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. He was seated on the chair that was placed close to the white wall.

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

He only 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 just then.

"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, kissed me on the forehead and then 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 if it was the same cold hearted Brian that I worked with for two years and a few months.

"I'm okay."

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

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

"Not really. I was told you ate something you're allergic to?"

"Oh, no doubt. The pizza must have contained soybeans." I sat up in bed.

"I told the doctor that, but he said 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 with surprise as I looked out the window at the big, massive mall whose glassy exterior all but glistened brilliantly. Five hours after we got back from the hospital, he told me to dress up so he could take me out, and here we're.

"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?"

"Imagine! You sent your secretary with me to shop two weeks ago.

"Oh, I remember now. But he told me you didn't pick out much at the mall. 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." 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.

"A few?"

"Yeah."

With him waiting at the private lobby, one of the attendants, a corporately dressed lady in a black and gold uniform whose name tag showed 'Rose Waters', followed me to pick out the ones I wanted. All the clothes were beautiful, but I took care by checking out the price tags secretly. I walked away from the ones that were too expensive. I did the same thing at the shoes section, bags section, and jewelry section. At the end of the day, I came out with six shopping bags, which I considered to be too much still.