Chapter 5

Alexia.

Friday finally arrived and saying that I was glad was an understatement. We finished work three hours earlier than usual and I could hear the weekend whispering my name. I had just saved the document that I was working on and leaned back into my chair with a relieved sigh. Closing my eyes, I ran my hand over my face and allowed relaxation to take over my entire being.

"Don't you dare drop dead on me." I opened my eyes to see Luis walking towards me with a playful smile on her face. She had a black handbag and a few documents with her so, she must've been done with her work for the day.

I smiled at her. "Don't worry. I still have a long life ahead of me."

She sat at the edge of my desk. "Guess what I heard?"

"What?"

"It's about Saturday," she said as she gave me a stern look and the smile that graced her features was suddenly out of sight.

I sat upright. "I just tripped. You know how clumsy I get sometimes."

Her jaw dropped. "Seriously? You're not honest at all. Kendra, the new newspaper and coffee girl, told me all about it. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Y-you'd make it a big deal," I reasoned. With Luis slightly tipsy that night, she might have thrown some punches.

"A big deal? Of course it's a big deal! You can't just let her walk all over you like that." She began to rub her temples. "I wish that I could swear right now but due to company regulations, I'll be a good girl."

"I'm sorry, Luis. I already dealt with it and I'm okay now. At least people aren't saying much about it."

"That should be the least of your worries. Actually, don't even worry about what people are saying. Worry about the source." She ran a hand through her hair and groaned. "If only Tony hadn't dragged me out for a smoke. I would've kicked her ass! Fucking Sophia!"

"Language," I warned.

"You need to take care of yourself more." She smiled softly before saying, "It's good that we're hanging out today. We've gotten so busy these days that we rarely hang out as much as we used to."

My mood brightened and I switched off my computer before starting to gather my stuff. "Sure, let me pack up."

Before I could stand up, Michael came out of his office with his stuff and asked, "I'll be leaving now, Alex. Are you coming?"

"Uhm... Luis and I have plans today. Sorry," I answered apologetically.

He looked at Luis and she stared at him in response. Seeing that their exchange was going nowhere, I smacked her lower back lightly.

"H-hello, Mr. Clarkson!" Luis stammered, her voice too high and I was beyond shocked.

Wait! Back it up.

Luis stammered!?

I looked out the window. Were pigs flying too?

"Hello," he greeted back flatly then looked at me. "Have a good night then."

I turned my gaze to him and nodded. "You too, sir."

"Holy fuck. That man looks like he just crawled out of a wet dream!" Luis exclaimed after he left.

I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. For a moment there I almost thought that our roles had been reversed."

"By the way, what did he mean by 'are you coming'?" She asked, her voice still too high as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me.

"Shhh!" I hissed. "You are too loud, Luis! If the other women hear you, they'll be out for my blood."

"I'm sorry," she lowered her voice and spread her arms wide. "Spill the beans before I squeeze it out of you."

I stood up and grabbed my bag as I avoided her hug. "No need. Let's go to my place first."

She stood up as well. "Sure. Can I tell Tony to come over?"

"You know how much he hates it when we talk about men in front of him."

She chuckled and waved her hand about. "Just trying to get under his skin."

We made our way out of the building and I wondered how I was going to explain everything to my best friend without her freaking out.

~

Fifteen minutes later, Luis and I entered my apartment. Cookie, my Yorkipoo, ran to me with excited barks and sped around my feet in a cheerful dance. She had black fur all over except on her face, which was brown. I squatted and patted her fluffy head. "Hello Cookie, were you lonely?"

She barked and stood on her hind legs before licking my chin. I laughed and stood up before she became too excited. I didn't have the energy to keep up with her today.

"Welcome to my humble abode," I said to Luis, faking a british accent as I closed the door behind us.

Luis laughed and took off her coat. "I love what you've done with the place. The last time I came here, you didn't have much accessories." She put it on the coat hanger and took a seat on the sofa.

"I'm glad that you like it." I also took off my coat but I threw it at her instead. "I thought that such things weren't necessary, but they've added a certain charm that I wasn't expecting." I walked into the kitchen and peeped out the kitchen hatch to see Luis pull the coat away from her face and stick her tongue out at me.

"Didn't hurt," she taunted.

"It wasn't meant to," I said with a laugh.

