Lily's POV

My eyes flicked to the wall clock in my bedroom every minute as I hurried to get dressed in record time. Groaning, I struggled to pull on the black slacks I had to wear which to my bad luck happened to glitch around my hips, a good sign that the body work out I had started recently was beginning to show results.

While I did all that, my brain still wondered how he had vanished from the restaurant without me knowing. I wasn't sure if I would have had the guts to talk to him before he left, however it still hurt he disappeared abruptly when I wasn't attentive.

"Lily!" I heard a voice call out to me from the other end of my apartment and instantly recognized who it belonged to. "You in here?"

"Yeah Daisy!" I responded as I heaved a sigh, successfully buttoning the slacks and began a search for a a suitable shirt or blouse to match. "Getting dressed."

During the call she had told me she'd meet me at home, and judging by the fact we were on the call all the way as I drove to my apartment, it was understandable I had reached before her.

"Okay good. We need to be there soon," she told and I nodded while I threw on a corporate blue and black stripped shirt, it's length the same as a crop top but still made me appear businesslike and classy.

"Because I sure as hell wouldn't want to add to Roman Steele's anger."

I paused at the sound of that name, my heartbeat picking up a bit as I was sure anyone who knew who that name belonged to would. According to Daisy's info, he was not someone to be messed with.

"Me too," I murmured as I pushed myself back in action, hoping that whatever the emergency we were about to deal with wasn't caused by us, and only the fact they simply needed us for extra help or something.

"You done?" Daisy asked in a loud tone as I faced the mirror, getting the band out of my hair and repacking it in a higher ponytail.

"Almost," I answered and bobbed my head at my reflection, thankful my hair sat just right, hence that was the least I could do in such record time to prevent a disaster with my chaotic black curls.

"Need any help?" She implored while I picked up my lipstick from the vanity table and smudged only a little on my lips, smacking them and after, rushed to grab my handbag which I had made sure to pack the essentials needed for the meeting the moment I got home.

"Thank you but I'm out," I said as I strolled to the living room, sliding my feet into comfortable black flats, looking the best I could.

>>>>>>>>>

"What do you think this means?" Daisy asked, appearing constipated in the passenger seat as I maneuvered the car through the Saturday evening traffic.

"I don't know D," I blurted, and honked at a vehicle which seemed to be moving too slow for my peace of mind.

"Do you think it's our fault?" She uttered the same question I had asked myself. "What if there was a mistake in our reports and that somehow led to an error or a disaster?"

"Let's just think positively," I forced a laugh, trying to hide my unsteady nervous system.

"I read somewhere that it's sometimes best to think of the worst," she mumbled, more like talking to herself.

"I don't think that's good advice," I scoffed.

She turned to me sharply, surprised I heard, and continued. "Maybe, but it prepares you mentally and helps you think of solutions.

"Well we already have solutions," I spoke, sending her a smile.

"Solutions that could prove helpless the moment we are hit with something bigger than we think," she all but cried, and it was hard not to laugh.

"Then I suggest we hold our horses till we see what we are dealing with," I suggested and she nodded. "If my calculations are correct, we'll be there in a few minutes."

"Shit," she groaned and this time I laughed as I continued driving in silence as we were both left with our thoughts.

Not long, we arrived at the basement parking lot, got out of the vehicle and made our way into the large structured corporate building.

Switching off the ignition, I picked up my phone, clicking the camera sign to give my face a final glance, hoping my nervousness is not visible as I strived to put on that professional smile.

"You look like the joker," Daisy muttered from my side and I locked my phone and turned to her with the same smile on my lips.

"Just the look I was going for," I muttered in sarcasm and exhaled a breath that seemed to be clogged in my chest. "Ready?"

"Not sure I'll ever be," Daisy said honestly and I laughed, unlocking the car and climbing out.

I grabbed my bag while Daisy carried the documents we brought and together we walked away from the car, to the back entrance of the building and climbed the elevator.

Daisy pressed the button of the floor while I leaned my back on the cold metal wall, my foot tapping every 3 seconds to an unknown rythm as my subconscious sought a way to make me feel calm.

The doors slid open and we both exchanged a glance of encouragement before walking out. The floor was roughly empty with only a few people moving around and sitting behind their desks.

It was a Saturday, therefore it made sense, and somehow it made me feel at ease a bit, the lesser eyes, the better. A man in suit suddenly appeared and threw a quick glance at us before asking, "for the data evaluation?"

"Yes we are," Daisy answered, her voice smooth and firm.

"This way," the man declared, and began trudging towards our right.

Not needing to ask anything further, we silently followed, Daisy holding the documents tightly to her chest while I counted numbers in my head.

Soon the man halted, and when we reached him, it was in front of a door written 'boardroom'. As if on cue, a cold chill brushed my face, causing my lashes to flutter and my lips to thin.

I wasn't one to be superstitious, but I suddenly felt wary and paranoid, all confidence seeming to melt away as Daisy knocked and we waited to be called in.