New York Series: Office Affair

Chapter 18

Francesca POV

I was engrossed in work, so I was startled when there was a knock on my door, which was standing open.
"Good morning."
Manuel walked into the office, beaming from ear to ear.
"Good morning to you too. How was your evening last night?"
"Oh, very easy. I did something for university. You wouldn't believe what my brother told me yesterday."
Manuel euphorically put his hands on my desk, his eyes sparkling tremendously. I raised my eyebrows in interest.

"Well, tell me."
"His colleague Jared told him that he fished two people out of the Central Park pond on Saturday. He probably only issued a warning. But the man looked so familiar to him and when he was at the police station, he remembered. Guess who went swimming in the pond?" He looked me in the eye, clicked his tongue and grinning broadly.
My heart stopped. I knew who had gone swimming there, I had been there.

"Angél," I whispered hoarsely.
Surprised, he straightened up and furrowed his brow in amazement. "How did you know?"
"I was the second person. We went jogging and."
"WHAT? You're seeing him?"
I cleared my throat sheepishly.
"We're friends. Yes, I'm seeing him." Friends. Why did it feel like I was drinking dishwater when I said the word friends?
"Hm, friends. I see," he mumbled at first and then waved it off, but I was sure that Manuel wasn't taking it that lightly. So why did he play it down?

"I'm training with him for the charity run, or rather, we tried to. Angél's wife had given us a sun cream to test and it attracted a horde of bees, so we had to bathe in need."
"I see. Well, you ruined my punchline. Thought I'd provide you with the hottest gossip of the week, well, another time then."
"Yes, another time," I said encouragingly.
Manuel just shrugged his shoulders and ran his fingers through his hair in a relaxed manner.
"I'll get back to work then. I still have to write last month's report. I'll mail you as soon as possible. See you around."
He was gone before I could say anything back. He left me with a bad feeling and the worry that he cared more than he was letting on.

I was calculating the new budget for an existing customer's summer party when there was another knock. I was about to ask him in, annoyed, when my voice caught in my throat.
"Miss Jones? A delivery for you."
I stood up and looked at the large bouquet of flowers.
"For me? From whom?"
"You are Miss Jones, aren't you?"
"Yes."
The courier hastily pressed the roses into my hand.
"Then please sign here." He held his clipboard out to me and I signed with one hand, taking care not to drop the bouquet.
"Thank you and have a nice day." With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared. I glanced furtively into the corridor, hoping that nobody had noticed the delivery. I quickly closed my door and put the flowers in a vase in my cupboard. I happily examined the beautifully tied bouquet.
15 red roses tied in black silk ribbon.
I wonder what that meant. I briefly cursed myself for knowing so little about floristry and for not having listened better when my mum had explained something to me. I opened the card that was packed between the bouquet.
Dear Francesca,
Please forgive me for being such a bad coach. Christina gave me an earful when I told her how our training had ended. So we would like to invite you and Carlo to our house for dinner tonight. Please let me know if you can make it at such short notice.

greetings in dry clothes from the office.
Angél

My heart pounded in my chest and I smelled the flowers with relish. That was really thoughtful of both of them. It was impossible to refuse. Excitedly, I clarified with Carlo on the phone that we were invited to dinner tonight and that he should see it as a peaceful sign from Angél and that his jealousy was unfounded. I left him no choice and harshly decided that he had to accompany me.
I sent Angél a photo of the flowers with a short note We'd love to come.
This was followed by a time and address.
For the rest of the day, I couldn't help but grin as I furtively glanced at the bouquet of flowers from time to time. I had placed it on the floor in front of my desk. I didn't want anyone to see him enter my office, especially not Manuel. He would only misunderstand again.