“Thanks, tell that to Michael and other the members of the board,” he replied.
“It’s all right. This was the first time you were shortlisted for senior editor, so you have two more chances. I would advise you speak to some of the members of the board and find out what disqualified you for the promotion. I hear Scott Jenkins took your spot. Is this true?” Ben nodded, and she added, “O well, shit happens.”
“Yeah, it really does. You know what, Scott doesn’t deserve the promotion. I have edited five of his clients’ books in last few months because he was busy with some girlfriend of his. I have covered up for him during meetings, simply because he couldn’t be bothered to stay back few minutes after closing. It’s ridiculous.”
“I know how you feel, but you need to take it easy. All will be well,” Michelle said. “In other news, guess who’s got a date this Saturday?”
“Your cousin, Rachel?” he replied.
Michelle grimaced. “No. Me silly,” she said. Though she could imagine why he would mention her cousin’s name. Rachel Briggs was an hour glass shaped lady in her mid thirties. She grew up with Michelle and often won the attention of most men that approached Michelle. She was a fashion designer and owned a clothing line named after her.
“Oh, that’s good news,” Ben said. “I’m really happy for you. It’s been almost six months since you’ve been on a date. Who’s this guy? Do I know him?”
“Thanks. And no, you don’t know him. He moved into town a year ago. His name’s Robert and he’s an IT consultant in one of the firms close by. He’s British and single. What more can I want? I just can’t wait to meet him in person.”
“In person? How did you meet this Robert?” Ben asked.
“Er, we met online. A friend introduced me to eHarmony and I decided to give it a shot,” she replied. “We exchanged phone numbers and recently we talked on Skype and I got to see his face. So I know he’s real. And soon to be mine.”
Ben chuckled. He had forgotten about his situation for a brief moment and was now curious to find out more about Robert and if he’s the right guy for his good friend. Michelle told him that Robert had a son of three years, and that the mother of the boy had died a few days after childbirth. Also, she said he was okay with her having kids and wanted to meet them too. “Well, I wish you the best,” Ben said.
“Thanks. I’ll keep you posted. Anyways, I need to get back to work now. I just wanted to check up on you to see how you’re holding up.”
“Okay, thanks for stopping by,” he said, as she rose to her feet and left his office.
In an hour’s time, Sandra strolled into the office and found her husband still thinking about the recent decision of the board of directors. She noticed the wrinkles on his forehead and edged closer to find out what lay beneath the fake smile he wore. “What’s the matter sweetheart?” she asked.
“It’s nothing,” he replied.
“It’s nothing? And you look like hell. Something must be up. What’s the matter?” she asked again.
Ben remained silent for a few minutes as he stared into his wife’s eyes. He couldn’t keep anything from her. “If you can recall, I told you the board members were meeting to review eligible employees for promotion,” he said.
“Yeah, I remember.”
“I was listed among the junior editors that would most likely become senior editors, but I didn’t make the cut,” he said sadly.
“Oh, my baby,” she cried, as she moved across the desk to sit on him. “It’s their loss, not yours.”
“It’s not the end though, l have a couple more chances. I guess I need to work harder than I’ve ever done in the past.”
Sandra frowned. “Is that even possible? Baby, you must be the most hardworking man in this company. I believe there must be something else they saw that made them choose someone else. It can’t be your commitment to work. I assure you.”
“Thanks baby, so where’re we having lunch today?” he asked.
“It’s a surprise. Are you ready to go?” she replied.
“Yes. I have a few manuscripts to skim through, but that can wait. Let’s go.”
* * *
Antonio arrived at the Jessica’s front yard just before the sun set. He called her on his cell phone and waited beside his car. His mom, Dr Elizabeth Pedro, had bought him his first car on his eighteenth birthday. She was the head of Diagnostics Department in the Sandville Hospital, and a single mother of three children – Antonio being the first. She’d separated from her husband and applied for divorce after nine years of marriage and obtained custody of their three kids. Being a doctor didn’t help in court, but her younger sister lived in the house with her, who then agreed to help raise the children.
Sandra followed Jessica to the front door until she was certain Antonio was around. She hugged her daughter and gave her parental warnings before she unlocked the front door. Antonio spotted her through the dining window and waved. She waved back.
“What took you so long?” Jessica asked.
“Sorry, I had to take the girls to the mall,” he replied, as he opened the car door at the passenger side.
He took her to buy her favorite ice cream and then drove down to the beach to spend some quality time. The young lovers had been dating since middle school. Antonio was drawn to her catching smile back then even though she wore braces, and she couldn’t resist his charming looks. But what kept them going was the form of understanding they had between one another, and the trust they shared.
They had already begun planning towards their lives in college. Jessica wanted to study photography at NYU and Antonio wanted to become a doctor like his mother. He’d seen the look on his mother’s face whenever she’d saved the life of a patient. It was priceless, and he wanted to have that feeling. Also, he had watched her discuss medical issues with her patients and her colleagues, and gradually fell in love with the science and art of medicine. Jessica wanted to study photography because her desire was to work for a magazine as a professional photographer. They both planned to study a couple of miles apart, because the two lovebirds couldn’t picture living without each other.
