CHAPTER FIVE

The next morning, they all woke up looking rather solemn. They didn’t eat much during breakfast, and throughout the ride to church, nobody uttered a word.

On getting to church, Laura began to see members of her extended family, some of whom she had met before. She saw three of her mother’s cousins whom she had only met once in her entire life. They all came with their families. She had their contacts all this while, though and communicated with them through e-mail, but they never visited each other due to distance.

As for her mother’s fourth cousin, aunt Helen, they used to visit each other until she changed jobs and relocated from Texas, several years ago. Laura felt so good to see her once again. She was roughly the same age as Aunt Rose.

“Aunt Helen! It’s so good to see you.” Laura screamed, throwing her arms round the old lady’s neck.

“It’s been a long time, dear. How are you?” Helen asked, returning her hug and kissing her cheeks which were turning pink due to the cold weather.

“I’m good and you?”

“Great. How’s your job?”

“Very fine, thank you. And your family?”

“Oh, they’re over there”, Helen replied, pointing towards them.

They began to walk towards Helen’s family members who were chatting with the rest of the family. It was a big family re-union. When they joined them, Helen began to introduce Laura to her second-cousins one by one. They were all happy to meet her too.

Gregory was talking with the priest for some minutes, after which he walked over to Laura’s family and greeted them politely. He talked with them for a while, then a thought struck him. He noticed that they were all trying to do some catching up; he deduced that they didn’t see each other frequently. So he offered to host them all at his house that night. He actually meant for them to sleep over, so they will have ample time to gist.
They were speechless at the offer, but they politely declined, saying he had spent so much money and time on the burial arrangements, and hosting all of them will be asking a little too much. He tried to convince them to change their minds, but they insisted that they didn’t want to put him to too much trouble.
They talked a little, and then he left them, to make some phone calls. Then Helen took Laura aside and started chatting with her again.

“You still work as an elementary school teacher?”

“Yes I do.”

“Come on girl, get a life. You are a great gem. You ought to be a professional accountant. I used to hear a lot about your achievements when you were in school. What suddenly happened? Why have you decided to just throw away all you have and settle for this?” Helen asked concerned.

“I actually kinda….love this job…I mean….I love being with children”, Laura stammered.

“Then get married and have your kids.” The old lady laughed, with a hint of concern in her voice.

“Er….no….I’m not ready to settle down just yet. I still got lots of things I want to do as a single lady.”

“Really? Things like what, Laura?”

“Well….you know …..personal stuff…I just wanna cross one or two milestones before I settle down.”

“You’re almost 30, if I’m not mistaken,” Helen looked concerned.

“27”. Laura corrected, smiling. At this, the old lady couldn’t help laughing. Then she suddenly became serious and held up Laura’s face so she could look into her eyes.
“Look at me girl, you wanna be like me? I got married at the age of 45. I was lucky to have this child you know; I was so approaching menopause already”.

Laura chuckled. “No aunty, that’s not what I’m saying. All I’m saying is…I need more time for myself, to achieve one or two things before I move on with life.”

“Hmmm”. Helen sighed. “If you say so. I just want you to know that you are young and beautiful; and you are every man’s dream. So don’t lock yourself up at home. Go out and socialize, and settle down before you get old, okay?”

“Yes aunty,” Laura submitted.

“Besides, that gentleman that Rose worked with is really nice; I hope he isn’t married?”

Laura coughed, taken aback by the question. “He isn’t”, she managed to reply.

“In that case, I wish you the best, Laura. I love you, never forget that.”

“I love you too, aunt Helen.”



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


The next day was Saturday. They woke up feeling better than the previous day. Cherry and Latoya went to Laura’s room to invite her to go jogging with them, but she declined, saying she didn’t come with appropriate clothes, but when Cherry offered to give her something to wear, she had no choice than to accept it.

Gregory declined the offer. He was really busy in his study, trying desperately to fix an appointment with a well known business man in Phoenix, Arizona.

Laura and Greg’s sisters went out of the house and started to jog down the street, chatting and chanting man‘o’war songs as they moved deep into the woods. After a while, Laura began to get exhausted, so they turned back and made their way to the house. When the girls returned, they had a shower before settling down to eat breakfast….Greg was still in his study. He later came to join them in the parlour. He met them chatting, so he joined in. They laughed and cracked jokes for hours. Latoya then suggested they play card games- she was very good at that. When they were all getting bored with it, Cherry came up with an idea…..

“Let’s play…. ‘I had a dream’ ”, she announced gleefully. It was a game they used to play as kids.

“Aww…yeah, I love that” Latoya agreed. Greg was indifferent. He had always thought the game was boring. Laura simply sat still, a blank look on her face. She had no idea what this game was about. Cherry deciphered from her expression that she didn’t know the game, so she explained to her, and then decided to be the first person to direct the game. She made them sit in such a way that Laura’s turn always came after Greg’s. Then she began…..

“I had a dream….” Cherry said, emphasizing the ‘dream’.

“And in that dream”, Latoya added.

“I saw a man”, said Gregory.

“A tall man”, said Laura, noticing it was her turn to speak.

“He worked so hard, day and night”, Cherry continued.

“Just to make a living”, Latoya contributed.

“In order to make the woman of his dreams, happy”, Greg added, smiling as he looked at Laura.

“She wouldn’t bulge though, no matter how much money he brought”, said Laura, stiffening up when she noticed Greg’s eyes on her.

“Until one day…” Cherry said, determined to make this story work.

“One faithful day…” Latoya added, emphasizing the ‘faithful’.

“He found out about her and another guy”, Greg contributed, not knowing where the story was going.

“He was disappointed, so he gave up on her…” said Laura, completely at a loss as to what to say.

“What!” everyone turned to Laura.

“Hey, whoever breaks the story chain looses! Last warning”, Cherry said to Laura. Then she continued the story, ignoring Laura’s previous sentence. “When he found out she had a secret lover, he confronted her”, said Cherry.

“She didn’t deny”, said Latoya.

“She told him she had lost her patience and she had to call it quits with him”, Greg said, trying to give the story a direction.

“He couldn’t believe his ears”, said Laura. She was beginning to understand the game.

“He let her go anyway”, said Cherry with a sad face.

“He had such a kind heart”, Latoya continued.

“He would do nothing to hurt her”, Greg added.

“And she lived happily with the man she was engaged to--” said Laura running out of ideas.

“Until one day” Cherry quickly picked it up before Laura would end the story by adding ‘ever after’ to it.

“One faithful day”, Latoya added dryly.

“Come on, say something Latoya, bring new ideas” Greg commented, bored with the game, already.

“Alright, one day, she found out he was on drugs”, Latoya said, with a cunning look on her face.

“And he was drinking and smoking too”, Greg added.

“She didn’t notice this when they were dating?” Laura said; more of a question than a contribution.

Cherry quickly continued. “she was heartbroken”; she demonstrated it by placing her hands on her chest.

“She cried all day and all night”, Latoya emphasized.

“The guy she abandoned wasn’t rich, but he wasn’t on drugs either”. Greg said, demonstrating the fictitious lady’s regret.

“Neither did he smoke, drink or beat her up at the slightest offence”, Laura added with sadness in her voice.

“What will I do now? She thought”, said Cherry.

“I will go back to my first love….she sighed, desperate”, said Latoya.

“But it was too late now”, Greg added.

“Yeah, she was engaged already”, Laura reminded them.

“Nevertheless, I will break it off, she thought, taking action immediately” said Cherry, determined to drive the game forward.

“After which she ran into the open arms of her first love”, said Latoya smiling widely.

“And then they got married”, said Greg grateful that the story had come to an end.

“And lived happily….” said Laura, looking to see if Cherry will stop her.

“Ever…….”, said Cherry smiling at Latoya.

“After!!!” Latoya concluded, laughing happily.

