I groaned as my alarm blared through the room. My body ached with exhaustion, begging for just a few more minutes of sleep. As the sound of the alarm echoed in my ears, I clutched a pillow to my head, desperately trying to ignore the rude awakening. But the alarm stopped abruptly, leaving me alone in the now-peaceful stillness of the morning.

I smiled and felt myself dozing off again when my alarm started blaring even louder. 

My eyes snapped open as I curse at my phone for waking me up. 

"Fine, fine, I'm up." I sat up and picked my phone up from my nightstand next to my bed. I squinted as the bright light reached my sleepy eyes. "Now, shut up" I said as I pressed the button. I immediately relaxed after the quietness returned to the room once again. 

I look at my phone. Six o'clock in the morning. I stared out into the darkness of my room. I looked back at my pillow and sighed. If I put my head on that thing, I won't be going to work today. 

I groaned and stretched myself out. Why, was I so tired? I'm pretty sure I went to bed early yesterday. 

As I slowly dragged myself out of bed, I slipped my feet into my fuzzy slippers that were placed neatly beside it. The soft, warm material enveloped my feet with each step, providing a small measure of comfort amidst the tiredness that still clung to my body.

I opened the bathroom door and walked over to the toilet, my bladder feeling full and uncomfortable. After relieving myself, I sat there for a few minutes, taking a brief moment to collect myself. When I was done, I reached over and flushed. I got up and turned the light on. The sudden illumination from the bright bathroom light made me squint, my eyes struggling to adjust to the change in brightness.

As I stood in front of the mirror, I couldn't help but scan my face for any imperfections. I focused on every single blemish and imperfection, my eyes lingering on each pimple like a judge at a beauty contest. I opened the medicine cabinet and retrieved the necessary items, one by one. First, my toothbrush and toothpaste, then my face mask and moisturizer. Finally, reluctantly, I reached for the hair products, knowing full well that taming my hair was always a lost cause in the morning.

I let out a tired yawn as I grabbed my hairbrush and quickly pulled my unruly locks into a messy bun. As I reached for my toothbrush and toothpaste, I squeezed out a moderate amount of toothpaste onto the bristles. I began to brush my teeth, making sure to cover all areas of my mouth with deliberate strokes. The mint-flavored paste provided a refreshing sensation, helping to combat the lingering taste of sleep that still clung to my tongue.

 I finished rinsing the minty toothpaste from my mouth and placed my toothbrush back in its holder, I paused for a moment to take in my reflection. My hair was tousled and my eyes were still half-lidded with sleep. I groaned inwardly, realizing that the only way to tame my hair was with some serious styling effort. I didn't have the energy or patience for that right now.

As I grabbed the hem of my nightgown, preparing to lift it over my head, I was interrupted by the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Hesitating for a moment, uncertain whether to attend to the message or continue with my plan to change, I wondered who could be messaging me at this hour. Curiously, I walked over and picked up my phone to check the screen.

Curiosity piqued, I glanced at the screen and saw that the message was from my best friend. A mixture of excitement and surprise washed over me - it was unusual for her to text so early in the morning. I quickly unlocked my phone and opened the message, wondering what she could possibly be reaching out about at such an hour. 

To my surprise, the message wasn't a simple early-morning greeting from my best friend, but rather a desperate plea for help. She explained that she had locked herself out her apartment, and was trapped outside with the cold wind nipping at her heels. She urgently asked if I could come over and let her back in with the spare key that I had to her apartment. Though I was still half-asleep, I couldn't resist my friend in her time of need, and quickly agreed to help her. 

I couldn't help but shake my head in amused disbelief. Only my friend Ivory could manage to get herself into this sort of trouble. As I packed my work clothes into a bag, I wondered what on earth she was doing out at this hour. Shrugging, I quickly put on my shoes and stepped out of my room, ready to go and rescue her.

With my work clothes in hand, I stepped out of my house, making sure to lock the door behind me. I made my way over to the garage, opened the door with my remote, and walked towards my car, prepared to drive to the location where my friend Ivory was awaiting for me. 

