Shadows of the past

Chapter 1

I scowl with frustration staring out of the window of my office he's late again, he should have been here like an hour ago, he knows how big this project is for us, if this book is successful we will be on top. How can Mike be so casual about it? I move towards my desk to grab my phone and call him the date catches my attention. My My! How could I forget he had a big day yesterday, an involuntary smirk reaches my lips maybe I can have some fun. I sit down in my chair planning how to torture him, a part of me nags and asks me to go easy on him after all he's my boss, but my sub conscious has other plans for him and such occasions are very rare and he should know what's it like to be on the other side of the lake once in a while. A sudden knock on my door distracts me from my master plan, Mike enters looking terrified, aah! He knows me well. He starts apologizing "Look I know you're mad and it’s not unreasonable it was totally my fault I kept you waiting and I totally accept my mistake." "Oh! Come on I'm not mad, I mean I was but how can I be mad on my dearest friend for long" I reply coolly not indicating my intensions of roasting him. Relief spread across his face he grabbed a chair and sat across me "Thanks! so let’s begin, where were we?" he started, I cut him before he could complete "Before that why don't you tell me how was last night?" Pain covered his face "And here I thought it was my lucky day today, I should have known by looking at your smile it wasn't a smile of forgiveness it was a devil’s smile" I laughed at his realization, such occasions were rare so why not make the best use of it. "So now are you going to tell me how was your evening at the fund raisers , most importantly how was your ex-wife?" He stared at me impassively and I couldn't resist my giggling. He cleared his throat and got up "looks like we have nothing to discuss, I'll be in my cabin come and meet me when you are in mood of working" I stopped laughing and said "Come on how bad can an ex-spouse be?" "You have no idea that bad, okay! But how would you know, apparently your ex-husband is nothing like her." I wrinkled my nose "Do you smell that? It’s a strong smell of envy" he sighs and I laugh again and continue today is not your day my friend. He rolled his eyes and enquired "Where is he anyways? he should have been here by now, we need our legal advisor to discuss further about this new project." "You seem to have forgotten Mike, let me remind you, today is Monday..." I trailed he got the reference. "Anyways enough of this chit-chat I'll call him and when he's here well have a proper catch-up. Try not to be late for that." He rolled his eyes again and replied "Yes Mam, though sometimes I don't understand whose the boss Ella you or me". We both laugh at his comment. I pick my phone to call my legal advisor c*m ex-husband Joe, "Hello, where are you?" a sleepy voice replied " in bed with..." He trailed, I cut him "I don't want to know, we have to discuss about our new project, come to the office by an hour". "Fine" he replied. It's been over an hour now since I called him he should have been here by now, I reach for my phone to call him again, just then there is a knock on the door and Joe enters, I couldn't control my anger anymore and shout on him " Where were you? I've been waiting for an hour for you ". He laughs and replied " Looks like my ex-wife was missing me" he says jokingly I give him the stink eye, his expression change " I guess someone's not up for a joke" he says " look I'm sorry I kept you waiting, I know I should take work more seriously and I promise you that it won't happen again" I nod and just like that my anger evaporates. I couldn't be mad at him for long after all he was my best friend, we've been friends since the age of four, we knew each other very well. There was a time when we hadn't met or spoken to each other for years, this happened after finishing school, but when we met we reconnected instantly it seemed like the distance of years between us were nothing. When I returned back home I didn't came alone I came along with a broken heart which he helped me to fix again. It worked after a couple of months things were normal again more Importantly... I was normal again I started my job here working with Mike who was also a good friend of mine, I reconnected with my old friends. Things were back on track again, Until that weekend in Vegas.