His Nineteenth Secretary [✔]

Thirty-eight

I was lying in a hospital bed when I opened my eyes.

"Ruby?" A male voice which wasn't Brian's called. I turned my head to see Damien, who was seated on the chair that was placed near the white wall.

"How come you're here?" I asked, my voice coming out a bit scratchy.

He smiled instead of answering my question. Then, he rose up from the chair he was sitting on and walked over to my bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. I didn't get to answer his question before the door was pushed open, and Brian had walked in. He halted, and there was fire in his eyes on noticing Damien.

"I'll be taking my leave now. Bye Ruby and bye big brother." He said before leaving, closing the door behind him.

I could tell they weren't on good terms with each other.

He walked over to my bed after Damien had left, kissing me on the forehead and on the lips before sitting on the chair Damien was sitting on earlier, which he had picked up and placed close to my bedside.

"How are you feeling?" He held my hand in his. I didn't miss the slow bat of his long, full lashes and the softness in his eyes making me wonder for the countless time if it was the same cold hearted Brian that I worked with for over two years.

"I'm okay."

"I'm so sorry I couldn't make it here until now. I only learned about the call from Michael after a meeting with a client."

"It's okay. You shouldn't have bothered coming. You must have a lot to do at the company."

"Work can wait. I was told you ate something you're allergic to?"

"I guess the pizza must have contained soybeans." I sat up in bed and he'd assisted me while I did so.

"I mentioned that to the doctor. He told me the pizza he was told you ate wasn't supposed to contain soybeans and wondered why that happened."

"That's strange... Anyway, did he say I can go home now?"

"Yeah."

+

"A mall?" I asked in surprise as I looked out the window at the massive mall, its glassy exterior glistening under the night sky.

That evening, he told me to dress up so he could take me out, and he'd drove us here.

"Yeah." He answered.

"Why are we here?"

"It's your birthday tomorrow."

"But that's no reason for you to bring me here." I turned away from the window to face him. "I'm yet to finish wearing the ones you got me two weeks ago."

"When was that?"

"You're unbelievable! You sent your secretary with me to shop two weeks ago." I reminded him.

"Oh, that's right. He told me you didn't pick out much at the mall, though. You might find something else you like today, you never know." He got down from the car and walked over to my side.

"Come down. Let's go inside." He opened the door on my side.

"I'm not going in there."

"And we're not going back home if you don't."

"I'm really not going in there."

"You can just pick out a few things." He urged.

"Fine."