"Thank you, but my revenge won't be as soft," she said as she neatly folded my coat and put it aside. "so.... Le beans?"

I hummed. "Michael and I recently started going home together." Her jaw dropped and I quickly added, "Only when getting off work, I assure you. And he drops me outside the building and no, I've never been to his house neither has he been to mine."

"I'm so happy for you!" She clasped her hands together dramatically and I could swear that there was a spotlight focused on her. "You finally have a man in your life. I was about to weep over your non-existent sex life."

"That was an irrelevant comment, Luis!" I yelled at her and was replied with bouts of laughter.

"Sorry. I yield." She wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed. "My pure, pure Alexia Samantha Lilyfield Dawnson." She paused. "Whoa, your name can make your groom bite his tongue on your wedding day."

"No teasing. You said that you'd yield," I complained as I pointed an accusing finger.

"White lie?" She shrugged and I glared. Pulling a straight face, she said, "I'm totally serious now."

"Back to the topic prior." I put water in the kettle and turned it on. "Michael and I are nothing more than CEO and P.A. This whole 'man in my life' thing, doesn't exist." I grabbed a can of dog food and opened it with a can opener.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course."

"Honestly. We're just together when we're at work or when he's dropping me home." I cut up the meaty, doggy grub with a spoon as Cookie starting barking at me impatiently.

She leaned back on the sofa. "Are you sure that that's all it is?"

I came out of the kitchen with Cookie's bowl. "Yeah. What else could be there?"

"He's so cold and stone faced to everyone else. I used to feel sad for you having to work for someone like that, but I see that that wasn't needed." She began to wiggle her toes and that seemed to attract Cookie's attention because she ran to Luis' feet and growled at her toes. "Tell me that this doesn't sound like a romance movie."

"He's not stone faced." I paused. "At least not after we began talking more."

"Ow!" She screamed and pulled her legs onto the sofa. "Bad dog. Cookie crumb, you beast!"

I laughed at the little thing she called a beast. "Don't be so harsh." I whistled and Cookie obediently ran towards me. I put down the bowl and the little cutie dug in. "Anyway, are you up for some coffee?"

"I prefer liquor but eh, coffee it is."

I went back to the kitchen and began to prepare the coffee. Although Luis and I were complete opposites, we've been together for fifteen years. She was a really popular girl in highschool while I was the shadow lurking in the hallways. Despite that, she was one of my first friends and she didn't pay too much attention to my disability.

I set a mug of coffee and a plate with two vanilla muffins in front of her and said, "Bon appetit, Luis Amber."

"Getting all formal now, are we?" She took a sip from the mug and hummed in appreciation. "I see you're living well with Cookie crumb."

"Yes. I love her."

"Wish you could say that about a man," she muttered as she innocently looked to the side.

"I heard you, you know. And you don't force love, it just hits you in the face."

"Says who?"

"Says the woman whose about to kick you out."

She pouted and looked at Cookie. "Cookie crumb, your owner's being mean to her bestie."

Cookie grumbled but continued eating, probably not concerned about anything but licking her bowl clean.

"But seriously, Alex. You're twenty-six and you've never been held by a man except for family hugs and those pathetic handshakes you gave your ex-boyfriends," she said and rolled her eyes at the last part.

I sipped my coffee. "I-I'm just really uncomfortable."

"I would have understood if you didn't want to give them your virginity but a little kiss on the lips won't give you a baby, girl."

"I just want to move at my own pace." Luis hummed as she watched me eat and being suspicious of that reaction, I asked, "What is it?"

"Would you allow Michael to touch you?" My eyes widened in shock and I chocked on my tea. She smirked. "Did I hit a bullseye there?"

"Don't be silly," I answered raspily and Luis rubbed my back as I tried to cough away the disturbance in my throat. When the coughing stopped, I glared at her and she gave me an apologetic smile. Grabbing the remote, I turned on the TV and went on N*****x. "Let's watch something interesting. Any suggestions?"

She chuckled. "I'll let you pick tonight. No teenage romcoms though."

The movie started and I didn't pay much attention to it because my mind kept wandering to what Luis had asked earlier. My feelings towards Michael weren't sexual, much less were they romantic, but the idea sent shivers down my spine. Giving my head a little shake, I focused on the TV again. I wasn't going to let Luis get in my head.