Leila was almost done with her toast when Kelvin's phone pinged. "The driver is here," he told her.
Kelvin stared at the new Samsung phone on the table for a minute or two, then slipped it into his breast pocket. The short conversation they had about the phone already told him she wouldn't accept it. She was still as dogged.
She finished the rest of her food in silence and he watched, doing his best to cover up the discomfort brought by her presence. She was pretty. The kind of pretty that you appreciated better after a second look with a tiny birthmark on her jaw he wanted to kiss. He didn't expect her to agree so easily to his proposal. He had been prepared to use other means to entice her but he was glad he didn't have to go that far.
"All done." Leila's voice broke him out of his trance.
Kelvin looked up and the table had been cleared. In his opinion, his beautiful wife stressed too much but that was a conversation he wasn't willing to have with her.
"Let's go."
"Together?" she squeaked out. He stopped halfway to the door and turned to face her. Of course they would go together.
"Is there a problem with that?" His face softened when he noticed her flinch. Sometimes, he couldn't help it. He was used to talking to his staff in a certain tone. But he had to remember Leila was more than a staff to him. His heavenly flower. "You don't want to?"
Leila moved closer to him, she pushed her bag up one shoulder and shrugged. "Keep work life separate from personal life, remember?" Oh, he did. And now, he was wishing he didn't agree to that. "I'll find my way."
The door had already opened before he recovered.
"Wait," he called before she stepped out of the living room. Leila stopped. She didn't turn but he noted the stiffness of her shoulders. He brought up a screen on his phone and sent a text to his assistant. "I'll order you a ride. Hold on." Before she turned, he knew she would argue, so he added, "It's not a request, Leila."
When their eyes met, she swallowed. Her lips moved into that quirky shape it did when she was trying to hold back her words. Kelvin almost smiled.
A while later, his phone pinged. His assistant had found him an Uber driver. Leila tried to peer over his shoulder but he moved his phone away from her view and scowled at her. She mumbled an apology that sounded fake to his ears but he didn't question it. He forgot about her curiousness and held the door open for her.
"Your driver is here," he said. On a nod, Leila walked past him but hesitated when she was outside. Kelvin knew he wanted to kiss her but he didn't want to take her by surprise. His mind went blank when Leila's brown eyes raised to his face. He took one step outside and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Have a nice day, Leila."
Her cheeks burned a red colour and she bit her lip. Kelvin laughed as Leila rushed down the corridor without a reply to him.
His wife was cute.
Kelvin met Amara, his assistant, downstairs. She collected his briefcase and they continued the journey to the car. They slid into the backseat and Amara passed him a thick blue file.
The car started moving, he pressed a button on the side of his door and a divider rolled up to separate them from the driver. In the privacy of the backseat, Kelvin raised the file and his head tilted towards Amara. She cleared her throat.
"The file you requested for," Amara answered his unspoken question. He couldn't be too sure what file she was talking about as he dealt with lots of files on a daily basis but he nodded his thanks.
A knowing look crept into his eyes when he opened the first page.
Leilani May Collins.
Her passport photograph looked like a mugshot but she was still pretty. His fingers caressed her face in the picture, he sighed and moved to the next page. Everything he needed to know about her history in Tech Valley was there.
"What do you think of her?" he asked his assistant.
Amara was among the few people who knew the true relationship between him and Leila. She was the one who set up the dates and called the restaurants to fix the appointments. Kelvin's head cocked in her direction and he gripped his knees in anticipation.
"She's a hard worker." He knew that already. Sarah gushed about her nonstop. "And she's leading the presentation today." His lips quirked but he didn't smile. That was not the answer to his question. "She is also very smart and dedicated to her job. A good fit."
Kelvin shook his head. His assistant was repeating most, if not, all the lines from Leila's file. If he wanted generic information, he wouldn't have asked her.
He twisted his upper body so he was facing her. "What do you think of her as a person? Speak freely."
Seconds after, Kelvin was convinced his assistant would not reply him. "I think you shouldn't be so hard on her," Amara spoke. Her voice trembled a bit and he adjusted his glasses. "Allow her space to be herself and she will come around soon." Amara folded her hands on her knee. "This arrangement is new to her."
Kelvin hummed in reply. So far, he had been nothing but kind and patient with Leila but she wasn't the most forthcoming. She refused the phone he bought her. She came home late the other day when there was a driver available to meet her needs. His wife was so careful and edgy around him and it disturbed him. She didn't want to involve their parenrs. Granted, he didn't want to involve his at the moment but. . .
"Thanks," he murmured while flipping through the file absentmindedly. He needed this marriage to work.
Their car sped past other rows of cars, he sat up when they drove past a florist shop. "What kind of flowers do you like?" He found himself asking Amara.
Different bouquets sat on a table in front of the shop. He could imagine Leila with a crown of flowers or with one piece of the yellow one tucked in her hair. The image excited him and he asked the driver to pull over.
"It depends. My fiancé buys them based on my mood."
For the first time since today, he really looked at his assistant. Her melanin skin was glowing as usual and her hair was pulled back into a small bun at the base of her neck. She wore little to no makeup but was still pretty. His eyes lowered to her hand and she raised it.
"Fiancé?" Amara nodded. Lights caught the diamond on her ring, he flushed with embarrassment. He didn't know anything about his staff. "Congratulations. It's a pretty ring."
"Thank you, Sir." His compliment surprised her, he hid a smile as she tried to compose herself. "My fiancé likes to get me the lilies when I am in a good mood."
"The lilies are the yellow ones?"
Amara stole a look at the shop. "Yes."
"Send one of those to her," he murmured. "Have them write a note." Kelvin almost blushed as he said the words, "My heavenly flower."
If Leila hadn't suggested this anonymousness at work, he would have sent a handwritten note. But he wanted to respect her rule and also take his assistant's advice.
The door opened and Amara stepped out, causing cold air to rush into the car. Kelvin patted his breast pocket and frowned, the phone was still there. He pushed that button and the divider rolled down to reveal the driver.
"Do you have a kid?" he asked his driver. Kelvin couldn't remember his name at this point or his family history. "An adult kid?"
The man took off his chauffeur cap and nodded. "Yes, Sir. A girl."
Taking out the Samsung phone, he handed it to him. "Here. Give it to her." He pressed the button before his driver could thank him and the divider separated them once again. Second later, Amara got into the car without the flowers. "Where are they?"
"On the way to the office."
He didn't say anything to that and for the rest of the ride, he was quiet. They got out of the car once it stopped, his brows furrowed when he spotted a head full of black hair flowing down her shoulders. He knew only one person with that hair, outfit and birthmark.
Kelvin glanced at his Rolex wristwatch. By his calculations, she should have been here before now. He stopped behind her and one other lady who chatted nonstop. Kelvin remembered her from yesterday, the one who was tending to Leila. He cleared his throat and they jumped.
Leila's face reddened. Her friend froze. The elevator slid open and he stepped in. His assistant followed suit. He kept the door open for them but they stood rooted to the ground, gawking at him and Amara.
"Are you going to stand there all day?" Their heads moved left, then right like robots. "Come in."
They joined them inside, Leila stayed at his front, body stiff and spine straight. Kelvin was tempted to lean forward and whisper in her ear but he knew it might upset her. So he did the only thing he knew that would help her relax, he subtly took her hand and gave it a small squeeze.