The Switch Up

2

13 months prior to the present day

October 3, 2016

"You got this mi amour!" My mother clamored over me as I sat the straps of my bag at the joint of my arm. The butterflies were busting into flocks inside my stomach just thinking about my first day in the office.

"I know, I'm just so nervous and when I'm nervous I talk too much and you know what happens when I talk too much-" Cut off mid-sentence my mother pushed a finger to my lips and quieted my nervous ranting.

"You are rambling again!" My mother's voice is loud and boisterous as she speaks gaining my attention right away. "No listen to me baby, you are going to be amazing out there! Just be yourself, that's why they hired you in the first place!" Her long thick brown hair hits me in the face when she flips it.

"You are right! I can do this!" I raise my fist in the air and wave to my mother who hasn't left for the work of her own yet.

Today was the big day, I was determined not to screw it up since I had a habit of self-sabotage. As long as I didn't ramble I was completely fine and everything should go smoothly. Reaching into my bag as I get into the car I answer the phone that is going off.

"Are you ready for your first day at Lachlan Legal?!" A voice shouted on the other end which happened to belong to my best friend Talia. Today was both our first day at work and it was nice to talk to someone who knew what those jitters felt like.

"I want to throw up in my mouth!" I admitted turning the ignition to the car, I needed to get going. I needed to make an impression and a good one at that. So because of this, I thought I would be five or so minutes early since it would show that I really wanted the job and that I cared.

"Are you ever not disgusting?" Talia asked me as I peeled away and onto the street. My mind was running faster than this car as I made my way closer and closer to every stop light that stalled me.

"Well, how are you feeling with all this? I mean look at you working for Roberts and Smith!"

"I mean it is my father's law firm... It's not as impressive as working at Lachlan! Mads, that's the most prestigious law firm in Miami!" Talia emphasized making me feel even more nervous than I was before. I knew that this was the biggest law firm in Miami but hearing someone remind me once again of that made me all that much more nervous.

"Roberts and Smith is the second biggest law firm in Miami! Also, you promise me that since our firms are rivals we will keep work at work. If we ever have a case together we can't take anything personal because that's all it is, work." I didn't want our work to come between Talia and me because working for rivalry firms I could see that potentially happening if we didn't make it known that nothing was personal.

"Mads, we are best friends! Nothing can come between that, look I better get going or I'm going to be late." Talia and I made our goodbyes as I tossed my phone back in my purse and pulled into an open parking spot. Staring at the huge building through my window pane my heart flipped inside my chest. My body shook as I stood up out of the car and began to make my way up into the towering building.

Walking inside my heels clicked against the beige tile until I was met with the elevator. Stepping into the empty elevator I pressed the button that read seven, upon pressing it, it lights up to signal it was been pushed. Looking up I do the exercises my mother has instructed me to do when I was nervous, deep breathing.

"Oh s**t!" I mumble to myself over and over again while also trying to do these deep breathing methods. I probably look like I am about to give birth with the way I am breathing but my mom was right, it was calming me down.

"Oh, hey!" Bringing my head down I saw a man in a black suit rushing towards the elevator. Pressing the button to keep the doors open a rush of wind brushed my hair away from my face. A nice cologne smell is swept up my nose as soon as I look over at a truly beautiful man, and when I say his jawline was sculpted by the gods that is not an exaggeration.

"Good morning!" I greet as the doors enclose the both of us inside. I am trying really hard not to stare because the last thing I want to do is come off as a creep but honestly this man is Calvin Klein model material.

"I haven't seen you around here, are you new?" He asked with a thick British accent that was adding to his list of attractive traits. However, I don't let his looks break my cool I stay calm and collected like a normal person.

"First day actually!" I nod smoothing out my black pencil skirt which is also convenient because my hands were sweating like banshees.

"Well, good luck...." He trails as I am about to leave the elevator. I hadn't gotten the chance to tell him my name.

"Madeline," I reply getting out of the elevator just to have him follow me. This must be his floor as well.

"Alright, Madeline well good luck on your first day!" He smiled and in this moment I realized how much of a creep I was. My sights zeroed in on his dimples! He had dimples! They carved into his cheeks before I walked away leaving me to drool all over myself.

"Madeline Vega?" I turn to the front desk women who greets me. Behind her stands the name Lachlan with a waterfall trickling down the back of the letters. It reminded me of some high-end day spa instead of a law firm.

"That's me!" I say maybe a little too cheerfully, god I was being too over the top. I needed to bring things down a notch by that loud reply.

"Great, I am Paris! I work here at the front desk and I am going to show you where your desk is so you can get settled in." Paris had long flowing blonde hair that reminded me of a romance movie. She was gorgeous with those deep blue eyes and perfect pink lips that were coated in lipgloss.

"It's nice to meet you I am really excited to be here." I gushed as we walked to where the man I had met on the elevator went. I looked around at the open windows and the various desks and stain glass offices that lined the corners of the room.

"We are excited to have you here, now this is your desk and Harry is going to show you around and give you a tour when you have everything settled. Again it was nice to meet you, Madeline!" Paris brought me to a dark wood desk just like all the others that were in a line.

