My heart lodged itself into my throat with apprehension and blood pumped furiously through my ears. All of the air had left my lungs and I could do nothing but open and close my mouth repeatedly like a goldfish. It couldn't be.

"It's Zach." he clarified my suspicion, his resounding voice echoing through the speaker in my phone. "You know, the man who ran you over." he added, a hint of humour in his tone.

"What do you want?" I bit out - I couldn't think of anything else to say and I didn't trust myself to say anymore.

"You still need to pay for the damage of my car." he responded simply.

"Ah." I forgot about that.

The doorbell rang again and my eyes darted to the door.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" he asked abruptly.

"Uh, yeah. Give me a minute." I replied nervously, putting the phone down and quickly rushing to the door.

It swung open to reveal a very annoyed Alyssa, whose index finger was hovering in the air mere millimetres away from the doorbell.

"Hi." I greeted her sheepishly. She raised an eyebrow.

"What were you doing in here? Writing an autobiography?" she joked as she stormed inside. "Or have you got a hidden lover I haven't been informed about?" I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, do come in, won't you?" I told her sarcastically, closing the door after her.

"I was thinking, maybe we could go to McDonalds and stuff our faces, you in?" she smiled as she bent down to pet Jinx, who was sat at her feet happily letting her scratch behind his ears.

"Yeah I'm just going to get my jacke-" I began, but suddenly remembered Zach was still waiting on the phone. I cursed and hurried over to the phone.

"Sorry!" I apologised down the phone.

"Look, you need to pay for the damage." he affirmed sternly, his baritone voice making my knees liquefy. Seriously, something was wrong with me.

"I know, but I don't have the money." I told him honestly - it was true, my Mum and I really didn't have much and what we did have went on food as well as other bare necessities...and cat food.

"That's not a problem anymore." he stated, "We already agreed once you had recovered you would work for my company until you had paid the compensation you owe me. I called to tell you work starts tomorrow so you better be ready for work as soon as you get home from college."

"What?!" I yelled.

"I'm sorry, do you have a problem?" he asked mockingly and I could hear the smirk in his tone.

"Yes! You're enforcing child labour!" I shouted accusingly.

Alyssa gave me a strange look and mouthed, "I'll wait in there." before spinning on her heel and walking into the living room.

"Stop being melodramatic - you'd be my personal assistant, the most labour you'd go through would be making me a coffee." he told me in a bored tone.

I was quiet for a moment as I tapped my foot anxiously.

"Fine." I muttered into the phone, knowing I'd regret it.

"Good. See you tomorrow then, kiddo." he sniggered.

"Stop calling me tha-" I began angrily but the line had already went dead. "Prick." I cussed, slamming the phone down.

When I walked into the living room I spotted Lou sat watching Jeremy Kyle with Jinx curled up on her lap. She must have heard me enter the room because she turned her attention away from the TV and looked at me with a questionable expression.

"So...who's enforcing child labour?" she asked.

"Long story." I sighed.

"You can tell me when we get to McDonalds." she grinned as she got up, making Jinx hop off her lap and land on the floor clumsily.

"Sounds good." I agreed, grabbing my leather jacket as we head out of the house to McDonalds.

As we walked to McDonalds, I half listened to Alyssa talk, who thankfully was too absorbed in the conversation she was having with me to notice as I was busy thinking about how my day of hell would go down the next day.

I can't believe I'm working for that stuck up man.

I can't believe I'm working for that unbelievably gorgeous stuck up man.

Urgh! Why does he have to be so attractive?!

All I knew was he was going to give me an extremely hard time for damaging his car in the first place. I spent the rest of my time burning the rules of road safety into my brain to avoid further complications with any more sexy arrogant businessmen who enjoyed my misery.

As I wallowed in my own self pity, my nose suddenly smacked into a hard surface and I coiled back in pain to see the culprit; a glass door entrance to McDonalds. I groaned.

"What are you, an injury magnet?" Alyssa asked plainly as she stood half way through the entrance. I frowned, scrunching my nose to shake the tingles shooting through my nostrils.

"Oops." I mumbled, following her into McDonalds where I earned a few sniggers from the people who had saw me walk into a glass door. I went bright red with humiliation.

"I'll get the food, you get the seats. What do you want?" Alyssa questioned.

"I'll go with a Big Mac." I told her quickly as I grabbed us a couple of straws and some sauce before I slid into a booth.

Tapping my fingers on the table, I sighed and glanced out the window for a while in boredom.

