CH 11: HANG OVER!

My head felt like it was splitting open as I slowly blinked my eyes open, the harsh light of morning filtering into the room and into my eyes. I reached for my phone, my heart sinking as I saw the time."what!"

As my vision cleared, I took in the unfamiliar surroundings, a sense of disorientation washing over me. Then, like a wave crashing over me, the memories of the previous night flooded back. The party, the drinks, the laughter... "This must be ALEX' house" I murmured

Beside me, my best friend still lay asleep, oblivious to the chaos of the morning. I shook her gently, urgency creeping into my voice as I tried to rouse her from her slumber.

"Hey, wake up," I murmured, my voice hoarse with sleep.."

She stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Confusion clouded her features as she took in the room, the events of the night before slowly coming back to her.

"Where is this place?... How did we get in here" she asked as she stared at me searching for answers and I ignored her allowing her to understand the moment herself

"We... we got drunk last night, didn't we?" she mumbled, her voice thick with disbelief.

I nodded, a sense of dread settling in the pit of my stomach. "Yeah, looks like it," I replied, my mind racing with thoughts of the impending chaos that awaited us.

"Alex!" she groaned in disgust "he should have said he wanted sleep over"

Before we could dwell on it any longer, a knock on the door broke the silence, sending a jolt of panic through both of us. We exchanged a nervous glance, silently praying that whoever was on the other side would just go away.

"Girls, are you awake already?" came a familiar voice from the hallway.That was Alex's voice, his voice sounded cute like that of a mother coming to wake her children up

We held our breath, hoping against hope that he would take the hint and leave us alone. After what felt like an eternity, we heard his footsteps receding down the hallway, relief flooding through us as we realized we were safe for now.

"Liv... Seems like I got you in trouble" I laced out evident of fear on my face and in my voice

"Why? What?" She asked in confusion

"The time 7:30 already" I shot at her and she groaned

"What!... Mr Thompson" she grabbed her phone and expression went from panic to concern as she glanced at her phone screen " Mr Thompson has called already"

But our relief was short-lived as the reality of our situation hit us like a ton of bricks. We were late for work, and there was no time to waste.

"We need to get moving," I said, urgency creeping into my voice as I scrambled out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

"Sounds easy to you because you have a blue card" she said in irritation and I scoffed ignoring her as I rush into the bathroom

With a sense of urgency, we quickly showered and dressed, our movements frantic as we searched for something suitable to wear. We found a set of clothes that looked vaguely professional, they must be Alex clothes ,they kind of look feminine , we took clothes from the wardrobe and hurried downstairs, our minds racing with thoughts of the chaos that awaited us at work.

As we hurried downstairs, the scent of breakfast greeted us, but our urgency outweighed our hunger. Alex turned at our approach, his eyes widening in surprise at our choice of attire.

" Good morning ladies..Whoa, you two look sharp in my clothes," he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face and we scoffed

We exchanged knowing smiles before offering our greetings. "Good morning, Alex."

"I saw you guys were too drunk to go back to your apartment so I decided to bring you to mine" he grinned as he was flashing his play boy teeth

"Thank you ... You know I didn't want to play the game at first" I said and Alex grinned

"It's good you played it , it feels good to see you girls drunk" he said jokingly and we felt awkward instantly

"Sit down, have some breakfast," Alex urged, gesturing towards the table piled with food.

Olivia shook her head regretfully. "Uhhhh...sorry Alex,We're already running late for work."

Alex's smile faltered slightly ignoring what Olivia said . "I made this for you both."

"We appreciate your efforts, but we are already late for work ... You kept us throughout yesterday" Olivia explained and I nodded in support of her words

"Okay fine just a slice" he requested as he turned at her, his expression sad

We offered a quick apology as we grabbed a quick bite of the omelette,took a slice of bread and we took a sip of the tea . We expressed our thanks before darting out the door.

" Wait girls ..I'll drive you," Alex insisted, and we accepted gratefully

"Awwwn... Such a darling" Olivia grinned and we all laughed the car ride was filled with nervous energy

As we pulled up at Sterling Enterprise, we thanked Alex for the ride, expressing our appreciation for his kindness before dashing into the office, ready to tackle the day ahead.

As we entered the office, the sight of our department manager waiting for us sent a shiver down our spines. We approached him with trepidation, offering timid greetings as he shot us a stern look.

"You're late," he reprimanded, his tone firm.

"We're sorry," we apologized in unison, feeling the weight of our tardiness.

Mr. Thompson's expression softened slightly as he turned to Olivia. "Olivia, I've been waiting for your signature on that document."

Olivia nodded, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I'll do it right away sir. I apologize for the delay."

Mr. Thompson nodded, his expression serious. "Make sure it's done promptly. Punctuality is crucial in this office."

Olivia hurried to her desk, her fingers trembling slightly as she retrieved the document. With a quick glance at me, she gave a determined nod before focusing on the task at hand.

Meanwhile, Mr. Thompson turned his attention to me. "And you, Elena, I need you to compile the monthly sales report by noon. We have an important meeting with the executives later today."

I nodded, my mind already racing with thoughts of the looming deadline. "Yes, Mr. Thompson. I'll get started on it right away."

"Elena, before you go, the CEO has requested your presence," he informed me, his tone serious.

I felt a knot form in my stomach. Had I missed an important email or memo? I wracked my brain, trying to recall any communication from the CEO, but nothing came to mind.

"Did you receive any communication from the CEO?" Mr. Thompson asked, sensing my confusion.

I shook my head, feeling a sense of unease settle over me. "No, I haven't seen anything."

Mr. Thompson frowned, his expression unreadable. "Well, you better head to his office right away. I'm sure it's important."