"It's nice to meet you too, thank you Paris!" I waved seeing her saunter back the way we came. I sit down and run my hands over the smooth dark wood, everything was so nice. I look around and take in my surroundings of the luxe looking office space. Some part of me feels a little out of place here, the office is full of nicely dressed lawyers everyone looked like they dressed at Giorgio Armani.

"So we meet again." A British accent fills the air as I look over from putting a few pen and pencils on my desk since I had conveniently forgotten my box of things at home. I was in such a rush this morning that I guess I couldn't remember to bring the box of office supplies I had packed the night before.

"Hey, you!" I kick myself for saying this. I sound so dumb that I can't even bring myself to justify saying it. Why do I say such dumb things?

"So I have been assigned to show you around." The man that Paris called Harry told me as I stood up and again smoothed over my pencil skirt I bought from Target. "I'm Harry by the way I am another family lawyer here."

"No way, I am a divorce attorney too!" I told him as he rounded the corner to show me different parts of the office.

"Really? I have a feeling you and I will get along great then." Harry gave me a smile that made butterflies erupt in my stomach. "This is the break room, there is a fridge to keep any of your food cold... I will warn you though I would label anything that is yours because if it doesn't have your name on it anyone will try to take it."

"Good to know." I trailed looking around at the state of the art kitchen in the corner where the fridge Harry was talking about sat. This place was fancy as hell!

Taking the entire tour of the office I fought myself on saying countless inappropriate things to Harry. I refrained from all of it since I wanted to actually keep my job because I was tired of being a broke college student living at home with her parents. As the tour comes to an end Harry takes me back to my desk, swiping a file off his co-worker's desk he hands it to me.

"This is your first case if you need any help with it just let me know I would love to help in any way I can," Harry smirks at me as I take the folder from his hand and thank him. I sit in my chair and watch him walk to my left and sit down right next to me.

"Fancy seeing you here." He looks over at me in his chair when he notices I am looking at him.

"Yeah fancy.." I say hoping that with Harry sitting literally right next to me I can focus on this case. I was so distracted by the way Harry held himself and carried himself that halfway through the tour I lost my attention on what he was showing me and was paying more attention to his extremely attractive accent.

"I think you will really like it here," Harry told me as he pulled a file of his own and opened it up to start reading. His long eyelashes covering his emerald green eyes, it actually made me super jealous considering I wore extensions to make it look like I had naturally long lashes! I had to pay for that s**t and he has been blessed with that shit... in what world is that fair?

"I'm excited to be here, I never thought in a million years I would be hired on here. This has been my dream job since I was 18 years old." I said putting the file I held down in my lap to talk to Harry... and here I am getting off task. However, I justify this all by saying I need to make friends at work and that being social is an important aspect of the workplace.

"I wish I knew at 18! I still had no clue what I was doing at 18." Harry confided lifting his eyes off the page for a brief moment to look at me.

"The only reason I really knew was because my mom works as a family attorney." I picked my file back up and read the client's name I was taking on.

"It took me until I was 19 to figure out that I wanted to do law, all I knew was that I couldn't be a surgeon like my father. I can't do blood and guts." Her grinned letting those cute ass dimples carve into his cheeks.

"Yeah, I can't even do my period sometimes with all the blood!" And again in this moment, I realized what I had just said. I really hate myself sometimes. He probably thinks I am some psycho with that last little comment. I hide under my file and again want to pull my voicebox out and stomp on it repeatedly or maybe pull a little mermaid where a sea witch takes my voice, either one would be appropriate.

"I am so sorry that was so uncalled for!" I decide to apologize but see him shake his head and laugh at me. This has been the best first day I could have ever asked for... I hope you are sensing my sarcasm.

"Don't worry about it you are just a little nervous! It's your first day, I get it." He laughed causing me to feel a little better but still overwhelmingly embarrassed. Maybe I should just be quiet for the rest of the day. My mouth always was the thing that got me into trouble.

+

"So baby how was your first day I want to hear all about it!" My mother put emphasis on the all part. I scarfed down the rice and curry on my plate, yes it sounded like I was a child but my mother had made one of my favorite meals besides Panda Express.

"It was good... except for the fact that I royally embarrassed myself in front of this gorgeous British man!" I shook my head forking my curry and rice as my mother leaned in with interest.

"I don't find this at all surprising." Cody chimed in causing me to roll my eyes dramatically at him.

"Look I don't need your comments right now Cody because last time I checked you were still single too!" I chastised getting Cody to shut his mouth right then and there.

"Yeah, booooooy!" Gabe my other twin brother started in causing me to sigh and wait until he was done trying to imitate the longest yeah boy ever kid.

"You know I would never guess you guys are two years younger than me." I took another bite of the delicious curry in front of me ignoring Gabe and Cody who were trying to tease me which I was starting to think was their favorite hobby.

"Anyway, besides you embarrassing yourself, how was it? Was it everything you wished it would be?" My father piped in over my annoying brothers.

"Yeah, it's great! I got my first case today and I am excited to get settled in." I said optimistically. Hoping that I could get back on a less weird track with Harry.

N. That gif of Harry honestly kills my soul and also, can we pause and talk about Harry being 23?!