Once His Wife

Her First Day

"He was a wonderful man. And when a man is that special, you know it sooner than you think possible. You recognize it instinctively, and you're certain that no matter what happens, there will never be another one like him."

-Nicholas Sparks, The Lucky One

Chassie George

"Are you guys sure I look fine?" I fingercomb my hair, unsure if they're suppose to be this wavy.

Ethan is in the backseat with his babysitter and Andrei is behind the wheel whilst I constantly squint at my reflection on the rear view mirror.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you? You've been asking the same question for the nth time now," Andrei answers, giving me a glance before he turned back to the road stretching ahead of us.

I sighed heavily and tried dusting off the imaginary imperfections on my pink sheath dress.

"Chassie, should we drop by a mental hospital first before going to your dad's office building?"

I gulped, calming my nerves. I don't know if I can spend a minute with Nathan without forgetting to breathe.

"Seriously though. What's with you today? You've been acting crazy since yesterday," he queries, worry dwelling somewhere in his voice.

My stomach did somersault. Just the thought of him makes me wanna jump off a building.

"Chassie?" Andrei probes.

I took out another wefty sigh and look over my shoulder to check on Ethan. He's playing with his toy cars with Leila.

"Why won't you answer? I wasn't asking about a math equation so my question is totally answerable."

I facepalmed before speaking. "I did mention that I have to be a personal assistant for a while, right?"

He nods then spare me a quick glimpse.

"Well, I haven't told you whom I'll be playing that task for," I mumbled as I fidgeted with my index fingers.

Andrei replied with another nod.

I sighed with a shaky breath. "I'll be a personal assistant to my ex-husband."

It took three or more seconds before I hear him gasp so audibly. "What?!" he conceals the urge to whisper-yell. "You mean... Nathaniel?" Andrei's voice soared up.

I rounded my eyes at him. "Keep your voice down."

Andrei clears his throat, blinking at the road he sees through the windshield. "Nathaniel?" he says a little softer this time.

"Of course, it's him. I have only one ex-husband," I muttered along with a sarcastic eye-roll.

His skeptical brown gaze meets mine; a brow formed an arch above it, complementing the look. "I don't know. I'm not sure anymore. Who knows how many guys you divorced?" he shrugs with a tiny smirk.

"Is this why I call you my friend?" I slouched on my seat and glare at the view outside. My lips pursed in the most sulking way.

Andrei laughs. "I'm just messing with you. You're doing the the face."

I glare at him. "Don't ridicule my face."

He laughs some more, "Listen," he tries to hide away his laughter by pressing his lips together. "You're just doing this for your dad, okay? You being with Nathaniel shouldn't be a nuisance. Why make it personal?"

My boiling wrath tamed down a little knowing he's right. Andrei noticed I just got knocked out my senses.

"I'm the most awesome friend, huh?"

I folded my arms over my chest and lifted my chin. "I loathe to admit."

He falls into fits of laughter.

"Mommy?" Ethan calls out.

I craned my neck to face my baby whose eyes are in a sprightly blue hue right now. "Can Leila stay with me tonight?"

Ethan weaves his fingers together which had him looking like he grew white fluffy wings, "Please, mommy? Please?"

He knows exactly how to enchant me - one of the million things he inherited from his father apart from the physical features. "She can. That if it's okay with her." I can double the pay if she will. I shifted my eyes to the blonde next to my son. Viridescent eyes look back at me with timid sparks on them. "Is it okay with you, Leila?"

She placed the toy cars on her lap to buy her some time to think. I'm mentally praying that she says 'yes'. I don't want to see Ethan making a disappointed duck face even though it's cute.

I breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw Leila's freckled cheeks slowly lift upward as her face give way to a brisk smile. "Yes. I can stay for the night."

"Thank you," I mumbled, plucking out another sigh.

"Yes!" Ethan shoved a fist up in the air in triumph. He looks like he just asked for a date from a girl he's been crushing on for a very long time. "I love you, mommy. You're the best!"

