Lisa
"Ahem... Ms. Manoban." Kevin said with a nod and then got back into the driver's seat and pulled out toward the airport.
I heard the beginning of a single slow clap and turned to roll my eyes at an approaching Nate.
"Someone got laid last night." Nate hollered as he approached, far too loudly. I winced as I straightened my tie and picked my briefcase back up off of the ground.
"Very professional, Nate." I replied, while trying to maintain the illusion of superiority but it never worked with a guy like Nate and, even though I knew I shouldn't be, but I was okay with that.
"You didn't deny it though, boss." he said with a smile, popping a handful of candy into his mouth as he followed me through the lobby and toward the elevator.
"No." I said, straightening my cuff links. "I did not."
Nate let out a low whistle and I chuckled as the elevator doors closed and we each pressed our respective buttons.
"Guessing it's nice to have the wife back in town, eh?" Nate asked then and his tone changed to something more meaningful at that. Something almost like pity. I turned to him and saw it reflected in his eyes as well. Was Nate feeling bad for me? Did my design team meet in secret to talk about their poor boss living so far away from her loving wife, never seeing the missus at all?
"Yes." I answered, turning back to face the doors. "Very nice."
"We're all happy for you, Ms. Manoban." Nate said then, clapping me on the back and smiling at me. "Truly."
I nodded my head in thanks as the elevator doors opened and Nate stepped outside to join the other designers on the tenth floor. I remained in the elevator to rise four more to my office.
"Any messages?" I asked my assistant, Trudy, when I emerged.
"Four from Mr. Lee, two from Mr. Park, and one from your mother." she answered. My head snapped up in her direction.
"Thank you, Trudy," I told her. "I'll take those."
I took the post it notes from her as I turned and headed into my office, flipping through them until I found the one about the call from my mother. But all it said was a simple "requests call-back". Very well. I sighed and loosened my tie, locking my door as I sat down at my desk and dialled.
She picked up on the third ring.
"Khwām dī k̄hxng c̄hạn." she exclaimed the moment she answered. "Tell me, Lalisa, tell me why I find my daughter is married on television, eh?" (My goodness)
I muttered a curse.
"Khuṇ t̂xng phūd xarị?" She exploded. "Lalisa Pranpriya Manoban, you tell me who your wife is, this very instant." (What have you got to say?)
"C̄hạn s̄eīycı, mama." I replied. "Really. I didn't want you to find out this way." (I'm sorry.)
"Did you want me to find out at all, Lalisa? H̄rụ̄x khuṇ ca s̀xn mạn cāk c̄hạn?" (Or were you going to hide it from me?)
"Yes, mama, yes. I was going to tell you. It all... happened very quickly and it's not what you think."
"I want to meet her."
"Mama..."
"Lalisa! That's my daughter-in-law. You will keep her from me?"
"We can't exactly visit right now." I tried to explain, while doing my best to keep my exasperation from my tone. "C̄hạn kảlạng t̄hūk s̄xbs̄wn. Immigration." (I'm under investigation.)
There was a pause on the other end of the phone as my mother reasoned out what I was saying. I hadn't told her about this six years ago. I wouldn't have told her today but I was now a subject of interest to the media and I was sure that Jennie and I had been photographed and written about in all manner of news sources over the last week including, and apparently, even on international news stations.
"Ah..." my mother responded then, more curtly than before. "I see. Still. This is legal, yes?"
"Yes, mama."
"Then she is your wife and I will meet her."
"Mama..."
"Arrange it, Lalisa. I am losing patience with this."
Then there was a click and I knew my mother had hung up. I sighed, dropping my head into my hands and taking deep breaths. I'd known this was coming. The moment that Jennie had walked back into my life, I'd known that I wouldn't be able to hide it from my parents forever. But how was I going to explain to them that we'd been married for six years already? And how was I going to get away with introducing Jennie to my parents when we'd only just begun to get to know one another? I sighed, shaking my head and scrubbing a hand down my face.
"Whatever you're dealing with..." someone spoke from the doorway and I looked up to see Rosé leaning against it, "... don't bring me into it. It looks dreadful."
"It's my mother." I said and she nodded in understanding.
"Ah, the matriarch of the Manoban family." she replied, with a knowing look in her eye as she clearly understood how overbearing mothers can be. "I don't envy you."
I smiled.
"What do you have for me?" I asked.
"Final budgets." she told me, while dropping a stack of papers onto my desk. "These need approval by end of business today."
I nodded, flipping through the papers.
"The raises I requested?" I asked.
"Yes, the design team's raises have been included." she replied with a roll of her eyes. "But I advise you to think long and hard the next time you ask me to find enough room in a mid-year budget for generous raises for eleven people, Ms. Manoban. I may just quit." She turned on her heel and pulled open the door to my office, preparing to exit.
"You wouldn't dare." I called out. She just flipped her hair over her shoulder and headed for the elevators. I chuckled and turned back to my messages. Four from Danny Lee and two from Teddy Park. I sighed. Today was not going to be a good day.
