Flowers and Swords

Daffodils

"Unsigned..."

"Soon to be signed."

"You wish."

"I know."

*

Just in time we entered the room, he kept his hand on my waist. I wanted to throw a tantrum, but I suppressed the urge as the curious faces of the board members greeted us.

Like always, he pulled my chair, and smiling a small smile at his gesture I took my seat.

"Mr. Campbell! Mrs. Campbell!", We were greeted.

"Alex! How are you doing?", The infamous gold digger, Ruby aka Rabies addressed Alexander.

"Fine enough.", He kept it short which I appreciated because this lady knows no lines between professional and unprofessional.

The CEO was his friend, Elijah, who smiled a little in our direction but signalled his subordinates to begin the presentation.

The meeting was long and not at all interesting. I was constantly suppressing my urge to yawn. This business stuff doesn't interest me even a bit. That was why I was insisting on giving it up to him. Yes, I understood it all. And I managed it too upto a certain capacity. But it doesn't interest me. Since I had a major in accounts, and my accounts were apparently always clear of mistakes, my father gave me the post of his CFO, which I continued holding when Alexander took over. My only work is to spend a week in a month to analyse the numbers and give recommendations. And in return I get a good payment. The only advantage of being this man's wife is that I do not have to be present in the office to do stuff. Alice is the one in charge of communication between the office and me.

I looked at him to find him deeply engrossed in the presentation, while Rabies was deeply engrossed in him. I do not know much about her other than the fact that she is a significant shareholder, and that she is always trying hard to woo Alexander. I won't lie, it bothered me in the beginning of our marriage. I always thought he was with her since he was never with me. But with time, I realised this man is highly intolerable. And also it stopped bothering me.

I jump a little on my seat when I feel a hand on mine, breaking my thoughts. When I looked up, it was his. I glared at his hand and then to him. He only signalled me to focus on the screen.

I tried to pull back my hand from his, but he held it tight. I don't appreciate public display of affection. Especially not with a man made up of granite. Our hands were kept on the table top for god sake.

My movements, however seized when I saw Rabies glaring at our conjoined hands.

Yes! Take that you Bee!

Surprising her Alex, I intervened our fingers, enjoying her misery.

So much for a board meeting.

*

"Mrs. Aubrey? What do you say about this plan?"

One of the board members asked.

I nodded and leaned forward on the table, attracting everybody's attention.

"I'll put in my financial perspective here. The project cost is high, no doubt. But I will not propose any cut in the budget because it has the capability of being efficient. It is only how our CEO strategises the plan that matters. Nonetheless, I suggest a cut of €60 thousands from the administrative costs. It's too much for me."

As soon as I completed, Rabies spoke up, "€60 thousands is a measly amount. It won't create a difference. I guess we should stop being stingy."

This woman!

I leaned back on my chair to show I was not irritated, "You know Ms. Ruby, in business we have to think rationally and act judiciously. Being stingy brings profits, the one we recieve in our bank accounts every month. Plus that saved amount can be used to provide bonus to all the employees to keep them happy and content because Christmas is coming in a month. I hope you get my point."

"I agree with Aubrey.", Elijah said making me internally smile, "... employees welfare helps us earn their confidence and they put in best efforts."

"And if somehow, in some rare circumstances, we do face a funding issue, then I suggest we start maintaining a Viability Gap Fund, that can be used to finance any shortage in the course of the project."

Everybody endorsed the idea, and at the end they turn to the President, the Pig. He has been looking at me for a long time, and I have been ignoring his bothersome gaze.

"What do you think President?"

He gave a slight smile to them, "Who am I to refuse such an intelligent proposal? Ofcourse, let's go with Aubrey's plan."

Once the consensus was made, everybody left the room. The Rabies, on the other hand, decided to approach my husband. I took it as my cue to leave, but then he suddenly pulls me back in a not so gentlemanly way.

I scowl at him, while he only smirked, as if he won a lottery.

"Since when did you both started doing the play pretend of your marriage within the closed room?"

Ah! Here we go...

Ruby was the leader of the group, or section who believed our marriage was purely business and fake. It created problems in the start for me. Especially when we were engaged just after my parents' death. The business was drowning and it was needed to be supported. And to be honest, I too needed someone by my side. Although, we both did give our fair share of public appearances, where he'd hold my hand, where we dance in a charity gala, or us being 'caught' together having a dinner date, but they never believed. Not that I care. I stopped caring when I realised they were in a way true. But what bothered me about Rabies is, that she tried to humiliate me for the same. Even though my marriage was business, but she doesn't get to eat her daily meal on that. I've put her at her place once, when she bothered me at a restaurant where I was eating alone. Alexander doesn't know about it.

"Ms. Ru...", I interrupted him before he could say anything. He would say some polite crap which will not satisfy me.

"Ms. Ruby, we play pretend alot in our closed room. Ever heard of Role play? No? Well maybe your husband was too old for that. But well, what I do with my husband and what he does with me, how we live before everyone, or between ourselves is none of your concern. So please stop poking your nose in people's business."

"You...", She was about to charge on me when he pulled me out of the room with him.

We straight away went to his office room, before he closed the room.

"What was that?", He questioned.

"That was me, saving my self respect before your snobby admirer."