First Order of Business | Adrienette

Madam Seretary

The interview with Chloe could've gone worse, but Chloe did most of the talking. There was very little chance for Marinette to mess up. She was sweating through the back of the shirt she got from the first floor sample bin, watching her ramble on about the work and how annoying the people above Adrien were. Kim was right about Chloe being alright. Just heat of the moment explosions that made sense to Marinette.

"So you got fired already, right?" Chloe asked her as she reapplied lipstick after paying the bill with Adrien's card.

Marinette wished she didn't have to answer that but said, "Yes. This morning."

"Okay so they won't be mad when I steal you starting tomorrow." Chloe smacks her lips and checks the tiny mirror in her hand. The words you're hired hadn't been explicitly said.

"What?"

Chloe starts cleaning the edges of her lipstick with a napkin. "Sorry. Pregnancy brain. You got the job." Marinette lets out an involuntary laugh of joy that she covers immediately with her hands. She swears she sees Chloe smile for a second. "Go to the coffee bar after this, return your things, and say you're not coming back. Show up to the fourteenth floor tomorrow at 8AM. Don't be late because I don't think I can stay later than Friday."

-

It's the end of her shift, and Marinette stands outside Agreste Inc. waiting for Alya to swing by for her. She usually took a cab home, but Alya was so excited when Marinette texted her the news that she told her she'd take her out to dinner. She explained to Mr. Ramier what was going on, and he seemed happy for her although he still had some leftover sadness for firing her. It was an uneventful last shift other than him sighing loudly every five minutes.

Luka had to leave early, before she returned, so Marinette makes note to call him later and tell him the news. They aren't more than work friends, really. But he's pleasant company, and he's the older brother of one of her childhood friends. He has done a lot for Marinette, and in some way, she felt like she at least owed him to tell him personally. She feels her tote bag where Luka had snuck her sketchbook back in before he left.

Alya pulls up to the sidewalk, and Marinette could see her do a happy dance in her seat through the tinted windows. Marinette laughs and makes her way to the passenger seat, opening the van door and hopping in.

"Madam Secretary what's the first order of business?" Alya asks. Marinette barely gets to buckle her seatbelt before Alya is speeding away.

Marinette smiles at her. "Getting food."

"Have you eaten today?" Alya raises an eyebrow.

"His secretary bought me lunch. Well, technically he did. But she took me out to eat to that little place down the street that puts tiny hats on the sandwiches."

"Oh I love that place! I wrote a piece on their inheritance battle a few months into my job. I caught an entire fight on camera. It was a good work day." Alya is a journalist for the local news station. She's more of a behind the scenes, write the scripts type of person but it let's her get deep into a new story without worrying about showing up to set on time. "Where do you want to go eat?"

"Any new places on your radar?"

"There's this Moroccan place nearby. It's not new, but a coworker was telling me she goes there all the time, and it's really good." If a place wasn't new, it meant Alya got a tip for a possible story. Or she'll make one up there.

"What's the catch?"

Alya grins. "You know me so well. Celebrities go eat there. It's not a fancy restaurant or anything, but it's a few buildings down from a PR company so people go there when they're newcomers and still go back when they're big because of the food and the owners."