Antonio laid a cloth on the fine beach sand and they sat on it as they stared at the ocean view in front of them. He wrapped his arms around her, whispering flattering words in her ears. This was one of the rare moments when she stayed away from her cell phone, considering the reason behind her constant use of the phone was sitting beside her.
After a long hour of chilling on the beach, Antonio kissed her on the forehead and said, “I’ve been meaning to tell you something for a while now. I just don’t know how to say it or where to begin.”
“Babe, it’s me. You can always tell me anything,” she said.
“I know, but this is different.” He paused, trying to gather up the courage to speak. “All right, here goes... I’m moving to England,” he said briskly.
“Come again. It sounds as though you just said England, as in the country – England?” she asked.
“Yes Jess. My mom got an amazing offer in Manchester and we’ll be moving in two weeks. I know it’s quick notice, but I didn’t want to tell you all this whilst because you’ve been going through a lot lately. I didn’t want to add to your pain.”
“So you think now is the right time?” she asked. “Please take me back home.”
“No, please let’s talk about this. Maybe you can come over to England after graduation and we can study at the universities there,” he proposed, as though Jessica would leave her family to move across the world. Even for Antonio, it would be a difficult decision.
“Please take me home,” she repeated.
She stood up and went to the car. Jessica wasn’t good with surprises, especially bad ones. Hearing this new piece of information threw her off guard. She didn’t know what to think or say to him. She needed to clear her head before she could look into his hazel eyes once again. She knew if she stayed a few more minutes with him, she would say or do something
she would regret.
Antonio jumped in the car and drove her home. He understood his girlfriend and knew she needed some time before they would sit and talk things out. The bottom line still remained that he was leaving the country with his family and Jessica had a decision to make. However, leaving the country because of a boy wasn’t a decision Jessica could make alone. Would Ben and Sandra agree to it? Would Eric?
Chapter Ten
The clock ticking on the wall was the only sound anyone could hear in the classroom as Luke and his fellow juniors were writing an English test. The teacher, Miss Blue paced up and down the classroom in a pair of slippers. She often wore high heels to class, but decided to go with no heels for the purpose of the test. She had asked them to write an essay about the non-fictional city they’d love to visit. Sadly, Eric was still admitted in the hospital and couldn’t participate in this exercise.
Luke sat beside Blair and Emma, while Jessica sat towards the wall. For the first time all year she didn’t sit beside Antonio, because she was still angry at him for keeping such information from her and sad that the love of her life was leaving the country. She hadn’t even proposed the idea of leaving the country to her parents, because she knew exactly what her mom would say. ‘I don’t want you to go live in another country on your own, simply because of a boy.’ She could hardly concentrate on the test, as she kept thinking about all the moments she’d shared with Antonio and the future plans they’d mapped out ahead of them. Antonio wasn’t supposed to leave. If she wanted anyone to leave town, Stefan King would be her first option. Eric was in the hospital because of his influence on Nick and some of the boys in the school.
During P.E., Luke didn’t seem interested playing basketball; he kept glancing at Blair who was playing volleyball with the girls at the other end of the court. “Hey, focus Luke,” Charles Ditch said. He was Luke’s friend and a lanky teenage boy with long blonde hair. He stood outside the game of play, watching and silently judging the boys in the game. Luke didn’t listen to his friend; he signaled the subs on the bench for replacement and left the game to continue staring at Blair.
“Are you nuts?” Charles asked. “You left the game to stare at the same girl you see in class every day.”
“I don’t care,” he replied. “I love seeing her in those pair of shorts, pretending to be a good volleyball player. It’s adorable.”
“I see. Have you asked her out yet?”
“No. I’m waiting for the right moment, plus I don’t want any answer that would ruin what we have going on,” Luke said.
“Come on, Luke. You don’t have to wait for an opportunity. You create one yourself. Listen, take her out after school today and ask her to be your girlfriend,” Charles said.
“Hmm… do people still do that?” Luke pondered.
“Yeah, people like you,” Charles teased.
“Fine, I’ll think about it. I could take her to her favorite restaurant for dinner and pop the question during dessert.”
Charles laughed. “That sounds like you want to propose to her. Well, keep me posted,” he said.
“Yeah. Sure,” Luke replied. He moved across the court once P.E. ended and approached Blair. “You weren’t that bad today,” he said.
Blair smiled. “I wasn’t good either,” she said. “I noticed you stepped out of your game. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to give someone else a shot.”
“Lucas Davis, the selfless guy,” she teased. “For some reasons, that’s very hard to believe.”
“Yeah, yeah, say what you want.” He paused. “Listen, will you be free tonight? I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me at La Sabrosa.”
“Oh okay. What’s the occasion?” she asked.
“Does there have to be one? I just want to spend time with you,” he said. It seemed hard to believe that that was the only reason. But she wasn’t too concerned about the reason behind the date. It was difficult to say no to free food especially she lived with a single father that rarely cooked.