I laughed. "Yes, I'm the best."

Ethan showed off a toothy grin. Suddenly, the car stops, making me turn to Andrei to question him.

"We ran out of fuel," Andrei answers my voiceless query.

My mouth hung open. "What? Are you kidding me?"

"Actually, yeah I am. We're here." He fleers.

I shoot him a death glare.

"What?" he shrug his shoulders. "You didn't think we'll ride in this car forever, did you? You once told me there's no such thing as forever."

I rolled my eyes. "Ha-ha, Andrei. It will be great if you stop talking now," I mumble warningly.

He stick out his tongue to me. "Grouchy."

I unbuckled my seat belt to lean over the back seat. Ethan did the same thing. "Bye, mommy. Te amo."

"I love you, too." I ruffled his hair and rubbed our noses together. "Call me if you miss me."

He nods and kissed both my cheeks. "I'll be fine, mommy. Don't worry about me," he grins slyly. "I'm superman," he says as he prods his chest with his chubby thumbs several times.

I chortle. "You may be superman but you're still mommy's baby."

He pouts disapprovingly.

"Bye bye, sweetheart," I tweak his nose.

With a pounding heart, I got off the car and wave at the slightly opened car window. I watched it speed off until it completely disappeared through the stream of the moderate, morning traffic. Dad said he have until today before he completely immerse himself in a month long vacation. Well, I know he'll spend it mostly at home or wherever mom wants to go.

The guards greeted me when I walk past them. I stepped in the elevator and pressed the button that will usher me to my dad's office. My heart is wreaking havoc in my chest, elevating my discomfort. I closed my eyes and dig for my phone in my nude hand bag. Maybe a little music will take my mind off it.

I plugged in my earphones. Gladly, it did made me feel better. Little Mix's Touch started to set my groove until I couldn't fight the itch to dance anymore. I set the volume into full blast. I'm just the only occupant so surely, no one will ruin the moment for me.

The vibration of my earphones in my ears traveled down to my spine; my heart pumps along the beat of the song. It's the beauty of music. It makes you forget and let you live in the moment. Nathan understood that. It has the same effect on both of us.

I nod my head in time with the music, not caring if it's literally booming in my ears. When it came to my favorite part, I raised my arms out in the air, snapping my fingers and swaying my hips to the song. I rolled my head around so my hair swirls about whilst singing the lyrics myself.

It occupied me completely that I didn't heard the elevator pinged open. My eyes are still close but I sense someone's gaze on me. I opened my eyes only to wish for Zeus to struck me with a lightning bolt.

My cheeks charred with arrant embarassment. A pair of forget-me-not blues took in my whole frame. Can somebody please knock me out with a frying pan right now? I think passing out is the only way out of this.

Nathan's face got a wry grin woven on it. He looks like he just step fresh out of the cover of a magazine.

I gulped hard and rip the earphones off my ears. I'd like to put the blame on Little Mix but I just love them too much I couldn't bring myself to do so.

I just noticed just now that my parents are with him. They're on the brink of laughing but decided against it. "Pickles, you still got the moves," dad winks teasingly.

"Yeah. You've always been a great dancer," mom giggles.

"I-uh. How long have you guys been standing there?" I fix my hair and tug the hem of my dress slightly downwards as if it will lessen my embarassment. The sling of my hand bag just went up too far to my shoulder so I have to adjust it back to its rightful place.

"Long enough to enjoy the Chassie show." Nathan answers my question this time.

I turned beetroot red though I tried to keep it at bay. I gulped and stepped out of the elevator. "Am I late?"

"Very," my parents answers in unison.

Mom took steps towards me and look down to her wristwatch. "You're suppose to be with Nathaniel when he arrived here."

"Huh?" I sounded like a retard.

"What I meant was..." she smiles broadly.Whatever is behind that smile scares the chicken out of me. "You should be in his place first thing in the morning."

I choked on my own water. What the heck? Whoever is up there writing my story is a sadistic author!

