by Mel Ryle
“So, what do you think?” she asked, her voice held a teasing edge to it.
“As you can see, I’m not happy about it,” I replied, pointing at the frown on my face.
Maggie chuckled at my reply and placed the magazine back down on her desk. “Don’t worry. I already told the press that it was a misunderstanding. You were just an associate there for lunch,” she stated nonchalantly, like this was how she always handled the situation.
“Is that the same excuse you used to all the girls he slept with?” I asked bitterly, dropping my bag down on the floor underneath my desk and I sat down.
“No. Not really,” she replied, sounding unsure of herself.
I turned towards her, my eyes blazing in annoyance. She noticed my stare and chuckled. I can’t believe that she found this situation amusing.
“This really isn’t funny, Maggie.”
“Oh, come on, Andy. It isn’t that bad. You aren’t really sleeping with him, are you?” she asked, her amusement clearly showing as her eyebrows wiggled playfully.
“What? No! That won’t happen. Ever!” I fumed as I almost screamed the words out.
“I was just playing with you. I know you don’t like him,” Maggie replied softly, looking slightly guilty at what she said.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you,” I countered calmly, giving her a weak smile.
“Well, at least I already know it would be hopeless for me,” a familiar voice suddenly interjected and startled us both.
Maggie and I turned towards William, who was silently standing by the elevator, looking like the Mogul man he is. But today, he looked even more gorgeous as he was wearing something light—a grey three-piece suit with a navy tie—instead of his usual dark suits. His hair was slicked back with a few strands out of place. It made him looked effortless.
I blinked a few times and then felt my face heat up for no reason as his blue eyes darted at me. I froze on my seat, not able to look away from him. Slowly, he walked towards me with a smile playing at the edge of his lips.
“You look lovely today,” he commented as he reached my desk, pausing for a second.
When I didn’t directly give him a reply, he smiled at my lack of words and turned to Maggie and greeted her with a good morning. As he did that, the short second gave me the chance to snap myself back to reality. I wouldn’t let him sweet talk me.
“Mr. Maxwell. Good morning,” I finally said before he made his way to his office.
He turned towards me, slightly stunned for a second before he gathered himself and grinned.
“Good Morning, to you, too, Andy,” he replied before entering his office and closing the door behind him.
I swiftly turned myself away from where he just stood and faced my computer. To my left, I faintly heard Maggie’s soft chuckles, which turned into a cough as I glanced at her.
After that, there was a definite silence as we both turned to our work and kept to ourselves. Maggie didn’t bring up the topic of William and me for the rest of the day, which was the total opposite of what I was doing inside my head.
Twenty
As days passed, the awkwardness between William and me only increased drastically. Half the time, I wouldn’t even know how to approach him. It got even more unbearable when he offered me another ride home. Since then, I vowed to go home before he even stepped out of his office. By now, it’s safe to say that I’m avoiding him. It was for the best. But why did I feel upset?
As I sat down on the chair beside my father, absentmindedly peeling an apple for him, I thought about the dreaded magazine cover again. Even though that article came out earlier this week, it felt like it happened today.
“If you keep on sighing, I’m going to call some backup to pound that gloominess out of you,” my father threatened me as he lightly knocked his fist against my temple.
I looked towards him, giving him a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, I won’t mope anymore, promise,” I swore guiltily.
“Billy called today. He said that he would come visit us sometime soon,” he stated, changing the topic.
“Yeah, I heard that from Terry. Is he staying here for the day or overnight?” I asked, trying to sound interested.
“He’ll be staying over at Terry’s for the night.” He shook his head from a distant memory.
I looked at him and raised my eyebrow in question. There was more to the story than he was letting on. But instead of telling me, he just smiled and looked back at the overhead television. It was like we didn’t say anything to each other at all.
After a few minutes of silence, there was a soft knock on the door. I glanced up in time to see Doctor Stanley come in. It’s been awhile since I’d seen him.
“Ms. Peterson, how are you doing?” he greeted as he made his way towards my father’s bed.
“Fine. I just recently found a job,” I replied with a small, shy smile.
“Oh, where are you working now?” he asked with interest as he got my father’s patient’s board from the foot of his bed.
“I work as a secretary at a company,” I replied vaguely, not really in the mood for another round of the Maxwell Effect.
“Oh. Good for you,” he stated with a smile. He turned to my father and smiled, ending our conversation.
When Logan started his usual checkup, I stepped out of the room to give them space and to grab something to eat from the vending machine. As I walked back to the room, the nurse in the station noticed me and called out.
“Ms. Peterson, can I ask for a few minutes of your time? I need you to sign a few things,” the nurse stated, gesturing me forward as she patted a folder on the counter.
I nodded in confusion and walked up to her without saying a word. My first guess was that they might be some of my father’s bills from his last episode a few weeks ago. That wasn’t really covered by his health insurance, which meant that I had to pay for them with my own money. I mentally cringed at the sum of money that would be printed on the paper.
