "Oh, this one is cute!" she said once about a little red number with gold accents at the collar and then again as a black slinky dress fell her way. The brunette really just wanted to wear them all, she just loved clothes so so much.

She was practically petting the red dress when Erika pulled her attention. "Oh!" Lulu said with bright eyes as she assessed the white dress her friend held. Tight, good coloring compared to Erika's blonde hair and tanned skin, good neckline, hem was short but not too short, and the material looked flexible enough that she would still be able to do all her dance moves without restriction. "Prescott-approved!" she sang out as she hopped up and grabbed the red dress she had latched onto. "I like this one," she said as she stuck one leg out and laid the dress across herself, shimmying to fully show off the outfit.

Erika snorted, covering her mouth with her free hand. It was so like Lulu to accept a job proposal from a perfect stranger but then again, she wouldn't want her to change her beautiful  trusting streak she had. It was endearing. "Chess?" She asked, her perfect eyebrows furrowing as she pulled a face. "Like…competitively?" She asked, sceptically with an arched eyebrow. "People do that?" She stated, sounding mystified as she wrinkled her nose again. "Goodness," she whispered, her eyes wide. "The room where it's held must smell like virginity and acne treatment potions."

"Probably bat shit crazy," Erika offered helpfully with a grin. "Kidding! I'm kidding. Some people get a bit pernickety over personal stuff. I don't," she said with a shrug. Lulu knew that. She left her bank statements open and her knickers hanging off door knobs so her friend knew that she was pretty easy going when it came to that sort of thing.

"I could help you," Erika said quickly, her big blue eyes shining brightly with excitement. She did have disposable income and what better to spend it on than helping her best friend have a home where she'd always wanted to live? Yeah! "Did you ask about the pay and conditions?" The tall blonde asked suddenly, remembering. "It's got to be better than your rubbish Ministry salary anyway," she scoffed, flapping her hand through the air and now feeling the effects of that uber strong margarita.

"Paris is lovely, you deserve it and of course you can!" The treasure hunter exclaimed, joining in Lulu's happy dance with her own disjointed hip wiggling number as she shimmied around their pristine kitchen. A tiny part of her heart felt a pang of pain. Erika was so reliant on Lulu for everything. Her friend was the one that tended to cook and clean, made sure all of the bills got paid on time. If she left, what would she do? She didn't think Murphy would want to come over and help her go through her utility bills with her.

Unable to help herself, she giggled again, her little black rain cloud disappearing instantly at her bestie's terrible impression. "Sure!" She said, clapping her hands and spilling her margarita a little as she did so clumsily. "You can have your very own fairytale. Maybe meet a tall, dashing Frenchman under the Eiffel Tower, ma cherie," Erika purred in an equally bad accent as she wiggled her eyebrows at her friend suggestively. Paris was full of beautiful men but most of them were gay and the rest were misogynistic doo-doo heads.

Erika's eyes widened considerably. Where was the sweet, nice Lulu? She'd been replaced by this brassy, independent girl and she was thrilled. The blonde stayed silent and watched in rapt attention, her jaw hanging open a little as Lulu went full throttle on Mildred. Blinking three times in rapid succession, she took a noisy slurp of her drink. "Damn," she said, sounding both amazed and impressed. "Been holding onto that anger for long, babe?" Erika laughed. "I like this new you! And did she really show you pictures of her moles?" She asked, looking disgusted. "And who eats fish for lunch?" Erika was utterly appalled. That can't be correct office etiquette. Yack.

"He's not fun," she said quickly, closing her friend down. "He's a drag but Jimmy," she said, lighting up. "Jimmy is a hoot. I love him. What's he up to now?" Erika had a soft spot for Lulu's youngest brother. He was hilarious and flirty and drank shots and has slept with half of London. Amazing. Helpfully patting the other girl on the back, she smiled. "I said I wouldn't," she replied brightly. "He'd probably stop inviting me to Sunday lunch if I did that," she frowned. She had the sneaking suspicion that Lulu's father didn't like her that much and she couldn't figure out why.

"I think I need more dresses," Erika lamented, suddenly feeling morose. "I think I need something to knock Murphy's socks off," she added. Honestly? She was having fun but she had a feeling that he might be getting bored and she was not boring. Nope. She was not. She was sexy. She was R-rated sexy. Plucking at her clothes disdainfully, she sighed heavily and her shoulders dropped in defeat. She liked Murphy a lot. It was like they were dating but without any of the bad  bits. They had great sex and company and had fun goofing around but they didn't share problems, have fights and they didn't need to shoulder each other's burdens because they didn't discuss them with one another.

"That's amazing," she gasped, her eyes wide. "Miss. Lulu Prescott, look at you, you little sex kitten!" She laughed. "Where have you been hiding those legs, lady?" She tutted. Come summer, you best be wearing shorts every day. Hold on." With that, Erika stripped. She wasn't shy. Off came her ratty borrowed tee shirt and shorts as she wriggled into her white body con dress, letting out a grunt of annoyance as the lycra clung invasively. Pulling up the zip, she collapsed on the bed, red faced and out of breath.

"The things I do for fashion," she groaned, coughing. Sitting up suddenly, she wiggled her bare toes. "Are white shoes too 1970s and not in the good way?"