Forever Bound By Love| A Brother's Best Friend Romance

Chapter 1- This is just the beginning

I was at the coffee shop for my shift because I was a barista at a Starbucks in the city of West Reading, Pennsylvania. I clock in for my shift then put on my apron and join my co-workers Jessie, Noah, Axel, Isabel and Lacie who were also my former college or classmates in school because every graduate in our town had their first job at a coffee shop or a restaurant. As I rung up one customers order the most sexy, attractive man walked in and when he got closer I quickly realized that it was the brother of my best friend who had been away in California at university getting his physical education and teaching bachelor's degree for 4 years, Taylor (my best friend since we were kids) had mentioned he would be coming back to West Reading this year but she didn't know when. He walked over to the counter and grew that smug smirk he always wore on his face whenever we were in the same room. Then he said, "Well hello Penelope, didn't expect to see you here today." I retorted with, "Well I didn't expect to see you at all today Oliver. So you're back from Cali then?" Ollie nodded still smirking because he always called me by my full first name so I had responded by always calling him by his full first name. Ollie responded, "Sure am back now, so I'm just grabbing coffee before heading to my sister's house since I'll be staying with her. Anyway, don't you have to take my order now?" I give him a sarcastic glare then ask, "Yes fine, what do you want to order then Oliver?" He gave me a mischievous smirk then stated, "I'd like a salted caramel latte and also a chocolate brownie Penelope." I gave him another glare for full first naming me again then I started making his order then my colleague rings him up so he pays then I finish his order and turn back to him with the brownie and the latte. Ollie takes the to-go cup and bag with the brownie then he comments, still smirking, "Looks like I just found my new go-to coffee shop Penelope. I presume you're coming over to see my sister tonight but I won't be there." I announced with a smug smirk, "Actually I'm not tonight because I have a family birthday party to go to." He returned the smirk as he retorted, "I know because it's your brothers, who you know, is one of my friends so I'll be there too, looks like you'll be stuck at a party with me tonight. So I'll see you there, Penelope." I internally cursed myself for not remembering he was friends with my brother as he walked away. When I turned around my co-worker Noah was standing there staring with a smirk on his face when he saw something that he found to be amusing so I asked, "Noah, why are you staring at me?" Noah just smirked more as he commented, "Oh nothing. Just saw the sexual tension with you and that guy just there." Those words made me almost choke on the air I was breathing. So I affirmed, "Noah, there is absolutely no sexual tension with me and him. Ollie's my best friend's brother and he's always driving me crazy." That just made his smirk widen as he remarked, "Oh come on he drives you crazy because he WANTS you, Penny. I could've cut the sexual tension with a goddamn knife and you know it but you just don't want to admit that you want him too." I rolled my eyes at him then got back to work since my break was over now since we only get 10 minutes of it and I just spent it talking to Noah. For the rest of my shift which was 5 more hours much to my dismay all I could think about was Ollie no matter how much I tried to push him out of my thoughts but it never worked. 

I got home to my solo apartment and drank a quick coffee then realized it was 4pm and I needed to be ready and out the door in 2 hours so I put my stuff down on my bed then took a shower to wash my long brown hair and my body since I smelled like coffee from my shift and I really didn't want to go to my brother's birthday party smelling like a coffee shop since I knew my parents would be there judging since they think everything needs to be perfect exactly like their lives were when they were my age of 20 since they were already engaged at that age. When I got out of the shower I put some earrings in and my silver diamond necklace that my wealthy aunt gave me when I was 18 that she expects me to wear at every family event or I'm deemed ungrateful for expensive gifts, so yes my family is such a delight (not), I quickly do my hair into a half up half down curled situation then do my makeup. After that, I go to my closet to pick out an outfit since my brother Joey's birthday parties had always been a big, fancy deal because my parents cherished the ground he walked on and that Joey could do no wrong unlike me so I always had to make myself look better so I didn't have to face the wrath of their disappointment expressions that Joey had never received in the 22 years he's been alive. The shirt I decided to wear was my red backless spaghetti strap black floral designed fabric top because red was my favourite and it goes well with the jewelry since my shirt was off-the-shoulder then I put on a burgundy faux-leather irregular cut side pleated hem slit skirt and after that I got a black strappy purse, put my phone, lipstick, mascara, gum and some perfume in a smaller bottle because I had the full size on my vanity desk. After this I went to my front door of my apartment because my shoe closet was next to it. Then I found my black pointed toe ankle strap high heels because they were the fanciest shoes I owned and I put them on.