ESTHER

Chapter eleven

The car ride back home with Jack Rhodes was quiet. Eerily quiet. I sat beside my boss, feeling every damn nerve in my body running rampant, while he looked totally at ease with himself. And worse of all, he looked good doing it. I might have looked calm on the outside but my insides were turning and twisting as hell.

"We were discussing something earlier, Miss Esther." He said, finally breaking the silence. I turned towards him with a look of obliviousness.

"Sir?" I said, acting confused. He raised his eyebrow at me. I wondered if he noticed my bluff.

"Why were you annoyed all because you came to the party? So many people would kill to get an invitation and you felt annoyed? Can you please enlighten me on why?" He said. I was beginning to suspect if he was human. The man talked without an ounce of emotion in him.

"I'm afraid you got me, the wrong sir," I said, admitting the truth. The look he gave me urged me to continue.

"To be honest sir, what I felt was an annoyance."

"Annoyance? Who annoyed you?" He asked. I looked up at him and remained quiet. We were like that for a while before he got the message. His expression was beautifully hilarious. He looked as if someone had accused him of murder.

"Me? Did you mean me? Why on earth would I annoy you? What did I even do?" He said, obviously shaken by my declaration.

"Sir, you hired me to be your assistant. And the only thing I did for you today was just to get you a gift for the celebrant."

"I did introduce you to my business associates..."

"Yes, sir you did. But you never included me in any of your conversations. I'm working for you sir yet the only information I could get about you were from the files you had given me to work on. I'm your partner, Sir, I would need you to teach me for me to help you. But you just left me and went to talk to your business partners. Throughout the night. I have stuck alone in that party not knowing anyone until my uncle came along. It was hard not to be pissed Sir, excuse me for my language."

"No, it's alright. Now that you have told me this, I can see where you are coming from and I apologize. It was wrong of me to do that. But I appreciate your honesty towards me, Esther, not many people dare to tell me what they are thinking."

"I'm sorry sir if I offended you......"

"Oh no, you didn't offend me at all in fact, I'm pleased. I can see the partner I have been looking forward to you and I hope we will work well together for a long time." He said. I studied his eyes, noticing the sincerity in them. I could feel the butterflies dancing in my stomach but I ignored them and replied to him with a huge smile on my face.

"Me too sir. I also wish for that."

I arrived home several minutes before midnight. Jack Rhodes gave me the next day off because I came home late. When I opened the front door on the porch of my house, I entered inside and noticed it's emptiness. My uncle wasn't home yet.

I switched on the lights and locked the door from inside, going upstairs to my room to change. I ran a bath for myself, pouring my favourite mix of lavender and rose body wash into the bathtub. As I stirred the mixture, I started thinking of what had happened throughout that day.

Jack Rhodes occupied my mind. This was the first time I had felt this strongly towards someone. But I knew that I had to bury all hope of anything ever developing between us. Apart from the fact that he was my boss, he was way above my league.

I removed my gown and folded it neatly on my bed. Hopefully, I would wash it and return it to the owner. I entered the bathroom and put one foot into the bath. The water was comforting. I put the other leg inside and laid down comfortably in the bath, trying to make myself comfortable.

As I softly washed my self, I started to imagine what it would be like to be in a relationship with Jack Rhodes. Would his stoic face always be on? Would he always be in his business norm? I sighed, knowing that I'll never get any of those answers.

After I was done with my bath, I had dressed in my pyjamas and was towel drying my hair, when I heard the door to my house open. I quickly went downstairs to meet my uncle.

"Welcome back uncle," I said, still rubbing my head with a towel.

"Girl! How many times have I told you not to dry your hair in the living room?" He said fake annoyance expressed clearly on his face.

"I'm still the one who ends up cleaning the whole house in the end. So there is no point uncle." I said, making my way to the couch and throwing myself on it.

"You said you had something to tell me. What is it?" I questioned. My uncle's face suddenly turned serious.

'Yeah, this is important. But I'm feeling mighty sticky now and would love to have a bath." He said, the seriousness still etched on his face.

"Okay, uncle. I'll wait for you." I said, having a bad feeling about whatever he was about to tell me. My uncle nodded his head and made his way upstairs to his room. I went to my room and hung my towel back in the bathroom, then I made my way back to the kitchen, wondering if there was any dessert I could eat.

About twenty minutes later, when I was halfway into my bowl of ice cream, my uncle came down in his pyjamas. He made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for what he could eat. I gave him time to finish whatever he was doing. He finally sat down opposite me with another bowl of ice cream, and I silently urged him to start talking with the look I gave him. He turned serious immediately.

"When I had finished my deeds in the bathroom, I came out to meet you, but my boss called to find out how I had been faring in the party." He started.

"He seems like a nice man" I broke in.

"Yes, he is. Anyway, the hall was noisy, so I went to the back garden to talk with him. When I was done, I wanted to enjoy the quiet night a little more so I sat down on the stone bench over there and started to look at the stars." He took a spoonful of ice cream and swallowed.

"A few minutes later, I heard whispering in the back garden and decided that it was already late and that I had to start leaving. But I stopped once I heard your name." I sat up, the suspense was eating me.

"My name?" I asked, perturbed.

"Yes. Along with Jack Rhodes." He said, taking another spoonful.

"Uncle, will you please get to the point? What was the whispering all about?" I asked, getting annoyed.

"They talked about using you in their plan of bringing Jack Rhodes down. Whoever they are, really have a very huge plan for Jack Rhodes downfall." I stood up scared, not able to sit anymore. I wondered who would have wanted to hurt Jack Rhodes. And why they would want to use me.

"By chance uncle, did they say their names when talking to each other?" I asked, scared and curious.

"Yes, they did. I would not have heard it, had I not been listening closely." I was happy that he got it. It could help in finding out what those people's motives were.

"Okay go on then. Who the hell are they?"

"They go by the names 'Duke and Kingsley'........"