A few hours after school, Luke arrived in a shirt and pair of jeans at the front of Blair’s house and took her to the restaurant. She wore a casual gown that stopped at her knee and tied her hair with a ribbon. La Sabrosa was a famous Mexican restaurant that sat at the heart of the city. Its glass walls and interior décor brought a sense of elegance to the restaurant. It didn’t have its own parking lot, so Luke had to park a few blocks away and walk Blair down to the restaurant. They secured a table and ordered their meals.
“Thanks for bringing me here, but how did you know I love this place,” Blair said.
“Emma told me this is your favorite restaurant and I was itching to find out what makes it special to you,” he replied, and she blushed. They talked for a while before their food arrived and then ate in silence, smiling at each other after every few gulps of juice. It seemed like the perfect time to learn more about her. Once they finished their main meals, he kept throwing questions at her whilst waiting for dessert. “So far, do you like being in Sandville?”
“Yes, I actually do. The people here are really nice. The food is lovely and the city is safe. I can walk at night without being scared. It’s awesome. Though it’s not the biggest city in the states and doesn’t have the biggest malls, it’s still a good place to live in. The beach is my favorite hangout spot in town. I don’t tell a lot of people this, but sometimes I go there alone to read and just stare at the ocean.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. I’m glad you enjoy staying here,” he said.
“What about you? Do you enjoy the city?”
“Yeah, as you know, I was born and raised here before my parents moved to California. Living with my cousins hasn’t been the same as living with my folks, but I still enjoy staying here. I refused to travel to the west even though my siblings were overexcited to move to Malibu. I believed I needed to finish high school and then decide where to attend college. Moving would slow down the entire process.”
“Yeah, I get you,” she replied, nodding.
Their dessert arrived and they took it in silence. Then Luke felt it was the right moment to pop the question. “Blair, I really love spending time with you. You’re really special and I doubt I would ever meet someone like you. You mean a lot to me.” He reached for her right hand and grasped it with his hands. “I want to build a stronger relationship with you. Will you be my girlfriend?”
Blair smiled, looking into his glossy chest-nut eyes. “I thought you would never ask. Yes, I would love to be your girlfriend,” she said. Deep down she kept wondering how Luke knew she was old-school in terms of dating. She would have never been his girlfriend if he hadn’t asked formally. In a way, he was grateful to Charles for bringing up the subject earlier on.
He leaned forward towards her and kissed her. It felt good as they massaged each other’s lips for a few minutes. Luke had followed his heart and forgot about one important issue. His best friend in hospital liked Blair – a lot.
* * *
A man wearing a white coat with a stethoscope lying around his neck walked into Eric’s room in the hospital. Jessica sat beside his bed, holding a Nicholas Spark’s novel in her hand. Ever since Antonio had informed her about his sudden departure, she refused to speak to him, which in turn reduced the frequent use of her Blackberry phone.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” the man asked.
“I’m good,” Eric replied, as he ate the bowl of grapes Jessica had stolen from the house. “I’m sorry, but are you the new doctor?” he added.
“Yes Mr Michelson, ever since Dr Pedro resigned, I have been in charge of your case. My name’s Dr Thompson.” He skimmed through a folder in his hand. “I believe you should have been discharged, but a few setbacks occurred and you’ve been asked to remain in here whilst we observe you. Well, I’m pleased to inform you that you’ll be free to return home in a few days’ time.”
Eric’s eyes brightened as his cheeks stretched from ear to ear. “That?
??s awesome. I can’t wait to get back to school,” he said.
“At the moment, you’ll be using a pair of crutches until you’re strong enough to walk on your own. I’ll prescribe a physiotherapy section for you. It should take less than a week and you’ll be strong in no time,” he said.
“All right, thanks doc,” Eric said.
“If you need anything, ask the nurses or send them to fetch me,” he said and left the room.
As he arrived at his office, he found Miguel Rossi sitting on the chair opposite his desk. He stared at him for a long minute, trying to place his face. He knew he’d seen him before, but couldn’t remember where. “I’m sorry Mr?” he asked.
“Mr Rossi, Miguel Rossi,” Miguel said.
“Oh, okay. How can I help you Mr Rossi?”
“I’ll just go straight to it. I’m sure you’re aware of Julian King’s death?”
“Yes, I am. Why?” Dr Thompson asked.
“I want the hospital to withhold the result of his autopsy. The family is still in a state of shock and wouldn’t want any extra news concerning his death. I hope you understand?”
“No, I don’t sir,” he replied.
“I believe you have a friend in the Pathology department. All I’m asking is to persuade him to keep the result of the autopsy away from the public or even the deceased family. Dr Pedro helped me in this aspect, and I assume you’ll do the same.”
Dr Thompson frowned. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can do that.”
“You know what; I’ll let you sleep on it.” Miguel brought out an envelope from the inner pocket of his suit and slid it across the desk. “I believe this should help speed up the thinking process.” He stood up and left the doctor’s office. Dr Thompson stared at the envelope and finally decided to open it. He found a white sheet of paper inside and the words ‘Half a million dollars’ was written on it. He froze as he imagined what he could do with such amount of money. For a few minutes, he thought about the value of the money but began to think about its source. Why would Miguel Rossi bribe him? There was something fishy about the whole situation. This geared him, as he was now prepared to find out the cause of Julian King’s death.
Chapter Eleven