Lucas knew he was probably getting crazy looks from his employees as he ducked under their desks to hide. But if they knew who he was hiding from they would do the same thing. Sara Montgomery. The name alone sent chills down his spine and not the good kind.
She like her father and his father had it in their heads that just because they both took over their companies that meant they were meant to be. The only thing meant to be was how annoying Lucas found her. Usually his assistant who he owed his sanity to warned him of her arrival.
But since he hadn't gone home from the day before she couldn't. Luckily for him he went to grab another cup of coffee so he wasn't in his office when she arrived so there she sat in his office smelling it up of her perfume.
He breathes a sigh of relief when he reaches the elevators furiously pressing the button getting on glad he had his wallet and phone on him. His phone buzzes in his pocket and he knew who it was. His dad. Sara obviously called her dad who called his so now he was calling to get him to go back and date her.
He didn't answer sending him to voicemail knowing he would hear about it later. More like the same thing over and over. Marry now worry about love later. Lucas always thought that was a stupid saying since neither his dad or grandpa who founded the company married without love.
He shook his head knowing he always ignored that advice and listened to his mom instead. Love will fall unexpectedly into you when you least expect it. He smiled just thinking how she always managed to sound like a fortune cookie.
The elevator dings as he waits for the doors to open and the people in front of him to leave when he sees a box fly along with a girl into the elevator.
"Fudging hell!" Lucas couldn't help chuckling as she turned over turning red when she sees him. "That was quite an entrance. Are you alright?" He asked watching as she covered her face mumbling about wishing the elevator opened up and swallowed her.
"I don't think you want that to happen." He tells her offering her his hand. "There could be spiders and other crawly things in there." He shivers as she moves her hands giggling making his heart race.
"Other crawly things?" She asked placing her hand in his widening her eyes looking at their hands as he does the same feeling a tingle sensation travel up their arms.
"Sorry." She tells him taking her hand out his and picking up her box.
Lucas rubs his neck telling her no problem as he smiled at her. "Can you press the button for the top floor please?" She asked looking at him as she gestures with the box to the buttons. He nods reaching for it but stops moving his hand away. "I can't." He tells her as she widens her eyes.
"What do you mean you can't? I need to get up there." She moves towards the buttons but he blocks her off. "I'm sorry I can't." He tells her again knowing Sara was probably at the elevators waiting for him. "Listen pal I've seen the movies and just so you know I carry pepper spray with me and took self defense classes."
He tilts his head looking at her with an amused expression. "Is that where they taught you how to swear too?" She narrows her eyes at him putting the box down and trying to reach for the buttons. They fight slapping each other's hands away pressing buttons until the elevator stops and the lights go out.
Josh swirled in his chair waiting for Maya to call giving her usual thanks for her gifts. He knew he was probably going to have to wait awhile since she'd probably going to be staring at the artwork surrounding her.
He chuckles as he hears his phone buzz picking it up and frowning. "What do you want?" He hears chuckling and looks up at his office door. "Shouldn't you be working instead of bothering me?" Josh tells Andrew who sits in the chair across from his desk putting his feet up.
"Yeah but I just wanted to see the look on your face when you realize it wasn't your girlfriend." Josh gives him a look pushing his feet off his desk. "'She isn't my girlfriend she's my niece best friend and my friend." He tells him knowing he hasn't thought of her like that in awhile.
"Matthews who do you think you're kidding. Your Sandra Dee as you call her hasn't been just a friend and you know it. You two have sleepovers for crying out loud." Josh shakes his head telling him that they didn't have sleepovers just movie nights where sometimes she doesn't feel like going home and stays over.
Never in the same bed except for one time but he wasn't about to tell Andrew that. "Okay but at least admit you have feelings for her? You're on the want more freeway to scared to take telling her how you feel exit."
Josh looks at him about to tell him that made absolutely no sense when his phone buzzes with a text.
