Rushing out of the lift, Mia tried not to focus on who she'd shared that ride up with, and instead tried to focus her mind on the time instead.

She quickly ran through the lobby of the floor, giving the receptionist a rushed greeting and an apology for being so hasty.

Mia could hear their laughter as she ran through. She knew that she was probably an odd sight to them. Or probably more of a blur.

She could practically hear her inner voice telling her 'nobody cares about the damn lateness,' but she did. That was enough for her to hasten her steps.

Tapping her card on the first electronic door, Mia let herself into the main office floor and she then tapped it on the next door, which was her office space.

She'd rushed into the office like a tornado, it was quite a big and dramatic entrance and it caused all eyes to be on her.

In that moment, she was lucky she didn't break the glass door during her rather forced entry.

Mia let out a little nervous chuckle. "Sorry," she smiled, and everyone shook their head in amusement and then looked back to their own screens.

Glancing at her watch, Mia looked at the time and found it to be exactly 9am, and she just smiled to herself triumphantly.

'Made it,' she thought herself proudly.

It was still a win. She wasn't exactly late.

Closing the door gently, Mia began to walk to her desk only to see the seat was currently occupied with Harry sitting there, playing with her little desk game.

As a secret Santa present, one of her colleagues had given her a little miniature bowling game that she could keep at her desk.

Clearly Harry was enjoying it enough, since he hadn't even realised Mia's presence until she cleared her throat.

"Mia, dear," Harry grinned at her and then glanced down at his own watch. "You made it just in time," he mentioned.

There was something about Harry that always just made him seem like Santa. Jolly and cheerful a lot of the time. He didn't exactly have the Santa-beard, but instead a white moustache. His hair, that used to be a lot more fuller, was also receding, and as frosted as his moustache. Like Mia, he too wore glasses, but with more of a thinner frame.

"Still have my record intact," Mia grinned at him, like a child awaiting a gold star.

The whole 'never being late' was a running joke between them. He was the only other person that knew about it. Harry was convinced that one of these days she'd break it but to his surprise she was still going strong.

Harry moved out of the seat, for Mia to then place her coat and her scarf.

As she began to take her things out of her bag, Harry noticed something when she moved her hair behind her ear.

"It seems you're missing an earring," he pointed out, looking towards Mia's left ear, which was now missing an earring.

Mia frowned, reaching up to check her right ear lobe for an earring and found she still hand one on there. However, upon checking her left one, she realising it wasn't there.

She remembered that she did put them on. It was right on the dresser, with her rings. However, then remembered how she was practically a walking storm earlier and must've knocked it off the dresser.

Giving a small shrug, Mia took the remaining earring off. "I probably forgot to put the other one on, in the rush I was in this morning," she laughed to herself.

She slipped her lonely earring into her coat pocket, making a mental note to look for the other when she got home tonight.

Harry laughed at her words, finding her clumsiness quite adorable.

For him, Mia was always one to brighten up his mornings, even on a gloomy day. Whether it was with a joke, a muffin or just a smile, she made things better.

"It's been three years now, dear. I don't think you need to be so worried about punctuality. I promise it won't effect the pay check," Harry joked.

He'd never really seen someone be so anxious about being on time after working for so long. Usually this lasted for a bit during the probationary months, to set a good example.

"I just can't help it," Mia told him, smiling at she did. She really couldn't help herself from getting like this.

As Mia took out her diary, Harry remembered what he had initially come to her desk for.

"So, there's something I actually wanted to talk to you about," Harry looked to Mia, smiling sweetly.

Mia instantly recognised the look on Harry's face, it was a smile that meant he wanted something, the one she used to give to her father when she was little and wanted him to give her cookies before dinner.

"Of course," Mia replied.

Although it had been years since Mia first started working at Carter, she was still extremely grateful to Harry for giving her a chance, something she could never repay.

So when it came to him asking her to help him out with anything, she'd never say no.

"I need you to accompany me to the executive meeting today," Harry asked Mia, and immediately her eyes widened.

She was more used to a requests such as, 'Could you help me sort out these files?' or 'Could you help take things up to the 17th floor?', but not to actually accompany him to a meeting such as this.

"Shouldn't Malerie be going with you? She's your assistant, I wouldn't even know what to do," Mia replied.

Malerie was Harry's personal assistant, and although she had the credentials to have the job role of an assistant, it didn't seem she valued her job as much as Mia did.

Maybe it was the workload, the hours or perhaps she only took this job as a temporary thing, but it often resulted in Mia having to help out with the work. Not that she minded, since essentially she was helping out Harry, something which she was glad to do.

"Don't lie to me or to yourself, Mia." Harry told her sternly, not wanting the girl to ever put herself down. "Malerie is a lovely girl, but you do a much better job at helping me out than she does, and it's not even your job role," he said.

Harry would sometimes want to kick himself for not making Mia his official assistant, especially when she did the role almost effortlessly.

"But-" Mia was about to protest, but Harry interrupted her before she could say anything further.

"She's called in sick today, and I need someone. I want it to be you," he told her, holding both her shoulders and looking her in the eye.

Mia smiled. She loved the faith Harry had in her, more than she probably did in herself. It was the kind of undeterred faith a father would have in their child.

'It was only a meeting. No harm in that,' Mia thought to herself.

Mia was just about to agree, when Harry spoke up again before she could.

"I'll treat you to tea and cake after," he grinned at her, well aware of her weakness for cake.

She grinned at his words, her eyes twinkling at the thought of cake.

'Well, this explains the lack of fitness I have,' Mia thought.

"If you're going treat me to tea and cake, I can't exactly say no now, can I?" Mia smiled at Harry, who chuckled at her words.

"It always does the trick," he replied to her.

It wasn't the first time he used her love of cake against her.

He used the same ploy to get Mia to go shopping with him, taking away her Saturday, since he needed to find an anniversary present for his wife.

"You play dirty," she playfully scowled at Harry.

"Only to win," Harry winked at her and she laughed.

"Alright then, you have a deal." Mia told Harry with a firm nod.

He clapped his hands together, with a wide smile on his face. "Ah wonderful. You're such a dear."

"So, when's the meeting?" Mia asked, remembering what the conversation was initially about, before she was distracted by the idea of cake.

Harry glanced down at his watch, and then back towards Mia. " Well, it's in two hours. In the meantime, you and I can go over things in preparation," Harry replied.

Mia smiled and nodded. The rest of her work could wait for now, and she'd just catch up after, working through her lunch.

"Okay, I'll put the kettle on," she then said, and Harry grinned at the girl.

Although Mia was a tea person, she made a great coffee, one which Harry had grown a habit for. A day without Mia's coffee was almost unbearable now, the only one who made it better was his wife, and even then Mia's one was a close second.

"You're a star," he said with a lot relief, as Mia began to walk towards the kitchen. He need a cup of coffee so desperately.

"Yeah, yeah," she replied, brushing off the compliment but a smile remaining on her face.

If cake was Mia's weakness, then coffee was Harry's.

As she took steps towards the kitchen, she thought about the meeting she'd have to go in with Harry.

'A meeting with the executives, can't be so terrible,' Mia thought to herself. 'They're just normal people in suits. Expensive suits.'

Although it was unknown to her, who was actually going to be in that boardroom with her.