“Hahahahaha”, they all laughed when Latoya concluded the story.

“Alright that story was lame”, Cherry admitted. “It’s your turn to start now, go ahead” she urged Latoya.

“Okay….I had a dream….” Latoya said, beginning a new story. On and on they went, till they got tired. They ate lunch and went to relax; while Greg went back to his study to continue his work.



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


Later that afternoon, Greg finally went upstairs to shower, then he called his sisters and asked them if they were ready to go out. They told him they were ready. Then they went to Laura’s room to tell her to get dressed.
Laura wondered what to wear. Latoya and Cherry had told her they were going to the movies, so she looked for something casual to wear. She decided to wear a pair of blue jean pants and a white blouse. She combed her hair and applied make-up before she came downstairs to the parlour.

She met Greg alone in the parlour, he was standing close to one of the windows, he held onto the rails; his knuckles looking whitish. He wore a grey coloured tee-shirt and blue jeans.

She just stood at the doorway, staring at him; he had his back towards her. She stared at his tall frame, he was a head and shoulder taller than her. His broad shoulders and muscular arms looked stiff from anxiety. She stared at his dark curly hair for some seconds and then she let her gaze drop once again to his hands tightly grasping the window rails.
What could he possibly be thinking? She asked herself. He looked rather troubled, and for some reason she felt concerned.

“Hey”, she managed to say.

Greg turned round, startled. “Hey, you’re dressed” he commented, managing to smile.

“Yes I am. I’m sorry to intrude. I couldn’t help but notice you were lost in thought. Is everything okay?” She asked politely.

“Yes I am fine. I’m very fine.” He replied, shoving his hands into his pocket.

“But you look really tensed”, Laura said, getting more concerned.

“It’s nothing really; nothing to bother yourself about.” Greg said quickly-a little too quickly.

“Is it about your business?” Laura persisted.

“Kind of…..” he said hesitantly. He sat on the chair beside him and motioned to her to sit close to him. She obliged.

“There’s this business man in Arizona that I have been trying to fix an appointment with for several months now. His personal assistant is really annoying. He keeps asking for petty documents that I can’t find, and he uses this as a barrier. If I can’t produce a certain document, he just tells me to forget it, that he can’t fix an appointment for me just yet.” He stopped to breathe then he continued.
“This businessman is really rich. If I can get him to invest in my company, it is going to really turn things around for my business. It’s just that I’m starting to lose hope. It’s like I’m never gonna be able to get past his personal assistant” Greg lamented.

“Oh come on, give yourself some time okay? Don’t give up just yet. I’m sure he’ll call you soon. Perhaps he has a lot of people to fix appointments for, and he’s just asking you for those documents in order to buy some time without telling you directly.” Laura counseled, while Greg pondered on her statements.

“Well, I desperately hope you are right” Greg said, after a while.

Moments later, his sisters walked into the parlour, and then they all went outside together. Greg drove them to the movies, while they chatted happily. On getting to the cinema, Cherry and Latoya chose to watch a romantic movie. Laura and Greg agreed to watch it with them. Greg queued for the tickets, while the girls went to purchase popcorn.
When Greg gave everyone their tickets, his sisters waited outside, pretending to be arguing about something important. Greg and Laura went in and sat on their chairs. They talked for a while, before Laura suddenly looked up and noticed the people sitting close to Greg.

“I thought your sisters were supposed to sit next to us?” she asked with a look of surprise on her face.

“They were. Our tickets were following each other, consecutively” Greg replied, equally surprised.
Greg turned in his seat, his eyes scanning the crowd of people sitting behind him, until he caught his sisters waving to him from eight rows behind. He caught the cunning look on their faces. They had obviously exchanged their tickets with a couple. He knew immediately that they deliberately wanted to give him and Laura some space. So he simply winked at them and turned back to face Laura.

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



Aww....what's gonna happen next??
Find out in chapter six!

Alright peeps...let's get a little interactive....
Please name your favourite character in the book so far...and tell me what draws you to him/her...
I will appreciate your participation...it could motivate me to write the story better..
thanks

All of them.The match-making sisters and the lovely Laura and gentle Greg.

My favourite character is cherry....why?? The gurl is so smart and fun to be with...she acts like she hasnt got any problem at all....now dat's a kind of frnd everyone will love to have!!

Hello DNA1, i really love your story, i applause your decision to keep intimate details to barest minimum. Thumbs up! My best character is Greg.

Naughty sisters

Next update loading.......ko??

Here's chapter six....
Enjoy...

CHAPTER SIX


Laura settled down to watch the movie, although a part of her wished that Greg’s sisters were sitting close to them. It would have reduced the tension she was feeling right now. If she had known that Greg’s sisters would pair up, she would have chosen to watch anything but a romance movie. She tried to focus her attention on the movie, but she was painfully aware of the man sitting right next to her.

You can do this girl. The movie will only last for an hour and a half. Voice two whispered in Laura’s head.
Come on Laura, enjoy the movie. Focus! You need to be able to contribute when his sisters are giving their opinion about the movie. Voice one advised. Then the voices quieted down, while she watched. It was extremely passionate and she shared quite a number of experiences with the main female character in the movie. It was almost like she was watching her own life story being displayed on the screen.

She managed to get through the entire movie, her cheeks cherry red by the time the movie ended. As they walked out of the cinema together, Cherry commented on the movie, while they listened to her high-pitched voice. Then she suddenly asked,

“Who’s hungry?”

“I am” Greg answered.

“Me too” Latoya said.

Laura was simply quiet. She was still very self conscious after watching the movie and avoided eye contact especially with Greg, by all means. Greg drove them to an eatery, where they settled down to have dinner. Then he took them shopping, after which they went home.



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


When they got home, they were all tired, but chose to sit together and talk a little bit more. Cherry was the first to talk as usual.

“When are you returning to Texas, Laura?”

“Tomorrow, after church service.” Laura answered smiling sadly.

“Aww. We are all going to miss you dearly.” Cherry confessed.

“I will miss you too.” Said Laura.

“I hope you will come over to spend Christmas?” Asked Cherry.

“Yeah, and other holidays too?” Latoya added.

“Yeah, if I’m invited.” Said Laura.

“This is your home, you are always welcome.” Said Cherry.

“Thanks.” Laura smiled shyly.

“Why not stay a little longer. You can go first thing on Monday morning.” Greg quickly seized the opportunity. He really longed to spend more time with Laura.

“Em….no, I will have a lot of unpacking and settling down to do. I think it’s best I leave tomorrow.” Laura declined.

“You can unpack when you get back from work.” Greg pressed.

“If I don’t unpack, I will be a little disorganized at work.” Laura protested.

“Come on Laura. You can sacrifice one day of been disorganized.” Said Cherry.

“Or better still, if you leave here on time, you can get to your house and unpack, before going to work.” Latoya suggested.

Laura couldn’t stand three people begging her at the same time. She had a really soft heart. She eventually gave in. “Alright, Monday morning, bright and early”. She said with a smile. Cherry and Latoya cheered happily, Greg smiled at his sisters. A while later, they all retired to their respective rooms.



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


Laura walked slowly to her room. She couldn’t believe she had just agreed to stay. There was no way she could leave New York on Monday morning and arrive in Texas in time for work. Yet she had agreed to stay.
I’ll have to inform Maureen about this, she thought as she picked up her phone to dial Maureen’s number. Maureen was her colleague and she was one friend that was quite close to her, despite the fact that she didn’t like drawing her friends too close. Maureen stood in for Laura throughout the previous week, by winding up the partition separating their classrooms and combining the kids together. Laura knew how stressful it was to handle eight kids; not to talk of sixteen. She dialed Maureen’s number anyway. After a few rings, Maureen picked.

“Hi Laura.”

“Hey dear. How are you?”

