Just lucky

Chapter 3

    As the sun gently adorned my bedroom in warm light, I slowly lifted my head from the soft embrace of my pink floral pillow. The weight of fatigue clung to my body, making it a struggle to throw off the sheets and expose my aching ankle. A muttered escaped my lips as pain shot through my foot, a constant reminder of the accident that just had occurred  not even a day ago.

  Glancing at the white cat alarm clock, I was shocked to see that it was already 10:00 am. Damn I slept in late. "Well shit," I mumbled under my breath. The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, mingling with the tantalizing sound of sizzling coming from the kitchen. My stomach let out a longing growl, as my senses were being seduced by the smell of breakfast.

I sighed in relief, realizing that I didn't have to  clock in today. The idea of facing the horrors of working in a busy fashion department's office, was absolutely terrifying. Now with this injury accompanying me to work, made me wince at the idea of exacerbating my ankle injury. Working as an administrative assistant for Charmed fashion was just way too much. Mr. Javier, the CEO of Charmed, was always constantly keeping me on my toes. I groaned at the idea of having to call him about the situation and needing to cash in on my sick days for this injury.

I reached over to the nightstand and grabbed my phone, my fingers dancing across the screen as I composed a message for my boss.

Jiann : yo call me I injured my ankle

Meanie boss: what did I tell you about texting me so informally?

Jiann: give me a raise and I'll consider giving you more respect

Meanie boss: stop calling out so much

We shared a lighthearted giggle, reveling in our playful banter. It was a peculiar dynamic we had, considering Javier was not just my boss, but also my brother. Whom at the moment is across the country with our parents, trying to launch another location for his business. At work, we maintained an unspoken agreement to ignore each other, ensuring that accusations of nepotism would remain nonexistent. I simply didn't have the energy or patience to deal with the inevitable comments and judgments.

Despite our blood ties, Javier and I couldn't be more different in appearance. He had inherited his father's striking, charismatic features. Thick, dark brown locs framed his face, accentuating his bushy brows and full, commanding features. The only resemblance he shared with our mother was his towering height, an attribute that seemed to run in our family.

As for me, my appearance took on a different path. My black coily hair cascaded in a wild, frizzy mane, adding an air of untamed uniqueness to my features. Soft and docile, my facial contours differed from Javier's, as did my wider, more expressive eyes. It was a constant reminder of the diverse genetic tapestry that had woven our family together.

Just as I was engrossed in my thoughts, my phone screen illuminated with Javier's request for a FaceTime call. Without hesitation, I answered, immediately greeted by the sounds of bustling construction in the background. There he was, standing amidst the chaos, dressed impeccably in a full business suit, his face adorned with a mix of curiosity and exasperation.

"Now before you say anything, it wasn't my fault," I blurted out, unable to contain my self. His eyes looked suspiciously at me. Apparently, to him I'm known to cause trouble or to always be in trouble. Within his former words he would say "Trouble follows you but somehow you're always able to evade trouble."

"And why on earth are you standing out in that hot ass sun in that heavy black suit?" I added after defending myself, before his accusing fingers started pointing.

Javier reached for a handheld fan, dramatically fanning his face with a playful smirk. "I'm just indulging in a little guy gazing, you know, in case one of these fine construction workers wants to show me what a rough man's hands feel like. There must be a trade somewhere around here."