Chapter 27

Chapter 27

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"Likewise, boss. I am glad to be here."  

"I can see you have made your touches all around the place," Ward said as he smiled.  

"Yes, boss. I couldn't stand the look of it. If I'm going to be your PA, some of the duty of cleanup falls on me."  

"Well then, thank you once again. It will be nice having you about."  

"Oh, you don't need to mention it, as long as I'm getting paid for this."  

Ward smiled at her. "It's all about the money with you, isn't it?"  

"Just trying to keep things professional," Justine said with a smile.  

***  

"Why does everything between us have to be so professional?" he asked, leaning against the edge of her new desk, arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. "I mean, we were just on a date the other day. I thought it went well. I felt a connection."  

His voice was light, teasing, but there was something else beneath it—uncertainty, maybe even disappointment.  

Justine inhaled sharply, momentarily caught off guard. She had been hoping to ease into her first day, not dive headfirst into a conversation she wasn’t sure she was ready for. She coughed abruptly, as if clearing away the awkwardness lingering in the air.  

---

“Well, I felt the opposite,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. A slight wince came across his face, and for a moment, guilt hit her mind. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt.  

She sighed, softening her tone. “Can we talk about this later? I’d really like to focus on today. You know, with it being my first day and all.”  

He studied her for a beat, his expression unreadable, then let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, I totally get it. Don’t mix business with pleasure.” He raised his hands in mock surrender, but there was a knowing glint in his eyes. “No judgment.”  

Justine exhaled, relieved that he wasn’t going to push the subject—at least not right now. She forced a small smile, hoping to shift the conversation elsewhere.  

“Now,” she said, clasping her hands together, “what am I supposed to begin with today, boss?”  

A slow grin spread across his face at the title, but he didn’t call her out on it. Instead, he straightened up, tucking his hands into his pockets. “I’ll get to that later. Just get yourself settled in for now.”  

He turned and walked toward the door, but before stepping out, he glanced over his shoulder. “And Justine?”  

She looked up, a little too quickly. “Yeah?”  

His smirk returned. “Welcome to the team.”  

With that, he disappeared down the hall, leaving Justine staring after him, her heart kind of beating softly 

She let out a long breath, shaking her head. Great. This was going to be an interesting first day.  

As she turned to unpack her bag and organize her desk, her mind kept replaying the conversation. The thing was, it hadn’t been a bad date. If anything, it had been... nice. Too nice. And that was exactly the problem.  

She had spent years building walls, she was new here and she didn't want her personal life to be the same as her career. She had worked too hard to let emotions complicate things now. But as she sat down, tapping her fingers absently against the desk, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the last time they’d have this conversation.  

And worse—she wasn’t sure she wanted it to be.  

Olivia and Mia walked into the room together, the scent of warm, cheesy pizza filling the air as they carried a couple of large boxes. The delicious aroma drifted toward Sophia, stirring her from the light nap she had slipped into.

She blinked awake, her eyes still heavy from exhaustion,she didn't know when she fell asleep her face was slightly damp from earlier She had cried herself to sleep, devastated and—if she was being honest—starving.

“Look who’s asleep,” Olivia teased, nudging Mia as she set the pizza down on the desk. “So, she’s the type to wake up early and then take afternoon naps? Interesting.”

Sophia let out a sleepy groan, rubbing her eyes before pushing herself up on her elbows. “Hey, you guys,” she mumbled groggily. “Where have you been?”

Olivia raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” she said, sliding onto the bed beside her. “Surely you didn’t expect us to just finish class and come straight back here, right?”

Mia laughed, setting the drinks down. “Yeah, Olivia bumped into me, and we decided to take a little tour around campus. Found this really nice school restaurant. And, well… we got pizza for all of us.”

“Well, Mia paid, actually,” Olivia added with a grin, giving her friend a playful nudge.

Mia rolled her eyes, laughing. “Oh, don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it. I saw the way you nearly inhaled that first slice.”

Olivia gasped dramatically. “How dare you expose me like this?” she said, clutching her chest in fake offense.

Sophia chuckled, the first genuine smile tugging at her lips all day. It felt good to have them here, filling the space with laughter, easing the weight in her chest.

“Well, that’s just nice to hear,” she said, stretching as she sat up properly. “I wish I could’ve come with you guys.”

          

They dropped the boxes to the floor.  

"My God, I'm starving! This school really needs to change the class schedule," Mia groaned as she sat on the floor and took out a slice of pizza.  

Sophia was salivating, but she didn't want to join in like that—it was quite embarrassing.  

"Come on, Sophia, will you not join us? I got this for all of us. Or don’t tell me you've eaten already... have you?"  

Normally, Sophia would have said no and declined, but she was starving, and it smelled so good.  

"No, I haven't eaten. Are you sure I can join in, though?"  

"What kind of question is that? Come on here before it gets cold."  

Sophia joined in hesitantly and took a bite, not wanting to seem like a hungry person. She took out a slice, and it was indeed worth it—it was the best she had ever tasted.  

"Sorry, where did you say you got this again?" Sophia asked, curious to know.  

"Just around school. I think the name is Pappie's Pastry or something. We didn't bother paying attention like that."  

Sophia was on her fifth slice, forgetting her previous attempt to be courteous.  

"Well, it's really good," she said with a mouthful.  

"Yes, it is. The walk was actually worth it then."  

They opened up the last box of pizza. Mia said she was full already and left the pizza for Sophia and Olivia, who took only a slice and went to her bed, leaving it all for Sophia.  

She didn't want to at first but took it all in. Her roommates didn't seem offended by it—they were actually nice and cool. She couldn't believe her luck with them.  

When she was done with the pizza, she thanked them out of courtesy.  

"For what? We are all here together. Stop making this to be something else."  

---

Sophia smiled and nodded, taking another bite of her pizza. Olivia and Mia would never truly understand how grateful she was for them. Their presence, their kindness—even the smallest gestures like bringing her food—meant everything. She had been having a rough time lately, feeling overwhelmed, but in moments like these, she felt like she wasn’t alone.  

As she flipped the pizza box over, her eyes landed on something printed on the back. A bold, colorful ad caught her attention.  

**"Do you want to earn while you study? There are part-time jobs available for students at Pappie’s. Apply within!"**  

Sophia’s chewing slowed as she read it over again, her mind racing.  

A job.  

That was exactly what she needed.  

With her giving out all her savings to Lana it's only a matter of time before She begins struggling with her expenses—textbooks, daily necessities, even the occasional cup of coffee will soon start to feel like a luxury. If she could find a job near campus, something flexible enough to balance with her studies, it would make a world of difference.  

The Excitement was turning up inside her as the thought of this ,but so did hesitation.  

Would she be able to manage work and school? Would she have time to rest? And more importantly, would she even get hired?  

She cast a look at Olivia and Mia, debating whether she should bring it up. It was a little embarrassing—admitting she needed a job so badly. But embarrassment was something she couldn’t afford right now. What she needed was an opportunity, and this might just be it.  

She took a deep breath, mustering up the courage.