11 chapter eleven

She sighed as she entered her office, immediately she sat; Lucy knocked and entered.

'Good morning, ma.'

'Morning, Lucy. What about the T.K transport company?' She turned on her computer.

'Ma'am, I have been tried to get appointment but the Secretary says her manager is not available right now but I will check again.'

Amber looked at the lady; sometimes she could be unreliable and most times she was a dedicated secretary. She looked at Lucy; she had called Lucy on Saturday to tell her to confirm the appointment with the transportation company and she must have put aside everything else to do the task; even though she didn't get the appointment.

'How was your weekend, Lucy?'

Lucy stared at her for a second, not totally understanding the reason for the question. 'It was fine ma.'

There were good days and bad days; bad days; her boss didn't give her any sympathy or show any concern but the good days.... This was one of the good days; although it doesn't last that long.

'How was your weekend, Ma?' She asked with a smile.

Amber looked at her not smiling; Lucy looked maybe she shouldn't have bothered to ask. She liked her boss, more than her sister downstairs but Ms Amber can be too tough sometimes.

Amber looked at her not smiling; her weekend had been with Nicholas through out, something she wanted to forget but how can she forget when he was going to take the reins in five days time.

She looked at Lucy; who looked down at the desk, obviously she felt she had said something wrong.

'Lucy, it was fine. Thank you.' She answered quickly.

Lucy gained half of her courage and looked at her boss with a small smile.

'What time is the board meeting with my father?'

'In 30 minutes, Ma.' She answered.

'Alright, get me a cup of coffee, if I am not here, when you get back; bring it to the board room.'

Lucy nod about to excuse herself to get the coffee before she left.

'Lucy.'

She stopped at the door. 'Ma.'

'Keep trying that secretary and get the appointment.'

Lucy nod with a smile; her boss was one business woman and she admired her.

She looked at the door as it closed. Her weekend had been with the man; who was the love of her life.

'Good morning, Sir.' 'Pheobe greeted walking with Nicholas to his office with her notepad and pen in her hand, trying to walk in the same pace with Nicholas but she couldn't because of her skirts.

'Any important message for me?' He asked as he opened the door of his office. 

'Apart for Apirl calling and your cousin; there has been frequent calls from the Pade Wills company and Co.'

Nicholas looked at her before he entered his office. 'The manager want to see you, her secretary is asking for an appointment.'

What did Amber want that couldn't wait until next week.

'Did they say what they needed?' He asked as he entered into his office and Pheobe followed.

'The secretary..... I think Lucy, said her boss would like to speak personally with you.'

That was going to be an issue. 

'Sir, should I schedule an appointment?' She asked waiting Nicholas' instructions as he paced round the office.

She had said; he was big now didn't mean he should rub his achievements in her face; but he wasn't doing that. He could never do that, especially to Amber.

He heard Pheobe's intercom ring from outside; she pressed the Bluetooth in her ear and answered; 

'Hello, T.K transport company, who is this?'

He looked at her; there was a receptionist downstairs, she was available.

'I don't know.' He heard and looked at her.

'Hold, let me see if his schedule is flexible.' She said and quickly removed the Bluetooth from her ear, hiding it behind her back.

'Sir, it's Lucy, it looks like her boss really need that appointment to speak with you.'

He looked at her and rubbed his chin; Amber would not accept his help if she knew he was the manager, but if she was so desperate, he might as well give her a manager to talk to.

'Tell her to call tomorrow morning, we will be able to talk to schedule a time.'

She nod and put the Bluetooth back on. 'Hello, Lucy sorry for taking so long.' She apologize but the voice on the other end was not Lucy's.

'Ma'am, I'm sorry.' Nicholas looked at her before he took his seat.

'His schedule is full today, he has a lot of meetings but will tomorrow be convenient for you?'

After a second, Nicholas saw Pheobe muttered time as she put her finger on her wristwatch. He wrote something down on his note pad and showed it to her.

'By 1:00pm, ma'am.' She told Amber.

'Ma'am is there anything you want me to tell him before you arrive, to be aware of the nature of such appointment?'

'Yes, ma'am. Have a nice day ma'am.' Pheobe said before hanging up.

'What did she say?'

'I needed your help, urgently.' She answered.

He nod his head. 

'Sir, I will go write that down.'

'Pheobe.' 

She turned back before she reached the door. 'Sir.'

'Was she angry?'

Pheobe shook her head; 'But she sounded desperate.' She said before excusing herself.

He looked at his screen; he had used her face as a wallpaper for background of the computer;  she was desperate but If he helped; she might not accept but just for the meeting, he needed to find someone else.

He had a meeting soon and he had to be there; He picked his phone and dialed Lucky's number.

'Monday morning is usually busy for me, you know right?' He heard the other voice. Lucky sounded tired.

