"What do you want here?" I ask, looking at the woman in front of me. I think she came to visit me to try to get back with me.
"I want to know why you stood me up at the restaurant!" she seems irritated with me, but she has a point. I simply ignored her invitation.
"It's simple... I have food at home."
"Is that all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to apologize!"
"I haven't done anything wrong to you... so I don't need to apologize."
"You owe me an explanation! You could have said that you weren't going to meet me and I would have used my time for something else."
"As always, Lisa. You have ditched me several times, remember?"
"That's in the past, Hannah... we can leave it there and focus on the present. I still like you."
"Lisa..." I stand up from the chair and walk around the table. I stop in front of her and we look at each other more closely. "My present moment is difficult and it seems like you haven't noticed how unhappy I am."
I step away from her and walk around the room...
"You should respect my moment and remember that my brother just died... the only valuable thing in my life, I lost it and now I'm alone." I fall silent and a tear rolls down my face. I turn to the window and wipe my face so she can't see.
Lisa remains silent. I look at her and remember how she hurt and broke my heart when we were still a couple. I should have listened to John when he warned me about her and how she used her beauty to have fun and take advantage of the first person she came across. I don't know why she's after me again.
"I want you to stay away from me and now that I'm the owner of the company, I want you to stay away from it too."
"Hannah... I completely forgot about John's death."
"Hmmph," I observe the falseness coming through her words.
"And since you want me to stay away... I will."
"Thank you... now leave... I'm waiting for someone else."
"But don't forget that you will never love someone else like you loved me."
"You can't decide that for me."
We hear some knocks on the door and Miranda enters. When she sees Lisa and they exchange glances, Lisa simply smiles falsely at me and leaves the room, strutting as if she were a model. She is not ashamed of being so cynical and fake.
I turn to the window again and say:
"The documents are on the table, Miranda... take them and leave and don't let anyone approach my office, I don't want to see anyone else."
"Yes... yes... as you wish, miss."
After Miranda leaves, I remain in that room in the company of silence, a voiceless enemy that many people had in common.
In the silence of that room, I find myself thinking about John's advice. Advice that I often ignored. Advice that I kept in my memory. Tears stream down my face and I cry with sadness, loneliness, and missing my dear and honorable brother.
I spent the whole day locked in the office. I reviewed some documents, looked at the transactions, had a meal, and checked the schedule. The imports were correct and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Blackwood Company worked with imports and exports and also with telecommunications. It was a highly valued company in the job market and abroad.
I'm at a bar near the company building, one that I always went to after some trips. I drink whiskey while leaning on the counter, thinking about today. I call Ian and ask him to pick me up because I don't like taxis, even though they're a safe option.
I wake up at 11 a.m., take a hot shower, and get dressed to face the second day as the CEO of Blackwood Company.
On the way to the company, I start chatting with Ian, while he drives:
"What do you think about asking Lili out?"
"What do you mean, miss?" he asks, his voice slightly trembling.
"I'm saying that you should ask Lili out because for a long time I've noticed how you look at her and how she looks at you."
"That wouldn't be right, miss. We are coworkers. She is the housekeeper and a respectable woman, while I... I am just a driver."
"Do you think she thinks like you?"
"Well... I don't know, miss."
"Ian, do you like Lili?"
"Um... I don't know what to say, miss."
"It's just... yes or no!"
When I fall silent, the car suddenly stops and I am thrown forward, almost hitting the seat, but I am protected by the seatbelt.
"Why did you brake like that?
"Sorry, miss. Look!" he points outside the car and I see a young woman lying on the sidewalk.
"Did you run her over?"
"No, miss... she walked in front of the car, but luckily the car didn't hit her."
I get out of the car intending to help the young woman, but she quickly gets up as if she's in a hurry and runs away. I see that she isn't hurt, luckily, but I couldn't see her face because of her long, brown hair.
I get back in the car and try to keep an eye on her, but all I can remember is the red color of the bag she was carrying and her sleeveless white top.
"Can we go, miss?" Ian asks as I fasten my seatbelt.
"Keep driving and be alert on the road!"
"I'm sorry, miss?"
"Don't worry."
Ian starts driving again and doesn't say anything else. He was so tense during our conversation that his attention on the road faltered. It wasn't his fault.
I arrive at the company and immediately meet Miranda. She is having coffee at her desk...
"Decided to come later today, Miss Blackwood?"
"I am the owner of the company... I can do that."
"And how can you." she says with a smile.
"Right... I'll go to my office." I start walking...
"Wait. " she requests and I stop, but I don't turn around.
"Yes?"
"Well... it's about the secretary Mia Lancaster."
I automatically turn around as if that name had attracted me.
"Tell me."
"Miss Mia arrived late to the company today."
"And at what time did that happen?"
"Ten minutes ago."
"And where is she?" I ask, looking around the entire department.
"Probably... in the bathroom."
"Alright... tell Miss Lancaster to come to my office."
"Okay."
I head to my office and sit on the couch, ignoring the desk for a moment.
I start thinking about the young woman Ian almost ran over. Is she really okay? Did she scrape her knee when she fell? Why was she in such a hurry?
KNOCK, KNOCK...
Knocks on the door interrupt my thoughts. Mia Lancaster is knocking, and now I am certain of my guess, because yesterday I was wrong and ended up meeting an undesirable person.
"Come in!" I say.
