Bloom [Completed]

Chapter Three

The next day I wake a little disoriented.
There's a banging on my door.

"Wake up!" I hear muffled through the door.

"I up!" I grumble, rubbing my eyes and stumbling over to silence the pounding.

I open the door to see Avi standing in his dressing gown and slippers yawning at me dramatically.

"Fix your phone," He mumbles. "I'm going back to sleep." He walks back down the hall towards his bedroom sleepily.

"Thank you!" I quietly call after him and turn towards the kitchen to start making coffee to wake me up properly.

Despite having Avi wake me up in time to catch the bus, I find myself yet again running down the street in my heels after waiting 10 minutes for a bus that never showed!

What is up with the universe this week? I send out a silent prayer that tomorrow the bus decides to run on its actual schedule for once.

I only get so far before I slow down and begin hopping about trying to tug my heels off my feet. I cannot run all the way to work in heels. At least I was wearing flats yesterday, now I really am a sight to see dashing down the street.

A bit of my hair is falling out of my loose ponytail as I enter the tall building with 'Daley Enterprises' sign towering high above me.

"Hold the lift, please!" I call to the back of the man I've just seen step inside. I see his hand rest on the open doors and sigh in relief.

"Thank you!" I say breathlessly as I stagger in, still carrying my heels.

The doors close behind me and without thinking I grab a hold of the man's arm for support while reaching down to put my shoes back on.

"You wouldn't believe the morning I've had!" I say in a grateful tone.
Securing the left shoe around my ankle I straighten up and smooth out my white dress before turning to smile at my saviour.

And just like that my smile fades and is replaced by burning cheeks as I gasp, my brown eyes meeting icey grey ones.

It's the same handsome man from yesterday, none other than Mr Daley himself.

"Oh, excuse me!" I blush taking a step back and turning to face the front more appropriately.

"It's quite alright," he says and I think I hear a smile in his voice but I don't dare turn to face him again.

"Running late again?" He asks politely with a small chuckle at the end.

I blush again peeking sideways at him and see he's watching my face clearly amused this time.

"Stupid buses," I murmur, mostly to myself.

But I notice him nod and turn to face the front again.

I glance up briefly at the floor count and notice it says number 20 already

"Shit!" I say unconsciously and my hand dashes out to press level 10. This is useless however as the lift keeps ascending towards the top floor where Mr Daley has already pressed the call button for.

I smile anxiously at him as he registers my mistake and gives a small sympathetic smile back.

"Sorry Sir," I say not knowing how to explain away my stupidity for this one. "I'm normally never late, I swear."

"Just like you weren't late yesterday?" He asks teasingly and I turn to stare at him open mouth like a goldfish.

I don't know what to say to that because he's right, the 2 times he's encountered me, I've been running late, so what does he really have to go off of?