Too Much To Hide || EDITING

c.43

      Incessant rings blare out of the speaker but no answer. Trying again while scowling down at the damn mobile, Nathan's contact vibrates on the screen with his smug face faded in the background. After a few more rings, it declines. No answer.

      Impatience has my fists clenched on my desk as I hold one against my mouth, slouching on my chair and staring absentmindedly at the city view outside. Alice gave me a few documents to sign today but that barely stays in my mind before being overridden by Nathan and Elizabeth.

      A few days ago, the guy told me he was going out of town to investigate one of our old rivals, Mercini, since they've risen out of the ashes after three years of silence. Foolish as he is, he went alone, even though I told him to let Roy and Vince accompany him. He said, and I quote, 'with these big guns, I'm perfectly fine.' That's his usual cocky self but I didn't expect him to be so over-confident about a sensitive subject. He and Mercini don't sit well together.

      Owen's advice has been on replay in my head ever since he first gave it to me. The urge to tell Elizabeth how I feel is almost too much to bear but something tells me I shouldn't. It's probably the fear I never knew I had, buried deep within the scarred layers of my experiences. Her reaction is unpredictable; let's say she does feel the same, what then? How does one maintain a relationship that is forced apart by satanic mothers? I'm having trouble thinking up a solution.

      I genuinely hope she's okay. Roy got back to me last week and told me she was spending time with some women. By the sounds of it, they must have been her friends. A sense of peace eases my discomfort; at least she isn't holed up in her house, oozing with tears and a runny nose. It kills me to know I wouldn't have been able to wipe them away if she was. Pushing the image of her crying out of my mind, I swivel around on my chair and pull up against the edge of my desk to sign the documents. The least I can do as of now is to fulfil my job as a Chief Executive.

      Surprisingly, it takes me only ten minutes to sign though a hundred and fifty paged agreement, all including the municipal reports involving a building plan I have been working on since the beginning of February. The video conference with Vincent Peralta, who is a part of the Winchester Housing Co. company, went better than I had hoped for. He seemed more than willing to go ahead with the processes, offering to tweak a few things after having a word with Mayor Jones since he's close to him.

      Deciding that I want to stretch my legs, I get up with the signed papers and head out of my office, walking across the wide corridor to end up in the grey schemed lobby. Jaw hanging open, I see Owen with his elbow on Matthew's desk, leaning over and engaging in a quiet conversation with my receptionist. Judging by Owen's dazzling smirk and Matthew's flustered expression, I'd say the man's flirting. Shaking a head, I leave the two of them be and stand in front of Alice's office door, placing three knocks. A muffled 'come in' is my cue and I step into the air conditioned office, walking in on Alice eating her lunch.

      "Sorry to interrupt Alice, I got these signed. Forward them to the Mayor's executive and have him e-mail me the remaining details," I say and place the packed file on her small desk. She shields her crumb littered mouth and flashes me an apologetic blink.

      Smirking, I wave a hand. "As you were."

      She give me a grateful nod and I end up back in the lobby, lost with myself and letting my thoughts run wild. James has been the greatest son anyone could ask for; he dealt with Elizabeth's departure a bit too maturely for a baby. I can't say I'm not glad, in fact, I'm over the moon. Although, it's really only Elizabeth who can take care of him. He still gets annoyed whenever I try to feed him and gives Portia a hard time too. Can he be blamed though? He's just a child.