The door opens and I see a young woman in white entering my office. Her blouse is sleeveless and I remember the girl on the street. Her hair is tied in a loose bun, showing her neck. She is facing away from me, looking towards my chair which is turned around, perhaps thinking I am sitting in it. Her legs are visible as she is wearing a tight black skirt that falls to the mid-thigh, accentuating her curves.
"Turn around!" I ask and the young woman immediately turns towards me, startled.
Her eyes meet mine and I see a shy smile on her lips, but I also see some strands falling on her face, as if she had just fixed her hair.
I continue looking at her as if she were a lighthouse, simply because of her surreal beauty. My eyes travel down her entire body and I notice a bandage on her left knee.
"Are you hurt?!" I ask automatically, concerned. I don't even know why I am like this, it's the first time I see her.
She looks down at her casual sneakers several times, surely looking for a place to hide her head out of embarrassment and because I asked such an obvious question. And she hides her hands behind her back.
"Sit here... you're hurt!" I command, but she simply remains standing, now looking at me. Her eyes are so attractive and cute at the same time.
I wake up and approach the shy young woman in front of me. She continues to look and now she is more attentive to me as I approach.
"Are you Miss Mia Lancaster, right?" I ask.
"Yes," she replies and surprises me with her firm voice, discarding all her shyness from the beginning.
"Sit on the couch," I stop a few steps away from her.
"I'm fine like this... Mrs. Blackwood."
My heart beats fast when she calls me Mrs.
"No... you're not! Sit on the couch... your knee is injured."
"It's nothing, ma'am... I can stand."
"Don't call me... ma'am! We're almost the same age!"
"But... calling you with respect is one of an employee's tasks. Mr. John always said that."
"Yes... my brother was a person who deserved respect... but... I am not him."
"Sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"Forget about it," I say and sit back on the couch.
"Do you want something from me?" Mia asks.
"Yes," I look at her knee again, making her notice. "I want you to sit on the couch... your knee doesn't look good."
"I'm fine, ma'am," she insists on standing.
"Okay," I give up trying to make her sit. "So... tell me... Why did you arrive at work three hours after the arrival time? The employees should arrive at eight o'clock in the morning!"
"Ma'am... I had a problem at home and that's why I couldn't make it on time."
"Oh... what happened at your house?" I ask, but I think I've intruded too much.
"I prefer not to share details of my personal life... I'm sorry."
"You're right to do that," I affirm and continue to worry about her knee because I'm almost certain that she and the young woman on the street are the same person.
"Thank you for understanding, ma'am..."
"Hannah!" I say my name because I can't stand being called ma'am anymore. I'm only twenty-eight years old... for heaven's sake!
"Uh?" she asks confused and a little surprised.
"My name is Hannah, Miss Lancaster. Don't call me ma'am anymore and that's... an order!"
"As you wish... Hannah," she says a bit apprehensive.
I feel relieved when she says my name, but I don't show it.
"Much better! And thank you for... obeying me."
Mia simply nods her head positively and finally puts her hands in front of her. I see that her nails are painted black and I immediately like what's in front of me. My favorite color.
"Miss Lancaster, I..."
"Mia!"
"Huh?" I'm confused.
"Call me Mia."
"Oh... and is that... an order?"
"No, no, no," she repeatedly shakes her hands to deny it. I like her expressive manner. She's shy, but at the same time filled with attitude. And she's funny.
"I got it, Mia! You don't need all that," she makes me smile with her actions and becomes embarrassed when she sees my smile. "I just wanted to break the tension between us."
"You scared me," she finally called me "you" without even realizing it. What a wonderful woman. "Thank you for explaining."
"You're welcome."
"Hannah... you... you... ma'am..."
"Stop it... don't say anything else... you're overthinking. You can go back to work."
"But... what about the matter of me being late?" I had already forgotten about it.
"Oh... that. Pretend it never happened. Don't worry about your salary, it won't be deducted."
"Really?" she's surprised. "But..."
"Go back to work and... take care of your knee!"
"Um... I guess I'll go then... I have to answer some calls and review some paperwork."
"That's... do that."
"Excuse me?"
"All... by the way, bonjour?!"
Mia smiles shyly and slowly leaves the room, taking my eyes with her until the door is closed.
I'm alone again, but with the memory of Mia Lancaster's shy smile.
A few hours pass and I finally decide to leave my office for a while. During this time alone, I received calls from businessmen who were friends and acquaintances of John. They all wished me good luck and two of them scheduled a meeting with me.
I leave my office and walk around the department as I observe the employees working at their desks. Some of them look at me, but quickly return to their tasks. I know it's still early for them to trust me and feel as comfortable as they did with John. As if I were a bad person... I am a bad person... but not that much.
I continue walking around the department and then I see Miranda talking about something with Miss Lancaster. They both have their desks side by side, which makes communication and work between them much easier. They have similar ideas, are intelligent, and work in the same position.
I consider going to talk to Miranda about the meetings I scheduled with the businessmen, but Mia is with her. I think Mia didn't feel comfortable when she spoke to me. So I decide to go back to my office and call Miranda.
Sitting on the edge of the desk, I pick up the phone and call Miranda...
"Yes?"
"Miranda... come to my office."
"Hello, Miss Hannah..."
I realize that the voice doesn't belong to Miranda and immediately hang up the phone.
The voice belongs to Mia. I am trying to avoid talking to her today because of my insistence and concern about her knee. Maybe tomorrow I'll be more confident.
I don't know what's happening to me! Usually, I don't reject a pretty face or a sexy body. She had an appealing body.
I hope Mia forgets about this call and stays quiet while working... That's all I want, even though I want to see her again.
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