Copyright Sylvia Iseghohi 2013

All characters in this story have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names; and all incidents are pure invention.
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. No part of the text may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronical or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the permission of the publisher.

Beware! This book is bound by copyright law.

FOREWORD………



Laura Winter lost her only close relative, dear aunt Rose and had to come over to Manson's villa, New york where her late aunt had previously lived. Meeting her aunty's boss, Mr Manson changed so much about her, but will it change her long-held believe that true love does not exist?




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CHAPTER ONE



Laura Winter sat at the rear seat in the bus, her black hair tied into a neat bun, her eyes weary. She slumped on the back seat and stared out of the window. Her aunt Rose was dead. She loved Aunt Rose dearly, she’d been the only relative, Laura regularly communicated with. They always spoke on the phone, or used Skype, and every Christmas aunt Rose came over to Texas to spend the holidays with Laura, since she lost her parents four years ago. “Manson villa”, the bus driver called out, jolting Laura back from her thoughts. Laura climbed down from the bus, with her luggage, then the bus zoomed off.


Aunt Rose had told her a lot about Mr Manson. He was rich, that was for sure. Aunt Rose was very fond of him and always said repeatedly anytime she was at Texas, “bless old Mr Manson, we have worked together so many years, how would he ever cope without me?” Laura knew Mr Manson was old and very nice, from the pieces of conversation they had about him.


On getting to the doorstep, Laura sighed. Manson villa was large and the house was mighty, and made of century-old solid brick, but it looked beautiful and magnificent. It was much more beautiful than other Victorian-style houses around.

Mr Manson must really stick to tradition…. she thought as she pressed the door bell. An old man, probably in his eighties opened the door and asked, “Hello, may I help you?” Laura put on her most charming smile, despite the fact that she had not eaten that day, and it was already late in the afternoon. “Good afternoon sir”, she said, stretching out her hand for a brief handshake. The old man took her hand and looked at her over the brim of his spectacles.


“Good afternoon, what is your name, Miss?” he asked.

“My name is Laura……………. em…… Laura Winter. I am Rose’s niece…”

“Oh! It’s nice to see you, come on in”, the old man said with a smile of recognition, as he ushered her into the house.

“You must have had a long trip, let me help you with your luggage”, he offered.

“Oh no, Mr Manson. I appreciate, but I don’t want you hurting your back. I can handle it sir, thanks…..” Laura was saying when the old man cut in
“Mr Manson?” He raised an eyebrow, while she looked at him, confused. He chuckled as he led her into the sitting room.


The place was large and homely. The theme of green filled the sitting room.
Whoever decorated this room, sure knows fashion…Laura thought. There were dark-green curtains on all the windows, with light-green backdrops, which matched the carpet; which was obviously artificial carpet grass. The furniture was welcoming and the room smelt of……..

“This way, Miss”, the old man called out to her from the stairway, seeing that she wasn’t behind him anymore. She quickly followed him, climbing the stairs after him. At the top of the stairs was a large hallway. He stopped in front of one of the doors and said

“This will be your room. I hope you like it. By the way, I am Mr Crosby, the butler” he added as he opened the door for her. Laura was surprised

“Oh! Er……excuse me, I had no idea”, she stammered, blushing.

“It’s okay, freshen up while I set the table for dinner”, he said. Smiling curtly, he turned round to go downstairs, while she stepped into the room. The smell of lavender greeted her. The room was beautifully furnished. It had a king-size bed, its curtains were a light shade of lavender. It had a cream carpet. She dropped her luggage and closed the door. She walked round the room, admiring everything she saw.

Wow! This man has really raked a whole lot of money, she thought, as she looked through the window at the lush garden. I wonder where he is. Perhaps on a business trip, she murmured to herself as she took off her clothes. After taking a shower, she ate a biscuit and lay wearily on the bed. I will probably see Mr Manson when I wake up, she thought as she settled into a fitful sleep.





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To be continued...........
Please encourage me with ur comments
love u all...

you be oyibo?

Dont mind me o. beautiful unfolding story.

I hope Mr Mason has a 'hoooootttttt' son or grand son

Waitinnnnnngggggg oooooo

tijehi: you be oyibo?

Dont mind me o. beautiful unfolding story.

I hope Mr Mason has a 'hoooootttttt' son or grand son

hahaha....i no be oyibo ooooo....
thanks for commenting i will update soon

Continuation.....................

Gregory showered and changed into a white, short-sleeved tee-shirt and dark-blue denim jeans. Work was always difficult, he had spent half of the day, balancing the company’s account. This used to be the work of Aunt Rose, she had really become very indispensable to the company……and now……..


“Whew!” Greg sighed, combing his dark wavy hair. He just wasn’t good with numbers; he certainly couldn’t manage the company and act as the accountant at the same time, for much longer, he really needed to find a replacement fast. Apart from that, he was also busy with the burial arrangements as Aunt Rose was almost like family to him.

She had come to work with his father seventeen years ago, when he was barely eighteen years old, and he grew up learning a lot from her, about how to manage a company. Even when his father died seven years ago, she helped him out with most of the managerial work in his time of grief, in fact he owed the company to her. It was due to her wisdom and kind-heartedness that the company didn’t crumble, and now….she was gone…just like that!


