My Perfect Love.

Chapter seven.

       Monday morning broke with a dull light filtering through the curtains, casting soft shadows in Adrian's bedroom. He woke up to a throbbing headache that pulsed in time with his racing thoughts. The remnants of a restless weekend clung to him like a heavy blanket, but he brushed aside the idea of visiting the hospital. It felt like something trivial, just a minor inconvenience he could handle. After taking some pain relievers, he dressed for work, his mind still foggy.

            Across town, Abby was buzzing with excitement as it was her first day at Kingston and Co. Granny had risen early to prepare a hearty breakfast, filling the kitchen with the comforting aroma of pancakes and syrup. “You’re going to shine today, my dear,” Granny said, her eyes twinkling with pride as she blessed Abby before she left.

             Kithara had slept over to help Abby pick out the perfect outfit—a crisp white blouse paired with a stylish pencil skirt that accentuated her figure. They shared laughs and last-minute adjustments before hailing a cab together. They dropped Kithara off first, who waved enthusiastically as she bounded into her own office building. Abby felt a flutter of nerves but pushed them aside as she continued on to Kingston and Co.

         Upon entering the bustling office, Abby took a moment to absorb her surroundings—the sleek modern design, the sound of keyboards clacking, and the low hum of conversation filled her with an exhilarating sense of purpose. Almost immediately, she remembered the locket she had found belonging to Adrian and decided that returning it was the right thing to do.

As she navigated through the maze of cubicles, Abby collided with someone. She looked up to see a tall man with tousled hair and warm brown eyes staring back at her.

      “Sorry about that!” she exclaimed.

          “No problem at all,” he replied with a friendly smile. “I’m Andrew—Andrew Cooper. I’m new here too.”

“Oh! Nice to meet you! I’m Abby,” she introduced herself eagerly.

       The box he was holding was on the floor,it's belongings scattered.They both bent to pack what it contained and arranged it.

       “Would you mind if we became friends? It’s always better starting fresh with someone,” Andrew suggested, his tone hopeful.

     “Of course!” Abby smiled back, she didn't want to be rude, especially when she just collided into him or so she thought.They exchanged small talks while heading toward their respective workspaces.

         Meanwhile, Adrian was struggling to focus amidst the throbbing pain in his head. He reached for his locket—a habit he had developed over time—but his heart sank when he realized it was gone. Just then, there was a soft knock on his office door.

    “Come in,” he muttered absentmindedly.

To his surprise, Abby stepped into the room, looking both nervous and determined. “Hi! I mean Good morning sir,I came to return this…” She pulled out the locket from her pocket and held it out to him.

  Adrian’s expression shifted from confusion to anger in an instant as he snatched it from her hand without thinking. “What are you doing with this?” he questioned sharply.

Abby recoiled slightly at his tone but quickly regained her composure. “I found it on the floor....” she explained how she got the locket when he came to get coffee and bread at her bakery calmly. “I thought you might want it back.”

Adrian’s mind raced as he processed her words.
        'No wonder she looked familiar',he reasoned.

           Instead of expressing gratitude, his irritation boiled over. “You can go now,” he dismissed her curtly while waving his hand dismissively.

          Stung by his rudeness, Abby left his office feeling angry and annoyed.

  'what a rude jerk',she muttered.           

              She thought bitterly as she walked back to her desk. She had been excited about starting her new job but now felt deflated by Adrian's grumpy demeanor; not even a simple thank you!

As lunchtime approached, Abby sought solace in the company of new friends she had already made: Raquel and Neil. They met at the cafeteria where trays filled with colorful food awaited them.

      “So what do you think?” Raquel asked after taking a bite of her salad.

             “It’s delicious!” Abby replied enthusiastically as they settled down at a table together.

           Raquel shared snippets about herself: “I’m from Spain,an only child who loves freedom and exploring new places.New York has stolen my heart; I came here for an internship and ended up landing this job at Kingston and Co.” Her eyes sparkled as she continued, “I visit my family during my leave; they come here sometimes too! Oh—and I have a boyfriend named Loid who loves parties just as much as I do.”

Neil chimed in“I come from a family of five—two younger siblings and an adopted older sister.” He shrugged lightly as they teased him about not having a girlfriend yet. “I got this job thanks to my distant uncle who works here.”

             They all laughed together at Neil’s expense when Abby shared stories about her ex-boyfriend who had cheated on her; their collective outrage towards him lightened her mood considerably.

As their laughter echoed through the cafeteria, Adrian sat through two tedious business meetings that felt like they dragged on forever due to his lingering headache. The noise faded into background static as he tried to concentrate but kept replaying that moment with Abby in his mind—her calm demeanor contrasting sharply with his irritation.

       Eventually, it was time to head home. As Abby left work for the day, she recounted every detail of how much fun she had during lunch but couldn’t shake off her annoyance towards Adrian for treating her so coldly.

On her way home, however, something strange happened just as she was about to enter the cab.She felt like someone was watching her. A figure stood hidden behind a nearby lamppost; he raised his camera phone just enough for a quick click before stepping back into shadows with satisfaction etched on their face.

          'As beautiful as ever,'he murmured quietly to himself before disappearing into the crowd.

Abby dismissed the feeling oblivious to what had just happened behind her—a mixture of excitement for her new job and lingering frustration over Adrian's attitude clouding her thoughts.