curious
about how to go about it. She could see that now. It was his nature after all.
Probably he had even seen a profit in it, in which case he hadn’t even been
doing her a favor for favor’s sake, but actually investing in her career. Was
it so bad that he would want to invest in her? She asked herself now.
Well at least he would leave her alone now.
There was no reason for him to keep being nice to her after she had insulted
him in his home. She told herself that it was exactly what she wanted, for him
to leave her alone, but it rang hollow even in her own head.
After the whole week passed in a blur of
work, with no word at all from Eddie, Ada started to feel sick at heart. She hadn’t
realized how much she had gotten used to him. Now every time her phone rang,
every time there was a knock on her door, she expected, no wanted it to be him,
and was always disappointed when it was not.
It was five days before he called, Ada had
been counting. It was Friday, and after a long series of interviews, she had
finally hired a new assistant. His name was Clive, he was twenty two and had
exceptional graphic design skills. The new receptionist had also been selected.
She was a professional looking woman in her mid-thirties, called Lola Balogun.
Ada found herself wondering if they wouldn’t all seem like children to her.
She had been working late, not very eager
to home to her empty flat, which lately seemed to remind her of Eddie all the
time. In fact, everything seemed to remind her of Eddie lately. So she buried
herself in her work, she had already finished tasks she had no need of doing
for at least two weeks, but it was easier to work all the time, than to be idle
and think of Eddie.
When her phone rang, she wasn’t expecting
it to be him, she had given up on him ever calling her again, so when she saw
his name on the caller ID, her stomach immediately went hollow. She panicked.
Did she really want to talk to him? She wondered wildly, could she?
The phone stopped ringing and her heart
started to calm, maybe it had been a mistake, maybe he hadn’t really meant to
call her at all. She realized she had been holding her breath and let it out
slowly.
She jumped as the phone started to ring
again. She sighed. It definitely couldn’t be a mistake twice in a row. Slowly
she picked it up and said a tentative “Hello.”
“Hello.” He replied. His voice still had
the power to turn her heart to mush. The sound alone made her remember how much
she had missed hearing it. Suddenly she felt crushingly sad. It was silly, but
she had an overwhelming urge to cry.
“Are you still at the office?” He asked.
She nodded, and then realized he couldn’t
see her. “Yes.” She said. “I am.”
“Can I come over to pick you?” He asked. “I’m
on my way home now.”
She didn’t even think about it. “Yes.” She
breathed.
He paused. “Okay.” He said, he sounded
relieved. “I’m outside your office.”
She started in surprise. “Okay.” She told
him. “I’ll be right down.”
Her hands were shaking as she hastily
gathered her things. He was already outside? Waiting for her? What did he want?
He was standing beside his car in the
parking lot. It was already getting dark and the security lights were not yet
on, but she would know that form anywhere. He looked like a tall, dark shadow,
silhouetted against the darkening sky, or like an avenging angel, she thought,
almost hysterically.
She walked up to him, trying hard to push
aside the trepidation that was building in her heart. Even in the evening
light, he looked gorgeous and graceful.
He didn’t smile when he saw her. He just
opened the car door.
She gasped. Whether it was shock, alarm,
joy at seeing him, or annoyance that he would assume that she would go with him
even without him giving her the courtesy of a simple ‘good evening’, she wasn’t
sure.
“You haven’t asked me if I need a ride.”
She said, stubbornness kicking in. Even though the sight
about how to go about it. She could see that now. It was his nature after all.
Probably he had even seen a profit in it, in which case he hadn’t even been
doing her a favor for favor’s sake, but actually investing in her career. Was
it so bad that he would want to invest in her? She asked herself now.
Well at least he would leave her alone now.
There was no reason for him to keep being nice to her after she had insulted
him in his home. She told herself that it was exactly what she wanted, for him
to leave her alone, but it rang hollow even in her own head.
After the whole week passed in a blur of
work, with no word at all from Eddie, Ada started to feel sick at heart. She hadn’t
realized how much she had gotten used to him. Now every time her phone rang,
every time there was a knock on her door, she expected, no wanted it to be him,
and was always disappointed when it was not.
It was five days before he called, Ada had
been counting. It was Friday, and after a long series of interviews, she had
finally hired a new assistant. His name was Clive, he was twenty two and had
exceptional graphic design skills. The new receptionist had also been selected.
She was a professional looking woman in her mid-thirties, called Lola Balogun.
Ada found herself wondering if they wouldn’t all seem like children to her.
She had been working late, not very eager
to home to her empty flat, which lately seemed to remind her of Eddie all the
time. In fact, everything seemed to remind her of Eddie lately. So she buried
herself in her work, she had already finished tasks she had no need of doing
for at least two weeks, but it was easier to work all the time, than to be idle
and think of Eddie.
When her phone rang, she wasn’t expecting
it to be him, she had given up on him ever calling her again, so when she saw
his name on the caller ID, her stomach immediately went hollow. She panicked.
Did she really want to talk to him? She wondered wildly, could she?
The phone stopped ringing and her heart
started to calm, maybe it had been a mistake, maybe he hadn’t really meant to
call her at all. She realized she had been holding her breath and let it out
slowly.
She jumped as the phone started to ring
again. She sighed. It definitely couldn’t be a mistake twice in a row. Slowly
she picked it up and said a tentative “Hello.”
“Hello.” He replied. His voice still had
the power to turn her heart to mush. The sound alone made her remember how much
she had missed hearing it. Suddenly she felt crushingly sad. It was silly, but
she had an overwhelming urge to cry.
“Are you still at the office?” He asked.
She nodded, and then realized he couldn’t
see her. “Yes.” She said. “I am.”
“Can I come over to pick you?” He asked. “I’m
on my way home now.”
She didn’t even think about it. “Yes.” She
breathed.
He paused. “Okay.” He said, he sounded
relieved. “I’m outside your office.”
She started in surprise. “Okay.” She told
him. “I’ll be right down.”
Her hands were shaking as she hastily
gathered her things. He was already outside? Waiting for her? What did he want?
He was standing beside his car in the
parking lot. It was already getting dark and the security lights were not yet
on, but she would know that form anywhere. He looked like a tall, dark shadow,
silhouetted against the darkening sky, or like an avenging angel, she thought,
almost hysterically.
She walked up to him, trying hard to push
aside the trepidation that was building in her heart. Even in the evening
light, he looked gorgeous and graceful.
He didn’t smile when he saw her. He just
opened the car door.
She gasped. Whether it was shock, alarm,
joy at seeing him, or annoyance that he would assume that she would go with him
even without him giving her the courtesy of a simple ‘good evening’, she wasn’t
sure.
“You haven’t asked me if I need a ride.”
She said, stubbornness kicking in. Even though the sight
Similar Books
