My Brothers Best Friend [18+]

Chapter Three

I wake up late the next day, with Matt shouting and Noah cursing the house down as he jogs up and down the stairs to grab his work clothes. I change into my own appropriate work-wear half hidden behind the island while Matt stuffs toast into his mouth and calls his boss to apologise for being late. 

I have to brush my hair in the car, which makes Noah scowl because I'm getting 'ginger hair all over his seats.' 

He winks as he says it and I have to pretend that I'm not about to roll down the window and jump out onto the high street. 

We drop off Matt first. It takes a further fifteen minutes of him speeding down some country lanes and narrowly avoiding old people at crossings for us to reach my office. 

He pulls up in a no parking zone and puts on his hazard lights.

"Have a good day, Madelaine." 

He smiles at me. I can't stop the blooming blush as I get out of his car and gently close the door, rushing around the bonnet and half-jogging towards the glass door of my office building. 

He's already pulled away when I turn back to look for him before I enter. I'm hoping dropping me off didn't make him even more late for work, but the thought quickly disappears as I realise that I'm supposed to be in a rush too. 

My heels click on the polished floor as I pass the front desk and walk towards the elevator, pressing up and scrolling through my twitter feed while I wait. 

It dings when it opens, startling me. 

"I'm on the coffee run Maddie," Zach, my coworker who is technically also my boss but doesn't act like it, calls as he leaves the elevator. "Vanilla latte?"

"Please," I respond, stepping in as he rushes out. I catch his thumbs up as the door begins sliding closed and chuckle to myself at his rush while I get back to twitter. 

As I rise, I log out of my own twitter and into the company one. And so the work day begins. 

When I get to my desk Chelsea is already sat at my swivel chair, chewing gum and picking at her blue nail polish. There's a green streak dyed into the front of her hair that's new and her red lipstick is smudged beneath her bottom lip already. 

"You're a hot mess," I tease. 

"And you're wearing fluffy socks with Santa on and high heels," she responds, blowing a bubble with her gum as I look down at my feet and cringe. "You're obviously ready for the Christmas push to start." 

"I've had a long weekend." 

She laughs and tips her head back, standing up from my chair as I reach around her to log on to my computer. 

"I can't wait to hear all about it, after my double espresso."

She stomps back to her own desk in platform leather boots full of straps and buckles, dropping into her own chair when she reaches it. She sticks her tongue out at me before turning to her workspace.

I crack my knuckles and face the emails from the weekend. 

Zach appears next to my desk almost half an hour later, balancing three other coffees in a holder as he places a latte on my desk. 

"Meeting about the new campaign in half an hour," he informs. 

"The oval room?" 

"Duh," he laughs and walks towards Chelsea's desk. 

As soon as she sips her espresso her eyes meet mine, grinning at me. I reach under my desk and pull out my tablet, shoving it under my arm and following her into the oval room to prepare for the meeting.