'So, it is for me. I have a photo shoot soon for the magazine.' Nicholas told him, he worked for Valentine Camps, he owned a big magazine company and likes to put him on front page to get people attracted to it.

'Then why are you disturbing my short break?' Lucky and Susan had gotten back two weeks ago from their honeymoon and had to go straight to work.

'Lucky, I wanted to talk you about.....' He paused; when he heard Lucky's second phone ring in the background.

'Nick, is this important? I am busy at the moment, can i call you back.'

He didn't want to distrub his friend. He just needed to know he wasn't being to harsh on her. 'It is Amber.' He said and then quickly gave Lucky an amplified version of the story.

'Okay, I think you are doing the right thing; you need to get a chance with her, make her fall in love with you again, show how much you missed her...and Nick, I do not really know how to help with this right now, you should call Cassie or Susan. They might explain from the woman's side of view more.'

A guy's opinion, was what he needed right now but he knew they would say the same thing, Lucky just did; so there wasn't any need calling Cassie or Susan. But he needed to think of something before Friday; the first day of the month.

Maybe he should call Cassie; she was more closer to Amber and she would help him more but later....Right now he needed to get someone to seat in for him when Amber comes tomorrow.  There was only person on his mind but he wasn't sure he could do it.

He pressed 1 on his company landline of a while and stopped; Phoebe answered the phone.

'Yes, sir.'

'Pheobe, my uncle is coming by today, please when he comes into the office, let me know.'

'Yes sir.' He pressed abort.

His uncle loved Amber and was happy when they got married, well, he might take care of Amber for the day.

Just until she asked what she wanted.

He sighed, what were his plans for those six months?

She sighed; she was just coming back from her lunch date with the manager of T.K transport company. T.K for Trevor Knight; Nicholas' Uncle; how did she miss that? 

She had visited him, when his wife died and surprisingly, the good man still remember her and he was said she should talk to Nicholas about the shipping.

Nicholas was his manager after all. She realized as she pressed the brakes to stop at red sign.

She was supposed to talk to him; he saw her on Sunday; told her he was a manager carefully omitting the name of the company and now she had to partner with him else she was left with no good options.

Why didn't he just tell the entire truth, instead of half. 

What did he think, that she would rely on him to help her.

She scoffed irritatingly. She depends on no one, Nicholas was nothing; even though he worked for the President and earn twice her salary, she wouldn't even glance at him; even if he was going to help faster than the rest; she rather to wait until it was her turn.

She sighed and made a U-turn; Nicholas had come back to her life, her job and her family.

She sighed. Can she live through this?

He wanted her back; if he had showed up those few months or called, she would never have agreed to Florence's Idea of a divorce; she would still be waiting for him to come back to her. 

But now the papers were ready, she had someone if she was in a desperate need to be in a relationship.

Whenever the six months ends, she would give him the divorce papers to sign.

She had missed him when he left, she loved him, when Jake showed up, her feelings for Nicholas did not disappear, instead they just stayed bottled up. Maybe she always wanted Nicholas to come back to her, maybe in her heart, she still loves him and when he showed up, seeing he and Jessie together, brought back the anger and love in thousand folds.

If she gave her heart to him this time, he might break it and she didn't think she would ever recover.

So she needed to guard her heart by not falling for him again.

But what if he didn't break her heart, what if he wants to stay forever this time?

The voice in her head asked her.

She sighed as she pulled into the parking lot of her company. 

She remembered what she told Carla when she asked her if she still loves him and she had been serious when she said she still did; that she forgave him for leaving but can she gurantee he will not leave her again; the first time had been for a big opportunity, what if the next time; it is Jessie; who he actually loves?

Then she answered her question as she put off the engine.

She didn't know but she was scared of him leaving her again and to prevent that from happening, she has to have nothing to do with him.

Then why did you agree to the six months, if you want to save your heart?

To give him clarification of the doubts that he had about her in his mind and to show him that they are not meant to be together.

What if you fell in love with him again, during the six months; you can't hide from Nick, he knows you.

She stopped and immediately shake her head; she was talking to herself, the one that actually loves Nicholas.

She doesn't have to answer every question, she said getting out of the car.

The upcoming six months will be just he wasting his time on her.

She raised her head immediately, the phone on her desk vibrated; has she been zoned out that long; she had just come from a meeting and she came with Cassie who was sitting on the chair with her phone in her hand; typing, and she had just rested her head for a few seconds and zoned out.

Was she that tired?

She looked round and looked at Cassie who just smiled and went back to her phone;

'What is today?' She asked her friend.

Cassie shook her head with a surprise look on her face; 'You have got to be kidding.' She said when she looked at Amber rubbing her eyes.