He had quickly sent word to some of her relations whom she always talked about, telling them the sad news. They had all corresponded with him, almost immediately and he offered to help with the burial arrangements. Her favourite niece, Laura had also communicated by e-mail, saying she would come, right away. She ought to arrive today, I really hope there’s no problem, he wondered aloud.

Just then, he heard a knock on the door. It was Mr Crosby telling him that Laura had arrived.


“Oh that’s good. Please make her comfortable. Do call me when it’s time for dinner. I will be at my study.” Gregory said.

“I will do that” Mr Crosby replied, as he turned to leave the room. Gregory shut the door, and his thoughts began to wander. He wondered what Laura looked like. Aunt Rose was always talking about Laura. The old lady dotted on her niece. She told him never to tell her niece about the illness; 'the poor dear would fret, now we wouldn’t want that, would we?' Rose had told Gregory. 'No, of course not' Gregory had answered.

He sure knew this niece had a large place in Rose’s heart. Now, she was here for the burial, this would be a good opportunity to get to know her, and probably find out what made her so dear to Aunt Rose.

He finished dressing up and went to his study, to do some more work. He replied some e-mails, and had just finished making a phone call to a business partner, when he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in” he said. It was Crosby.

“Dinner is served”, Crosby announced.

“Thanks Crosby. How about Miss Winter?” asked Gregory.

“I will go and get her now”, said Crosby.

“Fine, I will meet her at the table in a minute”, Greg replied.




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to be continued
xoxo

I like ur story. Don't be discouraged dat I'm d only one commenting, they will soon come onboard.keep it going

Ride on, u're doing great.

tijehi: you be oyibo?

Dont mind me o. beautiful unfolding story.

I hope Mr Mason has a 'hoooootttttt' son or grand son

*coughs*

DNA1, We are waiting o. please update. people will read and comment when you have more updates, trust me.

Okay guys....
here's d continuation....
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The knock on the door awakened Laura. Sluggishly, she stood up and opened the door.

“Mr Crosby……” she murmured

“Just Crosby” he corrected

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but it’s time for dinner, and the master’s waiting.” Crosby continued, smiling.

“Oh, he’s back already? I’m not dressed, I have a brush here, somewhere……” she rattled on, while Crosby stared at her, amused.

“It’s okay Miss, I’ll leave you to freshen up” Crosby said, shutting the door.


Damn Mr Manson…. She muttered as she dabbed some water on her face and toweled it dry. Aunt Rose always said Manson was a very nice man. I hope he’s up to my expectation…, she thought, as she brushed her lustrous black hair -as black as a raven’s, Aunt Rose always said.


After applying some make-up, Laura felt she was good to go. Something in her mind told her Mr Manson might not be the ‘nice old’ man she always thought him to be. He could be a ‘cruel old’ man; all the same she was here for Aunt Rose’s burial and nothing else. In fact she packed clothes for just three days, with the intention of returning to Texas afterwards, to continue her job as an elementary school teacher. She sprayed perfume, and then left her room.


When she came down, she met Mr Crosby putting water into a flower vase.

“Oh, you’re ready. That’s the dining room over there”, he said, pointing to one of the rooms on her left. “Mr Manson will join you soon” he added.

“Thank you so much for your kindness sir”, Laura replied as she made to locate the dining room.

The dining room was large and breathtaking. There were beautiful wallpapers on the walls and the table was so long, it covered almost half of the room. It had beautiful lights which hung from the ceiling. The floor was polished, the same went for the table and chairs, everything at the Manson’s spelt money and class. It was so comfortable and adorable. Compared to her small bachelor’s pad at Texas, this was purely paradise.








*** *** *** ***




Greg stared at the woman in the dining, her dark hair caressed the pale skin of her shoulders. She wore a light pink sweat shirt and deep-blue jeans. The jeans molded her curves perfectly. She was breathtaking. He continued to stare as she walked round the room, admiring it.


When she bent to tighten her sandal, he held back a groan, as her creamy flesh showed between the jeans and sweatshirt. He noticed she had a slim waist. He caught his breath when she turned. The sweatshirt molded her breast perfectly. Her face was oval shaped and adorned with a pointed nose, almond-shaped eyes and a beauty spot close to her right cheek, just above her lips. Her lips were red and her eyes- those eyes. They were the colour of amethyst.


Laura looked up at the lights and felt someone was watching her. Could it be Mr Manson? she asked herself. As she turned fully towards the door, she found herself looking into the eyes of a handsome, young man, probably in his early thirties. She blinked thrice before she could find something to say.


“Hi” she squeaked, carving her lips into a smile.

“Hi there”, Greg replied, charmed by her smile. He walked into the dining room and shut the door behind him.

“You must be Laura Winter”, he said stretching his hand for a handshake, which she took with a little bit of reluctance.

“Yes, I am, and you must be………?” she asked with arched eyebrows.

“Why? Didn’t Crosby tell you?” He asked, wondering why she was staring at him so blankly.

“No”, she admitted. “I came here for my aunt’s burial and I also came to see Mr Manson” she continued. “Are you his son?”, she asked, hoping she guessed right.

“What! No.” Gregory laughed. “I am Mr Manson……Gregory Manson. Your aunt worked with me”, he explained.
Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her.