“I’m good and you?”

“I’m fine.”

“How did the ceremony go?”

“It went well.”

“I’m sorry once again.”

“It’s alright. Thanks. How is Texas?”

“It’s boring without you.”

“By boring you mean stressful, isn’t it?” Laura asked, laughing.

“Definitely. 16 kids. Damn! I can’t wait to leave this job.”

“What! What are you talking about? You’ve gotten a new job or what?” Laura asked, not sure what Maureen was saying.

“Hahaha. Never mind. We will discuss that when you come.”

“Hmmmm. Always full of surprises.”

“Trust me, this one will blow your mind away.”

“Seriously? Come on, give me a hint.” Laura begged.

“No way. When you come, I will give you the full gist.”

“Alright, if you say so. Em…, Maureen.”

“Yeah?”

“I need a little favour from you.”

“Okay?”

“I will not resume early on Monday, so I need you to stand in for me till about 10a.m.”

“Oh, okay. Is there… like a problem?”

“No...no problem at all. I will leave for Texas first thing on Monday morning, not tomorrow as earlier planned.”

“Okay….I hope you are alright out there Laura”

“Yes, dear. I am fine.”

“Alright see you on Monday then.”

“Thanks Maureen. I owe you.” Laura said, ending the call. Dropping the phone on her bedside table, she took off her clothes for a warm shower, after which she changed into her pajamas. Then the voices in her head started again.

Voice 2: So you are staying one more night than necessary. You are certainly falling for him.

Voice1: And is that such a bad idea?

Voice 2: You barely even know him. Four days is not enough time to get to know someone.

Voice 1: Hence, she bought more time.

Voice 2: Nothing good can come out of this you know.

Voice 1: Stop it with your pessimistic attitude. It’s becoming rather irritating.

Voice 2: I am not a pessimist; I am a realist-

Voice 1: Who never sees the good side of anything.

The two voices smirked at each other.

“Stop it you two!” Laura screamed out loud. “Just one more day. Just one day won’t hurt. I will be out of here by Monday morning and back to my quiet life in Texas. So there’s no need to freak out.” She tried to convince herself.

Voice2: Well he seems really nice, but don’t forget, wolves disguise themselves as sheeps. So be careful.

Voice 1: Hmm…she finally admits he’s a nice person.

Laura sighed, exhausted. She fell on her bed and dozed off.



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



Greg walked into his room. He had a throbbing headache. He took a bottle of water from his refrigerator and used it to swallow some medicines. Then he sat down on his bed, staring into thin air, his mind wandering between the business man in Arizona and the pretty lady that had just agreed to extend her stay in his house.

Within such a short period of time, he had become very fond of her. He wished he had known her a little earlier- perhaps when aunt Rose was still alive. Laura had such a gentle spirit and her intelligence, charisma and physical beauty was like nothing he had ever seen in all the girls he had dated previously.

He was thinking of keeping her here with him in New York indefinitely. He couldn’t deny it any longer. He had deep feelings for her; but he wasn’t sure how she would react if he told her about his feelings so soon.
A thought came into his mind. He thought of offering her a job as an accountant; but somewhere in his mind, he doubted she will accept it. From the conversations they had had about her job, it was obvious she valued it very much and was not ready to give it up, yet.

Nonetheless, I will offer her the job, and keep it open in case she changes her mind later on, he thought.



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



The next day was Sunday. They all got dressed for church service, and took breakfast, with Cherry cracking jokes as usual, before Greg’s chauffeur drove them all to church. The sermon was about sharing your burdens with the people you love, rather than keeping all your hurts and pains locked up inside your heart. It was as though the preacher was talking directly to Laura. She had a lot of friends, but she always kept them at a distance, preferring to keep her secrets to herself.

Even her so-called best friend, Maureen didn’t know much about her. This was because she felt she couldn’t trust anyone. The situations she had faced in life, forced her to come to the conclusion that no one can be trusted, and all friends could betray you someday. By the time the sermon was over, she was dazed about everything the preacher had said. Truly, keeping your hurts locked up inside could hurt you even more. But when you find someone to talk to- someone that loves you genuinely, you can experience great relief.

The chauffeur drove them from the church to the airport, Cherry and Latoya were returning to California. They had lots of work to do, movies were on hold, because they had not been around for days, so they had to return ASAP. When they got to the airport, there were tears in their eyes. They hugged Laura tightly, making her to promise once more, that she will always come to New York to spend holidays with them.

Then it was Greg’s turn. They hugged him tightly, whispering things that were incoherent to Laura, then they let go. They boarded their flights and took off, while Greg, Laura and the chauffeur made their way back home.

On their way, Greg made the chauffeur stop at an ice-cream shop. He got down without saying a word to Laura. Minutes later, he returned to the car with a chocolate and vanilla flavoured ice-cream for Laura.

“How do you know I like these flavours?” Laura asked him, surprised.

“You told me.” Greg replied, a twinkle in his eyes.

“When?”

“Remember on Thursday when we were in the garden? I asked you if you liked junk food. You told me you did, then you went ahead to list the kinds of food you love.”

“Oh, I remember now,” she chuckled. “I’m surprised you didn’t forget.”

“I wan’t planning to.” Said Greg with a cunning look on his face. “So, tell me about your friends. You told me you have lots of them.” He said.

“Oh yeah. There’s Annie and Julie from high school, and there’s Heather and Shane too. Of course my co-workers: Maureen, Penny, Judith; and some from church: Frederick, Beatrice. Of course my neighbours and many others. Yeah I have lots of them, but I’m not really close to anyone.” She answered quickly, trying to wave the topic away. The last sentence had slipped out of her mouth carelessly.

“Hmm…why is that?” Greg asked, surprised at the last statement.

“Nothing really. I just prefer to keep my distance.” Laura answered hoping he will drop the topic.

“There’s no way a pretty young lady will want to be distant from her friends. There must be some reason.”

“It’s nothing okay? By the way, thanks.” Laura said, seeing the need for a distraction.

“For what?” Greg asked, confused.

“The ice-cream.” She smiled; their eyes met.

“Don’t mention.” He croaked.

Greg’s phone rang. He picked it up and talked with the person for some minutes before dropping. By then, they just entered his compound. Greg and Laura went in to have lunch and then Laura excused herself, while Greg went to his study to do some work, his mind wandering constantly to what Laura had said inadvertently.

He knew Laura had encountered some tragic incidents in the past, but he didn’t think it was enough reason for her to lock everyone out of her life. He was determined to get to know more about it by evening, after all, she was leaving the next morning, so this would be his only chance to get closer to her, and also to offer her a job.
He really wanted to let her know how he felt, but then he needed some more time, at least to see if she felt the same. He got back to work with his computer, making up his mind to talk with Laura later.



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


When Laura got to her room, she rested a while, sent some e-mails and made a few phone calls. Then she decided to see what Greg was up to.
She found him in his study working with his computer. There was a crease on his forehead. He looked up when he saw her and a smile came to his face.

“Hi Laura,” he said.

“Hey, what are you up to?”

“I’m just uploading some documents to my e-mail.”

“Oh okay,” she said, sitting down opposite him.

“I’m almost done. Can we go outside when I’m done?”

“No problem,” said Laura shyly.

She fumbled with her phone for several minutes, trying to appear busy, then he announced,

“Alright. I’m done. Let’s go over to the garden. There’s lots of fresh air there.” He smiled, getting up from his chair.

“Okay.” She agreed, getting up too. He held her right hand and smiling down at her, he nudged her out of his office.


.....................................................................................................................
up next....
you guessed right...
chap 7...
stay tuned....

all these my secret readers, make una show some love na? Abeg try comment make I know sey una dey dere.....

