Chapter 11 - Instructions

Jane woke up to the sound of the doorbell being pressed constantly. Sometimes she got annoyed with herself for being so easily woken by noises. It would be nice if she could sleep through it like other people.

Dragging herself out of bed, Jane walked to the door to see who had disturbed her peaceful sleep. She wondered who would visit her apartment and ring the bell so rudely. It couldn't be the landlord, as she only came around for late payments, and Jane had paid her rent through the end of the year.

So, who could it be?

Without bothering to check, she opened the door, only to be met by the angry face of her best friend.

"You! There's so much you need to explain to me!"

Of course, it was Kayla. Who else would be so disrespectful to her?

Without waiting for an invitation, Kayla barged into the apartment. She put her bag on the table and headed to the kitchen, opening every cabinet and the fridge, pulling out various food items, and starting to put on the apron that hung haphazardly on the hook.

Jane watched it all, propping her chin on her hand.

"Why did you quit your job?" Kayla asked, grabbing a frying pan and placing it on the stove.

Jane replied casually, "Your boss fired me."

Kayla froze at her answer.

"Impossible," she finally said after a moment of silence. "There's no good reason for her to fire you. You're—"

"Maybe someone bought me out, Kayla."

Jane didn't miss a detail as she recounted what had happened to her. The story seemed so extraordinary that Kayla just stood there, mouth agape, eyes wide as she reached the end of the tale.

"No, you must be joking," Kayla said, disbelief clear in her voice.

If only Kayla knew how much Jane wished she was joking. But since it was the reality they had to accept, she went to her room, grabbed the contract she had signed, and tossed it right at Kayla's face.

Kayla grumbled as the paper hit her, then read through the document, finally covering her mouth with one hand. "Oh my God! You're serious!"

Jane just smiled at Kayla, who now stared back at her.

"That Lexa is really an idiot," Kayla said cynically. "What am I supposed to do? I don't have any friends at work now."

Enjoying the warmth of the sofa where she was lying, Jane intended to continue her disrupted sleep, ignoring Kayla's ongoing complaints. She had barely closed her eyes for a few minutes when the doorbell rang again, once more disrupting her rest. Stomping her feet, Jane got up from the sofa to answer the door.

"Hi, Jane."

Her anger dissipated immediately upon seeing who was at her door.

It was Lucas, wearing a white shirt and black dress pants, with a tie completing his look. Jane didn't know Lucas could look even more handsome in office attire.

"Hi," Jane replied, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Sorry if I surprised you this early," Lucas said with a slight smile.

Jane shook her head. Kayla had already ruined her morning, so Lucas’s visit wasn’t a big deal.

"Come in," she said, stepping aside to let Lucas enter her apartment. After he entered, she closed the door.

Jane tried to be as polite as possible since Lucas was now her boss.

"Who is it—" Kayla started to say, stopping when she saw Lucas standing in the living room before being invited to sit.

Kayla quickly left the kitchen, stood next to Jane, and pinched her waist. "Ouch, what was that for?" Jane snapped.

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming?"

"You think I knew he'd be here?"

They whispered back and forth, making Lucas curious about their conversation. Guessing it was women’s business, he decided not to pry.

"Kayla, right?" Lucas asked, making Kayla nod enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling, perhaps surprised that Lucas remembered her.

"He even knows where you live?!" Kayla whispered to Jane again.

Jane just nodded, looking straight at Lucas. Of course, Lucas knew where she lived; he had insisted on driving her home from the hospital that day, even though she had refused and said she would take the train.

Both Jane and Kayla were curious about what Lucas had brought with him since he entered the apartment. Jane itched to ask but hesitated, thinking it might be business-related and not her concern.

"Am I disturbing you?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Kayla answered instead of Jane, her hands waving dismissively as if to firmly deny Lucas's question.

"Oh my, Jane!" Kayla suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot I have an appointment. I have to go." Without waiting for a response from Jane, she grabbed her bag, threw off the apron she was wearing, tossed it to Jane, and hurried out.

The door was almost closed, but she reopened it. Kayla poked her head back in with a slightly creepy smile, saying, "Bye, Lucas."

Lucas seemed about to respond, but Kayla shut the door first. She didn't realize she had left two people puzzled by her actions that morning.

Jane shrugged and went to the kitchen. "Have you had breakfast? Want me to make you something?"

"No, thank you."

"Then I'll make you coffee. No rejection," Jane insisted, skillfully grabbing a cup from the cabinet.

Setting a cup of her freshly made coffee on the table, Jane sat down, keeping a respectful distance from Lucas. He handed her something, which she accepted hesitantly.

"What’s this?" Jane asked, examining the folder-like object in her hands.

Lucas took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes to savor it. "It's a document containing information about me and your new details. I hope you can memorize it quickly because I will introduce you to my parents soon."

What could Jane do but agree to Lucas's instructions? He was the boss, and she was his obedient subordinate.

"I can't stay long. I need to get back to the office."

Lucas turned to leave but then stopped. "Oh, by the way," he said, turning back. "Your coffee is delicious," he added with a smile before leaving, not noticing how Jane's lips curved up at his compliment.