HER

Chapter 38

Kaylie walked into Marco's the next morning and was greeted by a smiling Catherine when she reached the counter.

"Good morning Kaylie."

"Good morning Catherine." Kaylie smiled.

"Here's your morning coffee and snack." Catherine handed her a coffee cup and a bagel in its wrapper.

"Thanks." Kaylie said and turned around debating what she was about to ask. She took a step towards the door but stopped and squeezed her eyes shut. "For Dana." She muttered to herself.

Kaylie turned back towards the counter to Catherine who seemed to be waiting for her to ask what she wanted to ask. Kaylie sighed.

"Out of curiosity, does your last name happen to be Summers?"

Catherine who was biting back a grin nodded.
"Yea." She watched as Kaylie looked relieved and smiled at her.

"Good." Kaylie said. "That's wonderful."

Catherine was confused and wondered what was up with Kaylie.

"I'll see you in the afternoon then." Kaylie said.

"I don't think so. I have to be somewhere in the afternoon."

"Oh ok. Tomorrow then." Kaylie said.

"Definitely." Catherine nodded. "Have a good day at work."

"You too." Kaylie called as she walked away.

When Kaylie was seated in her car, her coffee cup safe on the holder and her bagel in the passenger's seat with her bag, she picked up her phone from one of the compartments in the dash board and texted Lily.

Last name: Summers.

She sent the message and put her phone back in the dash board before she started the car and fasted her seat belt. She pulled into the morning traffic with a smile on her face at what she had just confirmed.

Catherine was Dana's younger sister.

The morning went by and afternoon was approaching when Alex stepped out of the elevator and made his way towards Mr. Reed's office.

"Good morning Mr. Guzman." Carly greeted him. "He'll see you now."

He gave her a curt nod and a pleasant smile as he went straight to Richard's door and pushed it open.

"Alexander." Richard was on his feet, a smile on his face as he went around his desk. "When Carly told me you had booked an appointment, I was surprised."

They moved to the small space in his office with three sofas and a table in the middle.
"Have a seat please." Richard said and he took a seat after Alex was seated.

"I'm here to discuss the app I was presented by Mr. Young."

"The young man's innovative."

"I don't doubt it." Alex said. "But I happen to have come to a conclusion that Mr. Young didn't create that app."

Richard blinked looking confused.
"I don't follow."

"Mr. Reed, I respect you and your company but I wouldn't be able to sign if Mr. Young doesn't come clean about the app he claims he created. I had my doubts when he presented the app to me and your daughter confirmed my suspicion..."

"My daughter?"

"Your daughter happens to be friends with Ms. Patterson who I believe created the app and not Mr. Young."

"Why would you think that? My daughter believes anything..."

"...she's sure of." Alex completed. "Ms. Patterson made your daughter a test subject for the app before Mr. Young presented the app to you and I also found out that while Ms. Patterson was working hard on this app, Mr Young hadn't even scratched the surface."

"And how would you know this?"

"Mr. Young who happens to be your daughter's brother-in-law can confirm all this and...I spoke to Ms. Patterson about the app and she gave me a way better presentation than Mr. Young on the same app."

Richard didn't know what to say, he was just as stunned as Dana had made him the day before.

"I won't be able to sign with RevTech unless it's Ms. Patterson I'm signing with."

Richard nodded.
"I'll see to it Alex."

Alex nodded and rose from his seat.
"Have a good day Mr. Reed."

Richard got up and shook hands with Alex.
"You too."

Alex walked out of his office dialling Kaylie's number.

"Hey handsome." Alex smiled; the sound of her voice was all he needed to make his day better.

"Hey beautiful, you headed out for lunch?"

"About to, why?"

"I'm in the elevator on the way down to your floor."

"Oh." She said. "Alright, I'll meet you there."

He heard the ruffling on the other line as they both stayed on the phone.

"Should I ask what you're doing here?" Kaylie asked.

"I think you already know the answer to that."

He heard her sigh.
"I hope I don't get fired."

"I highly doubt it and if you do, you could always free-lance with Ground Up as fixed customer."

"I like the sound of that."

"I do too."

The elevator opened up and Kaylie came face to face with him. She smiled at the sight of him and hung up as she stepped inside the elevator.
"Hey." She placed a kiss on his cheek as the elevator shut with just both of them inside.

Alex sighed as he wrapped his hands around her mid-riff and pulled her into him.
"I missed you."

"You saw me yesterday and spoke to me last night."

"Exactly, last night."

She shook her head.
"How's Sarah?"

"Looking forward to when she gets to see you next."

"Sounds like me." She said.

"I'm going to pick her up from school today, do you want to come along?"

"If...that's ok."

Alex smiled.
"Anything to keep you by my side."

Kaylie smiled and nodded.
"Alright."

"Perfect." He kissed her forehead just as the elevator opened into the reception.

"Where are we going to?" Kaylie asked when she seated in Alex's car.

"Somewhere that isn't Marco's."

"Hey, Marco's is amazing."

"And I wouldn't argue on that."

"Good." She said and Alex drove off.

Catherine had a double shift that morning as she was covering Gina's as well. Her mum stayed back home with Nina so she could go to court with her while she joined them later in the afternoon which happened to be a few minutes ago. Catherine stepped out of the taxi and paid him. She made her way up the stairs into Seattle Municipal Court. She hoped Nina was fine and hoped she would be after she was done with this chapter of her life. Catherine couldn't imagine what she must be going through having to face someone who abused you. .