“You……are………Mr………Manson?? ” she stammered, pointing to him, still finding it difficult to believe. She then realized that Aunt Rose never really meant that he was an old man, only that he was an old friend of hers! Jeez I’ve been so stupid, she thought to herself as the heat crept up her face.


“Yes….I……am”, he stammered slowly, mimicking her.

“Oh!” she gasped. “Em….pleased to meet you sir”, she said, stretching her hand once more for a handshake. He took it.

“Pleased to meet you too, Miss. Please sit down”, he said, dragging out a chair for her, she obliged.




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Up next.......chapter two...
keep the comments coming in..
thanks guys

Hmmm! Seems interesting

I cam imagine the look on her face when she discovered he was young yet mr manson

DNA1, didnt they tell you that its not nice to keep peeps in suspense on nairaland, we do not like it. kindly update, I need to read me your beautiful story. Oya continue

CHAPTER TWO



“So how was your journey?” Gregory asked, settling into the chair beside her.

“It was rather hectic. I had a flight delay and all that, but it’s fine, I’m here now”, she said, taking a deep breath; trying to calm down her nerves.


“You’re welcome to my humble home….”, he said, giving her a warm smile.

“Humble..??” she chuckled. “Your house is really large and beautiful”, she said looking round the room once more.

“Thanks…I’ll take you round, after dinner…if you still have the strength”, he said.

“Hmmm…all right” she agreed.

There was a bit of silence for a while, then Gregory broke it……..

“I’m very sorry for your loss. I know you were really close to her”.

“Yeah…. she was kinda the only relative I had a close relationship with…” Laura smiled sadly.

“Hmm”, Gregory muttered.

“She was my mum’s elder sister”, Laura continued.

“Yeah, she told me that”.

“And she never got married….so I never got to have cousins…and all that”

“Hmm….I wonder how growing up must have felt. She told me you are the only child”.

“Yeah I am…. Well I guess I survived after all”, she smiled sadly.

“Uh-huh, yeah you sure did. She was always talking about you….she also told me you are an accountant by profession”.

“Yes I studied accounting, but that was several years ago. I never really worked with it”.

“Any particular reason?”, Gregory gave her a questioning look.

“Em…not really…. I just wasn’t eager to start out my life with a stressful job, so I chose to teach. I actually love being around little kids. I love the air around them. They are so care-free….they are not worried about what they will eat, what they will wear, where they will sleep. They just live their lives in peace. They take each day as it comes. They are not worried about taking risks, they are not worried about the outcome of their decisions. They are not worried about what people think or say about them….I could go on and on about the things I love about young kids, but I think what I love most of all…is their innocence.


“Yeah”, Greg nodded.

“They are so innocent and loveable. They trust you with their lives. I really marvel at that, every day I get to be with them”.

“Hmm”.


“I tell you, this job is the best thing in the world for me, right now, and I will not trade it for anything. I love them…I love reading stories to them, teaching them songs and poems, feeding them and rocking them to sleep…believe me…it’s an amazing experience”.


“Hmm…I can imagine. It’s great to have teachers like you; teachers that really love their job”, Gregory said, smiling proudly.

“Hmm…thanks”, Laura smiled.

“Would you like to say grace?” Greg asked politely.

“Oh, yeah” Laura replied and said a short prayer, before they commenced eating. It was a delicious meal of basmati rice and chicken soup. By now, Laura had adjusted to him. She had calmed down from the initial shock of discovering that ‘poor old’ Mr Manson was just a few years older than her, whereas she had thought he would be in aunt Rose’s age group. She savoured every bite, as she had only eaten biscuits since morning. She had a habit of not eating when she had to fly, because she always got so nervous on the plane that she would end up barfing up, in the plane. She had faced this kind of embarrassment two times before coming to this decision.


“So…you own Mansonian furnitures?”, She asked, after taking a few bites.

“Yes”, he replied curtly; with his mouth full.

“Wow! You’re doing a great job with it”, she marveled.

“Thanks…..so how was accounting school like?” He asked, changing the topic.

“Em…it was fun. I had quite a lot of friends and believe me I was really social. I hung out with them a lot, we used to go to the movies once in a while….but my friends kept teasing me, saying I was a nerd and all that”, she smiled wryly.


“What! A nerd? You don’t look like a nerd to me”, he justified.

“Yeah, well they just had fun teasing me, and I didn’t mind much. But one day, I suddenly found myself attending my convocation, and that was it. I haven’t seen any of my friends since then. If not for Skype and facebook, I would have completely lost all contact with them”.

“Yeah, these social networks are really great…I even still communicate with friends from high school using these applications…So apart from playing with kids, what else do you enjoy doing?”

“Ah….I read….I read a lot of fiction”, she said in between mouthfuls of rice.

“Really? I find time for them once in a while, especially when I am taking a long flight. Who are your favourite authors?”, he inquired.

“I love Dan Brown and his Da Vinci code”, she replied.

“Wow, yeah I love that too. Did you read Angels and Demons?”

“Of course I did. I’m his number one fan. Em…I also love Robert Ludlum….”

“Yeah, he’s a prolific writer”.

“And I love Meg Cabot. Do you know her? The author of Princess diaries.

“Oh, oh, oh, yeah I watched the film. Wow that was a long time ago”, he smiled.

