"I need that report ready before noon. Is that possible?"
The new clerk I just hired a week ago nodded enthusiastically reaching to collect the white file from my hand.
Apparently work around here was increasing and we could absolutely not be slacking on it.
"It will be ready by noon" she turned around with a smile and walked out of my office.
One checked about twenty more to do I thought sorting through the files that were scattered on my table.
After sending like five long emails to our partners and customers a knock on the door disrupted my mood of concentration.
"Come in" I sighed pressing two fingers to my temple.
Instead of Amy or Carl in walked Logan and two of his team associates. He was older than me by a few years and had the wits for gaining contracts. Like he was a pro at it and I was happy he was a part of my company.
Let's not talk about how much I pay him though.
He's one of my trusted and diligent employees.
He wasn't supposed to be back this early. He left to secure a contract with another big shot company just this morning. We prepped for hours and did our fair share of research.
The smile on his face told me that we indeed got the contract.
A squeal escaped my mouth and I stood up from my seat walking around the table to give him a hug.
I hugged the two other guys professionalism completely forgotten.
In my company I made sure everyone got along with each other we weren't stuck-up people we were a family in a work environment.
"Congratulations Boss"
The smile on my face only increased more. Successes like this showed how much effort I put into this company despite my 'illness'. I wasn't going to let something as simple as cancer erase a dream I had been nurturing since I was five years old.
"Welldone guys" I managed to say even with the smile painted on my face.
"Pfft" one of the guys standing beside Logan scoffed. "It was all you Boss everything you said we laid it out there they gave it to us without even listening to the other guys there"
"Don't say that it was you...all of you" I shot back.
They laughed finding what I said was funny.
When their laughs died down Logan took a miniscule step forward and said "But to be honest without you there was a big chance that we might not have secured it. You taught us everything we said there"
My mind instantly takes me back to the last two weeks every spare time I had I met with them briefing them and adding points I knew that would score us a contract.
They secured the contract and were still bent on telling me that I was the brain behind it.
There was no changing their minds.
So I smiled and went around to hug them once more.
"Congratulations to us then!"
They laughed and cheered filing out of my office.
The bounce in their steps were noticeable the joy of success painted on their faces. They cheered as they exited my office.
The next minute loud cheers and hoots could be heard even from behind my closed door.
And in a matter of minutes the while building was in a hooting and cheering frenzy.
Every success we celebrated every loss we forgot about learning from the mistakes we made.
Moments like this made me remember the early days when we first started.
When we first started it was quite painful to invest in so much and still loose but we took a brave step forward forgetting our loss also learning from our mistakes.
We progressed like that learning and picking up things along the way that was to our advantage.
Now we were here because of the hard and extra effort that we put in.
It was a passion to some of us doing what we loved best and you know there's no way you would want something like that to fail so we put in our very best.
My gaze moved past my chair to the shelf of polished wooden plaques and awards lined up in a decorative manner.
What we were today was a product of our past activity.
I was proud like frigging proud of myself and every damn thing I had accomplished.
In your face cancer
I settled back into my chair with a calmness one can only get from acquiring success.
By noon Sabby my new clerk came to drop off the report.
The hours rolled by and I found myself checking off things in my to-do list.
Honestly speaking there's no feeling like that of fulfillment.
When lunch came around I was done with most of tasks. So there I was sitting on my chair facing my blank laptop screen when Mike walked in without knocking.
He has been my lunch buddy for two weeks now while Amy is in charge of the drugs I take during the day.
Funny right
They literally have me monitored.
I know they do it out of care and they don't exactly trust me to do them my self without being reminded a number of times it doesn't take away the feeling of being baby-sitted.
And like always I think I'm overthinking it.
So when Mike wraps his arm around my shoulder I lean against him as we walk to the elevator.
The elevators open and we step in.
"I heard about the contract you won." he says just as the elevator door closes with a ping.
"Yeah" I reply looking up at his clean shaven face.
"Congratulations" he says then goes ahead to kiss my cheek.