One love ya'all....

nice nice story... Pls dont spoil d sweetness by delaying update.... I luv the story

Lovely piece i gotta say....plz come n update fast fast,abeg

sorry i couldn't update throughout last week...Nepa hasn't been so good to me....
but...i have managed to type the next chapter
sorry 4 keeping u all waiting...................

happy new month to u all, btw

CHAPTER SEVEN


A shiver went down her spine when their palms came into contact. Hers became sweaty right away and her fingers trembled. She was barely managing to walk. Her legs felt like jelly. Her head was light.

What is happening to me? She thought. Why does he make me feel like this? She wondered.

“You need to get your palm out of his hand if you are to regain consciousness.” voice two warned.

“No! That’ll be rude. You’ll be fine, okay? Stop freaking out. Besides, he is not the first man to ever hold your hand.” Voice one countered.

“Yeah, and the other men who have ever held your hand, have been nothing but jerks” voice two complained.

“Here we go again. Give this man a break. Don’t convict him of a crime he didn’t commit” said voice one.

“Yeah, I agree. Give him a chance to prove how guilty he is. But I must warn you- once he has your heart in his hands, he will do with it as he pleases. He will break it to pieces, throw it out of the window and then move on to the next pretty girl he sees. Withdraw your hand, girl. It’s making you vulnerable” voice two was shouting now. “It’s bad enough that you have agreed to spend one more day here. Don’t make yourself regret it.” Voice two said with a note of finality.

At that, Laura jerked her hand free from Greg’s, startling him. Their eyes met. His full of confusion, hers full of doubt, uncertainty, fear. She broke the eye contact, then he looked away. He continued walking slowly towards the front door. She swallowed the lump in her throat and fell in step with him. There was an awkward silence for a few moments then Crosby opened the door of his room and stepped into the corridor.

“Er… Crosby, please get us some fruit juice. We will be at the garden” Greg said to Crosby.

“Right away sir.” Crosby answered, walking briskly away.

Greg opened the front door and stood beside it like a gentleman, while Laura passed first. Then he followed her outside. He walked slowly behind her, watching her as she walked to the garden to take a seat.

Damn! Why is he walking behind me? She asked herself. He wants me to sit down first so that he can sit opposite me. She sighed, settling down onto one chair. No no no no no, not the seat opposite me. No, s*h*i#t! She grumbled in her mind as he sat opposite her, and she did everything possible to avoid any eye contact. She could barely breathe; her mouth was dry. Then she heard a sound- he was talking to her.

“So we were in the middle of talking about you when my phone rang in the car” Greg said. She managed a smile.

“I haven’t apologized for that yet, I’m sorry” Greg said, trying to get her to talk. She didn’t say anything. She just stared at the table, clasping both palms on the table. Her hands were trembling. She hoped he didn’t notice.

“You were telling me about your friends” he continued, “I notice you hardly mentioned any male names. You don’t have male friends or something?” he asked.

“I do. I mentioned a few.” she squeaked.

Okay. Er… so you didn’t tell me the reason why you keep all your friends at a distance.” Said Greg, staring at her face to see her reaction.

“Er.. Greg, I’ll rather not talk about that.” she said uneasily, looking everywhere else but him.

“Come on Laura you can tell me anything. I’m your friend and that’s what friends are for.”

“Seriously it’s not a big deal.”

“If it’s not a big deal, then you won’t mind telling me, Laura. It’s not healthy to keep all your friends at bay. Whatever it is that is troubling you, surely you can confide in someone else than yourself.” Greg said, then he held Laura’s chin so that their eyes met. “You’ve got to learn how to trust people, that’s why you have people around you”, he said, letting go of her chin. He continued. “You are not alone in this world okay?”

“I….I don’t know.” Laura stammered, biting her lower lip to keep her tears at bay. She couldn’t quite figure out where to start from; she wasn’t even sure she should open up to him in the first place.

At that, Greg reached across the table and covered her hands with his, stroking them gently. She flinched at his touch.
“I’m here for you, you can tell me anything,” he said gently, then he let go of her hands.

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
At that moment, Greg caught sight of Crosby. He was bringing the juice.

“Thanks Crosby, you can go now.” Greg said, collecting the tray from Crosby and setting it down on the table. He picked up the jug and poured some juice into both cups.
“Here you go,” he said, offering one cup to Laura. She offered a ‘thank you’ and placed it down without even taking a sip. Greg’s questions had brought back some painful memories and she wasn’t in the mood to drink anything.

“I’ve been hurt severally by the ones I loved and trusted with my heart. And each one of them did a lot of damage to me.” She said sadly. “They left a lot of painful scars on my heart-” her voice trailed off for some moments, until she managed to regain the strength to continue “My closest friend since kindergarten was like the sister I didn’t have. We told each other our secrets and stuffs. We attended the same high school, went for parties together, slept in each other’s houses. Until one day in our senior year. I introduced her to my boyfriend. She became cold and started acting differently. She stopped sitting close to me or picking my calls. Not long after, my boyfriend started avoiding me as well. You can imagine how lonely I felt, but it was nothing compared to the shock I felt when I ran into them making out at the back of school one afternoon. She wasn’t even remorseful! I just made up my mind not to draw anyone so close to me, since then. It is only people that are so close to you, that can hurt you so deeply, you know.” Laura said, a look of anguish on her face.

“Hmm.” Greg grunted. “That must have been painful, but that was also a long time ago. Why haven’t you given anyone a chance since then?” he asked.

“Apart from the fact that the girl acted like such a b#i*t*c#h, the guy was a total jerk. He left her for some other girl, in a matter of weeks; and the same goes for every other guy I have dated.” She paused. “The two guys I recently dated seemed to be the most serious. They promised they were interested in marriage, but they both left after getting what they wanted. I don’t know what it is with you guys. It’s like your brains are all configured in the same distorted way. You meet a girl, you like her, you screw her up and then you move on to the next girl. It’s sickening.” said Laura frustration and disgust written all over her face.

“Come on Laura not all guys are like that.” Greg defended.

“I am talking from my own experience, it’s not like I read it off a book, or someone told me. It happened to me! I would never have believed any of them could do that to me. They appeared so innocent initially. I loved them with all my heart. I didn’t consider what had happened to me in the past. I gave each one of them my heart without looking back. They just treated me like trash and walked away, leaving me all alone with no one I can trust, and here you are saying I am not alone on this world. I no longer have my parents, I never had any siblings, my best friend turned out to be an enemy after all, and all the men I ever gave my heart to, made a nuisance of me. From what perspective do you expect me to view life. Huh? Talk to me Greg.” She said, shaking visibly from the anger and the hurt. “People have mistreated me and made me feel so unwanted. There was nothing else I could possibly do. I had to keep every new friend I made at a distance because that is how it all starts. You meet someone, you like the person, you draw the person close to you and then the person turns round and hurts you.” Her voice had risen high now. “I’ve been through this cycle many times and I have promised myself that I’m not going to go through this again. So it’s as simple as that. The only way I can protect myself is by not allowing anyone to come close enough to be able to hurt me.” She shrugged.

Greg was shocked at her story and the bluntness with which she said it. He let in sink in for a few moments. Then continued, “I’m guessing that is why your friends in college referred to you as a nerd, because of the way you kept locking them out of your life?” he asked.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” she replied uninterested.

“Er… you see, life goes on. Don’t allow your past to tie you down to one position, or else you will continuously remain in that position. People may have hurt you in the past, but have you ever stopped to think about the reason for their behavior? They might have been hurt in the past, and inflicting pain on someone else might be the only way they can vent their anger, although that is very wrong.” Said Greg trying to get her to reason from his point of view.

“Why should it always be me? I have never hurt anyone else like that, so why should people take out their anger on me?” Laura asked confused.

