OH, I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE MAMA!!!

Liam, Laurie, and the Sales Ninja

"I almost regretted going back to bed, Lee. Could you believe I nearly missed the alarm?" I asked my best friend Liam on the phone as I made my way downstairs, fully dressed in work clothes.

Now I know what you're thinking.

Yes, Liam is a guy, and no, he isn't gay.

We just happen to be a part of the minority.

You know, the minority of best friends in America who haven't advanced from friendship to an actual love relationship.

It hasn't happened with us, and it definitely never will, and it's not like he's ugly or anything... (well, even if I thought he was, and had told him many times, the flock of girls that constantly chased him in high school rapidly dispelled that notion.), but it's just that I always saw Liam as a brother, and he saw me as his sister and there was honestly no going back from that especially if you absolutely believed it.

I actually called him my brother from another mother... it was our little joke, helped me get him to always do mischievous stuff he didn't want to do for me when we were younger... that and my pretty unique pair of eyes, which were blue by the way in case you were wondering.

"You always miss your alarm, so, why're you pretending it's some unbelievable s**t, Mia?" Liam asked back, trying but failing to keep his muffled laughs at bay. "Anyway, why were you up so early?"

I sighed dramatically, about to give him the gist of my not-so wonderful morning, but I stopped in my tracks when I noticed my mother in the kitchen.

Instead, I said, "Well, I'll tell you all about it later, we're still on for tonight right?" smiling slightly in mama's direction when she turned to glance at me, an inquisitive look on her face.

"Is that, Liam?" she mouthed, smiling dreamily when I nodded in affirmation.

I raised an eyebrow, barely missing Liam when he said, "Oh yeah yeah, I'll come over right after my shift at the hospital."

"Okay great! I'll see you later then. Have a good day, Lee." I chirped, laughing when he repeated my words in a small, irritating voice he had been claiming since the 80s, sounded just like mine. I hung up and looked up only to see mama still looking at me with that dreamy look on her face.

I knew where this was going.

"Liam is such a wonderful boy." She smiled, pouring a cup of coffee and handing it over to me.

"I know." I answered, adding two cubes of sugar and a splash of milk... just the way I liked it. "That's why he's my best friend."

Mama adjusted her butt on the bar stool as she leaned close, arms on the counter as I adjusted my tight pencil skirt and hopped on a bar stool myself. "But he could be more than that-"

"Mama." I warned her, I really wasn't in the mood for this twice in a day.

"What?" She continued, unperturbed. "Most relationships start out as friendships, and what you and Liam have is so beautiful, you'd make the perfect couple."

I calmly gulped my coffee, praying to whoever was listening that I didn't say something that would upset this woman, seeing as she was asking for it.

"Mama, look Liam and I are fine just the way we are, please... don't push it. Besides, he's seeing someone."

"WHAT?!!"

Oops.

Apparently, I had done what I was desperately praying I wouldn't do.

"HOW CAN HE BE SEEING SOMEONE? WHO IS AS LOVELY AND AS BEAUTIFUL AS MY DAUGHTER? I HOPE TO SEE HIM SOON, I'LL DEFINITELY CHANGE HIS MIND." She screamed in her shrill voice, causing me to grimace.

I quickly finished my coffee and jumped down, pulling down my skirt and stepping into my heels.

I grabbed my handbag and laptop bag, turning to give her a kiss on her cheek and then I fled.

*******

"Mia, staff meeting in thirty minutes, the MD has something to tell us all." I heard my office bestie, Lauretta call out as she popped her head in my office, her red curls sticking out wildly.

I wondered what could possibly be the reason for this meeting... it wasn't like it was the end of the month or anything. (We had monthly meetings to take stock and assess our work.)

"I know you're wondering why we're having this meeting, believe me we all are-" She said, settling into one of the seats across my desk. She leaned in conspiratorially, causing me to involuntarily lean in as well.

Meh, what can I say,

I'm a sucker for gossip.

"Heads up, I heard Arthur has sold the company to an Italian organization."

I gasped at her in shock. "What?"

She nodded back eagerly in confirmation. "Yeah, so they're probably doing this meeting to tell us about the news and encourage us to perhaps find new jobs or something."

I couldn't believe it.

I mean there was a chance that I was going to lose my position as head of sales, mind you... a position I had diligently worked my way up to, without my father's connections or influence.

Then again, I could always start afresh from another company, but that was so much work.

Plus, I liked it here.

I spun around in my swivel chair... I don't know, but doing that always gave me some weird sense of comfort.

"I'm really hoping it's all rumors for all our sales, Laurie." I voiced out hopefully, pausing mid-spin, when I saw the bored look on her face.

"I don't know why you're casting yourself among our lot. We all know daddy will do anything for you as long as you ask. I honestly don't know why you still want to work." She told me seriously, stretching herself out in the chair with a dreamy look in her beautiful green eyes.

"If I was in your shoes, I'd probably never lift a finger to ever do anything in my life. Traveling, sunny beaches, seeing the world... there would be so much I would be doing." She said, causing me to snort like a pig. "Ha! Well, good thing you're not in my shoes then."

I was going to say more, but the door to my office barged open and the Ninja of Sales, Marie Sheldon, stepped into my office.

Nah, I'm just kidding, she's the supervising head of the Sales Department... and a huge pain in my ass, but don't tell her that.

She glared at the both of us, her gaze shifting to Lauretta, who cringed submissively.

"I sent you to go get Amelia, not engage in unproductive ventures like exchanging office gossip." She spat out in disdain, shifting her gaze to me when she caught me rolling my eyes in disgust.

Marie honestly reminded me of a teacher in high school... and not the good kind. You see those teachers who were so mean, even the nicest of students couldn't stand them? The kind who always got caught up in the sickest of student pranks?

Yep. That was Marie for you.

She couldn't stand me, and to be honest the feeling was mutual.

Thankfully, she only glared at me, but didn't say a word as she walked out of my office, and good for her, because I was sharpening my tongue in readiness for some serious lashing.

I closed my laptop, and followed Lauretta out of my office to the conference room where almost everyone had gathered.

The MD was already in himself, but he waited for a few more minutes so everyone could get settled.

He stood up when everyone had done so.

"Well, good morning, everyone."