Wake up, sunshine! It's a brand new day!"
Mia groaned and pulled the pillow over her head. "Why are you yelling like it's a holiday?"
Kim laughed from the kitchen. "Because it's Tuesday, and Tuesday's the most deceptive day of the week. It looks innocent but hits you like a truck."
Mia peeked out. "You're way too cheerful for someone going to work."
"That's because caffeine is my religion."
The smell of coffee drifted through the apartment, mingling with the faint sound of Kim's heels clacking against the floor. She appeared a moment later, dressed in a crisp blouse and pencil skirt, her hair tied up neatly ,though a strand had already escaped to frame her face.
"Breakfast?" Kim offered, holding out a slice of toast.
Mia shook her head. "I'm good."
"You're going to sit around all day again?"
Mia smiled faintly. "Maybe. I'll explore later."
Kim gave her a playful look. "Liar. You're going to sit here and stare out the window like a sad poet."
"Hey! I might write something profound."
"Sure. Let me know when you win the Pulitzer."
Mia threw the pillow at her, laughing. "Go to work before you're late."
Kim slung her bag over her shoulder and pointed dramatically at her. "You , stay out of trouble."
"Me? Trouble?"
Kim raised a brow. "You literally attract weird situations like mosquitoes to light."
Mia grinned. "Fine, I'll behave."
At Steele Enterprises
The lobby of Steele Enterprises buzzed with the usual morning chaos ,ringing phones, clicking heels, and the distant hum of printers refusing to cooperate.
Kim slid behind the reception desk, plastering on her best "I-love-my-job" smile.
"Good morning, Ms. Parker!" said the mail clerk, a cheerful older man.
"Morning, Joe. How's the coffee machine?"
"Still screaming."
"Same."
As the morning dragged on, Kim answered calls, forwarded emails, and gave her trademark fake smile to anyone who looked remotely important.
By noon, she was halfway through her third cup of coffee when Claire, the executive secretary, appeared, heels clicking with purpose.
"Kim," Claire said, adjusting her glasses. "Could you put up a job notice on the internal board?"
Kim straightened. "Sure. What's the role?"
"Private chef. For the Steele Mansion."
Kim froze mid-keystroke. "Wait… the Steele Mansion? As in Mr. Steele's personal residence?"
"Yes."
"But doesn't he, I mean, isn't he...."
"Private," Claire interrupted sharply. "Extremely private. You know the rules."
Kim nodded, biting back a smile. "Right. The man of mystery."
Claire sighed. "Just post it. And make sure it's discreet. He doesn't want applications from random outsiders , just those we can vet internally or through personal recommendation."
Kim's mind was already spinning.
A job at Steele Mansion. A cook replacement. Internal recommendation.
And she just so happened to know someone who could cook better than half the restaurants in Queens.
"Got it," Kim said, typing quickly as Claire walked away.
She leaned back, grinning to herself. "Oh, Mia, you're gonna love this."
By the time Kim got home, she was exhausted, her heels in her hand and her bun half undone. Mia was already setting the table for dinner ,simple rice and sauce, the apartment filled with warm smells and soft music.
"Oh, look at you, housewife energy!" Kim teased.
Mia laughed. "You're just jealous because I can actually cook."
"Rude but true."
They sat down to eat, and for a while, it was just comfortable silence and laughter over spilled sauce and bad TV.
Then, mid-bite, Kim set her fork down, eyes gleaming. "So… something interesting happened today."
Mia arched a brow. "What now? Did your printer finally explode?"
"Almost. But no , listen. There's this opening at my office. For a private chef."
Mia blinked. "Private chef?"
Kim nodded, lowering her voice as if the walls might snitch. "At Steele Mansion."
"Steele Mansion?"
"Yes! As in Alexander Steele. The boss of my boss's boss. The man no one has ever actually seen."
Mia frowned. "What do you mean no one's seen him?"
Kim shrugged. "I mean, nobody at the office really knows what he looks like. He owns the company but never shows up in person. Everything's handled through emails and phone calls. Even Claire ,who's basically the gatekeeper of his life said she's never met him face to face."
"That's… weird."
"I call it rich people behavior," Kim said, sipping her juice. "Anyway, they need someone to replace the mansion's cook for a few weeks. Probably some emergency or vacation thing. The posting's internal, so technically, if someone I know applies and I vouch for her…"
She trailed off, wiggling her brows.
Mia caught on immediately. "Kim..."
"Don't you Kim me. It's perfect. You love cooking, you need something temporary, and come on , it's not every day you get to cook for a mystery billionaire."
Mia laughed nervously. "That sounds like the start of a bad romance novel."
Kim smirked. "Exactly. And those sell like crazy."
Mia shook her head, smiling despite herself. "You're unbelievable."
Kim pointed at her with a fork. "And yet you love me. Think about it, okay? No pressure. Just… maybe it's time the universe paid you back with a little luck."
Mia glanced at her plate, her thoughts quietly stirring , luck, fate, and a job at a mansion owned by a man no one had ever seen.
It sounded ridiculous. Impossible.
And yet, something about it tugged at her curiosity.