The morning went by fast. Leila was constantly checking her wristwatch. Minutes after leaving Kelvin, she had rushed into the bathroom to rehearse the speech she would give him. She wanted to kiss him and she would tell him that when they met for lunch which was in a few minutes.
That thought evaporated once her phone vibrated.
Kev: I won't be joining you for lunch.
Her heart tumbled to her stomach, Leila wrapped her arms around herself and smiled sadly. She suspected his decision had to do with this morning's event. Kelvin had to be patient with her. She was trying her best to come around. It wasn't easy. He had to understand she wasn't as bold as he was. It was hard.
Lily slammed a file to her table, making her jump. Her colleague laughed at her reaction and said something she didn't hear. Leila nodded and even managed to smile because it seemed like what Lily wanted her to do. Lily dragged the chair in front of her desk and sat on it.
It was harder to keep up this cool facade with Lily frowning at her like she lost her cat. Leila crossed her legs at the ankle, she wanted to call Kelvin. But what would she say? Have lunch with me? It sounded like a normal request from a wife to her husband but she wasn't feeling like a wife to this man who seriously confused her. He was sweet and kind sometimes, then completely cold and aloof at other times. A weird combo.
"Are all men like these?" Lily asked.
"What?"
Confusion embedded itself on Leila's forehead. She and Lily had never discussed their personal lives. They might joke about men and the things they expected from that gender but their friendship started and ended in the office. Lily's lips pressed into a thin line, she buttoned up her shirt to her collar and flipped her hair like she was modelling for a hair commercial.
"Did you hear anything I just said?"
Leila answered truthfully. "No."
A heavy sigh escaped Lily. She gave Leila one look of disapproval and slid the file closer to her. Laughter rumbled in the pit of her stomach when she opened the file. How did she end up working with people like these? Susie, the dramatic and Lily, the subtle craze.
"What are these?"
Looking at the blue file, one would expect official documents. But it contained pages and pages of screenshots of the conversation between Lily and a guy. Some chats were circled in red ink. She perked up when a blush appeared on Lily's cheeks. That was new. The Lily she knew was never shy. Loud but confident.
"Sooo, I really like him. I do." Clasping her hands on her desk, Leila paid attention to every word Lily said about this new guy she was attracted to. "I know he likes me too but he expects me to put in some work. I have to tell him to kiss me sometimes," she added this with an eye roll. "I mean, isn't it obvious I want a kiss? These men."
A corner of her lips lifted, this guy reminded her of someone she knew too well. Kelvin McKenna. Was it a men's thing? Wasn't it enough that they as women showed up and did the little things to indicate interest without vocalising it.
She missed the rest of Lily's words but heard her say, "Anyway, he asked me on a date."
Leila's smile was instant and genuine. With Lily ranting, arms swinging wildly, much to the amusement of some of their colleagues, she had expected this to end on a bad note.
One, this would put a complete stop to the gossip about her husband. Well, it would stop completely if Susie stopped mentioning it. She championed all the conversation about Kelvin. Two, Lily would have less time to bother her about the secret admirer who sent her flowers, the same person she suspected Leila of going to meet every lunch hour.
"That's great," she said. "You should go." Lily's smile fell. Leila dropped the file to the table carefully. "What's up? Why are you even telling me about this?"
Her only female friend was Freya. She wasn't ready to add a new name to that list. If Lily was comfortable enough to tell her about this new guy, it was only a matter of time before Leila was expected to do the same. And she didn't want that pressure. She didn't know whether to trust Lily. So far, she was cool but experience had taught Leila people could change.
"It's Kelvin." Leila's heart jumped. She blinked. The name played over and over again in her head. Her husband was asking her colleague out? What the hell was happening? She picked the file again to check their chats. The messages were too direct and flirty. It wasn't Kelvin style. "Kelvin Michael Clyde, the one you call Mike."
A breath of relief left Leila. She chided herself for thinking the worst of her husband. With the relief came a smile big enough to light up the room.
"If you're asking for my blessings," Leila started, "you have it. Go for it. Don't let anything stand in your way."
"Are you sure you don't mind?" Lines marred Lily's smooth forehead. "You two were pretty close."
No, they weren't. Mike liked her but it was a one-sided attraction. "I'm sure. Go for it, Lily."
Lily came around her seat to hug her, Leila patted her arm, smiling sheepishly like she was the one going on the date.
"Hearing this makes me so relieved," Lily said. She hugged the files to her chest. She was about to leave when she stopped. "I heard all the sponsors of Stars Glow project are backing out." The smile on Leila's lips faded at the news. She thought it was only Charles it would affect. "It's not a bad thing," Lily said with a laugh.
To her, it might not be. But to Leila, it spelled disaster. She knew this new development had more to do with her attitude towards Charles, than the success of the project. Stars Glow was a goldmine. Charles Black was very influential. Getting on his bad side was a confirmed recipe to disaster and she did that on two occasions.
This was her punishment.
Leila swiped her moist hands over her knees. "How do you know it's not a bad thing?" Lily lowered the file to her desk and sat on the edge of her table. "Who told you?"
"Sarah." She bent so her lips were closer to Leila's ear and her voice was barely above a whisper. "You didn't hear this from me but the boss is still going ahead with the project." Leila's eyes widened in surprise, Kelvin never mentioned this to her. "Yes. Congratulations to you."
Butterflies exploded in Leila's stomach. Her heart fluttered. She hid her hands under the table and beamed at her smiling colleague.
Stars Glow was really happening.
Oh, God.
Her heart was full of joy. She had this fleeting thought to run up to Kelvin's office and kiss him.
"Congratulations to us," she said.
"Na. You did most of the work," Lily said. "If it wasn't for you, we would be..." She left the statement hanging and rose to her feet with a proud smile. "Now, I'm off. Taking your advice."
Leila's nose wrinkled. "What advice?"
Flipping her hair, Lily replied, "To go get my man, Leilani. See you later, single pringle"
Chest rumbling with laughter, Leila grabbed her phone. A wave of doubts hit her. The voices in her head taunted her. If she had taken her own advice, she wouldn't be here pining for a kiss.
Leila: I want to kiss you. I want you to kiss me.
Kev: Sorry. The offer is no longer valid.
Her husband's reply left her breathless, she typed and deleted her comeback. The laughter from Lily's table had Leila raising her head. She was on a phone call. Leila could easily guess who the caller was. Office romance was frowned upon but she wouldn't be the one to mention that. Lily caught her eyes and winked.
Picking up her phone with renewed energy, she began typing. She wanted a kiss from her husband and a kiss she would get.
Leila: If you won't join me for lunch, then there is no point going there alone. I won't go.
No response. Leila bit her lips. Argh. Kelvin was making this too hard for her. What did he want?
Leila: I'm not going for lunch.
Her phone beeped immediately.
Kev: Do not miss lunch.
Leila: I will.
Kev: You will not.
That bossy tone again? Leila scoffed. Bold of him to assume he could police her from his office. If he wasn't joining her to eat, she might as well eat in her office. But he didn't have to know that. As far as Kelvin was concerned, she would skip lunch if he didn't show up and she wanted to keep it that way until he succumbed to her.
Leila: I will. I will starve because my husband refused to join me for lunch. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to make your wife starve?
Kev: Please go for lunch.
Leila: Nope. If you're not coming, I won't go.
Her phone started ringing. Kelvin was the caller. With a triumphant smile, she ended the call and switched off her phone. She was going for what she wanted.