Mikaela texted, "I'm at the basement parking." That was probably her polite way of telling her to come over.
Could she at least wait? Athena was really going to lash out when they meet.
It was only her first day, and she was already getting lost. It figured that Jace put all that genius into fashion design and never a drop into architecture. Or maybe modern buildings were just ugly like that and all looked the same. Every hallway felt like a maze.
Was this the trend nowadays?
She pulled up the map on her phone, searching for the non-existent directions to the said place. As if that helped.
Somewhere between the echo of her heels and the growing frustration in her chest, she heard the elevator ding behind her. She turned and hurried toward it like it might leave without her. Then, her phone buzzed in her hand, cutting through the moment.
She glanced down, but before she could check the message, she crashed into something — no, someone.
Hard.
She stumbled, nearly falling, but steady hands caught her shoulders. Her phone slipped from her fingers, but the woman caught that too, smooth as anything.
"Whoa, careful," a woman's nasal voice said while grabbing her shoulders to steady her. The voice was close, practically in her ear. "Pretty girls can't go falling for free."
She blinked. Oh, the woman meant her.
It didn't take long before she saw her face.
Of course, Athena'd looked right away, the woman smelled like expensive florals and trouble — but that was her mistake, because now their faces were barely inches apart.
She pulled away from her, finally able to see the full picture. Blonde-dyed bob, neck-length and razor-sharp. She wore a white-and-green varsity jacket. Well, if you were going to a fashion label, you might as well be fashionable yourself.
"Well," she said, regaining her footing and flashing a practiced smirk. "Aren't I lucky my knight in shining armor showed up?"
The woman let out a small chortle and handed back her phone. She checked it immediately.
A message from Mikaela. "My bad, I'll just come get you. Stay where you are."
The realization hit, although it was only a hunch. She slowly glanced up, meeting the woman's gaze. She was already smiling, just a little crooked. It couldn't be denied anymore.
"Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Blackburne." It was Mikaela. And, oh, she was tall, and very pretty. She could have been a model too, or even a reigning pageant candidate.
She had a somewhat boyish vibe to her, although subtle, but gentle. Well, there were just people like that. She just knew Mikaela could get anyone she set her eyes on.
"Since we've already met, shall I escort you to the van?"
She nodded, following Mikaela to the elevator, which she held open for her. Although it was their first time meeting, the silent atmosphere wasn't awkward. Or maybe that's what she wanted to believe. She was going to work with Mikaela for the next few years, so she figured it would be in everyone's interest not to overthink what had happened earlier.
As promised, Mikaela escorted her to the van, without further conversation or acknowledgement of the incident. Very professional when needed—she liked that.
Once Mikaela settled into the driver's seat, she adjusted the rear mirror to reflect where she was seated.
"From here on, I'll be the one to look after you, and that includes driving you." She nodded again as a gesture of gratitude. "That also means I'll need to know your address."
"Right." She gave her the address to her condominium and then proceeded to open her phone, scrolling through her feed to pass a little bit of time.
After deciding she had had enough screen time for the day, she looked out the window, only then realizing that they were nowhere near her place, nor on the road leading to it.
"Lunch," Mikaela said, catching her confusion. She raised a brow as Mikaela grinned, "A celebration for officially leaving to see the sun."
"Are you saying I laze around?"
"Not at all, think of this as a thank you for getting me out of my apartment." Mikaela grinned through the rearview mirror.
Mikaela drove with one hand on the wheel and the other resting loosely by the gearshift, the city skyline slowly giving way to quieter streets lined with high-end restaurants and boutique shops. Athena pretended not to be impressed, but her eyes discreetly scanned the neighborhood. When the car finally slowed in front of a sleek, four-star restaurant with minimalist signage and blacked-out windows, her eyebrows raised slightly.
Mikaela got out first, walking around the front to open Athena's door with a casual grace. One hand extended, the other tucking into the pocket of her varsity jacket like she wasn't doing something straight out of a rom-com. Athena took her hand, stepping out with calculated poise, only allowing the smallest, most demure smile to appear.
"For a manager who's supposedly 'trapped' inside," Athena remarked, adjusting her jacket, "you sure have a lot of money to take me on a high-class dinner."
"I never said I went out because of the job," Mikaela replied, smirking as she gently guided her toward the restaurant's entrance. Her voice dipped just slightly in tone, just enough to graze flirtation. "I thought you looked pretty."
Athena blinked, on cue, and tilted her head, letting the compliment hang in the air like she hadn't heard that exact line a hundred times in prettier venues. She kept her expression light, a touch of surprise in her eyes, playing the part of someone a little flattered, a little clueless. But inside, she was already making mental notes.
So, she likes pretty girls.
Athena could work with that.
"Well," She smiled sweetly, as if the idea of Mikaela thinking she was attractive had never crossed her mind. Athena said lightly, her tone airy but just a touch amused, "I'm sure you're over the moon to be driving me back home tonight."