I do not own anything from the Percy Jackson universe nor any of the famous brands mentioned in this story

Enjoy the story!

Chapter One

"Pssst"

Annabeth looked at her no so subtle co-worker, who was exaggeratingly trying to get her attention from over the desk in front of hers. She was slightly irritated from filling Excel sheets with balance numbers and important meeting dates for her boss Aurora (the most recognized architect not only in New York City but from all America). Don´t get her wrong, she was honored to be her assistant. After, she herself wanted to be the most important architect of the world, and she needed someone like Aurora Williams to mentor her and introduce her to the big architecture world.

Annabeth sighed.

"What´s wrong, Piper?"

"I think I might have screwed up the Client´s report by deleting the prices´ chart. Could you send them back to me" she asked, clearly embarrassed.

Aurora was a very busy woman. Every famous company wanted her to design their facilities, and even some rich and wealthy people could afford to pay her designs for personal use. So it was just understandable when the notorious architect hired not one, but two assistants to help her with scheduling and basically helping run her entire Architecture firm.

Unlike Annabeth, Piper accepted the job for necessity and not for learning more about the marvelous world of buildings and complex structures. The brunette young woman was in college looking for a degree in creative writing and wanted to work for important fashion magazines, like Vogue. Sadly, her tuition was expensive and, although her dad was a famous movie star, Piper wanted to be an independent woman. Well, that´s what she said. But she knew her co-worker was not telling her the full truth. Annabeth had a way of reading people.

"Sure Pipes, just give me 5" Piper smiled and thanked her. Annabeth really liked the girl, she just hoped she was going to last more time than the last assistant sitting at her desk. But, somehow, Piper looked strong enough to be up to the task.

After finishing the last balance table in her spreadsheet, Annabeth got up and stretched her arms on top of her head. "I'm gonna get some coffee from the break room, want some?" Annabeth asked Piper as she circled her desk, trying to ignore the blister forming on her feet due to the damn new high heels she bought three days ago on her way home. Annabeth liked the small heel and the cherry-red color of the shoe but walking all day with them showed her their true colors. They were uncomfortable as hell.

"No thanks," Piper answered looking at her with her kaleidoscope eyes. "I'm trying to lower my caffeine intake. That´s why I bring my green energizing juices" She pulled a cute bottle with green and thick liquid.

Annabeth wrinkled her nose.

"I wish I had that kind of determination at being healthy" Annabeth said, with a small smile.

Piper shrugged and smirked "Honestly, I don´t know how long I´m going to last"

Annabeth chuckled. Suddenly, the sound of thunder startled both girls, before the lightning illuminated the almost empty office. She looked at the clock and the at the window which already had tiny droplets of rain, sliding down the material.

She frowned. She really wanted that coffee, but she couldn´t be late again.

"What´s wrong?" Piper asked, as she finished and saved the Word document on her laptop. Annabeth was momentarily distracted by the sound of young male architects saying goodbye to her brunette friend. The grey-eyed woman rolled her eyes, but Piper waved them goodbye with a kind expression on her face. She was always good with people and, for some reason, she didn't realize how beautiful she was, or at least she never acknowledged it. Every person in the office sexually inclined towards women gawked at her every time she entered the floor.

"I think it´s better if I get going. I don´t want to be late to class again and piss all my professors off. Some of them have me already on their blacklist"

Piper laughed softly. "I don´t think that's possible. You´re like their star student, right? They´ll forgive you for that"

"Annabeth!"

The blonde girl jumped when her boss yelled her name. Piper shared a look with her, before running to gather all documents from her desk and her paper journal (yes, she knew it was bad for the environment, but she was traditional that way), and bolted to Aurora´s office.

She stood perfectly still, while her boss read something on her computer. She took the opportunity to press her pleated black skirt and tucked her white blouse. A moment of silence fell into the big master office.

And finally, her boss started speaking.

"Did you get the…"

"Results from the materials´ quality test. Yes, everything seemed normal and I even managed to order a few units of the resources we were low of. They agreed to give us a financial discount" She finished while putting the neatly cared folders on Aurora´s desk. Her boss didn't even look away from the computer.

"How about the…"

"Income balance. I just sent it to your mailbox. I marked the budgets and costs that got out of hand these last few months. I really think we should talk with the accounting department, some of those prices are way over the limits" More silence. Annabeth started playing with the owl necklace her father had given her when she was a kid, with a matching pair of owl earrings. She did that when she was nervous.

Aurora finally took her eyes off the screen and set them on her blonde assistant, removing her pretty black glasses.

"And the meeting with Auros Inc.?"

"After three hours of fighting with the president's assistant, I managed to schedule it for next Wednesday morning, just like you asked" Annabeth answered pretty proud of herself.

"Good" Aurora patiently checked the folders on her desk. Annabeth kept glancing at her watch furtively. Until her boss finally sighed and stood up from her desk. Her boss was slightly shorter than her. Her brown hair was beautiful and neatly pulled back in a ballet bun, a few streaks of grey gleaming through it. Her brown eyes always looked tired, but ready to fight anyone who dared disrespect her work. Annabeth deeply admired the woman.

"As you know, tomorrow is the inauguration date of Oceans' enterprise new civic center. A gift to the community. A lot of important people will be there, influential people." Aurora walked to one the corners of the room and took a tall tube, used for keeping blueprints from damage. Annabeth's heart did a little jump. Was she finally going to ask her to review some of the blueprints and give her notes about them?

