The Innocents

Chapter 2

Lucas

The vibration under my pillow made me jerk my head forward and I hit my head on the headboard with a loud thud, before pressing the snooze button on my phone in anger.

What a freaking shitty way of disturbing my beautiful sleep, I thought, pulling the duvet over myself.

A mistake that marked my fortune for the day, as if it were an omen.

An hour later, I found myself trying to fit bathing and grooming myself in the last few minutes I had before nine AM hit - the exact time when the board meeting was supposed to commence.

Dressing and applying gel on my hair took no less than five minutes, but it got to fifteen when I turned to leave my room. I stubbed my pinky toe on the door corner and when I raised my leg to clasp it, my jacket hooked on the door handle and I fell on the tiled floor face first.

Not one of my finest moments.

As if that was not enough, my drive to work was chaotic. My car kept scrapping on the potholes as I tried to keep up with time by speeding up. All thanks to the shortcuts I had taken trying to avoid traffic jams.

Luckily, it all paid off. I managed to arrive at the company twenty minutes before the meeting.

Just enough time to get myself a coffee to pair up with the bread in my office. I parked my car in the administration section and fortunately, the coffee shop faced the section.

The doors were already open, and I couldn't help but wonder how early restaurant workers had to get up to be ready for service by nine AM. A strong scent of ground coffee beans hit my nostrils as I drew close to the premises, making my belly pit jiggle in delightful expectancy.

"Morning," I said to Tasha whilst she handed me black coffee, my gateway to a perfect day.

I handed her a five-dollar note hurriedly and passed by the white counter as I blurted out, "You're a lifesaver. Keep the change!"

My phone chimed non-stop in my pocket and I cursed at myself for not complying with the alarm.

"It'll only distract me," I mumbled to myself as I increased my pace, with my vibrating phone threatening to drop my pants.

I rushed into the elevator and pressed the buttons frantically, reminding myself to get my bag from the office before heading to the fourth-floor boardroom.

The clock in the elevator highlighted the time on the dark glass and I smiled whilst looking at it.

8:45 AM.

Fifteen minutes left before the meeting. Enough time for me to reach the boardroom and settle down before the meeting, I thought to myself.

If only my judgment had gone according to plan.

Right as I was maneuvering through the dispersing crowd, I bumped into someone who thought it was a good idea to rise just as I was passing by. My beloved black coffee smeared on her clothes in its entirety. I was lucky I managed to back away before it smeared on me.

"I....shit, I'm so sorry about that, let me wipe it off you," I stuttered. That's when I remembered the most vital point.

The coffee was hot!

I searched for my napkin and couldn't shake off the conscious feeling I got from her staring at me. They all did.

Finally, I found the cloth.

"Are you not burnt?" I asked her.

The girl looked down and started wiping herself. "It's okay, it was my fault anyway for not looking, I'm about to go home so don't worry".