“Did you just say you have never hurt anyone?” He asked, leaning close to look into her eyes. “How about the people you lock out from your life. Don’t you ever think that some of them hold you dear to their heart, and locking them away might inflict pain on them and make them feel ‘unwanted’?” he used his fingers to draw inverted commas in the air.

Laura sighed after considering what he just said. “Where are you going to with this?” She asked.

“All I’m saying is that you should give every new person you meet, a chance. Life is full of opportunities and not everyone is a monster. Not everyone is going to turn round and stab you, but if you don’t lower the walls of protection you have built around you, you will never know who will be your true friend among the many people you meet in life.” He stopped to breathe then he continued. “Everyone has pains but some people have simply learnt not to carry their resentments through life. I have been hurt severally too. All the girls I dated in the past ended up leaving me after getting what they wanted. In fact, one of them almost ruined by business. But I didn’t let the hurt hinder me. I had to move on with life. I still went ahead and associated with other people, males and females alike. So it’s not only guys that behave like jerks; we have female jerks too.” Said Greg.

The last statement caused Laura to raise an eyebrow. Seeing the look on her face, Greg quickly corrected the statement. “Okay may be that didn’t come out right. What I’m saying is, don’t just sit down at the sidelines and point accusing fingers at people. You will be missing out of life’s action. Get on the field and participate in life. You will lead a much happier life if you can put the past behind you. I know it’s difficult but it’s not impossible. You are a pretty young lady, and you deserve a good life, so give yourself the best. Is that all right?” he asked.

Laura simply nodded. There was a bit of silence as Greg took a few sips from his cup. Then he changed the topic, “So you will be leaving tomorrow. What do you say I offer you a job here as an accountant?”

The offer came as a surprise to Laura. She gasped. “Oh, em thanks, but no. I…I love my job and I’m not ready yet for the stress of being an accountant. Perhaps in the future I might do a masters course and probably get back to my field, but for now, I love where I am,” she managed to say.

“Okay. The offer’s still open in case you change your mind.” Said Greg sipping from his juice.

“Thanks.” said Laura, smiling.

Just then Greg’s phone rang. He picked it up and conversed with the person for almost ten minutes before he dropped the phone. “Please pardon me. It was a business call.” He begged.

“Oh it’s okay.” said Laura curtly.

“The head of procurement wants me to meet with him first thing tomorrow morning. There are some supplies he needs to procure urgently.” he explained.

“Okay” she said.

“So…here I go again. I have barely even had a chance to complete the things in my schedule, and here I am, agreeing to attend an impromptu meeting first thing on a Monday morning.” he complained.

Laura chuckled. “It’s for the good of your company” she reminded him.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Don’t mind me, I whine like a baby at times,” he said with a wave of his hand. “Finish up your juice and let’s go in, it’s getting late.”

Laura picked up her cup of juice. As she began to sip from it, her eyes met his over the top of her cup. She simply took a sip and lowered the cup down. “Let’s go in,” she coughed. “I will finish my juice inside.”

“Okay” he said, rising to his feet. She picked up her cup and they walked back silently into the house, each person wondering what the other was thinking. When they got inside, they chatted for a while before taking dinner, then Laura rose up to go.

“I have a busy day tomorrow. I need to rest now.” She said.

“That’s okay” said Greg. In his mind, he wished she would spend more time with him. He got up anyway and escorted her to the door. “Have a goodnight rest” he said as he opened the door for her.

“You too” she said curtly as she climbed the stairs to go to her room.

Greg stood watching her until she disappeared. He summoned the courage to go his study to do some work. His morale was really low. All he cared about right now was Laura. He wished he could tell her how he felt about her, but he still felt strongly that the time wasn’t right. He wasn’t sure yet if she felt the same way about him. Her shyness could be natural; he had no reason to believe that his presence particularly made her shy. The poor girl was finding it difficult to let go of her past. She had a wrong idea of guys. Telling her about his feelings right now, would make it look as though he was simply toying with her emotions, knowing that she was in her most vulnerable state. She needed time to get to know him more and trust him.

He clenched his fists at his side as he thought of the guys that had wronged her. They had really left a bad impression about guys in general and now he was going to have to work extra hard to gain her trust.
First things first, he thought to himself. She has to trust me as a friend before I bring my feelings into the matter, he concluded as he reached the door of his study.

As soon as he sat down, his phone started to ring. Tiredly he withdrew the phone from his trouser pocket, squinting as he looked at the screen. The person calling him was the personal assistant of the business man in Arizona. Greg squeezed his fore-head in surprise and looked at his watch. It was half past eight. What could he possibly be calling me for at this time of the night? He wondered. He picked the call, non-chalantly. He had grown weary of the man’s overbearing attitude.

“Hello,” he said uninterested.

“Hello. Am I on to Mr Gregory Manson?” The voice at the other end of the phone asked.

“Yes. This is Gregory Manson on the line.”

“I am Luke Walter, calling from-”

“Yes, I know who you are” said Gregory irritated already. He had a throbbing headache and was barely managing to pay attention to what Walter was saying.

“Okay. A client just called to cancel his appointment and since you are the most persistent on my waiting list, I have decided to schedule an appointment for you in that slot.”

Greg sat up, his heart beating faster. Finally the *i*di#ot was fixing an appointment for him. “Okay, what slot are we talking about here?” He asked full of excitement now.

“Tomorrow, 5pm.” The voice answered.

“Tomorrow!!!”
............................................................................................................................................................

Haha..guys.........wot's Greg gonna do now? should he take the offer at such short notice? (Trust me, this could affect EVERYTHING!)
Coming up shortly....(as long as nepa gives me light to type)
chapter eight!!!
love u allll..... muah..

@ moderators:
wait o...i don't undastand...wot's up with the moderators of dis forum...they are changing some of the words i used in this chapter to words that don't make any sense....
for goodness sakes, i DELIBERATELY used these words for effect...
please if u are one of the 'computer' guys on this forum and u are reading this, i would like to talk with you one to one, there are better words that can stand in for the ones i uploaded originally.
i certainly didn't upload 'poo' or 'Naughty Lady' and u guys completely erased a whole word from one of the last sentences....
please i need a correspondence to talk with...you guys are seriously watering down the picture i am trying to paint.
thank you.
i await your reply

Updates pls, dnt leave us high and dry now pulllease

CHAPTER EIGHT


On reaching her room, Laura shut the door and sauntered lazily towards her bed. She sighed heavily as she sat on it. Her mind wandered to the past few days. It had been a stressful week indeed. She was eager to begin a new week in Texas on a good note. She got up and took her shower, then changed into her comfortable pajamas and lay on the bed. She couldn’t sleep though. Her mind kept roaming about.

She thought of when she first heard about Aunt Rose’s demise and how she had summoned the strength to come over to New York. She remembered her first encounter with Crosby. She smiled wryly, remembering how she had thought Crosby was Gregory. She remembered her first encounter with Gregory- she had caught him staring at her in the dining room. She had no idea how long he had been staring.

She remembered how she had cried in his arms the next day, and all the things he had said about his past. – he was really a strong man, to have taken over the business and managed it up till now, despite all the challenges he faced.
She remembered meeting his sisters. Their sanguine nature was like nothing she had ever encountered. Their presence seemed to drain the huge house of all its sadness. She missed them already.

Her mind also drifted to aunt Helen and the rest of the family members whom she met during the burial. She was happy about the family re-union, she was only sad that aunt Rose wasn’t present.

She remembered her conversation with aunt Helen. Aunt Helen had been trying to match make her with any nice young man she met, for several years, till she left Texas. She wasn’t surprised that even during a burial ceremony, her eyes were still wide open for any nice gentleman she could match make her with. She loved her and just wanted the best for her. Laura laughed when she remembered how the conversation had ended.

