Chapter 18: Measured Up

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Just wanted to say thxxx for 100 reads, I appreciate you all so much ❣️

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< I put you first and you adored it >

-Selena Gomez.

Aria's PoV:

The alarm clock drills holes in my sleeping head and I'd like to smash the shit out of the snooze button.

Before I get the chance to, my wish comes true and I wonder if I'm a prophet or magician of some kind.

"Come on, sleepyhead. Wake up or you'll make us both late to work " a chuckling Nickolas announces and I snuggle in deeper in his awfully good scented t shirt.

"Just 5 more minutes. Please " I mumble the words out groggily and hope he leaves me be.

"If you don't want to wake up, fine. I'll guess I'll have to resort to some tactics" he playfully says and I'm low key curious as to what those 'tactics' consist of.

He waits some time for me to voluntarily get up on my own, but I don't.
"Just remember, you asked for it" he warns me one last time before getting started on his tactic.

"Asked for wha—" the letters swallow up when his soft lips peck mine.

After some time of our peck escalating to me kissing him back, I pull apart out of breath. I remove my hands from his soft messy morning hair. "I'm fully awake now"

"Figured you'd be after that " a smirk carves onto his lips, urging me desirably to start kissing that handsome face of his but we'll probably end up super late to work.

I call dips on the bathroom first, hearing him grunt and bang playfully on the door as I beat him to it.

I take a short lived shower, and then did my morning routine and got dressed.

I was at my vanity table applying mascara onto my lashes, when he gets out of the bathroom in a set of black slacks and a white button up shirt.
He heads for the closet, my guess would be towards his jacket and tie.

After I'm finished with my look, I turn around to see him struggling to put on his tie properly.
I chuckle and make my way to stand in front of his broad shoulders and make his tie for him.

I chuckle and make my way to stand in front of his broad shoulders and make his tie for him

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He lets out a 'thanks' by the time I'm finished.
And I grab my purse, while he fetches his wallet and car keys and we head out to the company.

•••

Currently sitting in the car, him driving while I'm in the passenger seat he pulls over to a place that is not the company and he gets out before I can even have the chance to question his actions.

Three minutes later, he comes back with a paper bag in his hand and I raise an eyebrow at its contents.
He opens it and hands me a freshly made croissant and one for himself as well.
"Can't have you going to work on an empty stomach " he states while munching on his food.

He's still on his first when I'm finished with mine "Gosh, that tastes like heaven. I'd kill for another one right now "

He opens what I assumed to be emptied bag, and brings out another croissant.
"I knew you'd request more once you've had a taste of it. Plus you eat like there's no tomorrow " he gives me my second croissant and I narrow my eyes at his comment and decide to not let it interfere with me devouring the insanely delicious food.

•••

After our abrupt stop at the bakery, we arrive to the building five minutes late. Not that late for the CEOs if you ask me.

We go into an elevator and he presses the 55 button.

Once we're out, he leads me towards the offices area to introduce me to what was previously called 'Velez Industries' which changed with the merge to 'Vermington Co' combining both Velez and Armington in one word.
Creative.

I wonder what would our ship name be? For Nickolas and I.

Nickolaria?
Nope, That sounds like a bacterial disease caused by mosquitoes.

Naria?
Yes. This actually sounds almost identical to Narnia, and who doesn't love Narnia?

We go into some of the prestigious offices, until we reach the biggest one out of all.
"So is this your office?" I ask with playful eyes and admiration encasing my awed voice.

This office is the biggest one around. I'd say about the size of three normal offices combined.
It had a huge mahogany desk littered with files and two posh expensive seats facing each other across from it.
The desk had two chairs behind it, and that caught my attention.
In the spacious room there was a black sofa, probably meant for all-nighters and shelves filled with books and centerpieces, contemporary paintings decorated the white walls elegantly.

"Our office" he says. My eyes go huge like saucers and he laughs at my expression.
So that means the second chair is meant for me?

"You seem to forget that we're both CEOs now" he lets his words register for a bit in my shocked brain before adding up "If you don't want to share an office, that's completely fine. I'd gladly move into another one. Though they might be smaller but I don't min—" I cut off his excessive rambling by throwing my arms around him and hugging him securely.

"No, I don't mind sharing an office. Thank you" I tell him in all honesty.

In the business world, what size is your office determines a lot. And to think he was willing to let me have the biggest office all  to myself, and was fine with taking a smaller one, even though we both rank the same is just so heart warming that my heart skips a beat.

He stiffens at first, but then his muscles relax visibly and he hugs me back.

•••

A/N:

My babies are all business and equality 🥺❤️

I just love them so muchhhh.

If you like croissants, vote and comment ❣️

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