Chapter 2. Coudy Days

I look out of the big window of my small office, or rather the corridor that is supposed to be my office… there is a beautiful landscape that I can see from here… the sky has black spots, a warning that at any moment a rain may be coming that will limit everyone from leaving their house. Today the day is cloudy, for me, clouds are a bad mood, blue sky is joy, but there is always something that has to change your mood. Exactly as it happens to me every time I arrive at the darn company I work for, my life was pretty normal before the boss's son took over the company where I have spent the last five years working as a secretary. Every time I see Barry Freeman, my stomach turns, and he's handsome, I have to admit, he's the best-looking man I've ever met, but there's a problem… his attitude. His damn temper and his everyday bad mood are what makes me hate him, he makes me angry all the time, and sometimes it makes me want to pull my hair out and run away. I look carefully into the room that is becoming less and less familiar, since Mr. Freeman is gone things feel strange... Through the window you can see everything, the sunset, people walking and couples hugging, they are all so happy, well some, because I'm not happy, at least that's what I feel… I feel lonely and sad from time to time, but it's the work that makes me distract myself.

"I have to go, I canceled all my meetings and everything I had planned for today, and also for the whole week. "Well, well. This fool is finally going on holiday, I deserve a vacation too.

" Sure, sir. No problem, I'll take care of it." I hurriedly take out my agenda where I have all the important events of the week, check them, and get ready to cancel each one of them by the corresponding means, by email or by phone call.

Without looking me in the face, Barry walks past me and says: " Thank you very much, when you finish you can go home" No wonder it rains in spring, he says, thank you. It never does, in fact, he only orders me reluctantly "And I also warned all the staff, no work until Monday of next week" Divine miracle, holidays, I think I'm starting to like Barry.... more or less well.

 "Yes," I reply, and he walks away without looking at me, as usual.

The phone rings and with the best of my voice I answer. "Good afternoon, Kelly Parker speaking, how can I help you? " I speak as politely as I can.

"Daughter, have you heard? How is he? I furrow my eyebrows…. It's my dad who's called to the office where I work, but for what reason?

"What happened? "I ask anxiously because dad hardly ever calls me during my working hours because he values my performance in this place.

I take a deep breath, and my heart beats more than usual, so much so that it hurts with worry. "Mr. Freeman has passed away, my good friend Richard," my father sobs, I open my mouth out of inertia, out of astonishment, I can't believe this is happening. I didn't even know Mr. Freeman was sick, I didn't know anything about him, but I thought it was a natural part of retirement.

" No wonder his son went off the deep end and gave the whole company a week off. " I'm sorry, my boss was always good to me, too kind, and always brought a smile to my face.

" Daughter, we have to go with him," she laments, " your son is a good boy, he's on his own now. "My father doesn't know Barry very well, but the mere fact that he has lost his father makes me empathize with him because he is alone. As far as I know, his mother divorced his father when he was just a child, and he has hardly seen her since.

On his father's side, he has no one, as he comes from a generation of only children... not much is known about his mother.

I nod even though my father won't see me "Yes dad, just let me take care of some business Barry has given me, and I'll pick you up. "I'm still on my work schedule, and at least for today, the company is in my hands, because it depends on me doing my job.

"Of course, my girl, I'll wait for you to get home" he's the one who ends the call, I hang up the phone and? I start with my homework.

On the way to Mr. Freeman's wake, dad asks me to pick up some flowers. I think it's been a long time since I've seen my father dressed like that, he's wearing a black suit, the kind he used to wear when he worked at the same place as me.  In my case, I only stopped by my flat to change the blouse I was wearing, leaving my black skirt on because since I am a secretary I always dress formally and elegantly.

For her part, my mother didn't want to join us, as she is too shy, and even though Albert Parker was a close friend of Richard Freeman, my mother almost didn't intervene, therefore… she thought that if Dad and I attended to pay our respects to Barry, it would be enough. It turns out that it is not a wake, we are in a cemetery, as it seems he is already being buried. We settle in at the back and when everyone starts to say goodbye, we go to Barry. My father doesn't hesitate for a second, he hugs Barry. The boy with green eyes and long eyelashes sobs thanks to my dad's hug because everyone here has been pretty formal...  Just shook his hand and gave him a few pats on the shoulder, but my dad did things differently, he gave him what he needed, a hug.

I've known Barry for almost a year now, and he always comes across as difficult, besides that he always has an ego to the sky. This bothers me so much, but today he looks different, as he is broken by the death of his father, the only person he counted on. Today, he is alone. "My dad was ill, that's why he insisted that I work with him, that I stay in charge of the company. He never told me." He sobs through his tears, we listen to him, his sad eyes meet mine, but he withdraws them immediately, submissive and ashamed.

" Son… calm down," my dad asks him in a subtle voice.

I take a step towards him, as I think he's getting short of breath. "I can't… I couldn't say goodbye to him. My mum abandoned me, and now he's just the same…" And even though Barry has always been rude to me, I… I feel huge empathy for him, I feel sorry for the way he is, and no one deserves it.

"Mr. Freeman," I call out to him, and he looks up and down at me, "Is there anything you need," I say as softly as I can.

" Nothing, thank you, Kelly"he's saying thank you! I smile at him in return.

3 Weeks later…

I feel like I'm back in school again like I've done something wrong and the principal has me under the spotlight. Things don't change, they just evolve… I'm in a pretty similar situation right now. I see my boss, Barry, who looks better than when his father had just died. He's leaning back in his executive seat, which I bet must be very comfortable, it's black and leather. He looks at me and finally tastes the coffee he has ordered. Something strange has happened to him, but all these weeks he has behaved like a human being with me. Whenever he asks me for something, he always asks me with a "Please" and a "Thank you", he knows that this surprises me and the more he does it, the more he does it. But that doesn't matter, because what I want to know is, what is he up to?

Embarrassed, I sigh and emphasize, "If you don't want anything else, I'll leave. "I turn around and walk resolutely towards the door.

But it's his voice that stops me in my tracks, "Wait, Miss Parker," I pause, and turn back to him.

Behind his silhouette, the sun is setting, a sky painted in various colors that fill me with fascination. A beautiful landscape with a beautiful man in front of it, I immediately erase that pouty thought from my mind.

"Yes?" I say in a hoarse, nervous voice, scratching my eyebrow as an act of inertia.

He thunders his neck as if he's about to enter a ring to fight. "I need your help,"he admits apologetically, rather embarrassed, I'd say.

I look at him and nod for him to tell me what he wants to ask;" He's read his will," he confesses fearfully, and what does that have to do with me? I doubt Mr. Freeman left me anything. It states that for me to receive full control of the company, I must be married and have a child so that I would receive one hundred percent of everything my father has, which is almost eighty-five percent of the company and its assets…. And if I only have one child out of wedlock, I'd get sixty percent… There's no way to describe how confused I am... so I sigh.

"Do you want me to get you a baby? Or what?" I ask sarcastically, there are some pretty crazy bosses.

"No, I want you to be my wife and be the mother of my child," he says suddenly.

I blink several times, what the hell!