Chapter Three - Anger is an emotion that's close to fire. . .

Angry and confused, Mike watched as the guy Liza called Tom left. He moved to follow him but he stopped his movement as he saw Liza limp to her car. He knew there was no way he would leave without checking if she would be fine. 

Although he didn’t understand any of the things that just happened, he could deduce from the conversation he heard that Tom was the guy’s name and he’s Liza’s boyfriend. 

A boyfriend that’s angry because Liza was late to their dinner date. A lateness caused by him. 

Oh grief! 

He couldn’t help but feel guilty even though he knew he had nothing to feel guilty about, he was only doing his job. 

But why! Why didn’t she say something? She could have told him she had a date. He isn’t a monster that he wouldn’t understand. Remembering how she described him to her boyfriend, as boring and all business, he shook his head, trying to pretend he wasn’t hurt by such a description. 

[She had no right to say that about me, the only thing she knew about me was what she saw at the office. And who goes round the office smiling and playing with the employees?]. He thought with a roll of his eyes just as he heard Liza gave way to a deep painful cry. 

Bringing his mind back to the present, he saw as she slumped on her car and gave way to tears. Feeling sad and angry for no reason he could explain, he moved to console her but before she could see him, he had a rethink and quickly melted back into the shadow. 

Not that he wasn’t sympathetic, he just knew it would hurt her more to see him in such pitiable condition, so it’s better he left to save her from more embarrassment. 

He could only hope she would get over the pain as soon as possible and what’s more, he wished he could have a reason to put his fingers on the neck of that scrawny thing she called boyfriend. He would surely make him hate his existence that day. Damn it! 

He hated weak men who beat women for their sadistic pleasure. 

And one thing is sure, even though he didn’t know much about her, he was convinced his personal assistant, well, not yet his PA, but his assistant secretary obviously didn’t deserve such a man. 

No, she did not and the earlier she realised that, the better for everyone concerned. Especially for him, he didn’t want to have to kill anybody just to make his PA happy. He thought in part amusement, part anger. 

That she would take the PA position, he never doubted. After what he had seen that night, he became more determined than ever to make her take the position. 

“A woman deserves all the money and support she can get in this world; to fight life’s struggles like her satanic boyfriend. And what’s more, life as the PA to the MD will leave little room for things like dinner dates, boyfriends and fights… 

“Not when she is busy traveling and working.” 

He thought satisfactorily and smiled grimly as he walked to his car.

******

Rushing into the office building to catch the elevator, Liza reflected on the previous day meeting with her boss and the aftermath of the dinner date with Tom. 

Trying to hide her tears imposed swollen eyes from the public; she adjusted her glasses as she caught the elevator that would take her to the top floor. 

Mike’s office was on the highest floor and so also was the office of the Senior Secretary and Assistant Secretary to the Managing Director.

She’s hoping Mike would not be at the office as she couldn’t guarantee her composure when talking to him.

She still couldn’t also forgive him for the previous day’s delay even though she knew he didn’t know the problem he caused her. 

But if only he had kept his meeting to office hours, her date with Tom wouldn’t have gone the way it did and she wouldn’t be having pains all over her body just because she was too scared to go home to Tom. 

She had had to sleep in her car, having decided that prevention might be better than cure. 

And now, she’s suffering from it with a swollen face and wrinkled clothes..., which she’s just hoping no one would notice at the office, especially Mike, with his intelligent sharp eyes. 

******

Entering the office, she gave a sigh of relief when she noticed the secretary, Stella, wasn’t on the seat. 

Moving quickly, she went to her desk but just as she was releasing the breath she had been holding, the door opened and Mike entered with his usual lazy stroll and scrutiny. 

But this time around, the intense look was centred on no other person but Liza.

Oh Dammit! 

  

“G . . . go . . . good morning Mike” she stammered.

 “Morning to you Liza. How are you?” He asked.

Confused, she wondered where that came from. Mike was never interested in how she was. He usually just says morning and then gives his message and walks away. 

 A bit thrown with this question, she nevertheless gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes 

“Oh good, I’m good Mike.” She told him and after a minute pause.

“Hmm, anything I can do for you?” She asked. 

“Oh yes, please, see me in my office when you’re settled”. Having said this, he smiled, gave a turn and left. 

Wondering what that was all about, Liza gave a groan of tiredness as she dropped her head on the desk with a bang. Oh dammit! 

******

Sitting and staring into space in his office, Mike felt an intense anger he was finding hard to get rid of. 

He kept seeing Liza as she was the previous night in the painful grip of her boyfriend while her tears and cries kept replaying in his head. 

Giving his head a hard shake to get rid of his thoughts, he focused on her look this morning and how she looked with the glasses covering the better part of her face. 

But he knew what she was trying to hide and that made him feel angrier. 

He just wished he could give her a hard shake and then go to her flat and break the silly boyfriend’s neck. 

Seeing her in a wrinkled dress confirmed what he already knew, she didn’t go home to sleep. She probably spent the night with a friend or slept in the car.

Of course, this thought didn’t sit well with him and he left his chair in anger just as someone knocked.