The Reluctant Heiress (A Christian Romance Novel)

Chapter 22: Double-Faced

Monday, after lunch with Diva.

Telly came back to her office after lunch with Diva. It was only Monday but it seemed like a lot of things had already happened! A lot of things really did happen. And she still had tons of decisions to make, a number of documents to sign, a couple of meetings to go to, and a lot of projects to brew. She felt like after a weekend of rachelling, she learned so much more about her company than the months she had been sitting on her chair as Telly the CEO.

And besides that, she was thinking on how she could meet up with Aiden on Friday evening and still have the energy to come back on Saturday and report for work that Sunday. Both are very important for her.

As she was mulling things over, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," she hollered. It was Greg.

"You have a visitor," Greg said.  He ushered a guest in and immediately left.

It was Aiden. It was Aiden! 

"Oh hi!" she stood up and brushed her pants and awkwardly shook his hand. They never shake hands when they see each other at her house. Just an automatic office decorum.

He was looking so sharp in his corporate attire, long sleeved light blue buttoned up shirt with a tie. So different from how he looked like that morning in his, well, shirt and jeans. "What a surprise! Sit down please."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," he said apologetically as he sat down. "But I had a meeting close to your hotel and I thought I'd drop by and give you my cellphone number, in case you want to meet up this weekend in New York. I don't think we have each other's phone numbers."

"Oh, yeah, New York," she almost stuttered, still stunned at the presence of Aiden in her office.

"If you've forgotten it's ok. I know you will be very busy there ..."

"Oh no no, I would definitely make time," Telly replied. "Sorry, I'm just so used to seeing you at home that seeing you here right now seemed surreal. And you are not in your jeans." 'And you're a studmuffin!' she wanted to scream.

"I know, right?" Aiden smiled. "They make us wear these uncomfortable clothes, but I'm getting the hang of it. They say it would make me look more professional."

"Oh you do!" she readily agreed. "Well, here's my card." She handed him her business card.

"Sorry, forgot mine in the car," he replied.

"It's ok. Just message me on my phone number and then I'll save yours," she said. And right then and there, he did, and her phone beeped, and he got his message saying "Hi, Aiden here." And  she saved his number.

"What day would be good for you?" she asked.

"Either Friday or Saturday after the conference would be good," he replied.

"Let's meet Friday then," she said and noted it down on her tablet. So that by Saturday she could fly back to Georgia and report for work at the hotel. Whew, this is crazy! she thought.

"It's a date!" he stood up, and awkwardly shook her hand like they've just finalized a deal. "Have a good week!"

As soon as he left, Greg appeared on the door. "Aiden has come a long way, didn't he?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, from a struggling college student, to a banker, then a masters student, and now a top executive in Atlanta," Greg narrated. 

"Guess what, I never knew that until today," she confessed.

"You must be kidding me!"

"I wish I am!" she answered back. "I'm a spoiled brat, wrapped-around-my-own-world kind of girl. And I am ashamed for my father. He wouldn't be proud of me at this moment."