The Colonel's Secretary

Chapter 3

The morning after the meeting with the Blakes flew by.

They showed me where my desk would be and where Maryse's brother's office was, then they caught me up on the pending tasks. Her brother wouldn't arrive until the next day, so I had time.

I still didn't know my new boss's name, and honestly, It didn't seem important yet—not until he arrived and I could meet him in person.

I began organizing the documents, eager to finish my workday so I could get home and see my daughter.

The elevator door opened, and a woman with very prominent curves, who looked like she had been under the knife of a top plastic surgeon, approached my desk. After scanning me with her eyes and showing a grimace of disgust, she smiled.

"You must be the new secretary. I'm going to see your boss. Is he in his office?"

I looked at her and frowned.

"No, he hasn't returned from his business trip, but if you like, I can schedule an appointment for you on the next available day." The woman let out a mocking laugh and looked at me.

"Do you even know who I am? Obviously not. He doesn't need to schedule an appointment for me—I come and go as I please. So, I'll leave for now and be back tomorrow." She took her purse and headed back to the elevator without looking back.

She left behind an air of hostility that lingered long after she was gone."

I shook my head and finished my tasks, grabbed my purse and my phone, and left the office.

Tuesday.

A new day, and my new boss would arrive today, and I could finally meet my friend's brother.

I arrived at my desk, and the door to my boss's office was slightly ajar.

I knocked before opening and saw Mr. Joseph sitting behind the large mahogany desk, smoking a cigar.

"Mr. Blake, I thought it would be your son, I didn't mean to interrupt." He looked at me and smiled, gesturing with his hand for me to come closer.

"There's something I haven't told you yet about the company and my son," he said, and I nodded, confused, taking a seat in the chair next to him. "My company, above all, is based on lawyers and laws, but it's also part of the military. Of course, we don't go around disclosing it due to privacy and security reasons, both for us and our clients. My son is a Colonel in the United States Army, but he's in a high-ranking classified division, and I can't give you many details because it's practically secret and unknown to citizens. That's why he travels a lot, but when he's not at the base, he's here handling cases like an ordinary mortal." Mr. Joseph's laughter comforted and reassured me after learning this information.

"You didn't have to give me this information or explain his absence to me." He smiled and said, "My dear, the man you'll be working for is too cold and calculating, he's become so reserved and selfish with himself and has so little empathy that I doubt he's still my son, the one who fell in love with such a beautiful young woman and let her go because of my selfishness and my idealism about marriage. Honestly, I'm not sure if it was my fault, but I have a strong feeling that he blames me for what happened and that his current state is somehow because of me." Mr. Blake's expression pained me, seeing him suffer perhaps for something that wasn't his fault, at least not intentionally, but I think he was trying to fix his mistake.

"Mr. Blake, is there anything I can do to help you feel better?" Maybe my question was very improper and intrusive, but I really wanted to know if I could do something.

"Dear, there is something, but I don't think you'd do it." I interrupted Mr. Blake and looked at him, taking his hands. "I'll do anything to help you and Maryse, you helped me a lot to get out of that marriage. If there's something, tell me." He looked at me and just shook his head with a smile on his face.

"Marry my son and give me a grandchild, that's what I've been hoping for all this time. That's why he might have abandoned the love of his life because he wasn't ready to get married, so, as I told you, you can't do it." I looked at him incredulously and moved away to sit comfortably in the chair.

"Mr. Blake... I, I don't think I can do it. Right now I have to think about my daughter and myself, but maybe you should wait for the right person to come along for your son, and maybe you'll regain his trust and respect. Maybe he made a mistake in the past and can reunite with that girl he fell in love with, or maybe not." I gave a small, sad smile, feeling helpless.

"I can't wait any longer, dear, my time is running out. My daughter has already given me two grandchildren, but my son will be left alone, and being alone often leads to making foolish decisions. I don't want my daughter to be left alone thinking about what she could have done differently to help her brother's cold and broken heart" I looked at him, confused, and opened my mouth, wanting to ask a question.

"I have stage four liver cancer, and it has already spread to my lungs. In about 6 months, I'll just be an empty shell kept alive by medication, so time is the last thing I have", he smiled at me, stood up, and left the office, without saying another word, leaving me alone and confused by the sudden revelation.

After my meeting with Mr. Joseph in the office, my boss still hadn't arrived. Maryse called to say I could leave early since he wouldn't arrive until tomorrow due to a personal matter, but I decided to stay and continue with my tasks.

It was already 7 PM, over an hour past when I should have left, but I got absorbed in work and lost track of time.

I had to leave soon if I didn't want to worry my mother.

I grabbed my bag and phone and headed straight for the elevator. I reached the parking lot, and as I exited, I bumped into a strong and hard chest. I slowly lifted my gaze, and a pair of strikingly blue eyes and a tense, chiseled jaw were fixed on me.

"I... um... I'm very sorry, I didn't notice, I uh..." I quickly stepped back and moved to the side, continuing on my way to my car, but I could still feel that piercing gaze on my back, and those eyes, I knew I recognized them from somewhere, but I couldn't remember where.

His scent and the feel of his touch on my arms when I thought I would fall reminded me too much of the boy I once loved, but it's just my mind missing him too much and still wondering what happened to him.

I left the parking lot, called my mother to let her know I was okay, and headed straight home.

It had been an eventful day.