Then she thought of the movie Cherry and Latoya made her watch, with Greg. She wondered how she was able to come out of the cinema alive. She had almost died of embarrassment that day. Greg on the other hand had looked so calm from the beginning to the end-

Greg…

Greg…

Greg was a nice man, she had concluded. Even the voices in her head both agreed he was a nice and charming young man. He seemed to always have everything under control- his business, his private life, even his sisters- he was a good elder brother to them, and now he was trying to be her own good friend, she thought. A friend that will always be there for her. A friend she could talk to whenever she felt overwhelmed by her situation.

So far, he had proven to be a nice man, and he had listened patiently to the things that hurt her the most, and counseled her from the bottom of his heart. He had also made her realize that she was hurting Maureen and the rest of her friends by keeping them at bay. She made up her mind to treat Maureen better when she returned to Texas.

She also remembered when he offered her a job and she declined. He didn’t seem too surprised. Perhaps he appreciated the fact that she valued her job so much, she remembered the statement he had made the first day they met ‘it’s great to have teachers like you…teachers that really love this job’. He was the first person to ever tell her that. Every other person felt she was wasting her potential and loosing precious time, working as an elementary school teacher.

Greg was special in many ways… As her mind lingered on Greg, it was as if something suddenly activated voice 2; her almighty antagonist. “Hey Laura I think you are going too far with these thoughts. You came here for a purpose, which you have fulfilled; you should focus on returning to your quiet life in Texas” voice 2 warned.

“And for how long do you intend to continue living that quiet life?” voice 1 asked.

“For as long as possible” voice 2 sneered.

If there’s one thing I am sure of, it’s the fact that Greg is a friend I can trust. She concluded before she finally dozed off into a pleasant sleep





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




“Tomorrow? Why should you call me at such short notice?” Greg asked, upset.

“If you had been listening, you would have heard me say that the client just called me now to cancel his appointment. You are not the next person on the waiting list. I just decided to schedule you, out of pity. If you can’t make the appointment, I will schedule someone else for that slot, but bear in mind that there is no free slot until about five weeks from now. Do you mind waiting?” the man on the phone asked.

“Of course I mind waiting. Goodness. Five weeks” He complained. Taking a deep breath he continued, “Um… I will need some time to think about this. I will call you back to confirm if I will be available,” said Greg.

“I will appreciate it if you can call back within the next thirty minutes, so that I can schedule someone else for that slot, if you won’t be available. It’s getting late into the night.”

You should have thought of that before calling me, Greg thought, forgetting that it was not really the man’s fault.

“I will call back within the next thirty minutes,” Greg said, exhaling deeply.

“Fine. I will be expecting your call.” The man in Arizona said, before cutting the call.

Greg dropped the phone on the table, staring at it in astonishment.

Tomorrow, 5pm. What kind of predicament is this? He asked himself. He knew that if he was to make the appointment in Arizona, he had to allow for five hours on the flight and two hours taxi ride from the airport to the businessman’s office. That means he would have to leave New York early in the morning.

What do I do about the meeting I have with Nelson? He asked himself again. Nelson was the head of procurement at Mansonian furnitures. There were some supplies Nelson needed to procure urgently for the company, but he needed to first of all consult the head of the accounting department- Greg since aunt Rose had died. Any little mistake could cause the company long-term loss. It was urgent because he was going to purchase these supplies at a discount rate, with the promo ending tomorrow. He would have procured it since, but Gregory had not been to the office throughout the previous week. Thus he had called him earlier this evening; and Greg had agreed to meet with him first thing in the morning, and considering the sheer number of items on the list, the meeting could take hours.

There was no way he could risk leaving New York late, or else he would arrive Arizona very late and he was 110% certain that Mr Luke Walter or whatever his name is, will not let him see his boss, even if he was only one minute late.
On the other hand, he couldn’t wait for five weeks to see Thomas Richardson; the businessman. Right now his own business was almost going bankrupt and a huge investment from a rich man like Thomas Richardson, could change the fate of Mansonian furnitures. But the only way Richardson’s investment could really help Manson’s business is if it came sooner than later. Every day counted. He had been trying now for over two months to get an audience with him. Another five weeks would be a huge delay and could bring a huge setback.

Greg was at crossroads. He didn’t know what to do. He stole a glance at his watch. He had 10 more minutes before the offer elapsed. He took a deep breath, picked up his phone and dialed Walter’s number, telling him he will be available for the appointment the next day and thanking him politely for the opportunity.

He dropped the phone and shoved both hands into his dark wavy hair. He had no idea what he was going to do. Perhaps Nelson will have to use his discretion. But then again, how does one use his discretion in matters of such great importance. Any unnecessary procurement could cause the company to be in debt for years to come. Nelson needed to consult with someone who had the skill of projecting into the future and knowing the effect of a given decision on the future of the company. That’s why he needed to attend the meeting. The finance manager had his own clear-cut role to play, he couldn’t step into Greg’s shoes on his behalf.

A thought suddenly struck him- Laura is an accountant. A professional at that. Hmm. What do I do now? Can I really ask Laura to stay one more day? She has to return to work tomorrow and she is already going to be late because of me.
Greg stood up, pacing the floor of his study for several minutes before he finally sat back down, still as confused as he was before. He decided to shove the meeting with Nelson off his mind and concentrate on preparing for the meeting with Thomas Richardson. He spent hours carefully arranging his documents and preparing slides for his presentation tomorrow. He just had to be well prepared. This could be the chance of a lifetime.

By 1 a.m, he was still preparing for the next day’s meeting. He finally finished at 1:20am then went to his room to grab some sleep. He knew he would have to wake up early the next morning.


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

To be continued....
Thanks for your comments.....
luv u all

Pls update. The story is really interesting.

wow luvly story,wen is d next update?

Hmm, hi, came across your username on my 'test your creativity' thread and trust me when i say you a good writer, and you have a realy nice story to prove it. But as most of your readers av clearly stated, often updates would help you earn more views and readers.

And as for the mod editing some of your words, i used to think the same thing too, but i figured out it was an autocorrect program the website runs on, it basicaly autocorrect 'foul' words and replace them with less foul words.

So when are we going to get ur new update nah?? I guess we all are curious on what Greg would the next day.

chistar01: Hmm, hi, came across your username on my 'test your creativity' thread and trust me when i say you a good writer, and you have a realy nice story to prove it. But as most of your readers av clearly stated, often updates would help you earn more views and readers.

And as for the mod editing some of your words, i used to think the same thing too, but i figured out it was an autocorrect program the website runs on, it basicaly autocorrect 'foul' words and replace them with less foul words.

So when are we going to get ur new update nah?? I guess we all are curious on what Greg would the next day.

Aww...thanks chistar01, I appreciate the fact that u came to look for my story....
i will update it by 2mr or Tuesday at the latest...i'm a little slow in typing...
yeah, now that i know it's d computer that corrects those words, i will find a way to tell my story without them..
thanks once again
lots of love...

DNA1:

Aww...thanks chistar01, I appreciate the fact that u came to look for my story....
i will update it by 2mr or Tuesday at the latest...i'm a little slow in typing...
yeah, now that i know it's d computer that corrects those words, i will find a way to tell my story without them..
thanks once again
lots of love...

, uwc, you can choose days you would update, and let us know, so we would know days we are meant to keep our fingers crossed

Here's the continuation....
Thanks for your patience guys

@DNA! Nyc and interesting story U've got.Jst Take Ur tym in writing thereby bringing out d best cos we readers could be soo disturbing atimes.
Btw I can't find d continuation or is it jst me?

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

Laura heard a knock on the door. She had woken up pretty early (around 4:00 am) and started preparing to leave. She had showered and brushed her teeth. She wore a black trouser and a white long sleeved shirt. She had not yet applied any make up and her hair was in its usual early morning disarray. She was packing her luggage when she heard the knock. Thinking it was Crosby, she opened the door casually only to find Greg standing in front of her. She gasped.

