"Hello. Please sit."
"Thank you. Good morning!" She grunts as she slumps to the swivel chair across me.
"So, how was the week in my absence? Did everything go well?" I ask as I open my .
"Absolutely, ma'am. Here is the hand-copied report. I emailed you the soft copy." She me the copies.
"Okay. I will go through it. Meanwhile, please mobilize the team for a brief meeting the afternoon. We have a few things to discuss concerning our new tasks," I say.
"Okay. I will do that right away. What time will the meeting be?"
"Aah, 3 p.m," I say.
"Noted."
"Great. That will be all," I say with a gentle nod.
"Alright. I'll take my leave now. Good day, ma'am!"
"Good day, and, Mirabel?"
She turns to me. "Yes?"
"Thank you for taking care of things and the team while I was away. You did a job."
"I must admit it was pressure at first, but I didn't want to let you down. I had to your bravery and courage to manage. I'm glad I didn't fail you," she responds so much enthusiasm.
"You did awesomely great. Congratulations," I say genuinely.
"I am honored. Thank you. I'll leave you to work now."
"Okay."
Well, seems like fate is finally smiling at me, huh! Everything is looking just so . And my special with Damian tonight will even makes things brighter.
Yahallah!
Later in the evening!
"Are you sure you don't want to join us? It is just me and Grace," I ask Damian as he in front of my coffee shop, hoping to share a moment of warmth and amidst the cozy ambiance.
But as I glance at him, I can't shake the feeling that something is amiss. His usual energy seems dimmed, replaced by a weariness that tugs at my heartstrings.
He looks exhausted, burdened by some invisible weight that hangs heavy on his .
"I am sorry. We can do this some other time, babe, please," he pleads softly, his voice with a hint of resignation.
"It is alright. Are you okay, though? Will you be okay?" I inquire, concern lacing my as I reach out to him.
He gives me a weak, reassuring smile that betrays the beauty that his genuine smile about. "I will. I will just wait for you in our house," he assures me, attempting smile that falls short of genuine persuasion.
Whatever demons he is wrestling with and whatever fears he is keeping hidden, I vow unravel them tonight. Because seeing him like this, distant and unsettled, is I simply can't bear. It seems like what he wants to tell me tonight is so , and I am willing to listen to it all and offer him the solace that he needs.
Our house! Oh, how sweet that sounds. "Which one particularly? Yours or mine?" I just to be sure.
"Yours," he says.
"Okay. Drive safe," I say as I grab my purse. "Would you mind if I leave the rest of stuff here?" I ask.
I don't need to drag my laptop and the pair of heels inside, and since he is going to my , sorry, our condo, it wouldn't hurt if he helped me with them, right? "Of course . Give me a call when you are done. I will pick you up," he says.
My! I adore his caring side, but that will be too much. "No, don't worry. I will just you there. I am not planning on staying for too long since they are about to close . The weather doesn't look too good," I respond.
"Alright then. Take care and say hi to Grace for me,” he says, leaning in for a miss.
"Okay. Bye."
As I step out of the car, Damian blows me a kiss before driving off, his forced smile escaping my notice. I return the gesture with a smile of my own, but it quickly when I realize that my ever-watchful friend has been eavesdropping on us.
I shoot her a playful glare, but deep inside, I can't help but feel a twinge of annoyance.
Can't I really admire my knight in shining armor in peace without her trying to ?
I sigh inwardly, reminding myself why she is still my best friend despite her penchant gossip. She may drive me crazy at times, but she is also the only female friend I in this entire vast borough of Mombasa. And despite her flaws, I wouldn't trade for the world.
But at times she is just... annoying! Not always, though, but most of the time, she is!
Like now, why did she have to sneak out here and eavesdrop on us?
Sigh!
Ahem!
"So..." Grace begins, her tone teasing and playful, but I cut her off before she can further.
"So, you were eavesdropping on us?" I interject, my annoyance evident in my voice.
"I just wanted to check why the street lamps are illuminating more brightly today. It we have an additional lump," she retorts, her words dripping with sarcasm, and
I can't help but roll my eyes at her feeble attempt to cover up her snooping. It is not like she is trying to hide the fact that she was listening to my conversation with
Damian.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" I ask, my irritation growing with each passing .
"You!” she inches closer, her eyes scanning all over my face. “Your face is glistening redness. Love is really taking a long one on you, huh? Damian Almeda is all your face," she observes, her tone teasing but her words hitting a nerve.
I am glad she observed that right. And she did not have to go all around the circle just spit out the obvious. Sigh! "Yeah, so what?" I reply defiantly, refusing to let her banter get under my skin. But deep down, I can't deny the truth in her words.
Damian has indeed left his mark on me, and I wear it proudly for all to see. I am not it, nor am I ashamed to admit it. "I still don't know how I am able to stick with for this long. You are annoying," I mumble and brush past her as I tap my feet to ground.