I climbed out of Alex's maroon Lotus Evora as all the eyes in the surroundings turned to us.

Great. Just the attention I didn't need.

Alex roared the car one last time before climbing out and throwing the keys at the parking valet. I rolled my eyes at my show off friend.

Alex had always been a sucker for sports cars, while I, on the other hand, preferred fancy cars.

Alex miraculously showed up at my place in the morning while I was getting ready, so I caught him before he had a chance to escape and told him that he was driving me to the office. The poor boy was just like a deer caught in headlights.

"Why do you come this early, again?" Alex asked, running a hand through his messed up hair.

"Because you don't," I gave him a sarcastic smile and he rolled his eyes.

We entered the glass doors and, as expected, the attention of everyone was once again diverted to us. The employees I didn't even know greeted us and I just nodded at everyone while making my way towards the elevator.

Alex, being his usual self, threw his signature smiles at every woman he saw, making me roll my eyes to a point where I think I was starting to get a headache.

We stopped at the counter of one of the employees I had known all my life. He saw us and stood up to meet both of us.

"You're back," Alex patted his back and he chuckled.

"I've missed you guys," Jonathan smiled and leaned back on the counter with me.

"How did the trip go?" I asked him while pulling my phone out of my pocket.

"Oh, it was amazing. We named my princess Ava," Jonathan's eyes lit up as he talked about his new born daughter and I smiled at him.

Jonathan was our high school friend. We had a group of three friends which included Alex, Jonathan and I.

Alex and I never left each other even after school ended, but Jonathan left town and went to God knows where. But a few years back, he came here for an interview and obviously Alex hired him without even bothering to ask if he had the required degrees or not.

Jonathan had been a hard working employee since then and he never asked for much, even though the two of his closest friends were the CEOs of the company he worked in.

His wife was pregnant and I had heard that she was living with her parents in Montana until she delivered the baby. Two weeks ago, Jonathan asked for a few holidays since he wanted to spend some time with his wife and wanted to be with her while she delivered his child.

I gladly allowed him to go because, come on, what else was a friend for?

We stood and talked for a little while as all the employees kept coming and going. The people seated on the counters on this floor, mostly women, might I add, had their attention on us. One way or another, they would sneak a glance our way and try to pass a smile to which I obviously didn't respond to. But Alex, on the other hand, was clearly enjoying it.

Jonathan got a call as he excused himself and circled around the counter to pick up the call. I ran my eyes through the area as something caught my eye. More like a certain someone.

"I can't believe you hired her," Alex lightly nudged my shoulder and leaned back on the counter taking Jonathan's place. He clearly knew what I was looking at.

"And why is that?" I asked and did not bother to move my eyes away from Isabelle.

Isabelle was standing with the receptionist I forgot the name of. She had some papers in her hands and it seemed like she was trying to discuss something with the receptionist while the receptionist was so busy ogling at Alex.

"Because she's just too sexy...?" Alex said and I smacked his head.

"She's our employee, Alex. Mind your language" I told him in a stern voice.

"Oh, you never gave two shits when I fucked half of the women who work here," Alex rolled his eyes and I looked at him straight into the eyes and shook my head.

I mouthed,"Not her."

Alex looked at me with a strange expression, then at Isabelle and then back at me before his face broke out into a devilish grin.

"Boss and secretary, huh?" he wiggled his eyebrows and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh please, Alex. You know me,"

"That's what I'm saying," he winked at me before going back to Jonathan who was apparently free from the call and had his ears our way.

Just great.

We were standing there for more than fifteen minutes and not even for a second did that girl move her head back to even spare us a glance. Everyone in the area except her was stealing glances our way one way or another.

After realising that she was getting no help from that receptionist whatsoever, she walked into an office I assumed was of Daniel.

"I'll be headed to the office," I told Alex and made my way towards the elevator.

**********

I lifted my head up as I heard my office's door opening and saw Alex making his way in with a cup of his usual ice coffee in his hands.

"Why the sad face, bro?" he asked he sat on the sofa with and pulled out his phone from his pocket.

Just like the past every single day since we established this enterprise.

"Go away, Alex. Let me work," I said and went back to typing the e-mail I previously was.

"Haha, nice try," he mocked and made himself comfortable on the sofa while obviously scrolling through his Instagram feed.

I rolled my eyes and went back to ignoring him just like I had been doing so for the past few years. It was Alex's habit to come into my office with no reasons whatsoever and just sit here doing absolutely nothing.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts and I told the person on the other side to come in.

"Good Morning, Mr. Rhodes, here's your coffee," Isabelle's voice hit my ears and so suddenly I was so eager to lift my head up and look straight at her without any hesitations.

But I wasn't supposed to act that immature. I was her boss for God's sake.

"Oh, thank you, Miss Reinhart," I casually averted my gaze towards her and tried to look at anything but her face.

Or her body.

She put the cup on my table and stepped back with her usual smile on her face.

"Anything else, Mr. Rhodes?" she asked and for a second her eyes turned to Alex who was lying on the sofa grinning like an idiot but she brought her attention back towards me without wasting a second.

"No, that it would be it, Miss Reinhart," I nodded my head and she turned around to leave but of course Alex, my boy, clearly had other plans.

"Hey, Isabelle, did you tell Ace about that day when you spilled coffee on me?" Alex said and put his phone down to enjoy the show.

Isabelle stopped short in her tracks and turned around with a clearly forced smile on her face.

"Uh– no Mr. Kingston, I forgot to mention that," she bit her lip with a 'screw you' look on her face.

"Oh c'mon, please call me Alex. Mr. Kingston makes me sounds like a total 47 year old jackass," Alex stated and rolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing she was oblivious to.

"Um... sure," Isabelle replied with an absolutely lost and confused look on her face.

"Alex, shut up. Miss Reinhart that would be it. I'll call you if I need anything," I told her and she didn't waste a second on turning around on her heels and exiting the office.

"Alex, I told you to behave," I sternly said while looking at him straight into the eyes and crossed my arms across my chest.

"What? I was just trying to be nice to her," he reasoned and lifted his hands up in a surrendering manner.

"Not her, Alex," I rolled my eyes and went back to doing the work that 'actually mattered'.

*************

❤️