“Greg!” The colour rose to her cheeks.

“Hello Laura. Sorry to disturb you so early” Greg smiled as he apologized.

“No, it’s no problem” she smiled wryly, her hand still on the door knob.

“May I come in?” he asked.

“Sure.” she said, stepping aside for him to enter. She shut the door after he passed, then turned round to face him.

Damn why am I so sluggish. I should have brushed my hair quickly and applied some make-up-

His voice cut into her thoughts.

“Did you sleep well?” He asked.

“Yes I did and you?” she asked, noticing his blood shot eyes.

“I had a hectic night, but I’m fine. Em... I need you to do me a favour please,” he begged.

“Oh okay. What is it?”

“Do you remember the businessman in Arizona I told you about?”

“Yeah, the one you’ve been trying to fix an appointment with” she confirmed.

“Well, I finally got an appointment.” he announced.

“Oh that’s great. See, I told you to be patient. His PA knew what he was doing” she said enthusiastically. “So when is the appointment?” she asked.

“5 pm today,” he replied.

“Oh! Er…so when did he inform you?” She asked surprised.

“8pm last night.” He answered abruptly.

“Why the short notice?”

“The appointment was actually supposed to be for someone else. The person apparently had something much more important to do, so he called to cancel the appointment at the last minute and the PA as kind as he is, decided to fix me in that slot” he explained.

“Oh…okay…okay that’s good. I wish you a safe trip. I hope you are prepared for the meeting?”

“Yes I am, to a large extent, but there’s a little problem.” he said, hesitantly.

“What is it?” She asked.

“I have a meeting to attend this morning. I have to meet with the head of procurement before he goes ahead to purchase some supplies today. The procurement is really urgent because there is a promo going on, and today is the final day. That’s why I must meet with him this morning. He needs someone with the knowledge of our accounts to guide him in making the right decisions on what to procure. If he procures any unnecessary asset, it could become a long-term liability for the company; and that’s where I need your help,” he explained.


“Er…okay… so how exactly do you want me to help?” She asked.

“I need you to stand in for me-”

“Me? I don’t know anything about your company’s accounts, besides I am supposed to return to work today, remember?”

“I know Laura it’s just that I can’t leave such an important matter to the head of procurement and the head of finance alone. Someone with a good knowledge of accounting has to be there. Someone who can look at our accounting history and foretell the effect of any decision we take now.”

“And that will be me?” Laura asked, doubtful.

“Yes, Laura. I know you have the skills. You will even be in a better position to do it than me.”

“I don’t get. Why can’t you go instead? I mean I have work to do in Texas,” she tried to back out.

“The meeting is by 5 pm. I will have to be at the airport as early as 8 am to catch the 9’0 clock flight and I know this meeting is going to take hours. There’s no way I can attend both meetings, he explained.”

“Then why did you agree to the appointment, knowing full well that you had an urgent meeting this morning? And also why did you wait till the deadline of the promo before meeting with your procurement officer?” she asked, confused.

“To answer your first question, the PA told me that there are no available slots until five weeks time-”

“Five weeks? Who is he? The President?”

“I don’t know, he is a very busy man. I have been trying to get this appointment for two months now. I became desperate, if his investment is going to help my business, it has to come as early as possible. Every second counts.” He explained.

“I understand.”

“And to your second question. The promo only lasted 10 days. Throughout last week I couldn’t go to work, because… you know-” Greg gesturized helplessly.

“Oh oh… I … I … I get,” she cut in, knowing he didn’t go to work since aunt Rose had died. She thought about the request for a while, and eventually came to the realization that she didn’t want him to lose any of the opportunities.

“Alright, fine. I will help out.” She said.

“Gee. Thanks Laura.” He smiled, relieved.

“But you are going to spare at least one hour to brief me on-”

“Not to worry, I will take you to the office very early and introduce you as our new consultant before I leave; and I will brief you on other things you need to know. There’s really nothing to worry about.” He assured her.

“I’ll call one of my colleagues to tell her there’s been a change of plans.”

“Thanks Laura. I’ll never forget this.” Still heaving sighs of relief.

“When are you returning?” Laura inquired.

“As soon as the meeting is over. I should be back in the night, say 3a.m.” Greg answered. “I better get dressed. It’s past five already” Said Greg, looking at the wall clock in the room. “Thanks once again Laura. This means a lot to me.” He said, holding her right hand and looking into her eyes.

“You’re welcome” Laura smiled, shivering at his touch. He opened the door and left the room, while Laura picked up her phone to call Maureen. She sat down on the bed, wondering what made her agree to this.

Maureen picked, after the phone rang for a long time. She was still sleeping so her head wasn’t clear when she was talking. After several attempts, Laura was finally able to get Maureen to understand what she was saying; she finally agreed to help.



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


Greg couldn’t believe Laura had agreed to help him out. He was so excited, he hurriedly rushed to phone his procurement and finance officers, instructing them to be in the office by 7 am. Then he rushed to shower and get dressed. By 6am he went downstairs to have breakfast with Laura. He ate hurriedly but with much gusto, while Laura just drank her cup of tea. Then he put his suitcase in the car, and the chauffeur drove him and Laura to the office.

In the car, Greg began to show Laura everything she needed to know, on his laptop. They discussed about the company account for the majority of the ride, with Laura asking all the questions and Greg answering patiently. When they got to the place where the company was situated, Laura was bewildered. It was really beautiful and exquisite.


“You’ve sure done a good job with what your father left you” she couldn’t help commenting.

“Thanks Laura.” He answered, taking her into the building. They climbed elevators, went in and out of several offices, before they got to the board room. The procurement officer and the financial manager were already seated promptly; it was not even 7 am yet.

“Good morning gentlemen.” Greg said, stretching his hand to shake them.

“Good morning sir,” they both responded, rising up from their seats to shake his hand.

“Meet Ms Winter. She is our new consultant.” Greg said, quickly introducing Laura to the two men.

“You can call me Laura,” Laura smiled pleasantly, offering her hand for handshakes too.

“Good morning Laura, you’re welcome,” said the procurement officer.

“Nice to meet you madam,” the finance officer said.

“Same here,” Laura said, smiling politely at both of them.

When they sat down, Greg explained to the two gentlemen why he wouldn’t be able to stay for the meeting. Then he showed Laura every other thing she needed to know before they started the real discussion. He spent a few minutes with them and then left for the airport, leaving Laura to do the job.


The meeting took quite some time, but they were eventually able to make a headway, as Laura gave the best advice she could, on the items to procure. At 11:30 am the meeting ended. Greg was already on the plane, so she didn’t bother to call him. The chauffeur drove her straight home, where she packed her luggage. After telling Crosby goodbye, the chauffeur took her to the airport. She boarded a flight and left for Texas immediately.

By the time Laura entered the house in Texas, she was exhausted, but it felt very good to be home. She kicked off her shoes and made herself a cup of tea. As she sipped it down, she composed a text and sent it to Greg. Telling him about how the meeting went and telling him she had gotten home safe and sound. She also sent Maureen a text to tell her she had arrived. Then she stood up to make dinner, after which she showered.

She came out of the bathroom with only her towel and sat down to devour the spaghetti and chicken pepperoni, as though it was going to run away, if she wasted any more time. She was really hungry. As usual she barely touched breakfast because she was planning to fly that day.

The after effect of rushing the food soon came, as she began to yawn. She lay on her bed, still with her towel and not long after, she drifted into a deep sleep.

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

Hmmm...what happens when Greg finds out that she has returned home??
Find out in chapter nine...
keep a date...
i will post it on or before Tuesday...
love u all

Pls do.....make e no pass tuesday o....we are patiently waiting for a lengthy update

CHAPTER NINE



Meanwhile Greg continued to look through his power point slides throughout the flight, anticipating the kind of questions Mr Richardson will ask. He was so engrossed in what he was doing that he didn’t notice when the plane descended. He rushed down and took a taxi immediately to Mr Richardson’s company.


