Chapter 6

*Alejandro*

I opened the door to the meeting room filled with directors. I walked straight to my chair, and they all stood till I had my seat. I was in high spirits. My day has been going well. I pulled the chair back and took my seat behind the chair.

I opened the laptop on the top of the table.

Mark, one of the board of directors, passed me a file, and I flipped it open. “This contains a report on the mail which has been built in the city's outskirts,” he said.

I nodded.

I flipped through the file. There were so many errors. “Who prepared this?” I asked. Everyone went silent; the air became heavy. I raised my head, not hearing anyone speak.

I looked around. Everyone's attention went to a cranny-looking girl with enormous, round-rimmed glasses. She put up her hands unsteadily and stood up.

“That's Lisa. She is from the planning team,” Mark leaned closer and whispered. She looked so young; this seemed to be her first time organizing something big.

I was in a good mood, which is why I wasn't asking her to submit her resignation letter and walk out. “I'll give you a chance to fix this,” I said.

She walked out and stood before a projector, and then she started speaking. I followed initially, but my thoughts soon wandered away from the room. My phone was next to the laptop in front of me, and unconsciously, I picked it up.

I opened it. Lisa's voice soon becomes a background noise. I opened the phone. The Messenger app was opened. I had been reading the little chat between me and Anna repeatedly.

I bit my lower lips.

My other hand held a pen which. I hit the lid on the table softly and then went silent. I raised my head to see Lisa looking at me. Her back is straightened, but she is shivering.

“Continue,” I said, and she kept speaking.

I went back to staring at the messages.

I had asked her to have dinner with me, and I wondered what she would be doing and if she still remembers. “Maybe I should text her,” I thought.

‘But what if I come up as desperate?’ I countered the thought.

Was my mind playing a joke on me? I closed my eyes and opened it.

I'll text her. It's the only right thing to do. “Hi! How's your day going?” I typed fast, kept my phone screen on the table, and returned my gaze to Lisa, who was still standing there and speaking.

I haven't been paying any attention to her, but after hearing the following two sentences she said, I was already sure of what she was saying.

My phone vibrated. I picked it.

“It was fine,” Anna replied. “How's your day going!” She asked. A small smile broke out of my lips, and I heard a little grasp beside me. Mark was staring at me with wide eyes.

I raised a brow, and he looked away. I noticed some directors were trying hard to look away from me. Lisa had not seen that I wasn't paying attention as she looked at everyone else.

“My day was fine, thanks for asking,” my hands danced across the keypad. “Are you free tonight? I'd like to have dinner together,” I said.

She replied immediately, “Dinner is fine by me.” She replied almost immediately. My smile widened. I stopped Lisa from going on about the project and dismissed the meeting.

“We'll continue from here tomorrow,” I said.

When I got to my office, I texted her,

“Alright, I'll send a driver over. How does

7 pm sound?” I asked.

“It's fine. See you by 7 pm then,” she said. It was already half past five. I thought of taking her over to the house but decided against it. I took her to one of the buildings I owned last night, and I didn't know her enough to take her home.

I settled for a restaurant.

My driver set out to pick her up by 6:30 pm.

I was already at the restaurant. I was seated at the far end of the restaurant. Few people sat here. At each table, a couple sat. I sat opposite a window and watched as the car drove past.

I thought of different things to discuss with her. I still have memories of last night flooding my mind. I was her first. She has given her virginity to me. I felt a bit proud.

Soon, the black car pulled up, and Anna stepped out. She wore a nude color strapless dress which stopped on her thighs. Her hair was styled in curls.

I stared at her as she took her steps to the entrance. The soft glow of the streetlight casts a warm ambiance.

She stopped before the door and took a deep breath before stepping inside. Her eyes moved around the restaurant, and she was looking for me. A waiter approached her and escorted her to my table. She smiled when she saw me and clutched her purse closer to herself.

I stood and pulled a chair out for her.

“I'm sorry if I kept you waiting,” she said.

“No… it's fine. I just got here,” I said and took my seat. Different aromas of food filled the air, mingling with the chatter of forks and knives on plates.

A waiter approached us, holding a menu in his hand. “I'm Sue; I'll be your waiter for tonight.” She said. Anna scanned through the menu and picked pasta and veggies. I ordered Streak.

We exchanged small talk. The tension between us is palpable. We avoided talking about what happened between us.

Our waiter, Sue, soon returned with a tray of all we ordered. We ate between laughs. It was still a surprise how we managed to be so free with each other. It was as if we've known each other for years.

