MORE THAN A SECRETARY

“Are you sure about this Jord? I know I promised Leah and Lilac that I will attend but I don’t think I should,”

Katrina said to Jordan while she got dressed for the party, she could imagine Jordan rolling his eyes at her over the phone but she was scared and nervous enough not to care.

“We talked about this girl, you have to,”

He replied, he was already at the venue as his boss had called him last minute and he had left, he called just to tell her he went ahead to the venue after he was done at the office, she was already dressed, she just didn’t feel like leaving the house, she stood up and checked her reflection in the mirror, the dress the ladies had helped her pick was a beautiful blue evening gown, it was simple yet it fitted her so well but she was scared everyone is gonna take one look at her and know she was pregnant.

“I should just call him and tell him over the phone,”

She said sitting back down in resignation.

“No way lady, you come to the party and you tell him after, don’t even think about it or I am coming over to drag you here myself,”

Jordan warned.

“Fine, I am on my way,”

She replied and ended the call before Jordan could say more, she got up from the bed before she could change her mind, picked up her purse, and headed out of her house, she got into her car and drive towards the venue.

“We are doing it today, now or never Katrina Jones,”

She told herself as she drove to the new hotel, it took her about an hour to get there, and all through the journey, she kept telling herself it was the right thing to do.

“Katrina? God to see you here princess,”

Someone greeted when she got out of her car in the big parking lot that housed numerous other cars, she looked up to a familiar face that she has seen much over the last three months, she had regretted giving him her new address as he has been a constant visitor.

“Hello, Nas, nice to meet you here too,”

She greeted, she wasn’t comfortable in his presence anymore not when he kept pestering her about accepting his advances, she had told him she wasn’t interested but he seemed to be the type who doesn’t take no for an answer.

“Yeah, you have been avoiding my calls, I see why,”

“What do you mean?”

“You are back with that loser,”

“Excuse you? Back with who, please I don’t have the strength for this right now, if you don’t mind, I am leaving,”

She said walking away from him but he pulled her back.

“Let go of me Nas, what is wrong with you?”

She questioned eyeing him.

“Why can’t you give me a chance? What does he have that I don’t? Money? I have more money than he does, face, it’s obvious I am better too so what’s with him that you can’t seem to see me no matter how I try? Do you want me to get him off the way? Will that make you come to me? I can make that happen,”

He voiced, Katrina got scared by the way he sounded and he was holding on too tight and it hurt.

“Let go of me Nas, you are hurting me,”

She said willing her hormones not to make her cry.

“You will be mine, whether you like it or not, even if it means getting Lucas out of the way,”

“What are you talking about? You sound sick, why can’t you just get it into your head that I don’t like you, even if I am with Lucas which I am not, I am not going to look at you, I said it before you are not my type,”

She almost yelled but she controlled herself and made sure he got his word, he looked scary.

“Ma’am? Is there a problem?”

A security man asked as he walked towards them, Nas let go of her hand, before getting into the car next to hers and driving off without another word, she turned to the security guard and forced a smile.

“Thank you,”

“No problem, the entrance is that way,”

The security directed, she nodded and walked towards the direction, her hand still hurting from where Nas held her but that wasn’t even her main problem, her main problem was facing Lucas again…

****

Lucas looked around again, the event was starting soon, the whole auditorium was almost filled up, with people moving in circles and greeting each other, he has been standing up here and watching his guest fill the place, but the one person he waited her arrive hasn’t shown up, she wasn’t here yet, her best friend was here already, he saw him earlier and had wanted to ask for her but his pride has gotten the better of him, he thought she would show up but right now he wasn’t sure anymore, Katrina was a woman that kept to time, that she wasn’t here now meant she might not show up, his heart sank at the thought of it, he had looked forward to seeing her here, not that he had anything to tell her but he just wanted to see her again, when his sisters had come back and said she accepted the invitation, he had felt whole and happiness that he couldn’t describe, well guess she changed her mind.

“Lucas? Are you waiting for someone? You have been looking around like you are expecting someone to show up,”

His sister Lilac said as she walked up to him.

“No, I am not, I am just looking at how many people turned up, I wasn’t expecting this many people to show up,”

He lied, if he told her, she would mock him.