“I just need you to sign some of these documents so that we can finalize your father’s balance for this month. Since you have another health insurance, your balance isn’t as harsh as the first month,” the nurse stated with a warm smile as she opened the folder.
I looked at her in bewilderment, not sure what she was talking about. “What do you mean have another insurance?” I asked.
She looked up to me with a confused look. “Didn’t your company inform you about the medical insurance they provide? You do work at Maxwell Enterprises right?” she asked, pointing at the name listed below my father’s health insurance company.
“I wasn’t informed about this…“ I gaped as I glanced down at the name.
Maxwell’s health insurance benefits included all of the employees’ families. As I continued to assess the paper, I noticed that Maxwell had paid for the operation my father underwent. It also covered his daily medication and room charge in the hospital. In the end, that would leave me nothing to pay but his personal medications. I couldn’t really grasp what I was seeing and stood there, glued to the floor.
When I finally signed the paper on my father’s behalf, I walked back to his room still stunned with what had happened. Did he do this? No, he couldn’t have. Maybe his sister did it. She was very generous with the apartment, and she knew about my father but I couldn’t be sure about it. I speculated, although I don’t know whether I had enough guts to ask either one of them. But then, a thought crossed my mind.
I stopped a foot from the door of my father’s room and got my phone from my pocket. I scanned the caller I.Ds until I found what I was looking for. I didn’t hesitate and clicked the call button, knowing that the person would answer.
“Hey Andy, is there something you need?” Maggie asked urgently.
“Maggie. No. I wanted to ask you something,” I replied, huffing out a sigh. “Uhm... Do you know about the health insurance that the company provided for my father?” I asked hesitantly.
“Oh, righ
t. I forgot to tell you, sorry,” she replied guiltily as I heard soft tapping of keyboards on the background.
“What are you doing?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Oh. Sorry. I’m typing out something William had just given me,” she replied softly as the disturbance stopped momentarily. “Excuse me for a moment...” she added and continued with her mouth slightly muffled. “Andy is on the phone. She is asking about the health insurance for her father.”
“What? Don’t tell...” For a second, I could hear William’s voice on the other end before the call ended.
I removed the phone from my ear and looked at it with confusion. What was that about?
I tried to call Maggie again but I couldn’t reach her. After three tries, I give up and put my phone back in my pocket. She wouldn’t be able to avoid me when I get back to work on Monday. By then, she should have a good explanation about all of this.
Over the weekend, I didn’t let those thoughts dwell in my head. So when Monday came, I almost forgot about it. Almost. It all came back when Terry texted me before lunch, reminding me about it. I was glad that I told him when I stayed over at his place yesterday. I was starting to miss his living room couch.
“Maggie, what is this about a health insurance in the company?” I asked after reading Terry’s message. If I prolong this until lunch, I would lose the confidence to say a word.
Maggie stopped typing and glanced up from her computer.
“Oh, that,” she replied with a nervous chuckle. She glanced quickly at William’s closed office door before turning back to me. “I’ll tell you when he leaves,” she whispered.
I looked at her confusedly and opened my mouth to ask. But I choked on my words when William’s door suddenly opened. This was the first time I saw him since I came to work. It seemed that William arrived earlier than I did.
“Maggie, I’ll be out for the rest of the afternoon. I have a meeting with a few possible partners,” he announced as he closed the door behind him and pulled out his phone from his pocket.
As he made his way to the elevator, he didn’t once look up to either of us. When the steel door closed on him, I snorted at his arrogance. I thought he had changed. Maybe I just dreamt about it.
“Glad he’s back to his usual self,” I remarked as I returned to my work.
Beside me, I heard Maggie chuckle softly in agreement. This made me glance in her direction. She looked amused.
“So, are you going to tell me now?” I asked expectantly, again.
“William told me to set up one for you and for your dad,” she replied with a smile without any trail of hesitation.
I looked at her with wide eyes. “Did I hear you clearly? You mean...” I asked, trailing off in disbelief.
“He is not as bad you think,” she stated with a smirk. And after saying those words, she turned back to typing something in her computer.
I faced my computer monitor, looking at it without seeing anything. My mind was swirling from what she said. Is this what he meant about helping me last time? With a sigh of defeat, I shoved all thoughts regarding him to the back of my mind and went out for lunch earlier than usual. I needed some space to think.
I wondered around aimlessly on the street near the company building, looking for some new place to eat. I settled on a quiet bistro just a few blocks away, which looked homey rather than the usual classy ambiance that most places have around this part of the city.
When I finished my meal, I decided to stay for a few more minutes to soak up the soft classical music that was playing in the background. I leaned my elbows on the table and placed my head on my curled fingers, just feeling the peaceful moment. I was so absorbed that my eyes had started to close, which I later realized was a big mistake.
The first thing I heard were soft murmurs coming from the entrance of the bistro. I ignored it for a while until the voice grew louder. I decided to look up when I heard a chair being dragged across my table.
When I looked up, I stiffened in my chair as my eyes zoned in the familiar striking blue eyes that were staring directly at me. What was he doing here?
