I WANT YOU BACK

Chapter2

HAZEL

A few months later

I hated how the blinding rays of light wouldn’t let me sleep in. My head ached and my body was sore all over from last night. I wasn’t even sure I get up with the number of times we made love.

“ You’re awake, Ms. Hazel” I heard a soft, nearly familiar feminine voice which made my eyes instantly pop open.

“ How long have you been here?” I asked as I sat up straight, holding my head. I had a feeling she’d been standing here for quite a while.

“ For over forty-five minutes now,” she said with a warm smile.

“ You could have left rather than standing for long because of me,” I felt bad that I had made her stand.

“ You seem to forget what day today is,” Millie sighed.

“ Huh? What day is to— Oh s**t!” I clutched my hair as I realized. “ Today is Monday, I have to go to work,” I jumped out of bed or I at least thought I could but my back ached and I ended up falling over instead.

“ You’re really going to hurt yourself one day,” she said, helping me up.

“ Can’t I just stay in for today? I’m really tired and sore,” I pleaded like it was within her power. “ Where’s Zaide?” I inquired.

“ Firstly, that isn’t within my power. I’m just a maid and one who has only been here for five years,” she stated. “ Secondly, it’s quite obvious you’re headed to work late so do you think Mr. Zaide is like you? He’s obviously at work,” she responded, placing me on the bed.

“ But if I talk to him, maybe… maybe he’d understand,” I stared at my fingers, playing with them.

“ I’m guessing you want me to call him for you, right?” She folded her arms knowing exactly where this was going.

“ Sorry,”

“ You really are a headache. Don’t expect too much though - I can’t have you crying from disappointment,” she forewarned not wanting to deal with tears today. I nodded my head as I accepted her terms.

She took her phone out of her pocket and called Zaide. Usually, a maid like her wouldn’t have his contact but he was surprisingly close to her. She and the head maid were the only ones Zaide genuinely cared about. I wondered if she liked him even in the slightest bit.

“ Do you have feelings for Zaide?” I asked in a low voice, not able to look at her as I asked.

“ What?!” She stated at me in a mix of annoyance and shock. Just as she was about to answer me, Zaide answered his phone.

“ Is there a problem, Millie? You usually don’t call me when I’m at work,” I had never heard him this caring towards someone. I guess, Scarlett, Millie and Mrs Agnes had a special place in his heart.

“ I know I shouldn’t call you because you’re busy, Mr. Zaide,” she apologized.

“ There’s no need to apologize and don’t call me so formally. Just call me by my name or better still…”

“ Don’t say it!” Millie yelled embarrassed. “ That was a long time ago so why bring it up now?” She pinched her nose bridge.

“ Because you keep addressing me so formally,” he laughed? He actually laughed?! I didn’t even think he could given how stoic he mostly is.

“ I’ll call you informally so don’t bring up the past,” she bargained with him.

“ Jeez, alright, alright,” he surrendered. Never in my life did I think I’d see such a friendly interaction between Zaide and someone else.

“ Oh yeah, before I forget, I called you because of Hazel. She wants to ask you something,” she informed him lazily. His own end suddenly went quiet and the atmosphere changed so quickly.

“ What exactly does she want to say to me?” He said after a while.

“ How am I supposed to know? Why don’t you talk to her and find out instead?” She retorted, tired of being the middleman. “ Here,” she shoved the phone in my hand and urged me to say something.

“ So…Uhm…I-I don’t think I can go to work today,” I finally said, fondling with my fingers. “ Don’t get me w-wrong!” I might have raised my voice a little from fear that he would instantly misunderstand.

“ It’s not like I plan on slacking off but I feel sore all over and my legs are... Weak...” I paused feeling embarrassed to say it like that.

“ Do you think the other workers in company that are married or dating go celibate because of work?” He answered. I could hear him tapping his fingers in the background.

“ I know but I don’t really think I can walk or work ,” I bit down on my lower lip as I tried to explain. Tears nearly falling out of my eyes. Was he trying to invalidate my feelings right now?

“ If I were you, I wouldn’t be sitting down in bed. You’re going to be late and I’d be more than willing to fire a worker that slacks off,” he threatened after which he hung up.

“ Millie, I need to get ready for work in a few minutes,” I clutched my hair and complained to her.

“ I’ll help you out as much as I can,” she helped me to my feet. “ And about what you asked before, that’s definitely a no. We don’t have feelings for each other,” she answered.

“ You don’t but why does…”

“ We’re more like siblings,” she shrugged.

“ You guys are siblings? Then why are you his maid?”

“ I don’t think we have time for this Q&A session so I’m going to answer every possible question I can think of. I and Zaide are like siblings, not siblings,” she corrected me. “ My mom was his nanny from birth and he grew closer to her than his own mother so to him, my mom was his mom. So when my parents died, he took upon himself to take care of me. I’ve been living with him as his younger sibling since then,” she narrated.

“ And about why I work as a maid, I felt like it. We had a really long argument about it but I was able to convince him by lying that I wanted work experience and knowing that he won’t let me work for anyone, this was the best option,” she shrugged.

So to each other, they were siblings. Zaide being the overprotective and doting brother while Millie being the rebellious younger sibling.

“ I feel so embarrassed having jumped conclusion like that,” my face turned red from embarrassment.

“ We don’t have time for you to be feeling embarrassed unless you want Zaide to actually fire you,” she pushed me into the bathroom.

>>>>>>>>>>

A few minutes later

I quickly rushed out of the mansion and flagged down a cab. I looked at my watch, I had just ten minutes to go before I was officially late.

“ I’ll drop off here,” I paid the driver his money and dashed out of his car.

Running into the company building, my heart beat faster and faster as other workers watched as I sprinted across the lobby. I pressed the elevator button but nothing was happening.

“ Urgh!!” I grunted in frustration. Checking my time, I had just nine minutes left. I quickly opened the door leading to the stairways and ran up the stairs as I prayed to beat the time.

“ Present!” I yelled as I entered the meeting room, facing my team manager directly. My department had a meeting this morning.

“ I’m present,” I said, my hands on my knees as I panted. Just then the long hand hit nine.