After God’s Own Heart
Chapter 1
“Hey Ruth!” Someone called me from the other cubicle. I realized it was my boss, Helena, who happens to be the current editor-in-chief of the Houston Chronicles. We were rushing the blueprints for the February edition of the newspaper.
I was busy proofreading the last three paragraphs of my feature article. “Yup, I’m gonna turn it in just a sec,” I called out from my cubicle. My eyes scanned the blueprints, made quick remarks and symbols, placed the blueprints on a brown envelope and dropped the stuff on Helena’s table. Helena was then waiting for me on one corner standing and fumbling for her coin purse.
“You done?” Helena looked up from where she was standing. “Let’s get going. We’ve got to grab a bite. My stomach’s in utter revolution already,” she remarked as we hurriedly went downtown Houston to get to the nearest fast food chain. It was already half past two in the afternoon, and the two of us haven’t taken our lunch yet. We were so preoccupied with the deadlines for the newspaper that we hardly noticed the time.
It was a chilly afternoon outside the office as we went out. The constant rustle of pine and birch trees complemented the golden yellow to tangerine sunshine. It was really a great time to take a walk and a gulp of fresh air.
We settled in a newly opened fast food chain where we ordered clubhouse sandwiches, potato salad, nachos with salsa and mango sherbet. So much for our fill.
My forehead creased as I made a side comment, “This isn’t gluttony, is it?”
Helena chuckled, “Nope, we’re just plain hungry.”
Helena, even if she holds a higher position at work than what I have is really one gullible person. I never felt the pressure of our workload when I’m around her. I really trust her when it comes to things about my life in general. In fact, I could tell her anything—from the stowaways I had at home two years ago to my current love interest.
Speaking of which, I guess she also has an amazing radar connected somewhere in her head for her to ask the question, “So how are you and Dylan?”
I uncomfortably shifted my position while I took three spoonfuls of the mango sherbet I had in front of me. Dylan, is one of the closest guy friends I ever had in the office. Apparently, he’s a guy I truly admire ever since college days, from that moment when he asked me for a walk in the park after our school’s annual Spring Dance. That was the first time I ever took notice of him. It wasn’t his blue green eyes, auburn clean cut hair, lean physique and handsome face that caught my attention, but it was his gentleness, great sense of humor and amazing personality that really took me by surprise.
“Ruth?” Helena looked at me straight in the eye and curiously searched for the answers on my face.
“Dylan and I…um, we’re friends,” I stated flatly.
Helena rolled her eyes. “Duh? Well yeah, and we’re soulmates actually,” she said sarcastically. “Com’on Ruth, you’ve gotta be kidding me. I know how much you like him…”
I cut her off, “I know, Helena. Yeah, I won’t deny the fact that I do like Dylan. But, I just can’t go on liking him for the rest of my life because…”