While I remain shocked, William raised his eyebrow at me, his lips stretching into a grin. Did he find my reaction entertaining? What was wrong with this guy?
My gaze hardened as my eyebrows scrunched together in annoyance. And from the way he lightly chuckled and looked away, this was the reaction he wanted to get from me.
Since the peaceful moment was gone, I gathered my things and swiftly made my way out of the bistro. In the corner of my eye, I could feel William’s gaze following my every move. It took all of me to ignore his presence and had to force myself to get out of there before any verbal clashes would start.
For the rest of the afternoon, William stayed true to his word and didn’t come back to the office. I was glad that he didn’t because I wasn’t exactly sure about how I was going to respond to him. I just found out that one, he was responsible for paying my father’s medical fees, and two, he doesn’t want me to find out about it. Either he just wants to be a silent hero or he doesn’t want to tarnish his I-don’t-give-a-damn image.
For the next few days, I was less responsive towards William’s occasional morning greetings. It was hard to face the man when I’m torn between two things and I don’t know how things ended the way they were. Maybe the friendship thing wasn’t the best thing for us. I didn’t seem to be holding up well on my end. And on Friday morning, William thought so, too.
I was about to sit down at my desk when he arrived. He called me as he walked out of the elevator. Startled at his sudden arrival, I looked up at him with wide eyes.
“In my office now, Ms. Peterson,” he commanded, stopping by my table for a second before proceeding to his office.
Before I could say anything, he was already inside. I turned to look at Maggie for questions, but she didn’t have a clue what it was about. Since the curiosity was eating at me, I entered his office without bothering to knock, which was unlike me.
“Why are you ignoring me?” he asked briskly after I closed the door behind me.
“That’s a subtle way of breaking things down,” I stated scornfully as I stood by the door.
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I’m not,” I paused for a second, eyeing him heatedly. “Why did you pay for my father’s medical fee?” I countered, ignoring his question.
He eyed me for a second before replying, his face stayed calm and unaffected. “I asked whether you needed any help. And by the looks of it, you did.”
“That’s a cunning way of boosting your ego,” I said sneeringly.
“Do you think that I’m doing this for myself? Did anyone ever teach you to say thank you after someone has helped you?” he asked angrily, his eyebrow raised high as he stared me down.
“Did anyone ever teach you to mind your own business? You were the one who was being secretive about it,” I said, eyeing him accusingly.
“I was right to keep it from you. I knew that you would react this way,” he admitted grimly.
I looked at him shocked. I was caught off guard by his words. “You don’t know me, Mr. Maxwell.”
“I don’t? Are you sure?” he asked in a challenge. “I know that you are in debt because of your father’s medical fees,” he continued, his tone raising an octave at every fact he stated. “I know that you’ve been independent after your mother died when you were eight. I know that you and your father moved down south after her death. I know that you worked throughout college in order to pay for the things that your scholarship couldn’t cover. I know that you paint yet you couldn’t land your own exhibit since it isn’t cheap. And from the looks of it, you don’t seem to have it in you to accept people’s help.”
“How do you know all of this?” I spat, my teeth clenched from yelling at him.
“It’s not that hard to ask around,” he mumbled without meeting my eyes.
“Why are digging into my past? Are you trying to find some l
everage to get back at me for all the things I’ve said to you?” I choked out, breathing hard and unevenly.
“Do you really think that I hate you that much? I’m not some heartless guy,” he said, hurt plastered all over his face. And suddenly, he stood up from his chair and walked around the table towards me.
“Don’t you take one more step,” I warned.
“Did you think that I was joking about being friends?” he asked as he ignored my warning.
I looked at him for a second, watching him as he stopped a foot away from me. He looked angry, his eyebrow set together. But other than that, he remained calm.
“Yes. And I changed my mind. I don’t want to be friends,” I replied sternly after a long pause.
I didn’t think twice as I opened the door behind me and walked out, my head held high. I continued to walk until I reached the elevator and stepped inside. And as the metal doors closed, I saw a small glimpse of his pained face. The image made my stomach twist in knots.
Twenty-One
I brought this upon myself. How am I going to face him after what he did? I’m not going to go and pretend that he didn’t do all those things. Plus, he was digging around my past. I can’t believe he knew that much about me. Even Terry, who was the only person I let into my life after moving here, didn’t know all those things. He did know about my father’s illness and my deceased mother, but no one knew about me working through college and my failed plan on my first art exhibit. Those are the kind of things I don’t share.
I don’t know whether to feel pissed about it or not. Why did he even bother to look me up anyway? Maybe he does want to find some dirty secret of mine, but why? All I want to know is why. I don’t believe his talk about being friends and wanting to help me. Maybe a little, I do know that the Maxwells have a few charity foundations. Rich, philanthropic prick.
I texted Maggie and took the first bus ride to anywhere but here. I told her that I was taking a day off early. She was very worried, telling me that William just went out without a word and asked about my whereabouts. After reading that, I turned my phone off. I don’t want him to find me.
