Chasing Secrets✓

81.

Lucien

Today was not an ordinary day at the office. One of my biggest tasks today was checking in on my staff and assessing progress on various projects, one of which belongs to merging Amara's reopening of her art gallery with this company. I like to meet first thing on Mondays to discuss our priorities for the week, then meet again in the middle of the week to check progress, and once at the end of the week to discuss goal setting for the next week. I met with smaller groups of my staff during the day to troubleshoot issues that needed to be resolved.

I tap my fingers against the desk, filled with anxiety, jumping my left knee up and down, awaiting for the day to end, awaiting Amara and I's little get together this afternoon to do some late Christmas shopping.

I glance at my wrist watch and sucked my teeth. I'm the boss. I could leave whenever I want, yet here I am acting as an employee waiting for my day at work to be over. I heard the elevator door ding and two silhouettes emerged from behind the opaque door. I didn't even wait for the knock. I summoned Christiana and Amara in and they both accommodated my presence. I nod to Christiana and she returned the action, leaving my fiancée and I alone. She's never tardy, something I admire about her highly.

I stifle a laugh as I saw we were dressed alike. Black long sleeved turtle neck sweater, leather coat, her in wide legged tie pants, me in slacks, her in black combat boots and I in dress shoes.

Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around her waist tightly and bring her into me.

"Hi," she whispers softly, craning her neck to look up at me.

I peek down at her, taking the opportunity to study her face. "Are you okay? Did you meet anyone... strange?" I ask with a concerned tone. This was the first time we were going out together without any sort of protection so I just wanted to make sure that nothing went wrong on her way here.

She sighs, the sound made me tingly inside. Slowly her eyes closed and they remained like that.

"I've never felt so much better," she scrunches her nose in a grin. Lacing her arms around my neck, she pulls me roughly into her until our lips met and kissed me aggressively.

"What's going on?" I question as I fixated my eyes upon her.

"I missed you," she pouts her now smudged lipstick coated lips at me.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "You saw me this morning."

"No sir. I NEVER see you on mornings. I saw you last night," she declares.

I chuckle, mistaking her tone. "Fair enough." That made her giggle.

She looks behind me towards my desk and then back to mine. "Are you ready for our shopping date?"

I groan as she grabs my hand and drags me out the door against my will.

"Don't remind me."

We decided on strolling down the busy streets instead of driving through. Just the sight of Amara happily admiring the decorations in the heart of Lombard Street gave me the strength that I needed to fight for our future together.

Her focus was scattered, so filled with nervous anticipation, so excited, even giddy. She couldn't hold a conversation or stay still while her thoughts danced in infinite directions.

The Joyous Pine was our first stop. Some people might think she was acting immature when she jumped up and down like a 5 year old, the way her eyes sparkled when the variety of Christmas items were on display. I'd call it bliss.

She points in the direction of all the Christmas trees and I huff. "If I knew we were chopping our own tree I would've dressed lighter."

"It's fine. I'll call one of the young hot workers to help me," she says with no emotion.