"And to my utter dismay, I'm sure he haven't got breakfast yet," she continues like a preacher.

"It's okay. I don't do breakfast," Nathan chimes in being so gorgeous as his usual self.

"See, mom? He doesn't do breakfast."

She just shakes her head, a few strands of her hair escaped from the neat bun by doing so. "I'm not accepting that excuse. You're not skipping any meals, Nathaniel."

Is this her way of punishing me for not keeping in touch in four years? I'd rather be grounded.

***

"What is this, mom? An orientation? Are you sure with this arrangement?" I towed my mother to the adjoining room of dad's office like a puppy. "Do I need one?"

"Well, yes. I just need to make sure you have no grudge towards him to just let him skip breakfast like today. And yes. I'm sure with this arrangement." She moves around the room which has been remodeled to a stylish kitchen. Mom spends most of her time here whenever dad's in a meeting. She pulls out a cup from the cupboard along with the teaspoon and started making coffee for dad.

"Are you sure I'm not adopted and he's not your real son? Because it appears you have more mercy on him than on me," I mumble, sounding like I'm just dragging my voice out of my throat.

My mother laughs so hard it made me wonder if I said the funniest joke. "You're so adorable when you're whining."

"Mom," I groaned and burried my face on her back since she was busy with the coffee maker. "I can't do this." My voice is muffled but she understood me anyways.

"What do you mean you can't do this? Are you letting me and you dad down?" disappointment showed on the way she said it.

I shake my head although I was aware that she can't seee me. "No."

"What can you not do then?" she turns to me and held my cheeks so she can fixate her eyes on mine. The warmth of her palms against my cheeks give me comfort, "Nathaniel is friendly and a gentleman. I know that you know that. You'll do fine. Unless..."

"Unless?"

"Unless you still got the treasures hidden inside that little pirate chest," she continues.

I shook my head abruptly. "No."

"Alright," she shrugs and pick up the cup of steaming coffee whilst she securely put it over a ceramic saucer.

She tweak my cheek before trudging over the door. "Aren't you gonna make coffee for Nathaniel?"

I hesistantly bit on my bottom lip. "Y-yeah."

Mom smiles at me. "Careful with the mugs. You can't fix it when it gets shattered," she mutters before making her way out.

"Uh. Sure." Since when did my mother started to be really good at stating something I can ponder over?

I shake my head and just focused on making the coffee. I know what he likes but it I'm not sure if he still into vanilla coffee. Oh, well. He won't drink it if he doesn't want it.

It just took a minute or two to had the coffee spiraling with the steam. Moments later, I made my way to the conference room.

I cautiously push the door open and entered. Gladly, everyone was seated behind the conference table, all eyes on the huge projector. There were over a dozen men.

Nathan is engrossed with the folders in his hands. Multi-tasking. I smiled inwardly.

Dad is on the end of the table. I walk around it since Nathan is on the other side. It wasn't long before I got myself completely in shambles again. Nathan looks at me behind his eyeglasses. He was just like before but gazillion times hotter.

I scowled at the thought. That came out of nowhere. The coffee slipped out of my hand and kisses the floor with a shatter, garnering all the attentions in the room.

"Crap." I stoop over to pick up the pieces.

"You okay, pickles?"

I kept my eyes down the pieces of the coffee mug and started picking up the shards, knowing I just embarrasssed myself threfold. "I'm fine, dad. I just-aw," I grimaced as I felt a sting on my middle finger.

I hear footsteps coming towards me. I'm silently praying it was dad but my heart rate indicates it's someone else.

"Chassie."

I gulped, not daring to meet his eyes. I'm aware that I look like an over ripe tomato. "I'm fine," I murmured, barely audible. I kept my lip between my teeth as I watch the red pigment on my middle finger seep down.

"Chassie," Nathan whispers. His fingers tilted my head so he can look me in the eyes.

