The heart can't be stopped

Chapter 7

DESMOND's POV
Work at the office today wasn't  easy because I was supposed to get all the files containing the company's account information and hand it over to Vashti since she will be taking over her husband's business. I didn't know how to tell her that her husband was in debt and there was a little chance of him getting out.
The company is in huge debt and we've tried all the possible options to pay but there is no guarantee that we will make it. We've lost most of our investors because of that and no business is willing to work with us.
I walked straight through into her office and handed the files to her.
"Ma'am, I need to tell you something. I don't know how you will take it but you need to know about it" I said to her. She looked up at me with a confused expression and asked me to spit it out
"I'm sorry but the company is in huge debt. The chances of us paying is extremely low... we've tried everything to come out of this but we always fail because most of our investors and clients are no longer working with us" she quickly got up after hearing about the issue.
She was speechless for sometime before she asked to me get those debt files for her.
"Is already part of the files I handed over to you please"I responded and she told me to leave her office. I quickly got back into my office to continue with what I was doing.
I closed from work after hours of working with a terrible headache and back pains.As I was walking down the corridor,I passed by Vashti's office and saw that she was already packing up to leave.
"Do you mind if I drop you at your destination, I want to get some answers from you about the company's debt please"She spoke it out the moment she saw me pass loudly enough for me to hear. I nodded my head to make her know that I was okay with it and even it could help me since I was already in pains and save me from taking the commercial bus,my car broke down and and it was under repair.
I quickly opened the door for her to step out and asked her to hand over her bag to me. I wanted to be a gentleman I guess. She refused at first but later I was able to convince her. We walked in silence to her car but as I said I was a gentleman to open the car door for her. She smiled at me and said "thank you Desmond  but it wasn't really necessary"
I returned her smile and sat in the car next to her. For about 5 mins the drive to my house was in complete silence until she asked about the debt.
"When I came to work with this company,I found out that the calculations and the numbers in the company's account files weren't accurate. I told everything to your husband and showed him evidence. We were able to calculate all the figures and get the correct numbers but later we realised that the company was in debt. We tried everything we could but the debt kept on rising up and we were not able to do anything about it" I answered her honestly because I felt she needed to know the truth about her husband's finances. She nodded silently and thanked me for giving her the insight.
She dropped me off at me apartment but before she could get the chance to leave I asked her if she could come inside for a cup of coffee. She accepted my offer and came in with me.
"You have a nice apartment"she said when I asked her to sit down
"Thank you" I replied her and told her that I could get her coffee for her she should just give me a minute.I went to the kitchen and prepared her cup of coffee.
I handed the coffee to her and got thank you Desmond from her.
"So do you live here alone or" she innocently asked me when I sat next to her.
"Yh I live alone,I used to live with my parents but they've moved back to Italy that is where we are from" I responded but before I could ask her if she liked the tea she asked me the most shocking question I've been trying to hide from anytime someone asked me that and wanted an answer.
"Don't you have any woman in your life to keep the house lively"she jokingly said
If it was someone else I'm sure I could have ignored the question but I truthfully answered her without delaying.
"No please.... I'm not having a woman in my life,my last girlfriend died from cancer and I haven't been able to moved from that......actually I'm not ready to start another relationship maybe in the future but for now I haven't met anyone who I want a future with ma'am"
I saw her with a tearful smile and felt a little pain in my heart because I don't know what I said that made her to cry.
"I'm sorry I didn't know that asking you this question will make you remember your past....I shouldn't have asked,I'm really sorry" she apologised thinking I was hurt but truth to be told I've already accepted what I went through in my past so it was okay for me to talk about it especially to her which I don't know the reason but she was the first person to get an honest answer about my relationship.
She sat there quietly for sometime and later handed me her cup.
" I think I need to go now.....thank you for the invite....I appreciate"She said as she stood up to leave. I smiled at her and led the way to the front door. I opened the door for her to leave but to my surprise she hugged me and said "I know you will find someone soon again to fill that hole in your heart Desmond because you are a good man" and left to drive off.
I stood there speechless even after I could see the back of her car no more.I couldn't even move an inch. I don't know if it was the words she told me or if it was about the hug she gave me because the moment she hugged me I couldn't control what I felt in my heart. I know I admire my boss's wife ever since the hospital issue but I've never felt anything for her because it could be wrong to have feelings for a married woman to the extent of her being my boss's wife.
I went inside to take a shower and get some rest for the next day and to leave my disturb heart and mind to deal with their own problems.
Maybe I was feeling that about her because I was able to open my past to her since the incident that took the life of my beloved Kathrine, the woman I adored and loved the most in my world.