I hopped into the driver's seat, quickly starting the engine. The sound of the car's hum filled the space as I reversed out of the garage and onto the street. As I drove towards the location where Ivory was stranded, my mind was a whirlwind of thoughts - from annoyance over being woken up so early, to curiosity about what my friend had gotten herself into this time. Despite everything, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of amusement mixed with resignation. Helping Ivory was just another day as her friend.

As I pulled up to the location where Ivory was waiting, I saw her standing there with a sheepish grin. She looked a bit frazzled, but otherwise, unharmed. I rolled down the window and shook my head in amusement.

"Only you, Ivory," I said, chuckling. "How did you manage to lock yourself out at this hour?"

"I just got home," said Ivory, smiling. "Girl, I know you ain't lying to me right now," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "Where were you?" I asked, my eyes squinting at her.

Ivory looked to the side and smiled even more. I scrunched my nose in suspicion. "Don't tell me you went to see that man again," I said as I stepped out of the car. She stayed silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. I shook my head and shushed her gently. "Keep it down, some people are still trying to sleep," I reminded her.

"Oh, yeah...but girl, let me tell you!" Ivory remarked, her voice filled with excitement. I responded with a hum, taking the keys out of my pockets and using them to unlock the door to her apartment.

"So, Damien called me at three in the morning, talking about some "I miss you". So you know your girl folded and replied to him at three in the morning asking if he could pick me up," Ivory said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Can you believe that? Just ringing my phone, waking me up, and me asking him if I could go with him to who-knows-where."

"So, where did he take you?" I inquired as I set my bag down on her couch.

"We went to his house," Ivory responded, her smile turning wicked.

I feigned disbelief, exclaiming, "Oh my gosh, stop. You didn't."

She burst into laughter, lying back against the couch and kicking her feet in the air.

I shook my head and chuckled, then continued, "And then what?"

Ivory sat up straight and looked at me, a wicked smile on her face. "Girl, when I tell you we were nasty, you won't believe me. I'm talking about on the bed, couch, table, shower, and even the damn walls" she said with a mixture of pride and satisfaction. 

Ivory closed her eyes and sighed, her body slouched further into the couch. "My man, my man, my man," she muttered repeatedly, the affection evident in her voice. I chuckled at her reaction and stood up from the couch. "We should be getting ready for work," I reminded her. "It's already half past six."

Ivory groaned, clearly reluctant to leave the comfort of the couch. However, with a sigh, she pushed herself up and stood next to me. Her expression revealed a mix of tiredness and resignation.

"I guess you're right," she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Time to get ready for work."

Ivory enters the bathroom first, heading directly towards the sink to grab her toothbrush and toothpaste. Meanwhile, I follow behind her and begins to undress. I step into the shower and turn the water on. The sound of the shower running in the background serves as a soothing backdrop to the scene.

As the shower continues to run, Ivory starts brushing her teeth, keeping glances at my reflection in the mirror. 

Ivory finishes brushing her teeth, placing her toothbrush back in its spot. She then glances into the mirror again before turning around to face me with a smile.

"You know what?", Ivory said, a smirk on her face. "You've gotten thicker, girl." I laughed and responded, "Really? I thought I was just imagining things."

I get out of the shower and take the clean towel from Ivory. I wrap it around myself and walk to her room. I hear the water running, which tells me that Ivory is in the shower now. I dry myself off and put my underwear and bra on. 

Ivory turns off the shower and comes into the room a few seconds later. I continue to get dressed as she does the same. We both wear matching outfits. Who doesn't want to match with her secretary who also happens to be their best friend? 

Once we have both donned our matching outfits, we take a moment to check our reflections in the mirror, ensuring that we look presentable and expensive. 

"You look good," Ivory said, giving my outfit a once-over.

I chuckled, returning the favor. "Right back at you." We exchange smiles, taking a quick moment to admire our professional appearance before heading out of her bedroom. 

"You want breakfast or should we get something at Starbucks?" Ivory asks. "Starbucks would be nice" I say as I grab my bag and my car keys. Ivory takes the spare apartment keys and we both head out. 

We exit the apartment, the door closing softly behind us. The morning air feels crisp and refreshing as we make our way towards my car.

"So, Starbucks it is," says Ivory, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," I respond, "I could use some caffeine to kick-start my day."

First chapter complete. I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to vote and comment so other people can find out about my book. Love y'all lots ❤