I called Debbie and asked who sent the roses and she said she didn’t know so I asked her to move all the roses to the empty office down the hall way, maybe I’ll open a florist shop and pun them off, I thought cynically. Jasmine came to the office at about 2.00pm to ask me to look at a contract a client wanted her to sign. “Wow, what’s that smell? Your office smells like a rose garden, is it a special kind of air freshener? I love the fragrance, I definitely want it,” Jasmine said, going on and on about the new way my office smelt. I looked up from the document I was studying and asked if she could leave the contract with me till the following day and she nodded acquiescence. I stood up and asked her to follow me, when we got to the door of the room where the roses were kept I opened it with flourish and watched in fascination the fleeting emotions on Jasmine’s face.
“Are you f**king kidding me, this is spectacular and oh so romantic,” Jasmine laughed out delightedly, she could hardly contain her excitement while closing her eyes and sniffing the roses. “Who sent these? Rick? Dennis? You dark horse! Common tell me, tell me, tell me” She said with a childish enthusiasm that was infectious. I laughed suddenly feeling light hearted and carefree. “I really don’t know who sent it, there was no name on the card, we will know soon enough” I said laughing.
“Miss Tobs, you have a call on line one,” Debbie my Secretary said from the doorway. I excused myself and went back to my office. “Hello,” I said cautiously. “I came out of my Study and was told you had left without having breakfast or saying goodbye, that hurt after all, you left my bed that morning” Rick said dropping his baritone voice to a sexy drawl. His words were sexually provocative and I needed to give him a befitting response. “Do you expect me to swoon at the sound of your voice because I got off your bed that morning?” I asked sweetly, angry that his words got to me. I waited patiently for him to say something about the roses but he was quiet. Maybe he didn’t send them.
“Tobs are you still there? I want to take you out to dinner tonight, will pick you up from the office by 5.00pm. Be ready!” Rick said and hung up. This guy truly thought highly of himself, what rubbish I thought fuming as I turned to meet Jasmine’s mischievous gaze.
“The guy just won’t take NO for an answer, right?” Jasmine asked impishly. Well no one is going to control me like that; I left the office at about 4.00pm, got home for 5.00pm, hurriedly picked my overnight bag and a dress for work the next day and told Mom I will not be coming home for the night and checked myself into a hotel. I kept looking at my phone, expecting it to ring but it never did. I got up around 5.00am my usual time, feeling disoriented. It took me a minute to realise where I was. I checked my phone but still no message or missed call from Rick. I quickly got ready and drove to the office and right there in my parking lot was Rick leaning negligently on his car like he had no care in the world or a business to run. What now? I took my time to get out of the car wondering what I was going to give as my excuse for bailing out last night and then in confusion I got angry with myself for caring and feeling I needed to explain my actions. Who does he think he is? I don’t owe him an explanation. I didn’t feel like going out with him, period! But then this nagging voice in my head whispers back, ‘liar, you are afraid’ and the voice was right! The question is what am I afraid of?