VALERIE

Chapter 40: New Beginning

Knocking on my father’s fuzzy glass door and not waiting for his permission to let me in, I push the door open and quickly pop my head inside before stepping entirely in. My eyes dart immediately to his guest sitting in front of his office table. With the brown haired guy’s back on me, I can only guess that he’s in his mid-forties. He’s wearing the same shade of brown of suit as my father’s and his hair is gelled, tamed to the side of his head. Besides that, he seems familiar.

“Dad, you need something?” I ask my father as I take few steps towards his table, stopping halfway when he smiles up at me. His guest doesn’t even dare to turn his head around to recognize my presence in the very room.

“Darling,” His smile turns to a wide grin before he leans his elbows on top of his table. “You remember Mister Shaw, right?” As soon as he finishes the information, my eyes shoot to the guy on his seat who’s turning around now, grinning sarcastically at me. Fuck! What is he doing here?

Gulping, my eyes grow frantic as they travel back and forth to my father’s compassionate smile and to the smug grin on Mister Shaw’s face.

“Yeah,” I breathe, answering my father’s question but my eyes settle on Mister Shaw’s features. “Wha… what are you doing here, Mister Shaw?” I manage to say, the lump in my throat irritating me as I spoke.

“Well, your father and I talked about legal stuffs.” He muses before glancing back to my father as his interlaces his fingers together in front of him. I take tentative steps to the side of my father’s office table, subconsciously letting him know that if he tries to scare me, I have my father on my side to defend me.

Legal stuffs? Is he seeking legal advice from my own father to sue me for breach of contract? But our contract is top secret, why would he even talk about it to my father? I don’t understand. Does my father know my connection to Mister Shaw?

“Well anyway, sweetie, we’re just about leaving to talk about business…” My father tells me in a sweet and relaxed manner which only made me more confused than ever. What did he and Mister Shaw talk about? Was it about me? And what business are they going to talk about? “Don’t wait for me at lunchtime. I’d probably be stuck in a meeting.” My father says as he stands up from his seat and I mentally cringe when I see Mister Shaw grinning at me.

I still am confused at what’s happening, really. He interrupted me at my work just for this—to meet his client before both of them leave?

“Oh, where are you going?” My father asks me when he turns around and finds me following them on their way out. I flustered. ”Stay here and entertain my next client while I’m gone. You just actually need to show him around. Is that alright, sweetie?” His smile is expectant and pleading at the same time.

“Can’t Cherry do that for you? I have work to…” I start to protest, my voice fainting as I realize how harsh I sounded like towards my father who is also technically my boss. “Sorry, okay. I’ll do that.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later, Gail.” My father says as he pulls me in a light hug before leaving a kiss on my cheek.

“Bye, Miss Epperson.” I pull off a forced smile at Mister Shaw before both of them step out of the room, leaving me to wait for my Dad’s client.

Sitting on my father’s chair behind his office table, I decide to snatch a piece of bond paper from his printer and one of his pencils to start doodling while I’m waiting for this client that I am supposed to show around the building.

My father actually has the reason why he asked me to do the task because I’m the owner’s daughter, so who else would’ve been trusted when he isn’t around other than me?