When we were done, Sue cleared the plates and asked what we would like for dessert. “Anything she orders,” I said, looking at Anna, who spoke without looking at the menu she was given.

“I'd like chocolate cake.” The waiter left.

I cleared my throat; maybe I didn't want to have dinner. I still feel a wave of euphoria rush through me whenever I think of the passionate time we spent together last night.

But I wanted to be sure it wasn't a mistake and that she had no regrets, “I wanted to talk to you about last night,” I paused when Sue came with what we ordered.

“What about last night?” She asked in a low voice after the waiter left. I swallowed hard. I didn't know how to put it, “Well, I wanted to know if it was a spur of the moment or something you regret or…” she placed her hands on mine.

My eyes found hers, “I don't regret it. It wasn't a spur of the moment or anything, and it wasn't a mistake,” she said.

I looked down at her hands, and she seemed to realize her hands were still on mine, and she moved them away. Under the warm glow, I saw her face flush.

She ate her cake quietly, and so did I.

My eyes kept moving to a painting on the wall by the side. How did I not see it all this while? “Quite captivating, isn't it?” She asked. She is done with her cake. She gently wipes her lips with a disposable napkin beside her plate.

We seem to have something else in common aside from wines. I nod, “it's more than captivating.” I moved my gaze to hold hers for the briefest moment, “I can't find the best words to describe it.”

It was as if we were the only ones in the restaurant alongside the painting. “It's so beautiful; the color and the brush strokes are so vibrant and full of life,” I said.

“Each stroke tells a story, don't you think?” I nod to what she says. I have always believed every artist, no matter what they do, has a story to tell, and painters are no exception.

"I've always admired artists who can convey so much through their work.” She said.

I smiled, "You have a keen eye for details. Small details make a difference.”

“We seem to have so much in common, Alejandro,” she said. I loved the way she made my name sound. The way it rolled off her tongue smoothly.

“Can't wait to learn more about what we have in common,” I said, and she smiled. This would not be the last time we have dinner.

I want to get to know her. I've always loved being alone, but sometimes I crave the company of someone. Since I ended my marriage with Lucas's mother, Nora, I only had one relationship with a woman named Clara, and it didn't end well.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears, and when she stood, I could swear I saw her eyes widen briefly. She adjusted to her seat and smiled when she saw my eyes on her.

I don't read any meaning to what I noticed. I could be wrong.

She gulps the juice that was left in her glass.

“I'll go use the restroom. I'll be back in a second,” she picked up her purse and walked off. My eyes linger on her waist, which swayed from side to side. I noticed a few head turns when she passed some tables and gritted my teeth.

At such a young age, she is a beauty to behold. I smiled. She was with me and not them. I picked up the glass of wine and swirled it around my fingers before bringing it close to my lips.

When I dropped the glass. I noticed a familiar stiletto stepping into the restaurant. Lucas had his hands wrapped over the shoulders of a young girl. And he led her to the seat reserved for them.

The seat was adjacent to ours.

When our eyes met, he looked away without acknowledging me, and I took it as if he didn't want her to know about us.

I felt a tug in my heart. My son couldn't acknowledge me in front of his girlfriend, and talk less of introducing her to me.

I then remembered him saying he had broken off with his girlfriend yesterday. He is a handsome young man, so he can get as many girls as he wants. I had no problem with that.

I downed the remaining content of my wine and looked in the direction of the restroom. Anna should be back. Though I won't be able to introduce her to Lucas, I can maybe invite Lucas to our table.

My phone beeped.

It was a message from Anna. “I'm sorry I had to leave abruptly. Alison's ex is at our house, and I'm worried for her.” Another message came in when I finished reading the first, “I'll make up to you by treating you to dinner. How about that?”

I can't say I'm thrilled to see this message, but nothing can be done. And another dinner isn't bad. So I typed, “Okay. Call me if you need help. Dinner sounds great.” She responded by sending a thank you with two heart emojis.

There was no other use in staying in the restaurant, so I left after a while.

I didn't receive any messages from Anna for the next three days and was too busy to send her messages.

The afternoon sun shines bright, casting its rays into my office through the window. I held a file in my hands. There was a knock on the door, and Martin, one of the staff who worked for me, stepped into the office.

He said a quick greeting, “Sir, the replacement for your secretary is here.” He said, and I nodded at him.

The door opened again. Footsteps clicked on the floor softly. I raised my head.

“Good afternoon, sir. I'm Anna, your new secretary.”