This chapter is dedicated to all Writers who lost their lives in the course of writing their books.
You will always be remembered for good.
Keep resting in peace, Heroes.
"Mr. Barlowe, do you have any contribution before we round off the meeting?" Rosa asked, glancing towards the direction her boss was seated. He had been blank since the beginning of the meeting. She was sure he hardly heard a word they said.
Callan stared back at her, stunned. He shook his head and the corner of his lips twitched in a small smile.
"That will be all for now." He told them.
Rosa and the board members exchanged ungratified glares. That shouldn't be all. He hadn't even said anything since the inception of the meeting and there he was, telling them that would be all for now.
She knew something was wrong with her Boss, but she didn't know what it was. He had been like that for days now—lost in his thoughts, contributing less to the discussions she had with him, staring into space whenever she talked to him.
"But sir, you haven't spoken about the new—"
"That will be all, Rosa." Callan shut her up mid-sentence. Whatever it was that they were discussing wasn't of paramount interest to him, he had a lot going through his mind. A lot about Orla. She still wasn't talking to him, and surprisingly, that bothered the hell out of him. He stared at the suited men's faces, all expressionless. "I will leave now. Rosa, there will be a mini-meeting between you and me in my office." He straightened out of the mahogany armchair and leisurely walked towards the exit of the board room.
“Thanks for your presence, everyone." Rosa smiled at the board members who were already getting ready to exit the board room after Callan left them. "I am certain that the Boss will summon another meeting soon. The importation of the new building materials will be discussed then."
They nodded, agreeing with her. "We will leave now." One of the men informed Rosa.
"Sure," she clasped her hands together in anxiety, watching as they filed out of the board room. When she was left alone, she rubbed her palm against each other and heaved a heavy sigh.
It was time to face the boss, and she was determined to ask what was going on with him. She got to the doorpost to Callan's office, and sweat trickled down her face.
She wasn't nervous around her Boss. She had been working with him for years to get used to him, but that morning, something seemed to be off.
She gently knocked and swiftly, he ordered her into the office. Rosa moved in with slow strides, she got to his front and stood, waiting for an order for her to sit.
"You can have a seat, Rosa," Callan grumbled, gesturing to the chair in front of him. She took a seat immediately, still waiting for him to initiate a conversation since he invited her to his office.
About one minute passed, and there was an unusual silence between them. She looked at her Boss, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts, contemplating if he should start the conversation or just forget all about it. Five minutes had passed and Callan still hadn't said a word to her. She cleared her throat and pushed her chest forward.
"Is everything okay, Boss?" She asked, innocence compressing her tone.
"Huh, Rosa." He clasped his hands together, lowering them on the table. "Rosa, do you have a boyfriend?" He whispered like he didn't want her to hear the words but she heard him clearly.
Rosa shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her eyes fluttering shut in embarrassment. She arched her brows and said with a twisted mouth, "Did Liam tell you something?"
"Liam?" Callan smirked. That wasn't where he was going, but that topic sounded interesting. "What's with Liam?"
"I thought Liam told you that we have something going." She sat straighter and smiled. "Yes, I do have a boyfriend and that's Liam, your best friend."
"Oh wow, you two are together?" Callan was amused. "My best friend and my employer right under my nose?"
"Sir, I am sorry I didn't…"
"It's fine, you don't have to be sorry about it. You are old enough to be with any man that you want. That wasn't the reason I wanted to know though." He smiled and Rosa found it strange, he barely smiled. But the few times he did, she found his smile really cute.
It revealed his perfect manly facial features—dark brown wavy hair with tendrils falling to the side, strong brows, straight nose, a squared and well-chiselled jaw that would make any girl fall at his feet, and have her panties dripping, begging for his touch.
"So, why did you ask if I had a boyfriend?" She gawked at her Boss. He has never interfered in her private life.
Over the years, it had been a strictly business-related conversation. She was surprised he was suddenly interested in her relationship life.
"I have some questions to ask you but before that can you get me my coffee?" He demanded and without retirency, Rosa jumped to her feet to prepare her Boss's Espresso.
A few minutes later, she showed up with a cup of coffee in her hand. She placed it on the table and sat back to listen to what he had to say.
"How long have you been with Liam?" He was heading somewhere and needed to know some things before he got there.
Rosa's face flushed red, she drooped her head and fiddled with her fingers. "About three months," she responded in a low voice.
"So, tell me, is there a time you've had a big quarrel through those three months? You know, a time you had a big fight and didn't speak to him for days."
Rosa looked at her Boss and smiled. "Liam is a gentleman, he doesn't let that happen. We make up immediately after we get into an argument."
"Really?" Callan snorted. He wasn't that kind of person. He was the total opposite of Liam. He had never been in a relationship to make up with a lady whenever there was a quarrel. But Orla was his wife, and he so badly wanted to make up for his mistakes, but he didn't know the ways to go about it. Maybe he needed to learn from Liam.