"Uh, hello?" a masculine voice jolted me out of my day dream.

I turned to see a tall man smiling at me warmly, dimples appearing on his cheeks as he did so.

His dusky blonde hair swept over his brow and fell into a nice style, curling at the ends as his stormy grey eyes twinkled at me. He had sun kissed skin and was wearing a dark green t-shirt that hugged his body to show off his build but I noticed he wasn't as muscular as Zach...wait, why am I even comparing him to Zach?

"Hello?" I mimicked him, slightly perplexed at why this handsome stranger was talking to me. He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

"You're having a nose bleed." he pointed out, letting out a deep chuckle as he gestured me to take the napkin he held in his hand.

It was only then I realised my nose was still throbbing from the contact with the glass door and I could feel warm liquid trickling down my nose to my upper lip. Teeming with embarrassment, I snatched the napkin out of his hand and ran to the toilets in humiliation. I burst through the door and rushed over to the sink and hung myself over it as I pinched the bridge of my nose to stop the bleeding.

Out of all the people to tell me I had a nose bleed, it had to be an incredibly attractive person. I groaned at my degrading experience.

After a few minutes of leaning over the sink, my nose bleed finally stopped. I sighed, snatching a paper towel so I could clean my nose. Now I just had to face going back out the toilets with the scrap of dignity I had left. I sucked in a sharp breath before exhaling slowly as I walked out of the toilets.

When I was a few metres away from the booth I'd been sitting at beforehand, I saw Alyssa sat there with the blonde who had gave me the napkin only moments ago, he had moved his food over to our table and was munching away as she talked to him. She had already begun eating her burger and seemed like she was in a deep conversation. I walked over awkwardly, fiddling with my jeans pockets.

"Welcome back, I thought we may have lost you due to blood loss." Alyssa smirked.

"Ha, you're so funny." I replied dryly as I sat down. I avoided the blonde's gaze before reluctantly glancing at him. I was met with an amused grin.

"Noah, nice to meet you...?" he winked at me.

"Lou. Thanks for...well, you know." I mumbled.

"The napkin?" he laughed.

"Yeah, that." I smiled shyly.

"Don't worry about it." he chuckled. "I think walking into the glass door was worse."

"You saw that?" I exclaimed, horrified.

"Yeah, I found it quite adorable." he grinned, leaning back in his seat.

"Adorable?" I raised a brow.

"Yeah, it was funny and cute to see you clumsily walk into it." he laughed.

"I'm glad you found it entertaining," I muttered grumpily, "Because my nose really hurts."

"Do you want me to kiss it better?" he teased, puckering his lips.

I gave him a look.

"ANYWAY, we were just talking about going to the cinema next Saturday, you, me, Noah and Josh." Alyssa explained happily.

I groaned.

"Does Josh have to come?" I complained.

Josh was Alyssa's on and off boyfriend for a year. He'd always treated her badly and flirted with other girls so I absolutely detested him; he was a vile creature that only cared about himself. I made it clear I didn't like him and I think it was safe to say the feeling was mutual.

"Yes. He has to come." Alyssa told me sternly, giving me a look that ordered me not to make a scene.

"Fine." I caved, "But that doesn't mean I have to talk to him."

Noah gave us a puzzled look and I just rolled my eyes as I began eating my fries.

"Well...Josh sounds fun." Noah smirked into his burger.

"You have no idea." I muttered.

"I'm looking forward to this." he smirked, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

"I'm not." I replied dryly.

"Will you behave? He's my boyfriend." Alyssa huffed. I raised an eyebrow.

"But he's a dick." I stated.

"That's just your opinion!" she snapped, her eyes blazing.

"Anyone want a McFlurry?" Noah questioned randomly.

Alyssa and I snapped our heads toward him before replying simultaneously,"No."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. More for me." he sighed, sliding out of the booth and sauntering over to the counter.

Alyssa sighed. "I know you don't like him, but please try to get along with him for just one day, please Lou?" she pleaded and I crumbled immediately - I'd never seen so much vulnerability in those baby blue eyes.

"Okay." I told her simply, knowing I was going to regret it.

"Okay?" she questioned, seeming unsure.

"Yes, okay." I smiled.

Shortly after, Noah came strolling over with his McFlurry in hand, a big goofy grin on his face like a kid in a sweet shop.

"Want some?" he dunked the spoon into the tub and shoved a blob of ice cream near my face. I opened my mouth and I could almost feel the creamy sensation of the dessert on my tongue when it was suddenly torn away from me and Noah put it in his mouth.

