HER WEAKNESS

2.

HOW DID YOU FIRST MEET?

I thought about the answer for a minute and a smile appeared on my face from the memory.

It wasn’t exactly the moment everyone reads about in fairytales but it was certainly memorable.

I felt sick to my stomach.

Tomorrow was supposed to be my first day at work and here I was playing happy families over Roast Chicken and a whole banquet of vegetables and side dishes.

“Don’t slouch, Amy.” My mother warned.

I sat up and smiled at the random guy across the table from me. Of course he wasn’t random to my mother or father. He had been hand selected. He was wealthy, religious and clearly a mummy’s boy by the way he was dressed. The three of them next to each other looked like a bad 80’s Christmas card with matching vests.

I had a hard time trying not to laugh.

“Where is your placement, Amy?” Mrs Lowell suddenly asks me.

“I’ll be working at D&P Agencies.”

There was an instant gasp and silence fell over the table. “That’s run by the infamous Ingrid isn’t it?” Mr Lowell asked.

“Infamous Ingrid?” My father chimed in. “Am I missing something?”

Mr Lowell smirked as he filled my father in with the rumours I had seen circling the internet when I did my research.

“There’s a lot of suspicions about how Ingrid became the youngest CEO of her generation. Since she has been charged there’s been numerous scandals and even a bit of bloodshed.”

“And you intend on working for such a person?” My father aimed at me.

“None of that has been confirmed, Father it’s just vicious rumours.”

He did not reply.

Nor did he speak to me again for the rest of the dinner.

Whatever kind of mood he was in lasted afterwards as he got in the car and drove off before mother and I could get inside.

Mother didn’t seem surprised.

We linked arms and started walking home, like we did whenever he was in one of his foul moods.

“When are you going to stop trying to set me up, mother?”

“When you find yourself a nice man to marry and settle down with.”

I smiled. I had to give my mother credit because she could always been stubborn when she put her mind to it. Something no doubt she got from my father.

“How about I make you a little deal” I started. “The blind dates are paused until I get settled at work. You know how much this means to me. Please. Please.”

I tugged on my mother’s arm like a small child. She rolled her eyes.

“Alright. Alright. Stop pulling on my arm child before you yank it out of the socket.”

I kissed her cheek and hugged her making her laugh. “Come on, let’s get you home. We can’t have you starting your first day at work with bags under your eyes.”

Luckily for me concealer was invented.

I placed it under my eyes the minute I woke up and brushed my long black hair over my shoulders. I went for a classic, smart and casual look for my first day with a white shirt, black trousers and loafers.

I was already running late, had missed the bus and had to beg my mother to use the car. If father had been there he would have said no but luckily his bad move had carried on till morning.

I had five minutes to spare when I arrived and ran out of the car with my takeaway coffee.

I bolted towards the stairs and crashed through the door, realising a little too late that there was someone else in the way.

We collided and my coffee spilt all over her, soaking her white shirt.

I gasped. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me miss.”

“Ingrid.”

I look up at this woman.

This magnificent woman with tanned skin, dark curly hair and pretty face.

“Sorry?” I asked.

“You called me, miss. I prefer not to sound like an old lady so use my name, Ingrid.”

I nearly cried as I realised that I had just met my boss and destroyed her shirt in the process.