“No way, I am still up-to-date with her. She continued the story over the years”, Laura said excitedly.

“Really?” he asked , surprised.

“Yeah, it became a series”.

“Hmm…”

“I also read some romance stories too. Em…I don’t really do sports, but I enjoy sitting down to watch. Haha….she chuckled, and continued. I like watching people swim…” she was saying when he cut her short with his laughter.

“What! You mean you don’t swim?”

“Not exactly”.

“Oh. I actually love swimming a lot, it helps me relax”.

“Hmm…so do you find time to go on vacations?” she asked.

“Yeah. Once in a while. But they are usually short. Two days max”.

“Hahaha. Are you kidding me? That’s not a vacation”.

“Well, it is for me….”

“Anyway….that’s it about me. I don’t think there are any other activities that interest me. So, I guess I’m a boring nerd afterall”…..she concluded.

“No, you’re not. You’re actually fun to be with”.

“Nah…..you’re just saying that to make me feel happy”.

“I’m serious…I don’t tease people”.

“Oh…okay. Thanks for the compliment”, she said, meeting his gaze for the first time. They stared into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, as if to see how sincere the other person was. Laura suddenly blinked her eyes and looked away, feeling the heat creeping up to her face.

What exactly were you staring at Laura? She asked herself…..Goodness me, he’s still staring, you’ve got to break this silence. Think of something…think!…think!!

“Em….so how long did you know aunt Rose?” Laura squeaked in an attempt to break the silence.

“I’ve known her since I was seventeen. My dad hired her as an accountant”.

“Oh! I see. Where’s your dad?” she inquired.

“He’s late. My mum too”. He added before she could ask.

“Oh my gosh….I’m so sorry. I had no idea”. She was taken aback.

“It’s okay, I’ve gotten over that long ago. I have two sisters. They are younger than me. Latoya is older than Cherry. They don’t live here though. They stay in California. They are real fun-lovers. You will get to meet them tomorrow. They are coming here for aunt Rose’s burial too”.

“Oh!” Laura sighed, tears welling up in her eyes. “Aunt rose really had a home here”, she smiled sadly.

“Yes, she did and we will all miss her a great deal”.

By the time they finished dinner Laura didn’t feel up to desert, so she politely told Greg she wanted to go and rest.


“Yes, you’ve had a long day today, you should rest now. I’ll take you round the house tomorrow”, he said as he got up and pulled her chair for her.

“Thank you Gregory. Thanks for your kindness. I appreciate”, she said as Gregory opened the door of the dining room for her. They both stepped into the hallway.

“Don’t mention”, he said, tucking the stray hair on her face, behind her ear. She shuddered at his touch.

“Have a goodnight rest Laura…. It was fun talking with you”, he couldn’t help adding.

“Yeah, goodnight”, she said shyly, avoiding his eyes by all means.








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Up next
chapter three...
stay tuned.

DNA1 is this a very christian novel? Cus they are begining to sound like Sister Mary and Brother John

tijehi: DNA1 is this a very christian novel? Cus they are begining to sound like Sister Mary and Brother John

@ tijehi............... it's a love story, but I have deliberately reduced erotic details to the minimum...
don't worry; keep reading...
I promise u will enjoy d story...
thanks....

Continuation..........

CHAPTER THREE

Laura slowly made her way upstairs, to her room. She couldn’t believe how she had shivered at his touch. What is going on? She asked herself as she entered her room. She locked the door and sat on her bed. She still felt very tired from the journey, so she changed into her nightie, rubbed her facial cream and got into bed, and then the voices in her head began their conversation.

She had two voices in her head. Voice 1 was really soft; barely a whisper. It was the voice that always inspired her and made her feel there was hope in this world. Unfortunately, this voice was almost always overpowered by voice 2, the harsh, coarse voice that always reminded her about the hurt and pain in this world.
Her life was a daily struggle between these two voices and sometimes she almost lost her senses, trying to listen to both at the same time, in order to make an informed decision. Anyway, this night voice 1 was rather loud.

Voice 1: He seems to be a nice gentleman

Voice 2: Yeah, but underneath that cool façade, a hungry wolf might just be waiting to devour any sheep that comes by….

Voice 1: Come on, not every man is a hungry wolf. Don’t be so quick to criticize him.

Voice 2: Hello You only just met him…you know nothing about him. I think you should focus on what you came for, and leave as soon as you can, before you bring another disaster upon yourself.

Voice 1: Hey stop bringing up the past, the past is long gone…we are in the present now…

“I’ll sleep now and when I wake up, I’ll be in a clearer state of mind to handle this issue” she said aloud.
She dozed off minutes later.


*** *** *** *** *** ***

Gregory watched Laura as she ascended the stairs slowly. He couldn’t deny the way she made him feel. He watched her till she disappeared out of sight; then he made his way to his study. He knew there was no way he could fall asleep at this time; it was only 8:30 p.m.

He sat down in his study, staring at his computer screen. He could think of nothing else, except Laura. She was a beauty, just like aunt Rose had always boasted; and her presence was indeed charming.


*** *** *** *** *** ***

The next morning, Gregory woke up with thoughts of Laura, he couldn’t wait to see her. He said a prayer, took a shower and got dressed, then went downstairs to his study. He knew Crosby will notify him, when she was ready to have breakfast.
........................................................................................................................

okay oh. but the updates are short o.

continuation...........

