Chapter 8 Nicole

• Focusing on work was hard after Nicholas accused me of having an extramarital affair. I wasn't mad at the accusation, I just found it funny. How could the best Casanova accuse me of having an extramarital affair? Is he for real?
• “At this point, you'll break that pen in your hands”. Amanda's voice brought me back to the present. I didn't know I was holding a pen with a firm grip. I dropped the pen back on the table. I turned my head to Amanda, giving her my full attention.
• “Why are you here?” The question came out before I could stop it. I know my secretary had all right to be in my office, but this is not the best time.
• “Are you really asking me that, Mrs Nicole? Do you really want to hear my answer? Sarcasm dripped from those words.
• “If it is not work related, I don't want to hear it”. I took the file in front of me, pretending to read it.
• “This is a hundred percent work related because my boss came to work late with her husband. I thought it is a pleasant sight to behold.” I watched her demonstrate her words with her hands. Amanda is the most dramatic person ever.
• “But your foul mood changed the air in the office, and we couldn't concentrate on work. I thought today was a romantic day. What changed?” She asked me, giving me a questioning look.
• I rolled my eyes, “you are not serious, Amanda. Can you let me work? I'm finding it hard to concentrate, and your presence is not making it easy.” I dismissed her, but Amanda was not easy to dismiss.
• “Switching from secretary mode to friendship mode. What's the problem this time, Nicole?” this time she sounded worried. Since I took over this company from my father, Amanda was the only one I employed myself because she had been my friend since my college days.
• Amanda understood the pressure I had put on myself just to get to this position. She had been there through thick and thin, helping me out when I was stressed or when I was on the verge of giving up. I don't do well with friendships, but she was the only one who could read my mind just by looking at my eyes.
• “This is top secret, even Nicholas doesn't know about it and I don't have plans to tell him about it, yet,” I whispered.
• “Are you having an affair?” She cut me off before I could finish what I was saying.
• My jaw dropped immediately when I heard her question. “Why would you think that? Why would you all think that? First, it was Nicholas, now Amanda. “What did fuck is going on with you all?”
• “Calm down. Don't get all worked up over a question. Also, someone brought in flowers for you. It was delivered to the office this morning.” Amanda dropped the bomb on me.
• “Flowers? I didn't order flowers and Nicholas didn't mention getting me flowers. Was there a card or something that could give us a clue about the sender?” I asked her, hoping she would give a positive answer.
• “No. Just flowers. I wanted to tease you about it immediately you came in, but I couldn't do it because Nicholas came with you.” She explained.
• “Thank God you didn't.” How would I explain to Nicholas that I didn't know anything about the sender? Who could have sent me flowers? I don't even have anyone in mind.
• “I hope the sender is aware that you are taken. You are off the street at the moment.” Amanda teased me.
• “Off the street my ass. Think about it, the sender knows I'm married.” I told her.
• “Why would you think so?” She asked me, as the answer wasn't obvious.
• “Isn't it obvious? He could have sent it to my house, but he didn't because he knew I lived with my husband”, I explained the scene playing in my head to Amanda.
• She laughed, more like a scoff. “You are naive, Nicole. What if the sender doesn't know your house address? Do you have an answer to that one?”
• She had a point. What if he sent the flower here because he didn't know my house address? What if he sends another one to my house? I widened my eyes as the realization dawned on me. He dare not send flowers to my house. How would I face Nicholas if that ever happened? Someone who already accused me of having an affair, what else would he think if someone sent flowers to the house?
• I dropped my head on the table. The event was too much for me to handle. First, the therapy session this morning, Nicholas accused me. Amanda is thinking the same and now, an unknown flower sender. This is exhausting.
• “Don't overthink it. It might be a client.” Amanda's words lessened my worry. Let's just hope it was a client. It is not like I have a secret admirer.
• “That was a good one. Ask our recent client about it, so we can reciprocate the action”, I instructed her. A part of me was denying that the sender was a client. It is not like I want it to be false, I just have this feeling that someone was brewing something. I just can't place it yet.
• I should not dwell on this, I have other things to do, more important than the unknown sender of flowers. I grab one of the files on my table, incoming mail written legibly on it. I checked through the content, hoping to see urgent work that would distract me from all my thoughts, but nothing looked urgent.
• I focused on one of the documents. This one is from one of our recent clients. One of the clients I secured myself, not one of my father's investors. I glanced through the paperwork, but nothing seemed to get my attention. My thoughts are all over the place.
• “This is getting interesting” Amanda's voice made me snap my head up. “Guess what?” she asked me as her eyes glittered with amusement.
• “Spill! I don't have time to guess games”, I replied with a bored tone. I know she finds these whole things interesting, but I don't see what's fun in this.
• “I checked all of our latest clients and none of them sent in those flowers” she spilled the news, and I was not even surprised about it.
• “I knew it”, I looked at her and gave her a wry smile. “I had the feeling none of our clients sent those flowers. I just wanted you to confirm it.” I voiced out my thoughts.
• “Then you should know who sent them” she accused me for the hundredth time today.
• “I already told you that I don't know who sent them. What else do you want me to say? My voice was laced with annoyance as I asked her the rhetorical question.
• “I'm sorry! I'm sorry!” she raised her hands in the air. “I should get back to work.” she resigned from pressurizing me. She left my office before I could even dismiss her. I signed in relief. This is another quest for me. I had
• to find the flower sender before things became hard for me to explain.