“Hey beautiful, how are you doing?”
“I’m awesome. I was just about to give you a call”.
“Missing me already?”
“Yeah, not seeing you today, sucked”, she said, pouting her lips.
“Guess what?”
“You’re back?”
“Yeah and I’m at your car park”.
“Really???”
“Yeah, wear something comfy and cozy, we’re going on a late night drive”.
“Yayyyy, I’m on my way!” She said in excitement and she quickly got off her bed.
She put on her sweatpants and a sweatshirt, grabbed her phone and stepped out
of her room.
“Deann”, she said, knocking on his door and he opened it.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“Just wanted to let you know that I was stepping out”.
“This late?”
“It’s just 8”.
“You going with someone?”
“Yeahhh”.
“Alright, be safe”.
“I will”, she said to him and she left.
As soon as Richard saw her approaching, he stepped out of his car and engulfed
her in a hug.
“I missed you so much”, he said, lifting her off the ground.
“I missed you too”, she said, smiling and he pecked her on her lip.
“How was your day?” He asked, placing her back on the ground.
“My day was good but seeing you at the office would have made it better”.
“You mean sneaking around in my bedroom”, he said in a sarcastic manner.
“Don’t act like you don’t find it thrilling”, she said, smirking.
“If I was still in college, yeah”.
“You know you do. Anyway, how was your trip and I thought you were coming
back tomorrow”, she said to him and they walked back to the car.
“Yeahh, we closed the meeting quite early and so I decided to come back home
tonight”, he said, opening the door for her and she got in
“Oh okay. And how was it?”
“Awesome! I’m hoping to get a feedback tomorrow”, he said, getting into the car.
“Yeah you will. You’re so good at what you do. They can’t turn down your offer,
even I couldn’t turn it down”, she said, smiling and he chuckled.
“Because you said that, I know that it’s going to work out”, he said, smiling and he
sparked the car and drove off.
“My mom and my sister came by this night and can you believe that she told her
about my new job!”
“Well, you left her no choice, I’m sure she was bombarded with a lot of
questions”.
“Yeahh”.
“And how did she take it?”
“She was actually excited and she said she wants to meet Erica”.
“Wow. Well, we can arrange that”.
“No, my mum is too dramatic, she’ll say things and act out. I don’t want that”.
“Mmm, okay”.
“And she wants me to come home this weekend to celebrate”.
“Wow, that’s really cool. Do I get an invite?” He asked.
“Uhmm, I’ve not told her about us yet. She’ll freak out and try to insert herself in
it just to get to Erica”, she said to him and he chuckled.
“But yeah, I’ll tell her soon”.
“Okay”, he said, nodding his head.
“I would have loved to introduce you to my parents too but if Erica doesn’t know
about it, they can’t know about it either”.
“Yeah, I know this is becoming too complicated for you but you know I wouldn’t
be able to work for Erica if she finds out, right?”
“Yeah, I get it, it just sucks sometimes”.
“I know but I don’t know what we can do about it. We’ll have to wait till I get a
promotion”.
“How about you become my assistant”.
“That would be worse! And everyone will assume that I get paid for being your
girlfriend and Lisa will be out of a job”.
“I can just promote her and probably suggest to Erica to do the same to you”.
“You see why we can’t let people know?
“Why?”
“Because of this. if I get a promotion or a bonus, everyone will assume that I got it
because we’re dating. And Erica might not be cool with it too, I wouldn’t be cool if
I were in her shoes”.
“Whoa, relax. It was just a suggestion”.
“Yeah but even if it was possible, I wouldn’t be cool with it either. I want to get
promoted because of my hard work and not because we are trying to get our
relationship to work”, she said to him and he nodded.
“So we’re going to do this for a very long time?”
“Probably and that’s why I was really skeptical about this”.
“Sounds like you’re still skeptical”.
“What? I’m not. You’re the one who brought it up again”.
“Because I’m getting tired of the hide and seek. I want the whole world to know
that you’re mine. I want to be able to freely move around with you in public”.
“You think I don’t want that too? You think I don’t want to run to you in the
hallways when I see you or hug you in the elevator or just walk into your office
without watching my back. I want that too but..”
“Why are you so worried about what others would think? Everyone in that
building sees how hard you work. No one can deny that and we don’t even have
to tell everyone. It’s no one’s business. The only person we have to tell is Erica
and she has no say in it. If I tell her that I’m going to stay out of her work
relationship with you, she’ll be cool”.
“But you’re not going to stay out of it. You’re going to get mad at her when she
sends me on errands or put in your two cents in what we do. And during
meetings, you’re going to keep vouching for me or agreeing with me. Erica would
be irritated by that. I already see it happening”.
“Hmm, alright. Let’s keep doing things this way then”, he said to her and she
looked away.
The whole ride was silent for a while till he came to a stop at the side of
the bridge. That was their usual spot when they wanted to hang out after work.
Jessica stepped out and sat down at the secured side of the bridge.
Richard, also stepped out and sat by her. They were both quiet for a while till she
spoke up.
“I really wish there was something I could do about this”, Jessica said to him as
she played with her fingers.
“Hmm. It’s alright. I’m sure we’ll figure something out soon”, he said to her and
she wrapped her hands around him.
“Thank you for understanding”, she said to him.
“Anything for you”, he said, forcing a smile.
They talked for a while and then he dropped her off at home.
Jessica and Lisa were walking back to her office when they met Richard and Miss
Jen on their way.
“Mr Day, Miss Jen”, Lisa said to them and Jessica didn’t know how to act. So, she
just smiled.
Miss Jen ignored them and walked past them.
“Lisa, we are supposed to meet today, right?” He asked.
“Yes sir”.
“Alright, when I get back, I’ll give you a call”.
“Okay”, she said to him, smiling and he walked by Jessica.
He squeezed her hands when he walked past her.
She squealed and Lisa turned to face her.
“He mistakenly stepped on my foot”, she said to her.
“Ooh sorry”, she said, chuckling and they walked towards her office.
“Did you see the way that evil witch ignored us. Like what is her problem?” Lisa
said to her as they walked into her office.
“That’s why I didn’t bother to say anything to her”, she said, taking her seat.
“She’s just so bitter and it’s reflecting on her face. I wonder what Richard sees in
her”.
“She’s just his client and he’s using her to just sign her grandmother. I wonder
why it has kept so long”.
“Really?” Lisa asked and Jessica widened her eyes when she realized that she had
spilled too much information.
“Don’t tell anyone. I just overheard him when he said it”.
“Now, that makes sense. I always wondered why they were always together. So is
that why he’s also sleeping with her?” She asked.
“What? He’s not”.
“How would you know that? And why are you being defensive?”
“I’m not. I work close with Erica and he’s usually around, so I know he’s just
being cordial with her and hanging out with her”.
“Hmm, maybe he’s also hiding it from his sister. There’s always a lie in every
rumor and you think just talking and hanging out will be his way of getting her to
corporate and bring her grandmother on board?” She said to her.