*** *** *** ***


Laura couldn’t believe she woke up this late. It was quarter past seven. She always woke up by 5 am at home in Texas; she didn’t even need an alarm to wake her. She was already used to waking up early.
Damn! I wonder what time Gregory takes breakfast. I must be keeping him waiting, she thought as she hurriedly took her shower and got dressed.

You must do your best to keep a little distance today, voice 2 warned, while voice 1 sneered.
She got herself together before she finally left the room. She made her way downstairs, wondering if she would meet Gregory in the dining room. She didn’t have to wonder for long, she met Crosby watering the flowers.
This man is really diligent, she thought.

“Good morning, Crosby” she greeted.

“Oh, hello Miss. How was your night?” Crosby looked up from his work, smiling.

“It was great and yours?” She asked politely.

“Oh, it was fine, thank you. The master will meet you in the dining shortly”, he announced.

“Okay, thanks” she smiled, as she opened the dining room door. The aroma of toast and coffee greeted her as she entered the dining room. She sat on the chair which she had sat on the previous evening. She was checking her mails on her phone when the door opened. She turned to see a very handsome-looking Gregory. He wore a black short-sleeved shirt with a black denim jeans.

Goodness. He looks so good…. she thought. Voice2 immediately replied her appropriately. He smiled at her and offered a greeting, she replied.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked, settling down beside her.

“Yes I did, and you?” She asked.

“I slept well thanks”.

He said the prayer, they ate and when they were through, he started to take her round the house, like he had promised yesterday. As they left the dining, she asked.

“Today is Thursday, are you not going to the office? It’s past eight already”.

“No, I chose to work from home throughout this week”, he replied. She nodded.

He took her to the kitchen first. It was large and beautiful. The theme was deep blue and silver. Everywhere was sparkling and shiny. She ran her fingertips over a marble surface, as she admired everything she saw.
From here, they moved to the main parlour. It was a 2-in-1 parlour. The one which she had entered the previous day had the theme of green. The second parlour had the theme of black and white. There were leopard skin patterns all over the room, the walls, the floor, the furniture…Laura was amazed.

“Your designer really did a great job”, Laura complimented.

“Thanks” Greg replied smiling.

From the parlour they entered the hallway leading to the study and the servants’ rooms. He simply pointed to the door of the servants’ rooms, then he took her to his study.

“This is my lair”, he said proudly as he opened the door. His study was not so big, but it had everything he needed for his office work. There was a big bookshelf close to the right wall of the room. It was stocked with all sorts of books.

“You have a wide taste in books”, Laura said inspecting the shelf.

“Yes, I do”.

His table was rather messy. There were papers and files all over it. He also had a laptop, printer, scanner and photocopying machine.

“This is where I do all my office work, when I’m not in the office”, he said.
“Hmmm….I see”

She looked at the wall on the left. It was filled with stickers, post-it notes, to-do lists, e.t.c.

“Wow! Your wall is filled to the brim”.

“Yeah, I do that in order to keep up with my workload”.

“Yeah, but why not use an electronic version. It’s easier to create and is less messy”.

“I do save appointments on my phone all the time, but I still like the old fashioned way of writing down things I need to do, on paper and sticking it to my wall”.

“Hmm….so why don’t you cross out the things you have accomplished? The papers on this wall are over twenty, are you saying you have not accomplished anything on this wall?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been so busy of recent, I keep forgetting to cross things out. I will find time to do that soon. New things keep coming up even when I’ve not been able to achieve old plans….sometimes it just gets really overwhelming”, Greg complained.

“Yeah, I understand”, she said and then turned towards the table. She sat on the visitor’s chair, while he sat on his chair and put on his laptop.

“Here, have a look at our accounts”, he said, handling the laptop to Laura. She peered at the laptop in utter disappointment.

“Oops! This account is not been managed properly. Don’t you have someone in the accounts section that can take care of this?” She inquired.

“Unfortunately, no. Aunt Rose was so efficient and she did the work so effortlessly that there was no need to employ an assistant. She single-handedly ran the accounts section”.

“Aww…. So who has been balancing it since Tuesday?”

“I have been trying my best…it’s really exhausting, trying to run the company and manage the accounts at the same time. We are yet to find a replacement”.

Laura thought for a moment, then decided to help. “Let me help you clean this up a bit”, she said as her fingers got to work.
Interested in how she was going about it, he shifted his chair until he was sitting beside her. He watched her with keen interest, noticing her skill and dexterity. He also couldn’t help noticing her cute fingernails that were polished pink. He was enjoying the scent of her perfume and was barely managing to take note of the commands she was typing on his laptop.
Once in a while, she turned to face him, as she attempted to show him how she was going about the work; and they made eye contact- she always caught him staring.
Oh goodness; I need to hurry up with this, so that I can leave this place, she thought.
That didn’t happen. She spent the next two and half hours balancing the accounts before she finally sighed.

“I’m done!”

“Gee. Thanks Laura. You’ve taken a big weight off my neck”, Greg smiled.
“Oh. It was nothing. I actually can’t believe I still remember the commands I used to execute this. I thought my brain will be rusty by now”, she laughed.