"We will need to give a good impression of the company if we want the government to hire our firm for really big projects"

Annabeth blinked "We? Miss Williams?"

Her boss rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed by Annabeth's lack of attention. "Yes, Miss Chase, we. There will be a horde of people tomorrow and I will need a second pair of eyes scanning every opportunity to get information for public projects in the country. And since Mclean has only been a few weeks here, I thought you were the most reliable to come"

Annabeth almost stuttered. "Thanks, Miss Williams. I won't let you down"

"I hope not. Now…" she grabbed the tube and handed it to Annabeth. The blonde girl was filled with hope. "Place these blueprints on Rider's desk, I need him to look at them one more time" And reality hit her hard. Stupid Annabeth, she thought, you don´t even have your degree. Why would she ask for your opinion?

"Sure thing, Miss Williams"

Her boss sat on her desk and zoned out of her computer, fully ignoring her assistant.

"Have a good rest of the day, Miss Williams"

Annabeth got out of the room as quietly as she could. She was greeted by Piper holding a paper cup of black coffee in her hand. "Rough meeting?"

May the Gods bless Piper Mclean.

Annabeth smiled gratefully and accepted the nectar of the Gods. "You know…just the usual."

HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreake

The class was amazing as usual. Today, they reviewed supporting mechanisms and Annabeth's eyes gleamed as the professor changed the slide to reveal a more incredible topic. However, after a full day of working and studying, Annabeth always arrived with an exhausted expression to her shared apartment in Queens. That day was especially trying because it was still raining by the time she arrived. Having forgotten her umbrella and with her coat over her head, he cursed while she looked for the small electronic key that opened the windowed entrance doors to the apartment complex. Once in, she decided to check the mailbox just to find a bunch of bills and her AD magazine waiting for her. Finally, something good. She thought.

She walked to the elevator only to find it shut down due to a mechanical problem. It was an old building, after all, so her only choice was to go up the stairs. She looked down at her red heels.

"You already hurt me today. I am not going up six floors wearing you" she muttered. She took them off and held them in one hand while started her journey through the stairs. Is this the universe telling me to start exercising? She scolded herself when she ran out of breath on the third floor.

Before opening the door to the 601, Annabeth could already hear the Heavy Metal coming out of the small place. She looked for the golden key and with a sighed of relief, finally opened the door to her home.

"Well, look what the cat brought"

"Hi, Thalia" Annabeth greeted her best friend while precisely putting her stuff below the coat rack near the entrance. She wrinkled her nose when spotted Thalia's backpack and jacket dispersed on the small entrance.

A woman with electric blue eyes and black short hair was sitting in the living room/ kitchen/ dining room (small apartment, remember?) modifying some musical scores. Her electric guitar was sitting on the cream couch, laid on top of my favorite brown and fluffy blanket. Not that she had anytime to use it anymore. She had all kinds of musical sheets spread all over the coffee table and a bunch on empty soda cans and chip bags.

Thalia had a mocking grin on her lips, watching Annabeth drenched in rainwater. "Oh, by the way. You forgot your umbrella this morning"

"You don´t say" Annabeth reply sarcastically, before going to the kitchen to prepare herself some easy noodles. "I thought you had a presentation at that bar tonight," she asked her childhood friend, who was now tunning her guitar by the couch.

"They kicked us out" She had a look of disgust on her face. "They said we were too extreme for their public. I mean, they knew we played heavy rock. I don't why they were so surprised"

Annabeth laughed while putting extra cheese over between the bread. "You sure you said Hard Rock?"

Giving up on playing, Thalia put down her guitar and approached the small kitchen. "Well, they said they were ok with rock, I just mentally added Hard on it" She pulled another can of coke from the fridge. "How was your day? You look exhausted"

Annabeth took a bite before answering. "It was fine, I guess. We talked about supporting structures today. That pretty much made my day"

Thalia snorted loudly "For the Gods Annabeth, you need to get laid"

The blonde girl almost chokes on her sandwich. "Thalia! What's the comment about?"

"Well, I'm worried about you since your highlight of the day is supporting something…"

"Structures" Annabeth pointed, chewing the last piece of her sandwich"

"Whatever. You need to do something fun"

"We do fun stuff on the weekends with our friends" Annabeth commented while picking up the trash bin and cleaning Thalia´s mess on the coffee table.

"Yes, but it´s different. Don't you miss having someone kissing you until you run out of breath? Or flirting playfully with someone? Or even watching a movie holding hands with a guy you are attracted to?"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow.

"Since when are you this romantic?"

"Since my best friend started falling in love with support fractures"

"Structures"

"My point!" stated Thalia while Annabeth started going back to her room. "You need to explore other things in life before it's too late! Not everything is work"

"I understand Thal" Annabeth finally admitted standing on her doorframe. "But there's nothing wrong with being committed to your work, and I have a huge opportunity at this firm to help me become the architect I want to be. Love is just not my priority at this moment"

Thalia raised her hands, giving up. "Okay, beth. I'm just laying the options for you"

"I know. Thanks. Goodnight Thalia" she finally said, before closing her door and going to sleep before her busy day tomorrow.

Little did she know her whole priorities were about to be shaken, after meeting a certain green-eyed guy.

HeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreakenjoyyourdayHeythereimalinebreake

Hey guys! Sal here. I hope you really like the chapter. I'm still thinking about which pairings should I choose for this story. I am very open to suggestions and please be free to tell me your constructive criticism and comments. Have a nice day and take care of yourselves and those close to you.