Awakening Promise

Chapter 11

One Month Later

If anyone had told Promise that she would be this happy, she wouldn't have believed them. She had a job that she loved, her family, and now a man who appeared to enjoy her company. She couldn't bring herself to say Antoine loved her because he had never said the words, but she knew he cared, even if it was just sex.

They had agreed to keep their relationship a secret at work because Promise didn't want anyone thinking any less of her skills. Antoine regularly sent her flowers and cards at the office. She would come into her office in the morning or afternoon and find a new bouquet or a card from him.

Promise was making her way to Antoine's office when she was waylaid by a couple of office staff. They often took lunch together either at his place or hers. Because of their working relationship, they only went out in public if it was business related, even though Antoine complained.

"Promise you can't go into Mr. Sevan's office. Didn't they tell you his fiancée is here today?"

Not wanting to appear as hurt as she actually was, Promise said, "I thought they were no longer together?"

"Girl, please, no woman in her right mind would let a man like Mr. Sevan go."

"She has been here twice this week, and I believe they are getting ready to make the big announcement." Another employee said. At that exact moment, Promise's phone beeped.

She looked down at the text message. "Can't go to lunch. Something important came up. I will see you at dinner."

Promise felt sick to her stomach. How had she been such a fool again? She remembered vividly seeing the woman on her first day here and again in New York. She had opted to believe Antoine when he said they were over.

But the reality was that Antoine had lied. He was still engaged and saw her on the side. She now thought upon his protest of not taking her out and realized that it was a ploy of insincerity.

He was just trying to keep her in his bed. Silently, he had been ecstatic about her wanting to keep their relationship a secret. Just as she turned around to head back to the elevator, Antoine and Charlotte came out of his office.

Charlotte looked around, and as she saw Promise, she smiled sarcastically and waved, saying, "Hello, nice seeing you again." Antoine looked up to see who Charlotte was speaking to and looked straight into a set of shocked and angry brown eyes. He knew then the situation seemed all wrong to Promise, but at the present time, there was nothing he could do to soothe her anxiety.

Although she was smiling, Promise's eyes told him how she saw him. She remained professional, spoke, and then turned, heading in the opposite direction. Promise could not believe her own eyes. He had just made love to her this morning, no scratch that. He had just had sex with her this morning. And now he was with Charlotte.

Charlotte, the woman who was wrapped around him like a strumpet. Rubbing her hands up and down his arm and smiling like the cat that got the canary. Promise was smart enough to know that the entire performance was to get her to react, but she had remained professional.

"She is being so extra," she whispered.

Her thoughts were all over the place. Antoine had canceled their lunch date to be with Charlotte. If that didn't speak volumes, nothing else would.

As she took the back elevators down to her office, her cell rang. At first, she sent it straight to voicemail. On the second call, she answered it in a daze, still reeling from the sight of Antoine and Charlotte in each arm.

Shun's voice came on the line. "Hey, P. I need to talk. Can you come over?" Happily, Promise agreed to go to Ft. Worth to visit her sister. From the sound of things, Shun needed her, and she needed her now.