"Hey! I was going to eat that!" I frowned.

"You should have thought about that when you said no to the McFlurry." he smirked. I gave him a sour look.

After we'd all finished our food, Noah sighed contentedly as he plopped the empty tub of ice cream on the table and stretched his arms up into the air.

"Right. Well, as much as I love your company-" he shot me a wink and I rolled my eyes as he continued, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you lovely ladies - duty calls."

"Oh, okay." I smiled meekly, feeling a little sad that he had to go.

He reached into his pocket as he stood up and the latest Iphone slid out, making me burn with envy.

"What's your number?" he asked, a grin tugging on the edge of his lips making them curve up sexily, showing his dimples. My heart swelled and I felt like running around like a lunatic doing a happy dance. He actually wanted my number? Yes!

"Um, here." I mumbled and I stood up, giving him my phone so we could exchange numbers. A few minutes later he handed it back with a smile.

"I'll text you later, 'kay?" he grinned widely and it was like it was contagious, making me smile right back at him.

"Yeah, okay." I tried to play it cool as he stood there in all his glory.

"Bye Lou." he pulled me into a hug so quickly I could barely breathe as his firm arms curled around me. I felt my cheeks burning as he held me there for longer than necessary.

We were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

Noah let go of me and I turned to see the familiar tall, smouldering figure of none other than the infamous Zach Caldwell.

He was wearing a dark suit with his hair slightly less messy, but it still fell a little over his brow and I couldn't help but admire how smart and sexy he looked. But he was still a prick. My breathing hitched as soon as he stared into my eyes.

"Oh! Hi Zach." Noah greeted casually as he walked over to him.

"Noah." Zach acknowledged him brusquely but his deep ebony orbs were burning a hole into my head. I avoided his peering eyes, focusing most of my attention on Noah, who suddenly grabbed my hand and tugged me forward a little.

"This is Lou and her friend Alyssa." he thumbed over to Alyssa, who had stood up by this point with her eyes completely fixed on Zach like a love sick puppy. I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes.

"I know." Zach replied plainly.

"You do?" Noah furrowed his brows in confusion."How?"

"She's the one who walked out right in front of my car and nearly got herself killed." he explained simply, slipping his hands into his pockets.

Noah's eyes suddenly twinkled with delight as he spun to face me.

"So you'll be working at the company?" he asked excitedly.

"Apparently so." I answered, still feeling the strange tension from Zach's eyes on me.

"That's great! I work with Zach, so you can hang out with me all day!" he beamed.

My eyes lit up and I smiled just as wide as he did. He worked with Zach? I suddenly felt a lot more positive about working for him. At least I'd have Noah to help me endure working for such a grouchy prick.

"Noah." Zach warned, his eyes darkening as his voice became low and laced with authority, "She's going to be working as my personal assistant and I won't have her slacking off to hang out with you, so you'd better not distract her."

Noah rolled his eyes and did a mock salute, "Aye aye, Captain!"

"I mean it, Noah. She damaged my car." he affirmed sternly.

"You ran me over!" I exasperated, stabbing my finger in the air at him angrily.

"Yeah Zach! Have a heart! You nearly killed her!" Noah frowned, curling an arm around my waist protectively. I felt my cheeks burn up at the contact.

Zach scoffed, "I was driving at under twenty miles per hour, I was hardly speeding purposefully towards her." he rolled his gorgeous brown eyes and I couldn't help it when me stomach did a weird back flip as his gaze flickered over to me, lingering for a moment before returning back to Noah.

He quickly checked his watch and cleared his throat, "Anyway, we have a presentation to go over, so if you'll excuse us." he said coolly.

Noah gave me a weak apologetic smile before speaking, "I'll text you later, okay?"

I nodded and watched as Zach clenched his jaw, glaring at me with a hard expression and cold eyes before turning around and leading the way out in large, powerful strides and Noah followed with his hands in his pockets casually.

"Well," Alyssa smirked as she walked up to me, following my line of sight to the devilishly handsome men exiting the building, "It seems we've got ourselves a little love triangle."

"Are you on drugs?" I asked plainly, furrowing my brows. She rolled her eyes at me and just grabbed my arm.

"You're so naïve." she mused, "Let's just go home."

***

Hi!

I hope you liked it! If you did, feel free to comment to give me your honest opinions! I'd love to know what you think! :)

Thanks for reading! :D

Sweets xxx