3

Tonight was girls' night and by that, I mean me and my 4 best friends were hanging out in my apartment. Drinking cheap wine, baking, and cooking, and just chilling really. Because of our jobs, we aren't able to see each other as much as we used to back in college so we try to squeeze in time every other weekend to hang out.

Right now Caroline and Heidi were in the kitchen icing the cupcakes we just made. Quinn, Willow, and I were in the living room watching sex in the city, the show not the pathetic movies.

"Maria, your phone keeps going off," Caro walks over to me handing me my phone.

I furrow my eyebrows and stare at my screen, "Everything alright?" Willow raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah, I just have 8 missed calls from Mr. Nayel" Why is he calling me at 8 pm on a Saturday?

"Your hot boss is calling you on a Saturday night, could only mean one thing" Heidi smirks shoving popcorn in her mouth. The other girls oo collectively at her comment.

I roll my eyes, "Shut up" I say and get up to go into my bedroom.

"Don't start sexting him, we're still here babe" Willow jokes as I shut my bedroom door.

For some bizarre reason, my friends have this ridiculous fascination with me and Nayel together, specifically in a physical sense. I gag just thinking about it. No matter how attractive that man is, I will never stoop that low.

I press the phone to my ear and he answers immediately, "Maria" his tone was calm.

"Is everything alright? I have 8 calls from you sir?" I pace back in forth in my room.

"Maria cancel any plans you have for tomorrow, we have a meeting with Stanley Enterprise"

"What? It's Sunday tomorrow?" I groan.

"I'm aware of that Maria" He spats rudely.

"So it's not a working day, technically I am not obligated to be taking your call right now either on my day off after hours," I say raising my voice.

I hear him sigh, "I'm not asking you for a personal favor Mar-Mar, this is part of the job" He talks to me as if I'm 5.

"I am not obligated to work on Sundays" I state.

"Well, you are this Sunday if you want to keep your job" He snaps and I get silent.

"Look, do you think I want to spend my weekend making small talk with bloody potential clients?" he pauses, "and be around your ray of sunshine self?" Okay, that was just hurtful, why did he specifically have to corner me like that.

"Making a deal with Stanley could be significant for us, they are a massive company. However, they pride themselves on their southern hospitality and believe that friendship and family are the keys to a successful business. That is literally their motto, they want to partner up with a firm that has the same ideals as them. So they want an informal meeting to see if we are fitted for them"

I laugh, "I hate to break it to you but we aren't sir, one look at just the two of us arguing will make them run away"

"Which is why we have arranged a meeting tomorrow with Stanley the CEO and his family, it's a get-together but if they like us they'll sign with us. It's super small nothing with the whole team. It will just be you and I"

"Why do I need to be there then? It's your firm it's not like I'm a partner or anything" I basically whine.

Nayel huffs, "Because you're my assistant and you have this bubbly personality and friendly face. You love making friends so seeing that will make them surely want to sign on"

"So you want me to pretend to be nice and charismatic the whole time?" I ask.

"You are nice and charismatic," He says lowly, wow that might be the first compliment he's given me in years.

"It won't last very long and it's meant to be a gathering it won't even feel like work" I don't know why he's trying to convince me, it's my job I can't say no.

"When and where is the meeting?" I ask.

"Around 11, I'll come to pick you up."

"Wait what? Why?"

"Do you not listen to anything I say ever?" He snaps, "They want a friendly company where the employees and the boss are like a fucking family. We need to act like we are friends, be courteous, and all that crap. Showing up and leaving together would make them think we are on such good terms as boss and employee"

"Or make them think we're together" I blurt out.

"Don't start with me right now, just be ready before 11  tomorrow," Nayel says.

"Fine" I sigh.

"And oh it's unofficial so make sure your attire isn't like something you wear to the office but more causal," Nayel says.

I roll my eyes and hang up without saying another word. Great I'll be spending Sunday with my boss and potential new clients how fun.

I throw my phone on my bed, run my fingers through my hair and walk out of the bedroom. All my friends were in the living room, their eyes glued to the tv then moved to me once I come into view.

"What happened with Mr hottie?" Caro wiggles her brows at me.

"Nothing, I just have to spend the day with him tomorrow, yay!" I say sarcastically throwing jazz hands into the air.

"If my boss was as hot as him, I'd want to work on weekends too, I don't know why you complain all the time," Willow smirks at me.

"Looks aren't everything, he's an asshole." I shake my head taking a seat on one of the sofas.

"So why is he calling you in on a Sunday?" Quinn asks.

"Some meeting with a few potential clients, need to make sure they sign with us. Just perks of always being on the grind" I shrug.

"Can't the meeting be on a weekday?" Heidi asks getting up and taking a seat next to me.

"No, it's like an unofficial thing so we need to act like it's not a meeting when it really is" I roll my eyes.

"It's been a while say you got laid M, I say bang on out with him" Quinn winks and the girls laugh.

I roll my eyes, "I don't know what obsession you guys have with me and him, sure he's hot but he's such a piece of shit I would rather die"

"Babe, hate sex is the best type of sex. What do you have to lose? You guys already can't stand each other so I doubt things could get even worse or awkward. Get all that hatred for each other out once and for all and just have fun" Caro sips on her wine.

I laugh, "You guys are too much and bold of you to assume he would let me sleep with him?"

"Oh shut up, you are so gorgeous and not to mention hot. Any guy would sleep with you if you asked" Willow rolls her eyes.

"I do not want to sleep with my boss, so drop it," I huff, getting annoyed.

"Yeah enough teasing Maria, regardless of you guys talking about sex and all he seems like a piece of shit and stresses her out so much so let's be a bit supportive," Heidi says and I smile at her.

"Aww no we love you, we know it's so hard for you with him," Caro says giving me a hug from behind.

"It's fine, really. Just wish he was a little more tolerable" I sigh shoving popcorn into my mouth.