“Yeah, it’s really amazing, what a person’s memory can accomplish for him even after many years. Isn’t God wonderful?”
“Believe me, He is”. She replied.
“Thanks once again”.
“My pleasure”.
“Let’s go upstairs”, he said shutting down the system. They made their way upstairs. He opened the door to his room, so she could take a peek, then he pointed out his sisters’ rooms. He also showed her the room aunt Rose had occupied. On getting there, Laura broke down in tears. She began to pick up her aunt’s photographs one by one and clutch them to her chest. She felt so bad….Greg tried to calm her down. She sat on the bed for a while and started talking, in between sniffs.

“She was so fond of me. Accounting was my childhood dream, because I wanted to be like her. She had such a large heart…she was so kind to everyone she met…”
On and on she went, reminiscing about all the good times she had with her aunt. Sometimes she would break down in tears and Greg would hold her closely, stroking her hair gently. He felt bad that there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

“She became all I had after I lost both my parents in a plane crash, four years ago”. Laura sobbed.
Greg kept quiet and just held her. He had known about this as soon as it happened. The news had shattered aunt Rose. She had never really been the same after hearing this news. In fact that was when she developed high blood pressure and stomach ulcer. Out of concern, Greg had tried to ease her workload by employing someone to assist her, but the person quit within three weeks, because he was not able to cope with the stress.
Aunt Rose had told Greg not to bother recruiting another one; that she was up to the task, afterall she had been handling the company’s accounts since he was just a teenager. She could be very stubborn when she wanted to.
As a last resort, he made her go for regular check-ups and take compulsory vacations very often. He also paid for her flight tickets to Texas every Christmas so she could spend time with Laura.

A few weeks before she died, she started complaining of general weakness and instability whenever she got up from a lying or sitting position. He tried to make her rest more often. Her stomach ulcer also worsened in the few weeks before she died. He remembered when she begged him not to disturb Laura about her condition. She was scared that Laura might be destabilized by the news. He obliged her, on the condition that she rests.
He began to do all her work at the office, but a few weeks later, she stubbornly returned to work, saying she was perfectly fine. Last Sunday, he travelled for a business meeting and when he returned on Tuesday morning, he found that she had gone to work as usual. He rested a while, before going to the office. He was on his way to the office when he received a phone call that Aunt Rose had slumped in the office and was been rushed to the hospital. She never made it to the hospital. His heart was crushed. He cried for several hours, finding it extremely difficult to believe she was gone. That was when he informed her relations…..

He held Laura close and stroked her hair, trying to keep the tears from coming. He had to be strong, at least for her.
When she had calmed down a bit, he explained all this to her, starting from when she first developed high blood pressure and ulcer. She cried as she listened.

A while later, when she had calmed down, he took her to see the attic. It was full of many things that brought them laughter. Books that he and his sisters had read when they were much younger, were all neatly arranged on the bookshelves. He recounted how often his father used to lock him up in the attic when he disobeyed him. He recounted a number of fun experiences he used to have with his sisters- how they would play hide-and-seek in the attic.
When they got to his parents’ room, his voice broke. She looked at the pictures.

“Your parents were really beautiful. You look like your father” she said.
At this point he could hide it no longer. A tear escaped one eye, he quickly covered his face with his palms and sat down on the bed. She felt pained when she saw the tears fall from his eyes. She sat beside him, and squeezed his arm gently, reassuring him that all will be well. When he regained his composure he began to tell her how his parents had died. He and his siblings were living a very normal life until their mother died. He was just 10 years old then, his sisters Latoya and Cherry were six and four years old respectively.

Things changed. Their father became very reckless. He began to drink excessively and this affected his relationship with his children. He tried to hide his grief, rather than seeking help. He pulled Greg out of school at the age of 15, making him to join him in running the furniture business, because things were getting rough.
Laura was shocked to hear this. She squeezed his hand gently. He turned towards her and smiled sadly. Then he continued his life story, telling her how he had to work all day, and still have lessons every evening from private tutors.
Two years later, when he was seventeen years old, his father employed Aunt Rose as their accountant, and it was like she was the answer to everyone’s prayers. The company began to experience an increase in profits, but this did not make his father give up his reckless habits. He died eleven years later; his sisters were not interested in the family business. They had decided to pursue showbiz in California, leaving Gregory to run the business alone.

He also told her how Aunt Rose had helped him in that period. She made sure the business kept running. She was really like a dear aunt to him. That was when he offered to give her a room in his house. The house was extremely lonely after his sisters had travelled, and she lovingly agreed to move in. She used to tease him a lot about getting married and making sure the whole house was occupied with children, rather than servants.
They both laughed at that…..and their eyes locked for some seconds, before Laura blinked shyly and looked away.

“Come on, here’s stuffy, let’s go outside for fresh air”, Greg said to Laura, dragging her hand.
They went outside, she saw the swimming pool, the cars in the garage, the security house and of course, the beautiful garden right in front of the house. It was relaxing to be outside. The autumn breeze was cool and the garden had a fresh scent of roses and lavender.Laura took a very deep breath of the beautiful air. She felt its effect deep within her. As they strolled round the garden Greg called Crosby and asked him to bring them brunch.

