His Nineteenth Secretary [✔]

Eleven

On the Friday of that week, I went back to the hospital and the stitches were removed. Only then, did I realize the damage done to my face, my forehead to be precise. There was a glaring cut mark. The doctor had informed me about it beforehand but I didn't know it would be so glaring.

*

"Aww! You are killing it with these bangs, told you they would look good on you." Alicia cheered. They really did look good on me, seeing how the stylist also did a great job.

It was her who came up with the idea when I told her about the scar on my forehead and since it was a Saturday, we decided to visit a salon together.

For the past few days, I had been going to my granny's pottery shop wearing an head warmer, if I stayed at home it would be boring as hell and Alicia had been busy too. While not at work, she would be out with Jake. I slept over at my granny's place once during that week.

"If you like it, you should get it too."

"No, I can't." Her voice was unusually low this time. Even the expression on her face had changed.

"Why?"

"You don't know how much I would love to get this hairstyle but I can't."

"But why?" I was persistent.

"I just can't."

"But you must have a reason for it?"

"No real reason." She shrugged. "Here is your money, Ma'am," She handed the stylist some dollars and she in turn gave her back her change.

She drove me back to my place afterwards.

"I will call you later okay?" She pulled over once we had arrived at my place.

"All right." I said before getting out of the car. She waved at me before driving off. As I turned to head towards my house, I felt a presence, as if someone was watching me and when I followed my instinct to look towards the direction of the pathway, I saw the retreating figure of a hooded guy.

Convincing myself it could just be someone who was here to see someone in the neighborhood, I slipped out my apartment keys out of my jacket pocket to open the door.

Later in the evening that same day, while returning back from the grocery store where I had gone to get some groceries, I started feeling the presence of someone behind me, again. The grocery store was down the street not too far from my place and after I had gotten all that I needed, I took the pathway as I made my way back home. I was quite weighed down by the bags I was holding so that I couldn't walk fast enough.

As I walked, I continued to hear faint footsteps behind me. Once I was sure that I wasn't imagining things, I looked back but didn't see anyone.

Everywhere was quiet and there was no sign of anyone following me. I continued walking but this time, at a fast pace. It was only until I got home and locked the door behind me that I could finally breathe properly again.

As my hand reached for the light switch, I almost dropped the grocery bag in my left hand at the sudden ringing of my phone. Realizing it was just my phone ringing, I quickly reached for the light switch again and flickered it on, that which immediately brightened my living room.

Afterwards, I reached into my pocket for my phone, the caller ID showing 'My boss' which was what I saved the CEO's number as. I wondered why he was calling me that late but I picked the call all the same.

"Hello, Mr Walker."

"I'm outside your house at the moment, can you come out for a while?" He asked. I couldn't believe it until I looked out the window to check.

"Oh okay."

After he hung up, I hurried to the kitchen to drop the things I bought before heading out. He wasn't inside his car anymore but was now outside with his head bent and his back resting on the side of the car. He looked up the moment I opened the door and didn't look away until I had reached him.

"Good Evening, Mr Walker." I greeted once I reached him. He didn't say anything but instead had his eyes fixed on my hair. That was expected because even though I had on an head warmer the bangs were showing. "Sir?" I called.

"Uh... How are you doing?"

"I've been good."

"The doctor told me the cut mark might last for some time, is that why you have on a new hairstyle?"

"Yes." I nodded and my legs wouldn't stay still anymore. They were fidgeting a little by now.

"I'm so sorry about that."

"No, you shouldn't be. It's okay."

"So see you at work on Monday?"

"Yes."

"I will get going then. Take care." He said as he got back into his car.

"Thanks for stopping by to check on me." I said.

I watched as he drove off before making my way back into my house but not until afte I had looked towards the direction of the pathway again, but this time, there was no one.

Hungry, I prepared ramen after putting all the things that I bought at the grocery store inside the fridge. I went ahead to get my sketchpad out of the drawer beside my bed where it had been, untouched since the time Mike broke up with me and some sharpened pencils before going back to the living room.

I flipped through the pages of the designs I sketched before and there on the last used page was the wedding dress Mike designed the last time he came over to my place when I was down with a fever. I was the one who asked him to imagine and draw what he wanted my wedding dress to be like on our wedding day.

He restricted me from looking as he sketched with all seriousness and when he finished sketching and allowed me to look, I had burst into laughter. I couldn't stop laughing despite the fact that I was feeling very sick.

The curve of the cups were uneven as one was bigger than the other, the bow on the waist resembled a crawling creature, the flare were sloppy lines and then the fishtail looked like a flowing river and nothing else. I was still staring at the design when my phone buzzed. When I unlocked my phone, it was a text from Alicia.

It said; About your question at the salon, that was the hairstyle my Mum made me on my seventh birthday.

She didn't have to explain further. Her Mum died of a heart attack on her seventh birthday, I knew how hard that must be on her compared to me who didn't have much memory of mine, I'm not saying that I don't miss them though.

We became friends for that very reason when she joined my school as a new student in third grade then but before we became friends, she was always by herself and and would always avoid talking to anyone in class. Then, there was that particular day that I had walked up to her after the last class for that day and we became friends when I told her about my parents too.

I dialed her number which she picked immediately.

"Alicia, I'm so so sorry about that, you didn't cry or did you?"

"Just a little." She replied.

"Oh my God! Do you need me to remove the bangs? If you want me to I could just..."

"Why would you do that? It's okay. Really. I was the one who came up with the idea anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am. So, how did your day go?"

"Not too bad, only, lately, I feel like someone is watching me. Today, while I was coming back from the grocery store this evening, I was sure I heard footsteps behind me but when I looked back, there was no one. Before this evening, I happened to spot a hooded guy down the pathway this morning when you dropped me off at my place."

"Did you just say a hooded guy?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you know that last week Friday, when I got off work and was at the parking lot, I caught sight of a hooded guy too but I didn't get to see his face. I think you should stop taking the pathway for now, especially in the evening." She advised.