Chapter 17: Sarah’s Intervention ♥╣[-_-]╠♥
Sarah held him close tightly, her hand still gently stroking the back of his head... As he leaned in closer and sniffed her neck, breathing in, trying to compose himself, the familiar scent of her perfume was a small comfort amidst the toxic emotions in his head...
"Babe, no matter what happens... I would always have your back, okay?" she whispered, her voice muffled as she leaned against his shoulder... "I know that girl... Yamamoto. She can be really difficult sometimes, but babe. Don’t let her get to you."
Her understanding, her immediate defense of him, was now his emotional comfort... He hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear those words, but not just from anyone...from her personally...
He slowly wrapped his arms around her back, returning her hugs, leaning into her body’s warmth... The humiliation still lingered in his mind, but it felt a little less overwhelming with her there...
After a few minutes, Sarah gently pulled back, her hands still resting on his arms. Her eyes, still slightly watery from seeing his distressed expression, she held back her tears... She knew that if she cried, it would only add to Leo’s emotional distress.
"Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. You can’t walk around looking like that."
She led him towards a small employee restroom nearby, a cramped space with fluorescent bulbs above them that seemed to highlight his every flaw... Leo looked at himself in the mirror... His reflection was a complete mess... Coffee dripped from his hair down to the tile, his uniform was soaked, and his face was still flushed with embarrassment...
"Here," Sarah said, leading him towards the restroom sink, dampening a paper towel with water. She then gently dabbed at his face, her touch was soft and careful...
"You know, this is exactly why I wanted you to come with me to the modeling and movie set sometimes. So you could see this side of things. It’s not all glamour and red carpets or fashion. There’s a lot of stress, pressure, a lot of big egos."
Leo managed to force a weak smile. "I guess I got the full experience in one day."