"Meet for lunch? -Maya." He read aloud punching Andrew who held his jacket for him knowing he was leaving. He gets in his car wondering what was going on with her since she hadn't mentioned his gifts yet to him. He shakes his head as Andrew kept telling him tell her how he felt.
He couldn't do that Maya was just his friend she never thought of him like that since they were kids and there was no point in putting himself out there and ruining their friendship. He wanted to keep Maya Hart in his life for a long time.
He was lucky to find a spot on the side of the museum and smiles seeing Maya sitting on the steps. "Hey ferret shouldn't you be inside?" He tells her rubbing her cheek making her smile.
She smiles sticking her tongue out at him patting the spot next to her. "What's new in the accounting world Christian Wolfe?" He chuckles nudging her as she opens her lunch bag Riley sent her.
"You watched it again last night didn't you?" He tells her as she passes him half her sandwich.
"I can't help it. It reminds me of you anyway." She laughed pinching his cheeks making them heat up. He shook his head not sure if she was flirting with him or not since her cheeks were red and she was biting her lip.
"You know I only do accounting and not actually killing people like Ben affleck does in the movie right?" He tells as she rolls her eyes at him telling him his secret was safe with her winking at him. Something she did everytime she watches the movie and he tells her that.
"Okay so why did you want me to meet you?" He asked watching as she stopped mid bite and looked at him. "Well you see the thing is... no it's okay never mind." She tells him as he looks at her weirdly. "Spit it out Hart."
She takes a deep breath and tells him what happened when she got to work that morning with her ex boyfriend and the reason she needed to meet him to pretend to be her boyfriend.
"But you don't have to Josh you looked freaked out as it is and..." he chuckles covering her mouth with his hand. "I'll admit it did take me by surprise but I'm honored you thought of me. So... I'll do."
He lowers his hand and Maya hugs him making him laugh. "Thank you Josh I know you don't have to do this and it's kind of asking a lot of you but..." they pull apart and she smiles at him. "Thank you Boing." He chuckles telling her he hadn't heard that nickname in awhile.
"Well you know you will always be my Boing." They stare at each other as Josh smiles cupping her cheek and Maya bites her lip. They begin to lean in when they hear someone call her name. "Scott." Maya tells him as Josh feels her tense up next to him he turns his head and starts laughing looking back at Maya.
"Your ex is Malibu Ken?" He continues laughing as Maya covers her face in his chest as Scott gets closer to them. "So this is the boyfriend?" Scott asks folding his arms across his chest standing over them. Josh clears his throat standing up holding out his hand. "Josh Matthews heard a lot about you Ken."
He looks at Maya who tries to stifle her laugh as she pretends to eat her sandwich. "Actually it's Scott." He tells Josh shaking his hand trying to squeeze it hard. "Sorry Ken I mean Scott. Nice to meet you but my girl and I were having lunch. Privately." Josh tells him sitting back down next to Maya.
"Sure so I guess I'll be seeing you later at the welcome mixer tonight?" Scott asked as he smiles smugly when Maya looks at Josh and then him. Josh ignored him putting his arm around Maya. "Yes you will."
"Look what you did?!" Riley shouted shining her phone light on the elevator door. "Me? Your the one that threatened me and was pressing buttons." He tells her making her glare at him. "At least we won't starve." He gestures at her box of food and she shakes her head picking it up.
"Don't even think about it elevator killer." He starts laughing making her hit him with the box. "Are you two alright in there?" A voice over the little speaker asked. "No!" Riley shouts as the green eyed stranger covers her mouth.
"Do you know what happened?" He asks wiping his hand on his pants since Riley had licked his hand. "Yeah the electrician was fiddling with the wires in the lobby cutting off power to all of them except the one he wanted." The voice begins to chuckle as Riley hears the stranger muttering about finding a new one.
"So sit tight and we'll have you out soon hopefully." The voice tells them as Riley drops her box slumping to the floor. "Well that settles it." She looks at him as he sits next to her asking what was.
