Unexpected

Chapter 1

WEEKS: 39-44

I had to roll my eyes. This girl, this stupid foolish girl... Not only had she screwed up my entire Friday by being a complete idiot, but she had topped the cake with her tears.

"Jane. Jane!" I had to get my voice higher; the skinny girl jumped in the chair and stared at me with her huge, red-rimmed eyes "Stop that. What's wrong with you? Be professional at least when I'm lecturing you, for God's sake!"

"I'm... I'm so sorry Miss Conrad!" Her voice trembled "Please, please I swear it won't happen again!"

"Jane." I sighed, rubbing my temples "Didn't I tell you how many strikes you had with me? On day one, didn't I explain everything you had to know about everything there's to do in your job?" She nodded, carefully "Well, then. How many strikes did I say you have?"

"Three..."

"Well, then." I tapped both my hands on my glass desk "This s strike number two. Now" I opened my schedule once more "let's recap, shall we? All my messages are important. You are to take all the messages for me and read them back to me before the end of the day. For God's sake... it is not that hard, is it? Go, carry on with all you have to do."

Jane stared at me with red-rimmed eyes but nodded and left my office.

Life's tough, and I had no time to waste with incompetence. Time's money, I learned that at a very young age. My dad is a pro at both spending his time wisely and at making money. He had a real estate empire as proof of that, and if I wanted to top it – or at least match him – I had to be tough as well.

I glanced towards my wristwatch. Just half past four. Everyone would start leaving the office very soon, go home, take off their shoes and relax, a good start for the weekend.

Me, on the other hand, I still had some emails to respond – the red flags on my computer screen were up to eighty, now. Management issues, people interested in new investment opportunities, money not coming in. As the Regional Director in Miami, I had to be on top of everyone else at the office. Every decision had my stamp of approval – which drove many of the office folk mad, but who really cared?

"Are you ready to go?" Eva, one of my best friends, asked as she knocked on my office door "We're gonna be late if we don't leave in five minutes. And you know how excited I am with this!"

"I still don't understand why you're going to do a tattoo" I cringed, getting up from behind my desk and gathering all my stuff.

"Oh, c'mon, grandma!" My best friend grinned, winking a blue eye at me "You only live once, and it's sexy!"

"I can't believe I actually trust you to be my lawyer." I pretended to cringe this time, and she pinched my arm, making me shriek "And why do I have to go?"

"I need moral support!" Eva frowned, as we entered the elevator "And you know Amelia is useless."

"Don't say that." I chuckled, even though I kind of agreed with her "She would vomit if she looked at the needles."

"I'm not so sure I won't myself" Eva confessed, turning a pale shade of green.

We got into Eva's fancy Mercedes, as she drove us into Little Havana. If my dad were to find out I was hanging out in Little Havana, he would call our family doctor to assess me, for sure.

Eva, Amelia and I went to school together ever since we were ten. The three of us all came from families with businesses and good money, but we all went on different paths as we grew into adults. Eva was the best lawyer I've ever met, I was regional director for my dad's company, Conrad Realtors, and Amelia... well... she was engaged to my Director of Sales. Sweet girl, not the brightest, though.