I unlocked the door and as I was one foot inside my house, I threw the bag on the floor and jumped on the sofa.

I was tired beyond words.

It had been a whole damn week at my new job, and let's just say that I needed to eat more with all the mental and physical work I had been doing lately.

I was starving, but I was sol tired that I didn't even want to get up and go to the kitchen to get myself something to eat because our dear boss here had other plans for me, rather than eating as he gave me a shit ton of work that I was asked to complete before my shift was over that I had to skip lunch.

Apparently, our boss wasn't a fan of eating food at its time, but I sure as hell was.

Papa being at the hospital didn't help either. I had to visit him after my shifts every day because I couldn't spend a damn day without listening to his awful dad jokes.

I whined and got up from the sofa as I went to my room to take a hot shower to soothe my sore muscles.

I put the bathrobe on and walked out of the bathroom as I made my way downstairs towards the kitchen with the bitter truth that no fairy God mother would be there to make me waffles.... or sweet potatoes..... or spaghetti tacos or anything as long as it was tasty.

After making a dry shit-looking sandwich, I made my way back to the living room and plopped down on the couch.

But, before I could fall asleep on the couch again, I had a heart attack.

"My bitchhhh," Zach squealed and jumped on me while he squeezed the living daylights out of my lungs.

"Fuck, I can't breathe, Zach," I gagged and the dumbass finally realised that he was doing domestic violence.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've missed you Belle," Zach explained and sat down on the couch beside me with a grin on his face.

"Sure you did," I rolled my eyes and he chuckled.

"By the way, I didn't give you the key to my house to sneak up on me any time you want. Learn some manners, Zachary," I sat my head in his lap and closed my eyes.

"Woah, lady said the full name. What's wrong, my love?" Zach asked as he ran his fingers through my hair; a weakness I gave into.

"Everything is wrong," I whined as I felt his body vibrate against mine in a light chuckle.

"How's Darren?" he asked and relaxed back on the couch with my head still in his lap.

"Oh, papa is fine. The doctors are just making a big deal out of it," I waved it off and Zach smiled down at as he lightly massaged my temples.

Zach and I were friends since like forever. I didn't remember spending even a day without him especially in my childhood years. He was the reason I survived high school. Zach was still trying to come out like his real self. He thought that he was bisexual but he wasn't sure of it. Honestly, I didn't care what he was. I just knew he was my best friend who had always been there when I needed him.

After mom passed away, Zach was the only person who kept me sane and helped me survive everything. When I wasn't in a condition to look after papa, he was there to help me. Honestly, I would gladly take a bullet for him.

But he did not need to know that.

"So how is your job going?" Zach asked and threw my head off his lap as he stood up.

"Yeah, screw you too," I rolled my eyes. "Job is fine. Apart from the fact that my boss is grumpy and he doesn't give two shits about anything other than his work, everything is great."

And as expected, Zach was not slow to ask,"Is he hot?"

"Greek God," I mumbled and snuggled in the cushion.

My eyes were drooping down when one again my head was lifted up and thrown in my best friend's lap. Without opening my eyes, I showed him my middle finger.

"Well I think I'll have the pizza all to myself now," I could practically hear the smirk on Zach's face.

I sat up with a crabby face and crossed my arms across my chest. Zach chuckled and stood up as he circled around the couch to pick the pizza boxes up from the table.

He sat down beside me and opened the box and I gave him a toothy smile as I picked the largest piece and started eating it like I'd been starving for decades.

"I love you, you know," I said while chewing the extra cheese pizza and Zach chuckled.

"I love you, too," he smiled.

**********

The next day I woke up, got ready, and went to the kitchen to toast a slice of bread and eat it.

As I was eating my half burnt toast and sipping my coffee, I heard Zach snoring on the couch and smiled to myself. Last night Zach and I talked for hours and, just like always, I obviously fell asleep with my head in his lap.

But Zach was kind enough to tuck me in my bed and sleep on the couch himself. Despite me telling him that he could sleep in papa's room as papa wasn't home, or he could share the bed with me, he still insisted on sleeping on the couch.

I left him a note writing papa's ward number etcetera in case he wanted to meet him because I wasn't sure if he would be home when I came back.

Since the day I bought Mr. Rhodes a coffee, he told me that from then onwards it was my duty to get him the same coffee every morning and for that I had to stop at Starbucks every single day.

Yay life.

I silently said a prayer as I knocked on Mr. Rhodes' office door. I didn't know why, but just being in the same room as him made me all nervous and dumbstruck and hormonal and fr-

"Come inside," just like every other day, I heard his voice and held my breath to step inside.

Alex was obviously here, using his phone and Mr. Rhodes on his chair, buried in work.

Everything was perfect.

From the last week that I had worked here, I gathered that Alex was not as bad as Mr. Rhodes was. In fact he was quiet a chill person. He was friendly, talkative, easy to approach and everything Mr. Rhodes was not. The two to three times I had talked with Alex, I concluded that he was such a charmer.

"If this isn't Isabelle with her famous cup of coffee again," Alex looked up from his phone and sighed.

"I don't make this coffee," I chuckled and shook my head as I brought my eyes to Mr. Rhodes who still hadn't looked up from his laptop.

I still wasn't sure, but it seemed as if Mr. Rhodes didn't like when I talked with Alex.

I mean come on, unlike him, humans were supposed to interact with each other to survive.

"Is my presentation for the meeting reviewed, Miss Reinhart?"

Good morning to you too, grumpy ass.

"Yes, Mr. Rhodes, I sent them on your e-mail address yesterday before leaving," I forced a smile and he nodded.

"Very well then, you're accompanying me to the hall today," he so casually stated and I almost yelled a 'what the fuck' at his face.

I looked like homeless person in the dress that I was wearing today. If he wanted me to go with him in the meeting, then he should've told me yesterday.

"Of course, Mr. Rhodes," I said through gritted teeth and took a step back towards the door.

"I expect you both to be here in my office at sharp 2:45 pm so that we can discuss the further plans," Mr. Rhodes looked at Alex who had an amused smile on his face and then at me, and I was positive I looked as if someone had just told me that my husband died three days ago while mowing the lawn at five in the morning.

Guess who's getting a cardiac attack today?

********************

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