The Assistant(9)
Author: Elle Brace

I groaned into my pillow and threw my phone onto the bedside table in frustration. Was this life’s sick joke? A form of payback just because I spent a couple of hours having fun with my best friend?! I grabbed my phone to readjust my alarm clocks, to find another message from Adrian:

If you are late, I’ll have to punish you.

My eyes widened as I typed a reply.

Will you fire me?

I sent the message and bit my lip in anticipation as I went back to adjusting my alarms. As soon as I was done, my phone buzzed.

I was thinking a different kind of punishment.
One involving less clothing.

I frowned at the message curiously for a moment before the meaning behind it registered in my brain and I rolled my eyes.

I’ll make sure to be extra early then.

Goodnight, Adrian.

I yawned and was about to put my phone down when it buzzed again, twice. Letting out a frustrated sigh, I clicked on the message icon to find a message from Amy telling me she was kidnapped on the way home but that her kidnapper miraculously let her text me. I was far less thrilled at the second message, which was another reply from Adrian:

You’re no fun. ?

I ignored Adrian’s text and decided to reply to Amy’s:

I take it you’ve arrived safely. Good.
I’ve got a devil of a Boss making me be at work
an hour earlier than usual tomorrow, so goodnight. Xx

I put my phone on the bedside table and turned in the opposite direction, letting sleep take over.

***

“Emily, what are you doing here so early? What time did you arrive?” Suzie’s soothing voice came from the entrance to my office – making me lift my head up and blink at her in a daze.

“7:00AM. Mr. Kingston told me there was an important meeting on today and said I had to be here by 7:30AM,” I explained, making Suzie frown as I yawned. “Why, what time is it?” I asked curiously.

“It’s 8:20AM, dear. There is a meeting on today but it doesn’t start until 10…” She trailed off, a puzzled expression crossing her features.

My eyes widened as my frown deepened. “But-”

“When did he tell you that?” she asked, cutting off my sentence unintentionally.

“Last night! Just before I went to bed!” I exclaimed, before jumping out of my seat and shoving my things into my handbag. “Shoot! I have to go and get his coffee!” Allen and Lisa’s faces appeared in my mind as I dashed out of my office all the way to Starbucks in my black pumps.

By the time I arrived at the small coffee shop, I was out of breath. “Allen! Lisa!” I called out, anxiously waiting for a reply.

“Hey Emily, what’s up?” Allen smiled as he casually strolled out from behind a wall, wiping his hands on a blue and white checked cloth.

“I need Adrian’s usual, quick!” I stressed, pressing a $10 bill onto the cool glass surface near the cash register.

Allen chuckled. “Did someone sleep in this morning?” he teased, grabbing a large cup from the stack near the coffee machines.

“No.” I groaned. “I did the opposite. Your jerk of a best friend told me to be in the office early this morning for a meeting – which I recently discovered doesn’t start until 10 – or he’d ‘punish’ me.” I groaned again as I looked at the time. 8:35AM.

Allen chuckled. I watched his shoulders shake from laughter while he poured milk into the cup. “Day 3, and it sounds like you’re already giving up.” Allen smirked, mixing Adrian’s order thoroughly.

I was about to reply to his statement but was cut off by a startling shriek.

“SURPRISE!!!” Lisa called out all of a sudden, jumping out from behind the wall holding a cup of coffee. “I made you your latté! I know, I’m an amazing life saver, you can thank me later. You’re going to be late if you don’t get a move on soon!” Lisa scolded with a smile as she handed over the heavenly smelling drink.

I was about to thank her but she stopped my intentions, once again by glancing at her phone screen and gasping. “And so will I if I don’t leave soon! Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own, Allen?” She had turned to her brother, who was pressing the lid down tightly onto the coffee cup.

Allen rolled his eyes as he handed Adrian’s order over to me. “Yes, Lisa! I told you that a thousand times last night. Hurry up, or you’ll miss your train.” He pushed her in the direction of the exit, and she grinned and waved before thanking him and disappearing out of sight.

“You should really leave as well,” Allen said, an amused expression crossing his handsome features once again. “The note you gave me covers both of your orders. It’s 8:42AM. You have around 10 minutes to arrive and put his coffee on his desk.”

I gave him a pained look. “Thank you so much. I’ll see you tomorrow!” I called out before I left and dashed through the hustle in the streets of New York.

I was in Adrian’s office by 8:57AM, placing his order in its proper spot, just where he liked it to be in. I sighed in exhaustion. I was going to kill him when he arrived.

I stared at the cup with the infamous label curiously. I didn’t actually know what the contents within the cup were, and never bothered asking anyone either. I felt my body slightly lean in so that my nose was in line with the hole in the cup’s lid, and I closed one eye to peer into the contents.

I could see a whole lot of foam and I could slightly make out melted chocolate on the surface of the drink. Before my investigation could continue, someone cleared their throat, and my head snapped up in their direction. Adrian stood at the entrance smirking, holding a few files to his chest with his left arm. “What,” He began, his smirk growing, “are you doing, exactly?” He asked this in amusement, not anger, and I felt my cheeks flame in embarrassment.

“I- uh, I was just – no, hold on a minute, you!” I glared, pointing an accusing finger in his direction as he closed the door silently behind him, the smirk never slipping off his plump lips.

“You’re doing me?” he questioned, his eyebrows rising. “Let’s get started then.”

I blushed furiously as his smirk grew. “You said to be here at 7:30AM! You said we have an important meeting! I-”

“We do have an important meeting,” he interrupted, walking over to where I was standing and placing the files in his hands on the desk.

“What was the point of making me come into the office so early?” I pressed him. “The only meeting I had was when I met all the cleaners this morning!”