The glint in his eye is obvious so is the admiration in his expression. Mike is a handsome man it's actually undeniable when you meet this man that is my best friend.
"Thank you" I reply looking anywhere but his face.
Whenever he kisses me or holds my hand or when he's being overly affectionate the question I've had on my mind for over a month reappears begging me to be answered.
"Why do you keep doing that?" he asks in a lowered voice his fingers finding my chin. He gently turns my head with his fingers on my chin to face him.
"You keep looking away from me and I don't like it"
I stare at him hoping to find an answer in his blue eyes.
I see things I don't recognize and it confuses me.
He leans in his fingers now stroking my cheek softly.
He suddenly smiles and the serious expression on his face dissipates leaving him with hodded eyes.
He closes his eyes for a second like as if contemplating something he shakes his head and moves away throwing his hand over my shoulder.
Confusion swarms me because of his actions.
When the elevator opens I have no choice than to move with his big arm on my shoulder.
We walk the short distance to the food joint close to the office. No use going far when you have good food right beside you.
He opens the door that sounds with the jingle of a bell and allows me to walk in first.
My feet take me to the table we have been sitting in ever since this lunch routine started.
Familiar faces are scattered about in the room most of them from the company.
Mike saunters to the table confidently very aware of the eyes on him.
As I said earlier my buddy Mike is a handsome man which equates to him being an eye candy for women.
He basks in the attention he gets which just adds to his cockiness.
He shrugs off his suit jacket and places it on the back of his chair.
The blue shirt underneath is still smooth with no crease visible. He makes himself comfortable in the chair opposite where I am seated.
"You look pretty today"
I roll my eyes keeping my gaze on my chipped painted finger nail.
I need a pedicure.
"You say that everyday"
He chuckles "only because it's true"
"Keep calling me that and I might just dump you" I jokingly threaten.
Amused he laughs loudly throwing his head back to let out a loud laughter.
"Dump me?" he repeats unbelief clear as day in his room tone. "You can do better than that Lin"
An idea pops up in my head and before I can think about it, it's already out of my mouth.
"Maybe I'd just kiss Diego then"
The smile on his face melts away leaving a clipped frown. The surprise that his expression carries make me erupt in laughter.
"I was just joking calm down. You look like you're about to murder" I said in between laughs.
His expression didn't waver.
He sighed and released his clenched fingers that were on the table.
"Very funny Lin" he sarcastically grunts.
I wonder what his reaction would be if I told him Diego and I had kissed countless times.
"What if....."
"What would you like to have today?" a young waiter suddenly appeared cutting me off from the question I was going to ask.
"Grilled steak and salad for the both of us" Mike answers.
"Water would be just fine" I answer when he asks for our preferred choice of drink.
The waiter leaves after nothing down our order.
Mike turns back to me expectantly.
"What?" I ask when he continued to stare.
A bushy but perfectly shaped eyebrow raises in question.
"You were saying something before the waiter interrupted" he points out.
Oh right
"What was it?"
"Nothing" I reply hurriedly.
Where the fudge was confidence when I needed it.
He looks at me weird. "You forget I know when you're hiding something from me"
Yeah.
Things like that are bound to know when you've been best friends with someone for about twenty years.
I shrugged sending him a cheeky smile.
He shakes his head and looks around.
Lunch is served the next minute and we both eat silently exchanging eye gestures.
Halfway into it Mike gets a phone call. He grunts as he picks up his phone on the table to answer the call.
A minute late he drops the phone and starts dabbing his mouth a napkin.
"I have to....."
"It's okay. I understand" I cut him off when he starts to explain.
In the business world like ours there is little to no rest which means you have to be at attention whenever work calls.
He sighs standing up from his seat and taking the suit jacket he hung on it earlier.
He eyes the remaining portion of food on my plate then moved his gaze to my face.
"I will give you a call later"
I nod and he turns around capturing the necks of women as he effortlessly shrugs into his jacket while walking out of the restaurant.