So far so good, Leila thought until her husband's hand slipped into hers. She almost dropped her hand bag. For a split second, she had no idea what to do. He squeezed her hand and something warm exploded in her chest.
She was near her floor when he released her. The elevator pinged when she arrived at her floor. Lily stepped out before her and Leila delayed getting out. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do or say to him and they weren't alone. In the end, she walked out without saying anything to him.
If the Uber driver had not taken a different route that made them stuck in traffic, she would not have met him here. Who was the lady with him anyway? She was pretty. Too pretty and Leila wasn't sure if to be jealous.
"He's not so bad," Lily was saying to her as they turned into the corner of her office. "And he's sexy."
"Yeah," she answered because she was required to say something.
The office was calmer than yesterday, only now, Susie was at her table. Susie looked up at the sound of the door opening, she pulled something behind her and hurried to them. Leila wasn't ready for any drama this morning but she faked a smile and tried to walk past her.
Susie wasn't having it. "Leila has a boyfriend," she started in a singsong voice and soon, different pairs of eyes turned to them. "Leila has a lover."
Heat crawled up Leila's neck, she snatched the card Susie was waving at her. The content of the note was typed so she couldn't tell who it was from until she read it.
My heavenly flower.
Her heart pounded at those words. It was him.
"Where did you get this?" she asked Susie.
"Leila," Lily called. She was at Leila's table with a bouquet in her hands. "See this. The note must have come with the flowers."
Leila massaged the back of her neck. It had to be Kelvin. He was the only one who called her heavenly flower. There was nothing heavenly or flower-like about her but the gesture warmed her heart. He made her feel like she meant more to him. Lily stretched a hand for the note. Leila didn't want her to have it but avoiding it would raise suspicion. Grudgingly, she handed it over.
"My heavenly flower." Lily's face scrunched in disgust and Leila died a little on the inside. The note wasn't so bad. In fact, she found it cute. "What the fuck does that mean? It's kind of creepy if you ask me."
It wasn't in the least bit creepy to Leila, but she replied, "I don't know, Lily."
"You don't know who sent this?"
The tone of her friend was highly suggestive but she refused to bite into Lily's bait. She would not give her a reason to gossip. "I have my theories but I'm not sure." She was more than sure it was Kelvin, her husband. "Nobody worth mentioning."
Lily waited and waited. But Leila said nothing. She threw her hands up in frustration. "That's it? Girl, you have to give me more than this." That would never happen. "Who is he? Tell me."
"No. Go to your desk." She arranged her laptop and other things on her table, and as soon as Lily turned her back to her, she raised the flower to her nose and sniffed it. She didn't care so much for flowers but the pure intention behind this and the sender made her smile. She loved it.
Leila got to work on the new project. She had suggested starting a new segment for youths alone and the approval came last night. Leila wasn't sure it was approved because Sarah loved the idea. But a tiny voice in her head told her it had to do with Kelvin.
The thought didn't deter her. She would see the project to the end. As a teen, she would have loved to see some of the trends that would be discussed in Stars Glow, the name of the segment she hoped Tech Valley would take on. It would focus on teens and new adults.
She picked up her phone and paused. The crack was still evident on her screen and a pang of guilt hit her for refusing Kelvin's kind gesture. Lily was back to her desk so she chatted her up via WattsApp. Lily didn't reply, instead she came over to her table and Leila fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"Why do you need a phone repairer?" Lily asked.
The curious woman stared behind her at the flowers on the window. A stream of sunlight filtered in, turning the top of the flowers a golden yellow colour. Leila cleared her throat to call her friend's attention. She didn't want the conversation revolving around it.
"My screen is cracked," she replied. And she didn't care because it was working as perfectly as it did before it cracked. But Kelvin cared so she had to fix it. "Need to change it."
Lily tapped her index finger to her chin. "Ask Kelvin."
"Wh...what?" Leila sputtered.
Leila was shocked for three reasons. One, her friend called her husband by his first name like they were friends. Two, how in God's name did Lily know Kelvin could fix phones? Three, could he fix phones? Leila's lips pulled into a thin line of disapproval she struggled not to show. They both had some serious explaining to do, especially Kelvin.
"Kelvin," Lily muttered. When Leila continued gawking at her, Lily sighed and pushed her phone to her. "The computer guy." There was a picture on Lily's screen. A man with curly hair. It was Kelvin, quite alright but not her husband. "I think he knows someone who knows someone and all that crap. Helped me last year."
Leila could only nod. "Thanks." Lily waved off her gratitude. Her friend stood but she stopped her. After a glance around the office to be sure no one was listening to them, her voice lowered and she asked, "What do you think of the new boss?"
"Are you interested in him?" Lily teased.
For a second, she froze. She didn't know how to answer that. Of course, she was interested in her husband. The few moments with him guaranteed they could have an almost normal life. Plus, he cared. He paid attention. He bought her flowers.
"He's not my type," she blurted out.
Lily broke out laughing, she fell back to the seat and held her chest as the laughter tumbled out of her lips. It annoyed Leila. Some heads turned to them and she bent the screen of her laptop. Susie was no longer paying attention to the files on her desk. Great. Leila looked up to her friend grinning sheepishly, time to end this nonsense.
"Forget I asked," she mumbled. "You can go. Thanks."
Lily snorted. "Come on. I'm also interested in him." Leila grunted. Her husband was off limits. "Wanted to know my competition," she said with a wiggle of her brows. Leila didn't find it funny. He was her husband and they were always shamelessly talking about him.
"Good luck."
"Don't need it," Lily said. Leila looked up and Lily shrugged. The confidence of the other woman didn't always irritate her but right now it did and she tried to remember no one knew about them. "I haven't formed an opinion on him yet," she answered to Leila's initial question.
"Okay," Leila said.
"But he seems okay and he's very hot." She winked and Leila looked down to her feet. He was hot but his kisses were hotter. Her cheeks grew warm at the memory. It wasn't even a kiss. He pecked her cheek for God's sake. Still, she couldn't help the smile she quickly wiped off before Lily noticed. "I would totally do him."
Okay. Time up. "Do you think that lady with him is his girlfriend?" Leila was referring to Amara but she didn't know that was her name. Lily looked on in confusion and she described the ebony, melanin beauty that accompanied her husband. "She is hot."
Hotter than Lily. Maybe knowing that would stop Lily from trying to steal her husband.
"Very," Lily finished for her. She pursed her lips, then shook her head. "But I don't think that's his girlfriend. The boss looks like someone who has no private life."
If only she knew. Lily walked away before she could ask anymore questions, hips swinging with every step she took. Leila laughed, she didn't know why but she continued laughing until Lily reached her seat.
Once her laughter died down, she resumed work on the Stars Glow project. The presentation with Kelvin was slated for 3 pm. She wanted him to support her mainly because he loved the idea.
Leila drowned herself with work, adding and deleting things that wouldn't help her pitch. She never stopped to take a break until her phone's ringtone snapped her out of her daze.
The caller was no other person than her husband. She stole a glance at the office. Some desks were empty, others had takeaway plates on their tables. On cue, her stomach growled and she wrapped an arm around it before picking the call.
Kelvin wasted no time with greetings. "Step outside."