Chapter 7 Seeking Help

• Leo made himself comfortable, or at least he tried to. To avoid suspicion, he ordered a cheap drink with a part of the money he had on him - currently the only thing he had in the world. Even though he shifted anxiously in his seat just outside the coffee shop, he was determined to wait patiently till he achieved his goal. He tried not to think of his current predicament; it was a conspiracy or maybe just a huge misunderstanding. Maybe his friend, Marks, had not seen him and was mocking someone else. No matter which it was, it would be fixed. He was sure of that.
• Even when he had finished his coffee, Leo kept sipping at the empty cup to give him enough excuse to remain in the shop. He certainly would not dare to buy another cup of coffee, not till he was sure of his future. Hour after hour passed. He had no watch, but the clock in the shop served him well and when noon struck, he kept all his attention on the building - his building.
• The staff filed out in pairs and trios, to enjoy the 30-minute break. At first, Leo was apprehensive about the possibility that they could come to the coffee shop and eventually recognize him, but none of them did. He kept watching in increased anxiety until he began to fear that Mara might not come out for break, but wait! There she was.
• Involuntarily, Leo jumped to his feet, but he quickly recovered his presence of mind and grabbed a newspaper that had been abandoned on a neighboring table. With the paper, he covered his face and crossed the road, intercepting the girl before she could decide where to go for lunch.
• "Please... I need to talk to you," Leo whispered softly with a slight touch on her hand.
• Mara recognized him immediately and was taken aback.
• "Wh... Sir... I...", she fumbled.
• "Meet me at that shop opposite. Please. It's important."
• With that, Leo walked past her and crossed the road again, back to the coffee shop. It didn't take long for Mara to overcome her surprise and follow him. Eventually, she ended up standing before the table where he was seated.
• "Please take a seat," he urged.
• Mara sat down softly, all the while wondering what was going on. Why wasn't the boss at work? Why was he in his nightclothes? It seemed like he was hiding from everyone, seeing the way he had his back to the throng of employees coming out of the company building, but why? And why did he want to see her? These were just a few of the questions running through Mara's mind, but she dared not voice them out. She would wait patiently for her boss to give an explanation, if he saw fit. And he did.
• "Look, I know this all looks queer and crazy. I'm just as shocked as you are. I think you are the only one I can trust right now and there's no better way to start than by making a clean breast of everything."
• Leo stopped to take a hasty breath and Mara shifted in her chair. What on Earth was going on??
• "Why don't you get lunch while I'm talking, so you don't waste the break period."
• But Mara simply shook her head, a clear indication that she would give all her attention to her boss and nothing else.
• Leo looked his appreciation and he felt the girl was smart for her age. Very smart.
• "Okay. I'll make this brief," he said, leaning forward and speaking in a low tone. "I'm in trouble. As it stands, I have nothing, except my house. My clothes, cars, staff, everything and everyone, including my wife are gone. Even the company... I received a letter stating that I have been removed as CEO by the board, so I came here and I was forcefully prevented from getting in."
• Mara's eyes opened wide. What! From what she had just been told, it seemed the world had ended! She never could have imagined that such a thing was possible in a million years!
• "So I need your help right now," Leo went on. "I just need you to tell me what you noticed at the office today. Was there something strange... something unusual that went on?"
• He stopped speaking and searched her eyes to gauge how and what she was feeling. He still had a lurking fear that she too had turned against him. But the truth was that Mara was just shocked - too shocked to do anything but sit and stare at him with wide eyes.
• Suddenly, she recovered herself with a start and began to apologise for her lack of attention.
• "It's okay. Just tell me if there was anything strange..."
• "No, no. Nothing... nothing strange."
• "So who's in my office now?", Leo asked, very eager to know the answer.
• "I don't know. I... I'm not sure. But there was a long meeting in..."
• "Meeting?", Leo perked up immediately. "Who was in the meeting?"
• "Your... Mrs..."
• "My wife?"
• Mara nodded.
• "And Marks too, right?"
• Mara nodded again.
• "Hmm. It's clearly a conspiracy. Look, Mara," he said suddenly, grabbing both her hands on the table, "I need you to keep your job at all costs. You... My wife... you should try to avoid her. She's not very happy with you."
• This was no surprise to Mara and she would have come to the conclusion concerning her job without Leo telling her. But she was grateful nonetheless and she took the liberty to press his hands back in appreciation.
• "Ahem," he cleared his throat as he disengaged their hands awkwardly. That brief moment when their hands were clasped was enough to make all the wrong thoughts run through their heads. But neither could imagine what the other was thinking. They each thought they were guilty of thinking crazy things, totally oblivious of the fact that it was in both their minds.
• "Well, I... I gotta go back home and do a few things, so..."
• "I need to get back to work," Mara said and hurried off, her face red with guilt, thinking that Leo had guessed at what was in her mind. She crossed the road without looking back and made straight for the office building even though there was still over twenty minutes left on the lunch break. It was only when she arrived at her cubicle that she allowed herself to breathe again.
• "Whew," she sighed as she slumped down on her seat. Just what would Leo think of her now? Imagine the way she squeezed his hands in such an intimate manner, looking into his eyes all the while. Christ, he must think she was a slut or some greedy opportunist looking to replace his wife and stand a chance of becoming wildly rich. Even she couldn't believe she had done such a brazen act. What had given her the courage???
• With an effort, she shook her head to clear off these thoughts. The pressing matter was that Leo was in serious trouble and she was very eager to help in any way she could. It wasn't just for him. It was for her too. And her baby. She looked down beside her at the sleeping infant and shook her head again. Would they be homeless and helpless again?? She so wished she could read her future!