I regretted that I did. I found myself in a shipwreck amidst a smooth sailing, servilely succumbing to the waves and letting it drag me down the depthless blues in his eyes.

"You cut your finger," anguish drips in his voice.

My cheeks seared further when he held my wrist to look closely at my middle finger. I couldn't help but feel atingle. He examined my finger but my attention was not on the cut anymore.

I blinked when he dig something in his pants. Instinctively, I tug my wrist away from his hold. "No alcohol."

Nathan's shoulder slumped. "It won't hurt."

"Yeah, right. We both know it will," I rolled my eyes.

"It won't."

I glare at him. "It will, Nathan."

"It won't," he glares back at me.

I don't like alcohol! I am a fully grown woman and a mother but I'm still scared of stuffs about wounds. Sure, I had no choice when I got Ethan but I can't give birth in a barn, can I?

"You're always saying that. But I feel the sting, Nathan."

He facepalms. "It will hurt just a little."

"You said it won't hurt and now you're telling me it will hurt a little. I won't listen to you anymore the same way I did when you said you can breath whilst kissing because I ended up panting in the end," I snorted.

"That was your first kiss and you loved it," his right brow lift incredulously.

I raised a brow at him and crossed my arms over my chest. We're crouched down so we're both in the same level. "Well, I-"

I was interrupted when someone clears throat. It jostled us to a blatant realization. I look around and everybody had their eyes as large as saucer.

"Shall we skip my daughter's first kiss and move on with the meeting?" dad tries to hide his laughter in a pseudo cough.

Nathan clears his throat and stood up, tugging me along with him.

"My secretary will clean this up," he says for my ears.

I nodded and made my out of the room, countlessly cursing myself. I took the corridor to my dad's office. After I made it in, I stomped my feet and hoped it will crack the floor so it can swallow me in.

"If you're wonderwoman, you might have cracked a whole all the way down the building."

I didn't have to turn around to match the voice to someone I know. I groaned and repeatedly bang my forehead on the door.

"No. You can't snap your skull apart either."

I turn around and saw an entertained Kathie across the room by the large glass window, sporting a black and white striped shirt dress. She's with her boyfriend.

"Let me guess, you're embarassed," she concludes.

I nodded.

"Aww. Come here," she opens her arms out.

I walked across the room and engulf myself in her warm hug.

"It's okay. It happens all the time - to you at least."

I stepped out of her embrace. Owen is quiet beside her - quiet because he's too engrossed with his phone. "Updating your status?"

It was only then that he lifted his eyes from his phone. "Oh. Hi. I'm sorry I'm just texting my manager that I can't make it to my photo shoots today," he replied with a polite smile.

I arched a brow. "Why? You have a date with my sister?"

"No. He's spending the day with dad," Kathie answers the question herself.

"You're dating my dad? That's a little creepy."

Kathie swats me lightly on the shoulder. "No. He'll be playing golf with dad after the conference meeting," she mutters with a scowl. Kathie doesn't look intimidating especially with her beautiful mermaid braid.

"Oh. Golf." Dad loves golf. It's a stress reliever to him.

I turned to Owen. "Make sure you win. Our dad eats the hearts of losers," I said in a mystic tone.

His eyes broaden a little.

Kathie whacks the top of my head with her red purse, "Don't scare him. You make dad sound like a monster."

I rubbed my head, smirking. "Don't you have work today?"

"Nope. I'm going shopping with mom," she squeals.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't get jealous. I'm buying you a whole wardrobe of girly outfits contrary to your fashion sense. You need that since you'll routinely be seeing Nathaniel," she wiggles her brows.

My cheeks heat up to what feel like a rosy tinge, "What am I suppose to do after the conference meeting?" I didn't protest about her buying dresses for me. I honestly need some for a silly fool such as myself discarded half of it a couple of years back because I thought they won't be necessary in my life anymore. Yet ironically, here I am.

She shrugs, "You'll go with Nathaniel and reacquaint yourself with his new life," she twitted.

I screamed inwardly. Crap.