The invitation
809 Words
Donald
Seated at the board meeting, I keep my eyes on the screen as John, my manager is delivering a power point presentation on growth projections. His voice is drowned in the background as my mind is caught up in the call I had just ended.
“You are to deposit a thousand dollars in cash and we had over your envelope, your secret is safe with us and we act like all this never happened” A hoarse voice spoke through the phone. Unrecognizable
“How do I know I can trust you, this is not a set up”
Then there was a pause, then a distant voice, like someone had turned away from the receiver. Then the voice returned.
“You don’t, that’s the price of keeping secrets, Sinclair”
I wanted to curse him out, fling my phone across the wall. But instead I remain calm.
“You are playing a really dirty game”
He gave a low chuckle. “You know better than to come after us. Call this line only when you’re ready to pay.”
Click.
The line went dead.
I shift in my seat, how do I pay them without leaving a trace, and most of all how the hell did they find out in the first place.
“Sir?” Johns voice drags me back to reality.
I look up.
“I was asking if this is okay?”
“Yes, that was a very nice presentation John, I would leave you all to the rest, excuse me” I rise to my chair and walk out.
I step out of the boardroom and take the elevator doors to the ground floor.
As soon as the elevators doors slide open I reach into my pocket and dial Rebecca.
She answers on the third ring.
“Hey Donald” her voice soft
“Hey, I exhale more relieved than I would have liked to admit. “Are you free for lunch”
I can imagine her smiling over the line. “Depends, are you asking are asking for food or are you the main course”
I smirk. “Well… that’s definitely left for you to decide”
She laughs. “I am starving”
“I will send a car”
“No need” she replies. “I will meet you there”
“Alrght, see you soon”
“Donald”
“Yeah?”
“I am glad you called”
“Me too, Becky”
Lunch was cozy, we talked about the weather, jokes were thrown around. I don’t remember laughing this hard in the longest of time.
After lunch we take a short walk around the park. The sun is warm, we walk under fall trees, a soft breeze moves around us. Children run past, their laughter echoing all around.
We stop by a bench. We seat and watch the scenery.
“I love nature” she says.
“Really?” I arc a brow.
She nods. “ I feel it’s more like God reminding us how beautiful life can get”
“Well that’s another way to look at it” I follow her gaze to a young mother pushing a stroller.
I watch her walk over to the mother.
“May I?” I hear her say
My heart melts when I see her bend over to talk to the baby.
Spilling a lot of baby language. The baby definitely understands because she’s stretching and kicking making goo Gaga sounds back. She picks her up, and the little girl bares her cute toothless gum.
“You are very beautiful ma’am” the young lady rolling the stretcher said “your husbands a lucky man” she says eyeing me.
“Oh no, he’s not… he’s not my husband” i notice her cheeks redden a little as she drops the baby down.
I get up and step closer.
“Yet” I add. All three of us laugh.
“Bye” we say as we watch them stroll away.
I slip my hand around Rebecca’s waist.
“Come on” I say. “Let me drive you home.
Together we walk back to my car, shoulders brushing against each other. The drive back feels natural. A comfortable silence between us. Light music playing in the background.
I pull up at her gate and turn off the ignition. I turn to her.
“Thanks for launch” she says.
“My pleasure, madmoiselle”
She leaned towards the door, hand in the door handle “See you some other time”
She pauses, shuts the door without stepping out and turns to me.
She smiles and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “You should come in”
My pulse quickened, the invitation hanging in the air. Warm welcome and impossibly right.
- Writer