Crosby arrived minutes later with a tray full of club sandwiches and orange juice. There were three white chairs and a table in the garden, so he set the tray down on the table and turned to go inside the house. Laura and Greg then sat down to eat, chatting every now and then, they had grown so close to each other between yesterday and now.
They talked about a lot of things, sometimes stopping to just stare into each others’ eyes. Laura was always the first to break the eye contact. They had talked and laughed for several hours and were strolling round the garden for the second time, when they sighted a car driving into the compound.

.............................................................................................................................

Who could that be?? Find out in chapter four
I value your comments a lot, so do keep them coming...
cheers
DNA1

tijehi: okay oh. but the updates are short o.

I just posted a longer piece.....
enjoy

More update plssssssssssssssssssss

Beautiful write up thus far, but peeps usually love wen one of d main character is hot-headed wit a good heart. One of them just gat to be stubborn naaa. They sound too plain.

A really beautiful piece.....weldone..patiently waiting 4 the next update

tijehi: Beautiful write up thus far, but peeps usually love wen one of d main character is hot-headed wit a good heart. One of them just gat to be stubborn naaa. They sound too plain.

Hahaha...no need to rush...the story is still unfolding...

CHAPTER FOUR

It was a black sedan car.
The passenger door opened and a tall, slim lady emerged from it, carrying a small travelling bag. She wore a dark short sleeved tee-shirt and black trousers. She was also wearing dark sunglasses. She had blonde hair. A smile spread across her face as she saw Greg.

“Greg!” she screamed as she ran towards him, and they hugged each other for a few seconds before pulling away. When they pulled away, he realized she was crying. He held her close for a few seconds again before he let her go.

“Hey Greg, how is everything with you?” she asked, smiling now, and taking off her glasses, her eyes were reddish from crying.

“I am alright and you?” he asked, stroking her cheek.

“I am fine, now that I have seen you” she replied.

“Hey” she said, turning towards Laura.

“Hi” Laura replied shyly.

“Em, Laura this is my sister, Latoya and Latoya meet Laura” said Greg, introducing them.

“Oh my goodness. So you are the famous Laura” Latoya said hugging Laura tightly. “We’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been dying to meet you. Goodness me, I’m so pleased to meet you”

“Same here” Laura was grinning widely. Greg had told her his sisters were fun to be with. She could see it already.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. I know you were very dear to Aunt Rose” Latoya said to Laura, smiling sadly.

“Yeah, I’m sorry too, I have come to understand that she was like family to you too”. Laura replied.

“She definitely was. Aww! She was always talking about you. She adored you Laura” Latoya said holding Laura’s hands.
Laura held back her tears at that statement. Greg noticed her watery eyes and decided to change the topic.

“Hey, are we going to stand all day?” he asked jokingly as he beckoned to them to sit down with him. Laura and Latoya sauntered towards him and made themselves comfortable on the other two chairs opposite him.

“So….how was your flight?”Greg asked his sister.

“It was okay. Nothing spectacular happened except that they were showing a movie which I had been a part of” she replied.

“Really? Which movie is that?” he asked again.

“Two grooms and a bride” she replied, smiling.

“You….are an actress?” Laura asked, stunned.

“Hahaha….no way…that’s Cherry’s field. I am a make-up artist” Latoya quickly cleared the air.

“Oh” Laura muttered under her breath.

“So, how are your kids? I heard you teach” Latoya asked, turning to Laura.

“Yes. They are fine, thank you” Laura replied.

“They will really miss you for these few days that you are not around”.

“Aww….no….they won’t even notice. They are really young kids. Two to three year olds”.

“Don’t be surprised if they mob you when you return” Latoya joked. They all laughed at that.

“Come on, let’s go in and have lunch, I’m starving!” Latoya moaned after they had chatted for some minutes. They sat down to eat and when they were almost done, they heard the door bell ring.

“That’s probably Cherry” Greg said checking his wristwatch.

“Her laughter will announce her presence if she’s the one…...” Latoya was still saying when they started hearing loud laughter. The sound was coming closer, and then boom! The door flew open.

“Oh my God! Latoya got here before me” she laughed hugging her sister tightly and kissing her cheek.

“Hey there bro, it’s good to see you again” she hugged and kissed him too, then turned towards Laura.

“Oh my goodness. Is this Laura?” she asked, eyes wide open.

“Yes I am” Laura said smiling as she rose up to hug her.

“You’re so pretty…I’ve heard so…..much about you. It’s a pleasure meeting you”

“Same here”.

“Wow…...you’re welcome to our humble home” Cherry said as she settled down unto the chair beside Laura.

“That’s the same thing your brother told me…I think this house is magnificent and really beautiful”.

“Oh, thanks. It used to be old-fashioned. Latoya and I worked really hard to spice it up this much”.
If Laura thought that Latoya was lively, she had seen someone that was even livelier—Cherry!

“You girls did a great job then, thumbs up” Laura complimented them; doing the ‘thumbs up’ sign.

“Thanks girl” Cherry replied.

“So how was your flight?” Latoya asked her sister.

“Hahaha..it was fun. If I tell you about it, you will find it really hilarious” said Cherry.

“Come on…tell us” Laura pressed.

