Unmasking Love

Not his Usual Attitude

Alex walked out of Thye Café in a jolly mood. He has tried his luck with the beautiful Barista and it was a positive stunt. He trekked slowly with the cup of espresso in his grasp, and he stopped beside a car which was a few houses away from the Café. He knocked on the driver’s window.

“Boss” Marcus whined down the glass.

“Open the door” Alex said while beaming with smiles. Marcus opened the door and stared at his boss in the rearview mirror. He wondered what the occasion was for his boss to be grinning from ear to ear.

“Drive” He ordered and Marcus nodded and started the ignition.

“Where to boss?” Marcus asked while looking at him through the rearview mirror.

“Home. I need to change and get to the office” He muttered a response and looked dreamily out of the window.

“Okay, boss.” Marcus nodded and navigated the car towards the route to the house.

“This espresso tastes so good. No doubt it’s made by an expert’s beautiful hands” Alex intoned. He stared at the cup of espresso in his hand with lit and admiring eyes as if he were staring at a work of art.

“Boss, why do we have to drive all the way here for just a cup of espresso? We can get that in a more reputable espresso Café or even place an order” Marcus complained in a low tone.

“It’s because there’s a beautiful blooming flower I went there to see” He replied and grinned widely.

“A flower? We have enough flowers in the garden or better still we could have ordered it. We didn’t have to be in this slum area” Marcus creased his brows in confusion.

“Slum? What do you know about them?” Alex quizzed in a scolding tone.

“Sir?” I’m sorry sir” Marcus apologized in a shaky voice. Alex’s reaction further confused him. On a norm, he wouldn’t have responded to his statement not to talk of reacting in such a passionate way.

“Sir, lady J called” He relayed.

“What does she want?” Alex’s gaze turned into a blank and distant one. His palm formed into a ball of fists beside him, and he gritted his teeth together to lessen his anger.

“She just wanted to check how you’re doing” Marcus replied cautiously.

“That manipulator” He scoffed and looked out of the window again. The rest of the drive was silent.

. . . . . . . . . . .

RothX Tech Company

The workers walking around with files in hand gazed at the entrance as Alex emerged in all his glory. He was clad in a simple branded shirt and pants since he loved to dress simply and comfortably. The employees, especially the females, stared at him and drooled from a distance.

“OMG! He looks hot” A lady gushed dreamily.

“Sexy CEO” Another intoned.

“I wouldn’t mind just a night with him,” A blonde-haired lady fantasized.

“Handsome brainiac” A guy looked on in amazement.

The workers all had one thing to say. Alex stopped in his tracks and waved to them with a smile on his face. The workers all gasped in surprise and they screamed in excitement. The few times he had been to the office, he hadn’t waved nor flashed them a smile before.

“How are you all doing today?” He asked them while beaming with smiles.

“We are good sir” They chanted altogether.

“Let’s work hard today, okay?” He intoned.

“Okay sir,” They intoned and scurried to their respective seats in elation. Alex shook his head in amusement and continued his walk towards the elevator.

Marcus’ eyes were about to drop off their socket. He was carrying Alex’s briefcase and an almost empty cup of espresso that his boss refused to throw away for reasons best known to him. He had never seen his boss display so much stamina in conversing with people on a personal note not to talk of a crowd of workers.

“I hope he’s okay” He muttered to himself. For some reason, he was worried his boss might be attempting suicide since unprecedented excitement is one of the signs suicidal people display before they commit the deed.

They stopped at the entrance of the elevator and it opened. A few workers came out of it and greeted him to which he responded enthusiastically. The workers giggled in excitement and left. They entered the elevator, and Marcus pressed the button to the last floor, which was the office floor.

“Sir, can I ask you a question?” Marcus intoned when he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Yes, go on. What is it?” Alex quizzed.

“Did something happen?” He asked.

“Something like what?” Alex chuckled.

“Maybe good news, or did your app get selected for the most developed app in the UNIVERSE category?” Marcus asked again.

“Don’t be silly, Marcus. I told you it got rejected because of the glitches I’m currently fixing. We will try again next year.” Alex patted his back and laughed gently, which further confused Marcus.

“Are you planning to commit suicide?” Marcus blurted and turned to him with eyes filled with fear.

“Suicide? Why would you think that?” Alex was taken aback.

“It’s just that you’ve been acting weird and unusually excited since morning and I read that extreme excitement is one of the signs of a person with a suicidal thought” Marcus revealed in trepidation.

“I don’t have any suicidal thoughts. Stop overthinking it” Alex responded amusingly. The elevator came to a stop and he got out of it while Marcus hurried to catch up with his pace.

“Should we go to the doctor after office hours” Marcus asked. He was not convinced.

“I said I’m fine” Alex shrugged him off.

“I know you’re fine, but we should still check in case . . .”Marcus’ words got stuck in his throat as he saw Alex stop to glare at him.

“Do you want me to die? Is it the house that you want or the cars? Which one? The rolls Royce, Bugatti, or Lamborghini? Oh, is it the Benz?” Alex quizzed sarcastically.

“No boss . . . I’m sorry, sir.” Marcus bowed his head.

“You can pick any car of your choice though. I know you’ve got some chicks to impress.” Alex laughed and entered his office.

“He’s losing it” Marcus soliloquized and shook his head. He knew his boss would never use the word chicks so perfunctorily.

“Can I have my briefcase?” Alex yelled from inside. Marcus’ suspicions were further confirmed because his boss’s ethical rule includes no shouting or yelling whatsoever, especially in a professional space.

“What do I do?” He wondered and opened the door which led to a spacious waiting room. It was empty but sparkling neat. Alex didn’t have an office secretary because he rarely showed up at work. Marcus marched towards the glass door that led to the suite-like office and pushed it open. He set the briefcase on the table gently.

“You can leave” Alex motioned to him.

“I’d rather stay here sir” Marcus replied ambitiously. “What If he jumps down the window when I leave?” He shook slightly at the thought.

“I’m not going to jump down the window or stab myself with a ball pen, Marcus” Alex replied without sparing him a glance. Marcus was taken aback.

“Is he reading my thoughts?” He wondered, but he stood on a spot stubbornly.

“Fine. You can stay. Have you eaten? Order pizza and chicken, let’s feast” Alex said as he typed on his laptop.

Marcus’ thoughts ran wild to the Last Supper story, and his eyes widened again. His boss had never eaten with him. Instinctively, he rushed towards Alex, knelt, and held his legs.

“Boss, please don’t leave” He wailed.

“Leave to where?” Alex stared at him in confusion.