“Liar, don’t worry she will show up,”

She said patting his back.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,”

“Lucas, just a bit of friendly advice from your beloved sister, if you mess it up tonight, you might not get a chance again, can you really live with that? Don’t say anything just think about it, and make the right choices, do you prefer to keep lying to yourself and lose her for good or are you going to admit it that you can’t do without her? Bear in mind that she is leaving the country for good after tonight, think about how you feel now, and what it will be like if she leaves for good, I am not telling you what to do, but I will like it if you don’t mess it up because I want you to be happy, everyone wants you to be,”

She said and left him there, he looked around again, this was it, he didn’t need Katrina or any woman, he was perfectly okay being by himself, he didn’t want the complications that come with loving someone, even if she doesn’t show up, he will be fine, he wasn’t anxious to see her maybe he just wanted to know that she was okay, that was it, he looked around one last time as he heard the MC of the night telling everyone one to come to the auditorium, he checked the time and it was past seven already.

“Well, I guess she isn’t going to come,”

He said to himself, he didn’t want to admit it but he felt sad.

“Get over it,”

He told himself, he looked again as his family began to fill the auditorium too, his mom dad, sisters, and distant relatives, some of which he hadn’t seen since Lilac’s wedding, as he made to go down, his eyes landed on someone, someone he hasn’t seen in the crowd, his heart leaped for joy, happiness, and a warmed feeling that he wasn’t sure he had the power to feel enveloped him, it’s her, she was here, she looked so gorgeous like he remembered, she was wearing a beautiful blue dinner gown, looking all shades of pretty, while she exchanged greetings and hugs with his family, their eyes met and held, he smiled at her but she looked away.

“Boy, that hurt,”

The tiny voice in his head whispered.

“No, it doesn’t,”

“Yeah right, now look at yourself and say that again,”Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

It whispered before he had time to go over that, the MC called for him, he walked downstairs to the auditorium, he went up the podium, as the MC passed the mic to him, he looked down at everyone sitting and looking at him, his eyes found their way to Katrina, she sat with his family, looking at her up close, she looked different in a good way.

“What were you expecting? For her to be miserable? Get over yourself dude,”

The tiny voice whispered again, he clamped it down and started his speech.

“Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for gathering here tonight for the grand opening of the new Evan’s hotel, it took a while to get this project done and I will like to thank everyone who helped in every little way they can, special thanks to Mr. Reuben who saw me worthy and allowed me to start this,”

He said and Reuben waved in the crowd, it has been easier than he thought to get Reuben to attend, he had asked of Katrina and he had told him they were taking time off, Reuben had said the same thing his family members have been ringing in his ears “Don’t make the mistake of letting her go,”

“Also, I will like to thank my parents, sisters, and family for always being there and supporting me, to everyone who works for Evan’s cooperation, thank you so much, you all are part of our success story, I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you. To every guest present here, thank you for making out time from your busy schedule to come to support me, I am grateful,”

He paused and looked around, everyone had their attention on him, his eyes found Katrina and this time, she smiled at him, that caught him off guard, his heart leaped and his heartbeat increased, it seemed like something changed in that moment, he couldn’t make out what it was but having her smile at him like that, like she was proud of him, it felt healing and he wanted to keep that feeling, he wanted to keep her, he didn’t know how it did but it clicked right there, he loved her, he was in love with her, he had been stupid, he should have known, why else would he have had an invitation card printed out just for her, why else did he still have her photos in his phone? And at his house? The stuff she had left there was still intact, even the bowl of ice cream she hadn’t finished the last time she was at his house, he should have known, but he was a fool, a fool that just knew, he looked at her again before continuing his speech.

“Finally, I would like to thank someone special and dear to me, she might not know it but I care about her a lot more than she thinks, a lot more than even I think, she played a huge role in all of this and has been a part of my life, that I took for granted, she was there through the hardest of it, saw me break down and saw me rise, she knows me more than anyone else even my family, I know I messed up but I am going to fix it, thank you, Katrina, for being there, for being a support even though I am such a pain in the ass,”

He said, looking at her, she looked shocked as the crowd applauded, he smiled at her hoping it was not too late to fix things, he didn’t want a life without her and he had been a fool for not realizing it earlier, he should have known…