Chapter 14

That morning they both came late to the office. Lucas intended to buy a work suit for Clarie, but Clarie refused and instead asked the man to drive her back to her flat to change clothes. And, it was here that Lucas waited for the girl to come out of his flat.

Not long after, Clarie emerged from the door looking weathered in another work suit. Clarie immediately opened the front passenger car door next to Lucas.

"Thank you for waiting," she said as she kissed the man's firm jaw which was overgrown with fine hairs.

"Hmm." Lucas just mumbled and started to drive his car towards their office.

Arriving at the office, Clarie immediately made a schedule for today. While Lucas immediately went into his room checking email and checking other reports. Towards noon Lucas came out of his room while receiving a phone call.

"Clarie, cancel the meeting for two o'clock," he said and then headed back to the elevator which was still closed.

Clarie glanced at Lucas who was still busy on the phone, then followed the man's message to cancel the meeting this afternoon.

Lunchtime strikes, Clarie prepares to go to the office canteen alone. Usually, she would be with Sally, her co-worker on the other side. After taking her lunch she sat down at an empty set of tables and started to enjoy her lunch.

Since Lucas left earlier, she didn't know where the man has gone, until this afternoon he hadn't returned. There were several pairs of eyes that looked as if they didn't like him, or whether he didn't know. The girl hurriedly finished her lunch and returned to the office.

On her way back to her room, she bumped into another employee who greeted her.

"Hey, you're Rebecca's substitute, right?" asked the slender woman.

“Ah, yes. Right," she replied to the blonde-haired woman's question.

"Wow! Then you become Mr. Henderson's secretary," she said enthusiastically.

Clarie pursed her lips. "That's right, I'm his secretary now," Clarie said. "Is there something wrong?" she asked again.

"There isn't any. I'm just... jealous," whispered the woman again with a crisp laugh.

“Oh...” Clarie sighed.

"It seems we haven't met yet. I'm Donna, you?"

"Claire." Clarie said the name while taking the woman's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Clarie."

“Me too!”

Then, the two entered the elevator to the same floor. Clarie thought that a woman named Donna asked too many questions and was nagging, making Clarie lazy. Luckily the elevator door stopped right on the floor they were headed for, so the girl had a good reason to end the conversation.

"See you later, Donna," she said waving at the blonde woman, as she walked faster toward her room.

Clarie dropped her weight on her swivel chair and started checking her cellphone to see if her boss called her or not. The girl sighed lethargically, not a single chat or call from the handsome man came in.

Not long after, her cell phone rang indicating an incoming call. The girl quickly picked it up hoping it was Lucas, her face contorted a little because the name on her cell phone screen was Adam Sanders, her client they had met some time ago. Fearing that there was something important, Clarie couldn't help but pick up the call.

"Hello?" she said to the voice on the other end.

"Hello, Miss Evans. How are you?" Adam Sanders' deep voice greeted Clarie's eardrums.

“Oh, good news, Mr. Sanders. How about you?" Clarie asked back.

"Could we meet, Miss Evans?"

"Meet?" asked Clarie parroting.

“Yeah, meeting up for a chat and coffee, maybe. Even if you're not busy," he said reluctantly.

"Oh ... of course, sir, we can meet." Clarie was a little nervous in replying to Adam Sanders' words even though they didn't meet each other's eyes.

"This afternoon, how?" asked Adam suggested.

Clarie considered whether Lucas needed her this afternoon or not. She was confused, afraid that her boss would ask her suddenly like last night. However, without thinking twice, Clarie immediately agreed to Adam Sanders' coffee invitation this afternoon.

"Okay. We'll meet at the cafe you want, okay?"

Clarie hung up the phone, and returned to continue her work because it was already entering office hours.

***

Marion hugged Lucas as soon as she saw the man waiting for her at the arrival door.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Marion said while taking off her dark glasses.

"How is it there?"

“Exciting and exciting, of course,” Marion replied with a chuckle that made her face even more beautiful.

"Come on, to the car!" asked Lucas as he pulled his wife's suitcase.

Marion moved her head to the beat of the song pouring from the stereo, while Lucas propped his left hand on the window to his chin and focused on the street in front of him.

"Is there any problem?" asked Marion probingly.

Lucas suddenly turned to his wife as he put his hands back on the wheel.

"Everything's fine," Lucas replied curtly.

"Oh yes. Terry sends greetings to you, he says he's sorry for bothering you," said Marion. Terry was Marion's manager who couldn't take her home so he asked Lucas to pick her up.

"Tell him I don't mind at all," Lucas replied matter-of-factly. After all, it was his duty to pick up his wife. "You want to stop by your regular restaurant, it's almost lunch time," he told me.

"Yes," Marion replied.

This afternoon Clarie has finished her work reviewing some of the files that will be signed by Lucas the next day. It seemed that her boss would not return to the office again at this time, because it was already three o'clock in the afternoon. She had already contacted Lucas earlier, but had yet to receive a reply from her boss.

At four to fifteen minutes, Clarie waited for the elevator that would take her down to the lobby along with the other employees.

Clarie had arrived at her flat, and quickly cleaned up, because at five o'clock she would be meeting Adam Sanders. Her cell phone rang loudly as she finished cleaning herself. Lucas' name was on it, the girl exhaled tiredly and immediately picked up the call.

"Yes sir?" she said

"You're home already?" asked the man.

"Yeah, I'm already in my flat," she informed.

"That's great."

Clarie glanced at her cell phone which suddenly turned off. "He disconnected?"

The girl threw the flat object on the bed, then walked to the wardrobe and chose the dress she was going to wear to meet Adam Sabders. After polishing her face with minimalist makeup, the girl confirmed her appearance in front of the large mirror that stood in front of her bed.

"Beautiful and attractive," she said praising himself.

“Whoa!” Clarie was surprised by the scream, which was none other than Daniele's.

The girl slapped Daniele's arm tightly due to the loud noise just now.

"You want to date your boss, huh?" asked the tall girl.

Clarie took her high heels from the shoe cabinet and put them on.

"No," she said, smoothing her appearance again.

"So?"

"Just wanted to meet office clients, he happened to be in town and asked me to take him for coffee," Clarie explained.

"Are you sure it's just coffee?" Daniele said teasingly.

"Hey! What the hell! I only accompany him to drink coffee, and there is no agenda to sleep together." Clarie spoke resentfully.

"You can do that."

"There isn't any! My body is already owned by Mr. Henderson.”

"Wow! Good luck Clarie, and one more thing… you look seductive and I'm sure he will take you to his hotel room,” Daniele whispered in Clarie's ear accompanied by her mocking laugh.