"My career in the catering business. I had a meeting with the ceo and apparently the universe and you are against it." She tells him as he looks at her weirdly making her say what. "You had a meeting with the owner?" She nods her head as she opens a cupcake biting into it. "The owner of this building?" She nods again as he begins to laugh.
"I'm glad my misery is amusing to you. I should have just taken the stairs." She shoves the rest of the cupcake in her mouth tossing him one along with a sandwich. "Here. By the time we get out I'll probably won't make my meeting and lose out on a job." She slumped lower laying on the elevator floor.
"These are good." He tells her biting into the cupcake she gave him. "I don't think you'll lose out on the job." He tells her as she looks over at him. "Yeah why's that?" He clears his throat and before he can say something a shrill voice comes over on the speaker.
"Sweetheart is that you? They told me people were trapped and you could be one of them?" Riley looks and sees him rub his neck shaking his head. "I think she's talking to you." He sighs and Riley goes to say something when he covers her mouth again.
"Shh. I don't want her to know I'm in here." He whispers as she widens her eyes. "Are you kidding me?" She whispers yells pushing his hand away.
"I'm losing out on a job because you're hiding from your girlfriend?" He goes to speak but Riley hits him with a cupcake and then with a sandwich. "Quit it." He tells her in a hushed voice.
"No! I'm stuck in here because of you you jerk. I should pepper spray you?" He grabs her arms pulling her close to him making her gasps. She widens her eyes as he looks at her lips just as the doors open. Riley shakes her head moving away from him grabbing her bag and leaving him in there without a backwards glance.
Maya chewed her lip as she looked at the door waiting for Josh to arrive. She knew this was kind of a big favor to ask of someone especially Josh. She didn't know what she was thinking when she told Scott he was her boyfriend. In all honesty she wasn't lying when she said his name was the only one she was thinking of.
He's been the only one she had been thinking of lately. She just wasn't sure he felt the same way and if she put herself out there would he reject her? She thought maybe they had a moment before Scott interrupted it.
She shook her head staring at the door she didn't want to lose him he had become one of the few people in her life that she trusted completely. She was afraid if she admitted to having feelings for him again and he didn't feel the same it would ruin things. And she definitely didn't want that.
"So where's the "boyfriend" shouldn't he be here already?" Scott asked holding two cups of wine holding one out to her. Maya rolled her eyes smiling as she sees Josh walk in searching for her smiling when he spots her.
"Sorry I'm late. But what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't bring my girl her favorite flowers?" Josh tells her handing her the Lily's and kissing her cheek. "Boing you shouldn't have?" Maya blushed as Josh puts his arm around her.
"Ken we meet again." Maya holds her flowers to her face trying to suppress her laugh as Josh continued to call Scott Ken. "It's Scott." He tells him as Josh nods telling him that's right.
"I can't believe you dated that Ken doll?" Josh tells Maya as he opens the car door for her. "Oh please what about that girl who looked like a scary puppet you dated?" He closes the car door holding his heart. "Ouch that stung." Maya giggles as Josh grabbed her hand intertwining their fingers.
"Sorry habit I guess." He tells her as she looks down at them. He had been doing that all night even when Scott had left the mixer. Although Maya wasn't complaining about holding his hand one bit. "It's okay practice for next time right?" He scratches his head smiling at her.
"Yeah next time. He walks her to her door bowing in front of her. "This was fun." He tells her as she smiles nodding her head. They stare at each other until Josh leans forward kissing her cheek. "Night Hart." She smiles feeling her cheeks heat up telling him night.
She walks in the apartment seeing Riley on the phone so she heads to the kitchen. "Okay thank you. I'll see you then. Bye." Maya looks at her and holds up a bottle of wine. "Bay window?" Riley nods and Maya grabs glasses for them.
They sit back to back exchanging stories about their first day in the real world. With Riley telling her about getting stuck in an elevator with a jerk thinking she was losing out on a job to end up getting it. To Maya telling her she was fake dating Josh to get her ex to leave her alone.
"What a first day." They say clinking their glasses together.