The Secretary and Her Boss

Chapter 6

The sound of an airhorn yanked me from sleep and sent me shooting up in bed, screaming at the top of my lungs. My heart slammed into my ribcage, my throat burned from my howl of panic. "WHAT THE HALIBUT?!?"

I scrambled from bed, legs tangling in the sheets, and hit the ground, shoulder first. I was halfway to the door before I spotted the source of the air horn that continued to ring in my ears. 

Allie sat on the edge of my bed, wearing a mischievous smile. "Good morning. Sleep well?"

Sliding against the wall, I slunk to the ground, utterly wrung out from the panic, even as rage bubbled up inside. ""Allie!?! What are you doing here?!?"

"Today's lesson.." she said, ignoring my tone. "...is how to look fabulous after waking up late." She looked down at her glistening silver watch. "You shouldn't be surprised. I told you I was coming over. You have five minutes to look acceptable. Go."

"It's three in the morning! You said you would be here at five! How did you even get in here?!?"

"Your roommate let me in—"

Jumping to my feet, I threw open the door to my room. "BEX!!!" I shouted, slamming my first against her door before bursting inside. 

Bex, who was nearing the end of her night shift of working from home, glanced up from the corner of her room where several screens sat before her. One was crunching code, another showcased a side scrolling game with Mario jumping over a Goomba, a third was playing Lofi Girl music with dozens of shopping tabs open. Bex's hands hovered over her backlit neon keyboard, large headphones pulled down around her neck, short hair poking up in several directions from hours of being subjected to headphones. She wore a large nacho cat hoodie, sweatpants and fuzzy slippers. 

"You're awake? That's weird," she said, blinking up at me, her eyes attempting to focus on my face after so many hours sitting before her screen. "You're normally asleep... and far less angry... why are you looking at me like you want to murder me?"

"YOU LET A PSYCHOPATH INTO OUR HOUSE!!!" I yelled. 

Bex looked past me, confused. "You are the one that told me she was coming... why are you still looking at me with your angry face?"

"Because I'm angry, Bex!"

She continued to look confused. "Ooookay? Can you spell it out because I'm still not sure why you're... Okay, your more angry now..."

Sucking in a breath through clenched teeth, I spun on my heels and walked out of her room, buzzing with anger, mind too muddled to explain why her letting Allie into my room at three in the morning, without questioning her carrying an air horn was a huge red flag.

Allie leaned against the wall in the living room, eyes on her watch. "Two minutes left. I'd get dressed before the timer runs out."

"I—"

"Complain while you get dressed," Allie said, eyes still on her watch. "If you don't have a new outfit on by the time your five minutes is up, I get to throw out anything I hate... and I warn you, I am very picky."

Dashing to my room, I bolted for my closet, eyes scanning my clothes in a panic. 

"One minute thirty seconds," Allie said from the other room. "And I strongly suggest you do your hair and makeup."

I let out a garbled screech of frustration as I tugged on the first thing I saw, yanking on shoes as I hopped into my bathroom. Then I quickly tugged my hair into a messy bun, and was halfway done putting on eyeliner when Allie shouted from the other room. 

"Aaaaand time!" 

Walking into the bathroom, she paused in the doorway, taking me in through the reflection in the mirror.