He got there around quarter past 4, and went to see the PA immediately. For once the PA was polite and they had a little chit-chat before he went in to see Mr Richardson.

Mr Richardson was generally a nice man to be with. He was inquisitive too and he asked Greg all the questions he had anticipated and more. After hours of talking, Greg was eventually able to convince Mr Richardson to invest in Mansonian furnitures. It was half past seven when Greg left Richardson’s office. He brought out his phone to call Laura. That was when he saw her text message.


He felt sad that she left without waiting for him to return. What did you think? Where you expecting her to stay put and wait till you return. She’s a worker remember? His mind told him. Be a gentleman. Call her to say thank you.


He dialed Laura’s number. She didn’t pick until after several rings.


“Hello,” she croaked. The phone call had woken her up from her peaceful sleep and there was still sleep in her eyes and a roughness in her voice.

“Hi Laura. Are you sleeping?” He asked.

On hearing the sound of his voice, she bolted up immediately and cleared her throat. She had no idea it was him when she first picked the call, because her eyes were only half open, so the name on the phone screen looked blurred initially.

“Hi. Yes I was, but I’m awake now.” She cleared her throat. “How did the meeting go?”

“It was great. Can you believe it? Thomas Richardson has agreed to invest in my business.” Greg replied with excitement.

“Wow lucky you! Congratulations.”

“Thanks Laura and thank you for your help today. I’m indebted to you.”

“No, you are not. I’m the one who is indebted to you. Thanks for everything you did for my family-”

“Please don’t mention okay?” He cut in. “How was your flight?”

“It was fine. I got home by 5 pm.”


“Okay” he sighed. “I miss you already Laura. I wish you could have stayed longer.”

“Yeah, it’s just that I had to come back to work.” She replied slowly, weighing her words carefully.

“I know. It pains me that I didn’t get to see your face one last time and tell you thank you face to face.”He confessed.

Laura simply kept quiet; her brain empty at that moment.


He continued, “I’m going to have to come over to Texas so I can see you once again.”

At that, Laura chuckled. “You don’t have to do that Greg.”

“I definitely have to.”

“You have a lot of work on your hands right now. I think you should concentrate on them.”

“I know but I insist on coming and I’m going to find the time, one way or the other.”

“Right.” Laura gave up.


There was silence for some seconds, then Greg decided to let her rest. “Sleep tight Laura; let me not disturb your sleep.”

“You’ve already taken away the sleep from my eyes, but goodnight all the same.”

“Not yet. I’m not going to bed just yet. I’m returning to New York now.” He said.

“Ok then. Have a safe trip.”

“Thanks. Do have yourself a lovely night” sweetheart…he wished he could have added that. Then he cut the phone and boarded a taxi to the airport.

Throughout the ride to the airport and during the flight, Greg couldn’t stop thinking of Laura. He was thinking of what Cherry had told him previously.
‘Beauty has walked right into your home and you refuse to do anything about it?’

Right now, he felt like he had just lost the opportunity of a life time.
‘Beauty has walked out but I have to get her back. I have to make my feelings known to her. My feelings don’t mean anything if they are locked up in my mind’. He thought to himself. Even when he got home, his mind was still on her. He eventually went to sleep, assuring himself that he will pay her a visit as soon as possible and finally tell her about his feelings for her. There was only one question on his mind, ‘What will she think’



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


After the phone call, Laura could sleep no longer. A part of her itched to see Greg again, while the other part was indifferent. She wondered what it would be like if he truly came over to Texas to see her. She suddenly remembered how she had looked this morning, without her hair combed, when he came to ask for her assistance. She quickly got up and started arranging her house, swearing that he will never catch her unprepared again.



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


The next day, Laura went to work. She was happy to see Maureen again. They hugged each other tightly and started chatting with each other. They had so much to talk about and it couldn’t wait till break time.

“I missed you, Maureen.” Laura said for the umpteenth time.

“I missed you more.” Maureen replied.

Laura looked at the look of sincerity in Maureen’s eyes and the tears came to her own eyes. She couldn’t believe how she could ever have thought that Maureen is insincere and not worthy to be trusted. ‘Thanks to Greg for helping me see the light’ she thought to herself.


“Are you alright Laura?” Maureen asked, noticing the tears in her friend’s eyes.

“Yeah I’m fine. I’m just glad to be back that’s all.”

“Ok. So… tell me every that happened in New York from the very beginning.” Said Maureen and Laura began to tell her about everything she had encountered in New York, while Maureen listened intently. Then it was Laura’s turn to ask.

“How has life been?” Asked Laura.

“Very boring without you, I can’t wait to start a new life.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that to me over the phone, I thought you were joking. What are you planning to do?”

“You won’t believe it. I’m getting married!” Maureen exclaimed as a smile lit up her face.

“You…married??” Laura couldn’t believe her ears.

“Yeah. Jeff finally proposed.” Maureen said, grinning from ear to ear.

“What! I never even knew you were dating.” Said Laura trying to pull her legs.

“Laura!!!” Maureen screamed, falling for the joke.

“As in….. dating seriously.” Laura replied, still feigning ignorance.

“Perhaps you’ve not been paying much attention to me these last few months, that’s why. I have been talking about Jeff continuously for some time now. He finally summoned up the courage to ask.” Maureen explained.


“As in ask you out….or ask you to marry him?” Laura asked, still trying to get under her skin.

“Da.mn Laura! He asked me to marry him.” Maureen confirmed.

“Oh my goodness. Congratulations……..!!!!! I’m so happy for you.” Said Laura embracing her friend.

“Thanks girl.”

“So when is the wedding?”

“In four weeks.”

“Oh. Why so soon?”

“Why not?” Maureen laughed. “I’ve not got much to plan.”


There was a blank look on Laura’s face.

“I mean I’ve hired a wedding planner to help me out. So I don’t have much of a problem.”

“Ok…that’s good.”

“You will be my chief bridesmaid right?” Maureen asked excitedly.

“Anything for you, dear. Wow! I can’t believe your years of being a spinster have come to an end.”

“Same here. Oh my gosh. I don’t know what to expect.”

“Hahaha. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine okay?” Laura assured her.


As they continued their chit-chat, a parent walked in with her daughter. “Looks like we’ve got work to do.” Maureen whisphered to Laura. So they turned their attention to their work, until school was over for the day, after which they hung out at the school cafeteria. Hours later, they left for their respective homes.


By evening, Laura was doing the dishes when her phone began to ring. She picked up the closest napkin to her and dried her hands then picked up the phone.

It was Greg, calling to check on her. For reasons she could not explain, her throat was dry, she just listened to his sweet voice over the phone, managing to murmur a ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to some questions he asked her. By the time she dropped the phone, she was missing him already. She managed to complete all her chores before going to bed.



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



The next day, Laura went to work as usual, after which she decided to stop over at the saloon and the grocery store. By the time she had finished purchasing the items she needed, it was already getting dark.

She proceeded to return home. As she walked into her street from a corner, her eyes met an unusual sight. From that distance, she saw the figure of a human being, wearing a dark coloured coat and hood, sitting down on the doorstep of her house.

She froze for a second, fear gripping her heart. Who could that be? She wondered. Her hand was already shaking. She was holding her bag of groceries, everywhere around her was dark and her street was quiet and lonely. Her front security light was switched off, making matters worse.


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


Alright people...
this is where it ends for tonight
your comments are dear to my heart
love u all
hugs and kisses
Bleep

Next update...
coming up
tomorrow or d day after..
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#winks#

I think i know who the person is....plsss try n update as u promised...dont keep us waiting

Ok,nice story keep it up.