The next morning, Nia was jolted awake by the sound of aggressive knocking. Still half-asleep, she groaned and grabbed her phone from the nightstand, squinting at the time.
7:30 AM?
That couldn't be right.
"What the...?" she muttered. Her assistant-slash-friend-slash-literal-life-saver Jessica wasn't supposed to pick her up until 9:00, so why was someone banging on her door this early?
Groggy, she swung her legs out of bed and stumbled toward the door, still in her oversized T-shirt and bed hair resembling something between a bird's nest and a disaster movie. She cracked open the door, and there stood Jessica Carter—bright blue-eyed Petite blonde, perfectly put together in a knee-length grey dress and sky-high black heels, and holding two coffees and take-out in another.
"Morning, sleeping beauty!" Jessica chirped, completely ignoring the fact that Nia looked like she'd been in a fight with her pillow—and lost. "I know I said 9, but I figured we could use a little extra time to, you know, make you look human before the big meeting."
Nia blinked, still half-asleep. "Jessie!! It's 7:30 AM. What part of 'extra time' involves waking me up from the dead?"
Jessica waltzed past her without missing a beat, "Girl, this is a mercy call. You looked like a disaster a day before yesterday and no offence, but it seems you've kept the theme going into today. And we've got a lot of work to do to make you look like the brilliant CEO you are and not like someone who just fell out of a dumpster."
"Jess… it's 7:30 in the morning," Nia mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "I haven't even brushed my teeth yet."
Jessica waltzed in, completely unfazed. "Exactly why I'm here! You need all the help you can get, and I brought reinforcements—coffee! Now go brush your teeth, take a shower, and let's get you looking fabulous. Morrison Group won't know what hit 'em."
Nia groaned, running a hand through her tangled hair, "Why do I even keep you around?"
"Because I'm the best thing that ever happened to you, and I know how to make a killer pitch deck," Jessica replied smugly, handing Nia a steaming cup of coffee. "Now sip this and chop-chop. We have less than an hour to turn you from 'I just rolled out of bed' to 'Hi, I'm the CEO of a badass rising gaming company, and you should give me all your money.'"
Nia rolled her eyes but couldn't help but grin. "Fine, fine. Just… don't touch anything in the fridge. I don't want another incident like last time."
Jessica's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Hey, one expired yogurt isn't going to kill anyone."
Nia shot her a look. "It exploded. It almost killed Pixel."
Jessica waved a hand dismissively. "Details, details. Now go! Shower!"
Nia made her way to the bathroom, hearing Jessica rummage through her kitchen, probably looking for plates to serve the takeout snacks she bought.
Pixel, her fluffy, overly dramatic cat, sauntered into the bathroom as she began brushing her teeth. He gave her a side-eye, as if to say, You better make sure she doesn't touch my food, human.
"Don't worry, bud," Nia mumbled around her toothbrush. "I'll keep an eye on her."
Twenty minutes later, Nia emerged from the bathroom freshly showered, her wet hair clinging to her neck as she found Jessica already in her closet, pulling out clothes with the efficiency of someone who knew how to manage a crisis. Nia raised an eyebrow.
"Are you dressing me now?" she asked, grabbing her hairbrush.
Jessica tossed her a pair of stylish black heels. "If I leave it to you, you'd probably show up in a hoodie. And while I love your 'I could hack your bank account but I choose not to' vibe, today we need something that says 'I'm the boss, and I will take your millions, thank you very much.'"
Nia glanced at them with distaste. "Heels? Really?"
Jessica gave her an exasperated look. "Yes, heels! You're the CEO of a gaming startup, Nia. You need to exude power, confidence, and just a little bit of 'I could bankrupt you if I wanted.' Heels do that."
"Or, hear me out—flats," Nia suggested, reaching for her comfortable loafers.
Jessica smacked her hand away, eyes wide with mock horror. "Absolutely not. No flats. Flats are for when you're already super rich. You're on your way there, but not yet, babe. No offense to your past."
Sighing dramatically, Nia finally caved. "None Taken. Fine. You win."
Jessica smirked. "I do! Honey, you could walk in there barefoot and still crush it. But heels? That's just intimidation icing on the badass cake."
Nia laughed, the tension she'd been feeling earlier dissolving a little. "Okay, point taken."
"Good," Jessica said, smirking like a victorious gladiator. "Now, sit your butt down so I can work my magic."
As Jessica applied Nia's makeup with military precision, Nia tried to squirm out of her grasp. "Why are you trying to paint my face like I'm going to the Oscars? It's just a pitch meeting."
Jessica paused, brush in hand, and gave Nia a stern look. "Girl, this is a high-stakes pitch meeting. One wrong move, one misplaced lipstick, and boom—they're funding some other loser's company."
Nia burst into laughter. "I highly doubt the Morrison Group cares what shade of lipstick I'm wearing."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "That's where you're wrong. Confidence comes from within, sure, but a killer red lip never hurt anyone. Now stop talking, or I'll accidentally draw on your face."
The two shared a look before Nia relented with a small laugh, letting Jessica finish her work.
By the time they were ready to leave, Nia stood in front of the mirror, barely recognizing the put-together businesswoman staring back at her. The navy suit with peach satin blouse Jessica had chosen hugged her in all the right places, the heels made her feel taller and more confident (even if they were death traps), and the makeup, while subtle, gave her an air of professionalism she didn't feel moments ago. Her hair! Jess had a knack for such a thing. She had styled her hair in a messy bun which looked sophisticated with two curls on the side of her face.
Jessica stood behind her, grinning like a proud parent. "You look fabulous. Morrison Group isn't even ready for this level of boss energy."
Nia smirked at her reflection. "Okay, okay, I admit it. You did good."
Jessica's grin widened. "Of course I did. Now let's go, we've got a company to fund, and I am starving. If we don't leave now, I'm raiding your fridge again."
Nia paled. "Don't touch the fridge. Ever."
"Relax! I'm kidding! I got the take-outs. Let's eat in the car" Jessica said with a mischievous wink.
As they made their way to the car, Pixel meowed loudly from the door, clearly displeased at the fact that he wasn't coming along.
"Sorry, bud. No big meetings for you today," Nia called back.
"Maybe he could close the deal for us," Jessica mused. "Imagine Morrison Group signing a multi-million dollar contract because they were charmed by Pixel's death stare."
Nia chuckled. "Honestly, not the worst plan. If all else fails, we bring in the cat."
Jessica nodded seriously. "Note to self: Plan B, unleash Pixel."
They both burst into laughter as they hopped into the car.
As Jessica revved the engine, she turned to Nia with a grin. "Ready to crush it, girl boss?"
Nia took a deep breath, feeling the jitters settle but also excitement bubbling underneath. "Let's go make some magic happen."
Jessica threw on her sunglasses and dramatically floored the gas pedal, making the tyres squeal as they zoomed out of the parking lot. "Let's get this bread!"