Who is A and J?
“Mr. Dalton, I brought snacks,” Regina knocked at his office door. “He’s not in the office yet, dear.” Laurie, his assistant, had just come in and was surprised someone was at his door early that morning. “Oh, hi Laurie, I didn’t see you at your desk. I thought you were in there.” “Are these from the new bakery?” Laurie looked at the boxes on her table. “Yeah, my friend owns the place, and he bakes the pastries daily. The chocolate cake is so good, so help yourself. You too, Arthur, for your assistance.” He smiled while setting his things on the desk. Arthur Johnson is the CEO’s second assistant. While Laurie took care of the phone calls and important business transactions, Arthur dealt with the paperwork and out-of-office errands. Mr. Dalton usually sent him to different job sites or offices to deliver time-sensitive materials, which is why Regina often sees him at the Bennet mansion. “Don’t mind if I do,” Laurie said as she poured some coffee and got a pastry. “Hmm… this hit
Owen was amused. Regina managed to avoid him all week by hiding in the bathroom or the kitchen when he came in to greet his mom, finding one task or another, so they had no interactions. He tried to be astute about his timings when he came home, but for some reason, she always knew the minute he arrived. He heard snippets of her voice as she talked to several members of the household, sometime catching glimpses or her as she darted to her car or moved about the house. It was Friday and Owen just wanted to relax, so he came home early and got himself a beer from the fridge. Regina usually took half the day off, so he knew he had the house to himself for a few hours until his brothers arrived. Owen was on the treadmill with only his riding shorts on when his mother walked in. “You’re on my machine,” she declared. It was the last 30 mins of his workout. After lifting weights, he was doing cardio to strengthen his lungs and his heart, and during this time, he usually listened to music
“We have nothing to talk about.” Regina walked away at the same time Yvan did and went in the opposite direction. Owen looked at her retreating frame with a frown on his face. ‘This woman should be glad I let her speak to me that way.’ He smirked. ‘You’ll have your day, Regina. They will know I am right.’ Inside the room, Marius helped Mrs. Bennet stretch her muscles before they bathed her. Marius and Regina had known each other way before they worked with the Bennets. They worked at the same hospital and knew the same people, and because Regina still did not have the guts to visit the hospital, at the moment, Marius was her link to her old life. They bonded instantly, and Marius brought her the latest gossip and spectacle from the new and old staff. Who was sleeping with whom, which doctor dated, what nurse, who got fired, and what staff had a breakdown. The hospital was a very interesting place to work in. With hundreds of employees thrown around in different shifts, there wa
“You should have seen your face. I’m not a pervert who places cameras without telling people. That’s an invasion of privacy.” Regina frowned. ‘What is wrong with him? Why is he laughing?’ He twirled the pen in his hand. “Unless you think I should place cameras in her room. Are there things I need to know?” Regina looked annoyed as she sat back down. ‘Did he just play a trick on me and laugh in my face?’ “And I didn’t hear your conversation,” Owen said as he stood beside her chair and sat on his desk, “Though now it makes me very curious. Will you tell me what you were talking about that made you think I’d fire you?” “I would rather not repeat it, plus I don’t want Marius to get in trouble. You can punish me all you want.” Owen cocked an eyebrow. “What is it with you and protecting all the men around you?” It baffled Owen that instead of throwing people under the bus to save her neck, Regina repeatedly volunteered herself for punishment. It went against what he thought he knew
In her embarrassment and haste, Regina left her notebook behind. It was the diary she used to log in Mrs. Bennet’s daily activities, her mood, diet, exercise, and the overall assessment of her progress. Regina would type up the report at the end of the work week and leave it for Owen to read unless there was something imperative he should know, and she reported those right away. So it was not unusual to see her notebook lying around, but Regina never left it when she went home, for between the pages, Regina had a secret. Owen flipped the pages and appreciated that Regina had legible handwriting, for it was easy for him to read her notes. He even read the side notes and smiled at the doodles on some pages. He read the last entry for the week and realized he enjoyed reading her notebook better than the reports she printed out for him. When he was about to close the notebook, he noticed pages at the back had more doodles on them. He touched the page and felt moved when he saw an
Regina stopped by Jason’s bakery before heading to her parents. She wanted to bring them some of the pastries and cakes she enjoyed from his place. “Ms. Regina, I’m glad to see you in here again. Do you want to tell me what you want, and we’ll bring it to your table?” “Jason, can we drop the formalities? We’re friends, aren’t we? Or I think at least we are.” “We are, Regina. So what can I do for you today? Are you dining in?” “Oh, not today, Jason. I need to visit my parents, so I need an Iced Latte with an extra shot of espresso, then an entire chocolate cake, and wrap me some of your favorites. Mostly fruit ones, if you have them.” “Are you having a party?” “No, I just want to distract them with sweets, and maybe they’ll stop asking me the usual annoying questions.” Jason smiles and nods knowingly. Of course, she loved her parents, but they constantly nagged her about her job, and now that they have that squared off, they can’t stop talking about marriage. Regina tapped he
“Hey Jason, I did something yesterday that may or may not bring my whole family to your cafe.” Jason looked at Regina with a puzzled expression. “My mom was being unreasonable, setting me up on blind dates, so I said I was going on a date today and that she shouldn’t bother.” He looked at her with a smug expression on his face. “I didn’t give your info, but knowing my family, they’d find you sooner or later.” “Don’t worry about it. I can handle a few more extra customers.” “Charge them double when you see them. Tell them it’s a gift from me.” They both laughed, and the tension was gone. “I’m glad you’re okay that this turned out to be a date when I specifically invited you to a tasting event.” Jason felt awkward that he skirted the issue when he gave the invitation. He got so shy that he did not know how to ask her out. “Well, I thought it was just what you said, but the flowers and your attire gave it away,” she teased. It had been an awkward beginning when Regina arrived at
“Where have you been?” Regina turned around swiftly, ready to face Owen with a snarky comment. “Ms. Regina, I’m sorry if I startled you.” “Oh my gosh, it’s just you.” “I tried to call your attention earlier, but you weren’t responding.” “Hey, Art. What are you doing here? Do you live in the area?” “I’m... I uh… well uhm… Ms. Regina, do you mind if I talk to you somewhere private?” “Uhm, sure, let me set these things down, and I’ll be right back.” Arthur saw the flowers in one of her bags while a frown followed Regina as she entered the building. Regina bought a few boxes of tea and some desserts to take home from the event. She wanted to share some of it with a few people from the Bennet household and her doorman, Jeffrey, and his assistant. “Jeffrey, this bag is for you guys. I got you some tea and desserts from the hotel.” “Oh, Ms. Regina, you shouldn’t have. You spoil us too much.” “Well, you guys do a good job guarding this building and ensuring our safety at all times