INSIDE THEIR MINDS

Life With You

KATE

Finally, I was being rescued in what seemed like the longest day I have had to endure in a very long time.

"You ready to leave soon?" He texted me.

Did he really not know that I have been doing literally nothing all day?

"I am ready to leave as soon as you are." I text back, trying not sound as bored as I actually really felt.

"Sounds good." He says.

Then I hear a knock at my door and look up to see him standing and waving at me behind the glass.

Oh Phil, how silly of you.

I wave to him and then try standing from my chair, almost unsuccessfully. He rushes across the room his arms already outstretched for me as if I were to fall, but they wouldn't have been much use for in the palm of his hands were my favorite flowers, pink lilies.

I couldn't help but smile.

"You haven't been in my office before, let me give you the tour." I say jokingly being that the size of my office is about 8th the size of his.

"but where is the treadmill?" he asks sarcastically, I joke I had almost forgotten about.

"oh that isn't for my office that was for yours." I say reminding me that I haven't been on a jog in months.

He smiles at me the lilies still in his grip.

"So who are those for, my boss?" I tease.

"Oh yeah, the old man could really use 'um ya know?" He says taking my hand in his before turning us around to face my door.

"Who you callin an old man?" My boss asks from the doorway heavily leaning on his cane.

"Uh, no one sir." Phil says somewhat nervously.

"Good, no one is old around here, except maybe that Philip character down in payroll." He joked, a joke his older brother Phillip never really enjoyed, boy did he like repeating the same jokes.

I smile anyway knowing they are the best of friends and his joking is all in good fun.

"Did Kate tell you what I told her last week?" He asked Phil to my surprise. I didn't even know he knew who he was, at least to me, guess word travels fast.

"No, she hasn't said anything to me...." He asks my boss, then giving me a questioning look with a hint of a smile.

"I told her she could have as much time off of work as she would like. That she didn't need to come in until she was ready to. I wouldn't want her to feel overworked." He said trying his best to stand without help from his wooden cane.

"I will keep that in mind, but you know how Kate is, it's hard for her not to work." Phil said with a smile first to me then to my boss.

"She is one of the smartest employees I have on staff and I will hope to see her back soon, but not too soon ya hear?" He says now speaking to me, an apparent sternness in his voice.

"Will do, Sir." I answer with a smile while grabbing my purse from my desk, "we were just about to head out now."

"OK, now run off you two." He says to both of us.

I left the room first, slowly but surely, then I noticed Phil had been called over to my boss and I couldn't help but listen in.

"I know about your history, with your wife..." he half whispered to Phil

"Ex-wife." Phil interrupted.

"Wife." My boss corrected, "you better treat Kate with the utmost respect. She is like a daughter to me and I will protect her as much as I possibly can. Ya hear?" My boss said half threatening Phil.

" I love her." I heard Phil say. "I would never hurt her, she is everything I have ever wanted. Here is my number if you were to ever need to reach me." Phil says handing over his card. "Truly she is incredible and I will love her and protect her."

"Now, you can leave. Just remember." My boss says once again giving Phil a harsh look I have never seen him give to anyone.

I pretend to be texting on my phone but Phil saw right through that and didn't fail to mention it once we had boarded the elevator.

"He must really care for you, most boss, employee relationships aren't like that. He must really see something in you." Phil says as he takes my hand.

"Kate, you really are an amazing and wonderful person and you have already brought so much joy to my life. I know now that everything between us has happened for a reason and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. We first met inside this very elevator nearly nine months ago and I saw it fitting that this would be the perfect to place to ask you a question." Phil says, then he proceeds to get down on one knee, a red velvet box in his now outreached hand.

"Katherine Josie Harris, will you marry me?"