Love, Again?

Chapter Two

"You can afford a mirror with the pay you get right?" the 40 something woman said sarcastically. She always had to crticize me. ALWAYS. But today I did look messed up.

"I'll visit the rest room later." I said sheepishly.

"Not just the rest room, you need to go shopping. We have a very important meeting during lunch and I can't take you wearing that 1$ leather jacket." She said giving a bitter glance at me. 

There goes the bitch again. She thinks everyone can afford new Gucci handbags and Christian Louboutin's daily. She wore a white cashmere coat over her black skin fit pants. A red tempting Gucci on her table and matching red pumps. 

"Mail me your presentation, we need to show it to the Head of Marketing of Panache." She demanded and I nodded back in affirmation.

"The door is behind you." She said without shifting her focus from the iMac.

"Certainly." I said and left the pure white 500 sq. ft. cabinet.

I squeezed in to my 20x20 cabinet which was halfly filled with files. Not to mention my charcoal table and two chairs.

I had another look at my presentation and mailed it to her in 20 mins. She replied sardonically: You're very quick. I must appreciate that." God what was her problem? Was office the only place where she vented out all her frustration? Probably yes. No wonder she didn't mix around with anybody. Forget the ones working under her, but the ones par with her, she just exchanged the occasional greetings. I did pity her at times. With all the money and power she was lonely.

My iPhone rang to distract my thoughts. It was Jake.

"Hey I'm going to be around your office during lunch, meet me at that new chinese place you were talking about at 1.'' he said brightly.

"I can't Jake, I have an extremely important meeting during lunch, maybe sometime else. Sorry." I said shattering his hopes.

"You just never can say yes, can you?" He said rhetorically and cut the phone.

Jake's call reminded me of the flowers which Lexie delivered to me, I had a look at them and thought of thanking Jake for them, but wait, there was a note.

'Beautiful flowers, for the beautiful lady.'

                                                              -Your secret admirer.

Great! A monster on my head, a mad husband and now a secret admirer! 

Why on earth do I have a secret admirer? My husband wasn't enough? Am I even worth having a secret admirer? The flowers had made my morning until I got to know they were sent by some creepy cynical guy claiming to be my admirer. I thought of keeping this to myself and not to tell Lanie, because she would go all bonkers and would have these weird theories of the potential "admirers". I worked on my pending projects, with all thse thoughts covering up my mind, until the intercom resonated with the bitch's voice. 

"Meet me in the basment, in five, I'm taking you shopping." she instructed. Wait, what? She's taking me shopping? 

I grabbed my brown suede handbag and rode down the elevator.

Elizabeth sat at the back seat of her chauffeur driven Porsche Cayenne. She signalled me to get in, and we drove off to Prada, which was just a block away. Elizabeth being the woman she is, walking down the street wasn't her cup of green tea.

"I can't afford Prada, Elizabeth, not with my current financial state." I said as I worked in to a world where I was a square peg in a round hole. I shivered as I walked through the exquisite marble flooring, afraid whether I would trip and make a fool out of myself.

"I'll put it on the company's tab, these are V.VIP clients and I don't want you to mess this up, I won't be able to make it, so I'm relying on you to seal the deal. You better make it happen...otherwise... Oh, Julie I want you to find something perfect for Kylie here." Elizabeth warned me and suddenly turned in to a sugar factory as Julie, one of the staff member's approached her.

Julie looked no less than a super model, probably just my age, 25, those long slender legs and that glowing skin, she looked just perfect. After an hour of trials, we finally settled on a printed top over grey trousers and a grey jacket to go with it. Pointed heels which matched very well with my magenta top. Elizabeth insisted on picking up a handbag as well. We chose a black leather one with a little shimmer on it. The entire bill was more than my month's salary.

I walked out of Prada and started rushing down the street back to my office, Eliizabeth drove off somewhere else, as soon as I reached my desk I got a text from Jake,

'Looks like you've got the bucks and time for Prada.' 

Oh dear lord. I was running late for the lunch and didn't have the time to describe the situation. I quickly replied back,

'I'll explain later love.' trying to sound sweet and innocent.

'No need.' I got his infuriated text. The two words were enough to signal me about the big fight tonight. 

I wore the newly bought clothes, dabbed on some make up and did my hair. I finally looked what Elizabeth would somewhat call me as ''acceptable". I walked out of my cabinet with Lanie commenting from behind, "Woah you look sassy and chic." I smiled back and told her I'll give her the details over our 4 PM coffee.

I caught a cab to the Thai restaurant and walked up to the reserved table, luckily I was in time. 3 people walked up to my table, a woman and two men, and dear God, there he was....

Jake's biggest rival, my high school ex -boyfriend, Ted Lockwood.