Chapter 7
1166 Words
I breathed a sigh of relief when out walked an elderly looking man. He wore a white shirt, navy suit and no tie. I could see that though now he was older, he had been a heart throb in his younger days whose charm and wit he still had. You could see the worry lines and how they made crosses with those of joy, and how in his eyes you could see the wisdom that comes with age.
“Well hello there sweetheart” he said and kissed Stacey gently on the cheek. He then stopped and smiled when he saw me, “And you my dear are a split image of your mother, Jaydeen right?” he said stretching out his hand and we shook hands.
“Yes I am Jaydeen sir”
“It’s just Charles” he said “Err, Stacey didn’t you tell sweet Jaydeen that I despise being referred to as sir”
“I did tell her, Charles and I will remind her” Stacey said raising her eyebrows at me a little unimpressed.
“Sorry” I mouthed.
“It’s fine but it better not happen again okay” Stacey said.
“So that’s Charles, so who is the guy on the wall?” I asked
“That’s his son, Charles Junior, we call him JR”
“Oh” I said sighing with relief because then I knew I was not going to work for him.
“Come through my dear” Charles called out from his office “ Let’s have a little chat”
“Let’s go” Stacey said leading the way. We got into the office
“Stacey you can leave us, can you check with Phil from Fintech if we are still meeting? Also please call Sharon from the resort, I need to host some delegates from Europe next week, and cancel the golf session with Mpumi for Wednesday schedule it for another day” he said
Stacey looked unimpressed that she was being asked to leave.
“Close the door behind you please” Charles said and I saw the pain and annoyance on her face grow as she shot an evil eye at me.
“So tell me, how has your family been since the untimely death of your father, I mean it must have been and still should be hard for you guys”
“It is” I said as I shifted uncomfortably on the seat, feeling my heart ache at the thought of my father and remembering him in a pool of blood, looking into my eyes as he took his final breath. I remembered hearing gunshots followed by the sound of glass shattering and how I had rushed to his office a minute too late. I remembered the commotion in his office and how as I entered another gunshot was fired and another man dropped dead.
“I still find myself reliving the moment over and over, your father was a good man” Charles said
“You were there?” I said looking at him
“Yes, it was you who came in wasn’t it? Oh it must be hard for you, no girl should have to experience what you experienced” he said
“Yeah, it’s been very hard”
“Your mum told me you were in Europe for the past four years”
“Yes I was, I needed to you know?” “No I understand, but it’s a good thing because we have recently started expanding our operations to Europe, so I guess it won’t be to unfamiliar for you right?” he said
“Oh yes” I said thinking back to my four years of aimless roaming and how that had been the most painful yet also the most liberating time of my life.
“How is your mother? She is still gorgeous I presume” he chuckled
“Yes she is, I guess” I said laughing uncomfortably
“You don’t think so?” “No I mean she is my mother so I guess I don’t see or look at her like that you know”
“I get you. Her and I come a long way and we err, she is the one who got away” he said reminisingly “It’s all in the past right?” he said. I looked at him as I could sense some regret in his voice and I shook my head trying not to overthink whatever the situation was.
“Anyway my dear when your mother called me I told her I would be honoured to assist. You see Stacey is now not able to do a lot of things cause of her condition but being the tough cookie she is she wont agree to take a break. I decided to get you so you can help her. I need her to rest, we don’t want anything to happen to the baby now do we?”
“Of course and I am grateful for the opportunity. I was kind of going mad being boxed in at home”
“And your sister, is she back?” “No, she is not she said she needs time so we left her”
“I don’t know what’s with you guys of your generation and just running off, but I guess because you can and the world is more open and accommodative” he said shaking his head.
“I will need you to…” before he finished his statement the door flung open and in entered JR in all his glory.
“Dad, I need to… well, well, well. What do we have here” he said with a smirk.
“Oh this is Jaydeen my new assistant, she is the one who will be taking over from Stacey and will be joining you for the Europe deals”
“Is that so” he said looking me up and down
“Jaydeen this is my son Charles Junior, JR if you like”
“Nice to meet you” I said avoiding eye contact as I stretched my hand to greet him. “Like wise” he said ignoring me and not greeting me back. I put my hand down.
“Well I was saying I was on the phone with Richard, in France he wants us to meet before we meet with the London guys, so that means we have to leave today. I am going to ask Stacey to arrange everything” JR said as he walked to the window and looked out with one hand in his pocket.
When he turned round I couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was. He had the kind of eyes that stopped you in your tracks, the kind that you could get lost in. I guess he must have been aware of his looks because that must have been the reason he was so pompous, which made him even hotter. It didn't help that he had a body and arms you want to be held by and his scent was intense yet alluring. I hated the fact that a man so delicious could have such a rotten attitude.
“Son, we cannot both go because remember I am meeting with members of the board” Charles said
“But I can’t go alone dad, I hate it. Ok I will go with Stacey”
“No I told you Stacey cannot fly, she needs to rest and I need her here, you know how the board meetings go”
“So what do you suggest I do, I go alone?”
“of course not, you will be going with Jaydeen”
“Wait, what?” both me and JR said at the same time looking at each other then back to Charles, shocked by what he just said.
- Writer
