Matt & Doe | Complete

Chapter 5

Doe's POV

Matthew was a morning person.

I heard his random movements in the room for a long while, and he left me in peace. That was until 4:30 AM when he drenched my face in water using the spray bottle that I left in the bathroom.

"Wake up."

As if that wasn't enough, Matthew peeled the covers away, causing me to scream. My pyjamas were rolled up to my hips and my top was off one of my shoulders.

"Calm down!" Matthew frantically threw the sheets back over me and returned with his laptop to the side of the bed.

Matthew turned his notebook towards me and pointed at the screen. I immediately retracted as the brilliant illumination emitting from the device stung my gentle eyes.

The room was mostly dark. All I could identify was Matthew's outline. I heard him mumbling as he lowered the brightness on my behalf. He presented me with several responses to the emails I sent the night before.

"We can't go to them all," Matthew's voice was raspy and hushed, "So, pick two."

"What? Only?" I blinked.

"For now."

I carefully went through my options again and settled for an independent baking company, Our Delights, and a magic artist. They were sure to make us some money.

"We also have to contact different painters and renovators," Matthew yawned, "So they can work on the building."

We expected that soon we would be in a conclave with our first collaborator, and in that, I would play a part.

That day's task was to snap pictures of the areas in the orphanage that needed the most work. That would take ages. After, we would attend our meeting.

"You should get changed, we're moving now," Matthew instructed, taking his stance and motioning towards the door.

I checked my phone, which displayed no later than 5 AM. I groaned. I would be excused from my kitchen duties for that day, and I had planned to sleep late.

Well, that never happened.

&&&

"You can take this left half -"

"I want the right."

Matthew and I stood in the center of the lobby, figuring out a strategy. I tried my best to be burdensome. I wasn't supposed to be awake before 6 AM, that day.

"Maybe we should just go together," I shrugged, deciding that I didn't want to carry out the task alone.

By our third-to-last stop, I realised that my idea was strenuous and terrible.

"Meet me in the kitchen," I announced as hunger settled in the pit of my stomach.

Matthew stressed about getting the perfect angle of the plain walls. I found it ridiculous.

There was no way around it, they were grey.

When I swung open the kitchen door, Hannah jumped.

"You're here early." I hinted at her usual tardiness.

"Don't you have the day off or somethin'?" she rolled her eyes.

"I do...from the kitchen."

She nodded and continued whisking a bowl of eggs.

"What's on the menu today?" I said to myself and looked up at the meal plan. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and the option of either buttered toast or fluffy, buttermilk pancakes.