'You asked this morning and then before we went for the meeting, did you hit your head, my friend.....a little curcussion can cause a severe damage.'

Amber frowned and stood up, moving to her water drinker. 'I have been too busy lately....' She said as she picked out a plastic cup and turned up the tap. The cup underneath it.

'And the thing with Nick.' Cassie added, making Amber glared at her, before putting the cup on her lips.

'Is it starting today? he hasn't called all morning; it is almost five.' Cassie said as she checked her watch.

'Maybe he changed his mind?' Cassie pointed out a probability.

Amber knew that was impossible, especially when it came to her; he didn't change his mind so easily.

'Or postponed.' Amber mentioned a possibility, maybe he was busy and didn't have time.

'Do I hear a little disappointment in that voice?' Cassie with a smirk on her face.

Amber frowned as she disposed the cup. 'You must be crazy.'

'Really?' Cassie asked with an amusing smirk on her face, making Amber fight the urge of killing her friend.

'I am just saying; if he had postponed, he should have let me know, instead of...'

'Crazily looking forward to it?' Cassie completed for her.

She rolled her eyes. 'Keep deceiving yourself. I am a busy woman.'

'Busy thinking about your date or rather Nicholas?'

Amber looked around for something to throw at her, but she didn't find anything.

Cassie had been incredibly happy when she told her about Nicholas' proposal like he was the one proposing to Cassie and sent Amber as a post woman to deliver his message but Amber didn't see anything to be excited about; she knew her friends wanted her to get back with him but.....

Right now, she was the one feeling the excitement for no good cause, except to get this over and done with.

'I have other things to reach for, Nicholas is just an obstacle, I want out of my way.' She said; if she had heard that from any other person, she would have said, she was taking this too far but Cassie had more than once heard the way she had described Nicholas and she didn't feel there was any need for Amber to be corrected; Cassie saw it as a way for Amber letting out her anger instead it bottling up.

'He is the only one helping us out with the shipping.' Cassie said his good side, before Amber completely condemned him.

'He is good at his job, we both know....that is not my point.' She said as she took her seat.

Just then her phone rang, startling the both of them; she looked at the caller; not registered on her phone and she gave it two seconds, before answering the phone.

'Hello?'

She perceived the smell of fried chicken; straight from oil; she wet her lips; and swallowed; then her stomach rumble quietly; she hadn't had lunch. She placed her mind back on the phone. 

'Hey.' She heard the cool voice; she ached to hear six months before she became Jake's girlfriend.

'Nicholas Mitchell.' She said, the aroma gone.

Cassie looked at her, before she moved to the visitor's chair.

'Hi, Amber.'

'I didn't think you had much free time to make a call.' She told him.

She heard his laugh; that laugh she missed; everytime he did laugh, it made her smile, but she refused to right now.

'I always have time for you.' 

She felt a tingle in her palm and she picked up her pen and held it in her hand, rubbing the twitching part.

'You called me.' She said before she said something to encourage him to keep flattering her and eat her heart right off her chest.

'Right.' He confirmed.

She waited when she heard movement of papers like he was looking for something.

'I will like us to have dinner, together.'

She scoffed. How Chessy! Dinner was the best he could come up with? 'I don't get off, until 7.' She told him.

There was a pause. 'I know, I could come pick you up.' He offered.

She rolled her eyes; guys sometimes didn't know how to go about wooing a girl who had everything material; she sighed as she wondered who gave him that Idea? Cassie, Susan, Lucky or Max; she sighed again.

'Is there a problem?' Cassie mouthed while Nicholas voiced out; they had heard her sighing.

'I have my own car; I can't leave it unguarded or at the company with no security.' She explained.

'Okay! Then I will meet you; I already sent you the address of the place; we will be having dinner....can you find it?'

She rolled her eyes again and thought better instead telling him; he was the one who left the country not her.

No matter where it was, if she didn't know; Cassie would know or Susan; or any of the guys.

'I can find it.' She just said.

'Great, dinner at 8.'

She looked at Cassie kept looking at her. 'I will be there.'

'Alright, see you soon.' He said and then hang up.

She removed her phone from her ear and went over the message; 

'What happened?' Cassie asked.

'Dinner at the Grand palace at 8.'

Cassie smiled; 'My Maxie and Nicholas would have planned it.'

She just looked at her work. She knew Max owned a catering business that dealt in something about catering; cakes and pastries

Cassie was already walking out the door when she stood and looked at her friend.

'Don't you have to change; it's a dinner date.'

Amber frowned. Really? 'It is just dinner, not a date.'

'Okay!' Cassie said as if she agreed to what Amber defined as two people who are attracted to each other; having dinner.

She just shake her head then closed the door. After today; she still had five months and 30 days to go.

She sighed, she could do this.

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