“Alright, starting from the airport, I had a flight delay, and while I was waiting patiently…..”she stopped to look at their faces. They all looked at her with doubt written all over their faces. “Okay, impatiently… this French guy came to sit beside me and he was drunk. He kept bothering me continuously, speaking French to me as though I understood the language. At a point, I had to compose one sentence. The guy didn’t even listen, he was so excited about whatever it was that he was talking about, and he was talking and laughing so loudly, believe me it was really embarrassing. I was more than relieved when it was time to enter the plane. Little did I know I was going to meet another character on the plane”. They all laughed, then she continued.

“The lady who sat next to me on the plane was so obese, and she kept ordering more and more food, till she finally dozed off on my shoulder”. They laughed again.

“I got to watch comedies too. They were so funny. There was this black American piece I watched. It was about the girls in a hostel and their caretaker, whom they all referred to as ‘mama’, out of feigned respect. One day, two of the girls were gossiping about mama in their room, not knowing she was standing outside the door!”

“oh oh” Laura gasped, already anticipating what will happen.

Cherry continued, “when mama couldn’t take it any longer, she stormed into the room and was like: ‘Did I hear ya’all gossiping about me?” Cherry mimicked a black American accent.

Girl 1” Ain’t nobody gossiping about you, mama

Mama: So you’re gonna sit there, look into my face and tell me I’m lying?

Girl 2: No mama, all we’re saying is, nobody gossiping about you!

Mama: But I heard my name. Now you don’t think I’m stupid do you?

Girl 1: Ain’t nobody called your name!

Mama: I heard someone mention ‘mama’.

Girl 2: ‘mama’ ain’t your damn name. Anyone could be called mama. I could be called mama; she could be called mama.

Mama: Oh really? Alright then mama, you gonna go downstairs and you gonna wash those damn dishes; and you gonna go into the bathrooms and wash it in and out. I ain’t gonna have you sitting your fat asses down, gossiping about me, while the whole house is turning into garbage. Now get your butts up and start cleaning!”

At this, everyone burst into fits of laughter. Cherry was so much fun to be with. She kept cracking more and more jokes until their ribs were aching.

“So after making you laugh, I’m gonna starve to death” Cherry teased Greg, who quickly called Crosby to bring lunch for her. When she was done, they all went to the parlor to continue chatting. Once in a while, they stopped to read the news headlines scrolling across the TV screen, then they resumed their gist. Cherry’s happiness was so contagious that they momentarily forgot about their sadness.

After dinner, Laura excused herself because she was sleepy; while the rest of them continued to catch up with each other. Then Cherry turned to her brother.

“Hey bro, Laura’s such a pretty girl” Cherry said her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Yeah, and she has such a gentle spirit” Latoya added.

“She is soooo….. your type bro” Cherry said, pinching her brother playfully on his arm.

“Aww….what do you want?” he asked, feigning irritation.

“Oh, come on bro, you’re getting old” Cherry mocked.

“Wow, and you’re getting young?” he mocked back.

“I’m getting married soon! Same with Latoya; you don’t even have a girlfriend” Cherry defended.

“Look…I don’t know…I just think the time’s not right” Greg stammered.

“When will the time ever be right? It’s like Beauty and the beast. Beauty has walked right into your home and you refuse to do anything about it” said Cherry.

“Look I know you are concerned, and I appreciate…but just like I said… the time’s not right. The poor girl is in grief. This is not the time to bring up such issues”, Greg replied.

“So…are you saying you like her?” Cherry asked, hopeful.

“Come on bro, tell us”. Latoya pressed, nudging him.

“Fine…I admit. She’s charming. Who’s not to like?” Greg revealed blushing.

“Uh-huh. That’s just what I wanted to hear. Look you need to do something about it, like ASAP, before Mr Courageous comes and snatches her from underneath your nostrils”. Cherry advised.

“Who is Mr Courageous?” Greg asked, a puzzled look on his face.

“Any guy who is faster than you!” Cherry replied. They all laughed at this.

“So when is she returning to Texas?” Latoya asked.

“I haven’t asked, but I’m guessing she will return by Sunday, cuz she has to go to work on Monday”, said Greg.

“Which implies that you have little or no time. Please bro, promise me you won’t let this one pass you by. You are a good man, she’s a great lady. You deserve each other. Should we fix you guys up on Saturday?” Cherry offered.

“No, no dear, you don’t have to.” Greg begged.

“But there’s no other time”, cherry complained.
“Or maybe you could take us all out on Saturday, then Cherry and I could give you some space”. Latoya suggested.

“Yeah, that’s a great idea. What do you think bro?” Cherry asked.

“Come on, say yes. What are we going to be doing at home, anyway?” Latoya pleaded.

“Well that depends on if she’s not leaving on Saturday”, said Greg, trying to come up with an excuse.

“Then you will have to convince her to stay”, Cherry pressed.
After thinking for some seconds, Greg answered

“Alright, I will take you girls out on Saturday. Happy?”

“Yeei!!” Latoya rejoiced.

“Of course! I wish you luck bro”, cherry said, kissing him on the cheek.
Some minutes later, they all went to their rooms to rest, as they started feeling drowsy.

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up next...
chapter five
stay tuned

Wonderful story, waitin 4 more update.

Well as always, give us a twist please

Crazy sisters inlaw to be......u're in for a lot of fun laura

Beautiful story.God bless you.

Thanks for your comments guys.......
they mean a lot to me.....
here's the next chapter....
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