CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5: The Great Morning Disaster

Olivia Hart’s eyes fluttered open slowly, her mind foggy with sleep. For a split second, everything seemed perfect, the sheets were soft, the room was quiet, and the sun was filtering through the curtains in a golden glow. Then, like a hammer to her brain, the memory of today’s meeting with the production company hit her.

“Oh no… OH NO!”

Olivia bolted upright, her hair resembling a bird’s nest from a horror movie. Her eyes shot to the clock on her nightstand.

*10:45 a.m.*

Her breath caught in her throat. The meeting was in 30 minutes, and it was across town!

"Why didn’t I set an earlier alarm?!"

She leapt out of bed, her feet tangled in the sheets, sending her crashing to the floor in a heap. She groaned, staring up at the ceiling as if it were the one to blame for this disaster.

“Get it together, Olivia!”

Scrambling to her feet, she sped to the bathroom, her reflection catching her by surprise. Her hair was a riotous mess, her mascara from last night had smudged into panda eyes, and there was a pillow crease so deep on her cheek it could probably hold change.

“This is fine. I’ll fix this,” she muttered to herself. “I’ve got… twenty-five minutes.”

She slapped some toothpaste on her toothbrush with the speed of a raccoon rifling through a garbage bin, all while awkwardly hopping on one leg as she yanked her pants up with the other.

She grabbed the nearest outfit a wrinkled dress that had clearly seen better days throwing it over her head as she ran a brush through her hair. It wasn’t great, but it would have to do. A quick spritz of dry shampoo followed, clouding the room in a haze of “fake cleanliness.”

With a shaky hand, she smeared on some lip gloss, barely avoiding painting her chin by accident.

“Alright, Olivia, you’re going to rock this meeting.”

Then her phone rang. It was Lily, her assistant and sister, which could only mean one thing: trouble.

"Liv, where the heck are you? The meeting starts in twenty minutes, and you know these executives don’t wait."

"I know, I know!" Olivia was practically yelling as she stumbled around the apartment, searching for her shoes. “I’m on my way, don’t panic.”

Lily’s voice was not convinced. "You sound like you’re in your apartment."

“I’m in a cab!” Olivia lied, hopping on one foot as she finally found her shoes. “The driver is… just… slow!”

There was a long pause on the other end. “You’re not wearing pants, are you?”

Olivia winced, glancing down at her not-so-impressive outfit. “Technically, I’m wearing a dress.”

Lily groaned.

“You’ve got fifteen minutes, Liv. Please, please don’t make a scene when you get here.”

“No scene. Got it.”

Olivia sprinted out the door, realizing as she did that she had put on mismatched shoes. One stiletto, one sneaker.

---

By the time she arrived at the production company building, she was out of breath, out of patience, and just… out of dignity. She ran through the revolving door, dodging people like she was in an action movie, and made a beeline for the elevator.

Of course, the universe decided now was a great time for the elevator to take its sweet time. Olivia jabbed the button repeatedly, like that would somehow make it go faster.

As the doors finally opened, she dashed inside and hit the button for the eighth floor. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself to act cool and professional.

Then, just as the doors began to close, a hand stopped them. Olivia groaned internally.

Ethan Cole, that Ethan Cole, stepped inside the elevator, looking every bit the handsome billionaire with his crisp suit and casual confidence. His presence immediately sent her heart into a tailspin. Of course, he had to show up right now, just to make her life more complicated.

“Olivia,” he said with a smirk, clearly noticing her state of disarray. “Late again?”

She forced a smile. “Just fashionably late.”

He raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her mismatched shoes. “Very fashionable.”

Olivia’s face flushed with embarrassment. 'Of course he noticed the shoes.'

The elevator ride felt like an eternity, with Ethan casually leaning against the wall, completely composed, while Olivia tried her best not to look like she’d been dragged through a wind tunnel.

When the doors finally opened, Olivia shot out of the elevator like her life depended on it, giving Ethan a quick nod. “See you in the meeting!”

She practically sprinted into the conference room, her breath coming in short gasps. She collapsed into a chair just as the production team turned to look at her. There was Vivian, the stone-faced CEO of the production company, sitting at the head of the table, along with several high-level executives.

“Miss Hart,” Vivian greeted her with a tight smile. “So glad you could join us.”

Olivia cleared her throat, trying to act casual. “Yes, sorry, traffic was... well, traffic.”

Vivian nodded, though her expression was far from impressed. “Let’s get started then, shall we?”

Just as they began discussing the project, Olivia’s phone buzzed on the table. She glanced down and saw a text from Lily: 'You forgot to put on deodorant, didn’t you?'

Olivia winced. She definitely had. Now she was trapped in a room with high-powered execs and no escape from her own rising anxiety or the lack of deodorant.

---

The meeting droned on for what felt like hours, with Olivia trying her hardest to stay focused. Every time she looked across the table, Ethan’s amused gaze met hers, and she had to force herself not to roll her eyes. He was enjoying this far too much.

At one point, Vivian asked her a question about her availability for promotional events. Olivia, who had zoned out imagining what Ethan’s morning routine must be like (did he even sweat?), blinked and nodded furiously.

“Yes! Absolutely,” she said, hoping she hadn’t just agreed to skydiving or something equally terrifying.

Vivian raised an eyebrow. “You’re free next month for the European press tour, then?”

Olivia’s stomach dropped. “Uh… yes?”

Great. Now she had to block off half her schedule for a tour she wasn’t sure she was mentally prepared for.

---

As the meeting finally wrapped up, Olivia was ready to crawl under the table and never come out. But just as she was about to make her escape, Ethan appeared at her side, his smirk firmly in place.

"Quite the performance, Olivia," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.

She gave him a sidelong glance. “I’m sure you enjoyed every second of my public unraveling.”

He chuckled softly. “Maybe just a little. But you’re still standing, so that’s something.”

“Barely,” she muttered, then gave him a weary smile. “I’ll be more put together next time, I swear.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning in slightly. “I find your chaos entertaining.”

With that, he walked away, leaving Olivia standing there, flustered and completely off balance.

As she trudged out of the conference room, she sighed to herself. “Well, at least it can’t get worse.”

Her phone buzzed again. It was Lily: 'You’re trending. Apparently, mismatched shoes are the new thing.'

Olivia groaned, shoving her phone back in her bag.

“Next time,” she muttered to herself, “I’m setting six alarms.”