Whispers and murmurs filled the ground floor of M&A building immediately she stepped foot inside. The different faces expressed different emotions. Shock, pity and admiration were just but a few. Of course people would react variably to the return to the big boss. She'd just lost her mother a week ago, buried her over the weekend and come Monday she'd returned to work all sassy and confident. In her usual iron lady regalia which entailed a stoic face, a perfectly adorned business suit and ridiculously high heels.
People were torn between offering their condolences, welcoming her back and scurrying away- the employees dispersed to either side of her away like the red sea in exodus. She only sent a stiff nod their way and continued to the elevator.
Gina felt selfish for not mourning her mother completely but she was never one to wallow is self pity and that's not want her business needed. It needed her to take charge and run matters like the captain she was. She'd already called for a board meeting that she'd have Gwen take charge of her shares. It didn't matter that she hadn't attained the age or wasn't ready yet. Death hadn't cared that they weren't ready to lose Mona yet.
Stepping out of the elevator doors, Cindy was already approaching her but she didn't pause to listen to her highlight her schedule. She continued to her office with the other woman on her heels attempting long strides that proved a tedious task in the tight grey pencil skirt. She pushed the door open and walked in. Something caught her eyes.
"And who authorised changing the other couch Cindy?" She demanded training an askance glare.
"Miss McLaren." Cindy responded.
Gina's imminent retort was interrupted by an intruder. "Good morning G."
"Vanda." She acknowledged. "Alright Cindy. Excuse us for a minute. I'll be right there to address the board."
The PA slipped out leaving the two women glaring at each other.
"About the couch, we_"
"I know. It's alright." She interrupted flatly.
Vanda nodded. "Are you alright?"
"Perfect. I have a meeting to address, if that'd be all I'd like to be excused_"
"Cut it out. Cut this crap out Gina." Vanda interrupted. "What do you think your doing? Huh? All these nonsense has to stop!" She exclaimed.
The other woman furrowed her brows with something akin to confusion before tilting her head to the side askance. "I'm trying to run a billion dollar company that my mother worked so hard to build and that's nonsense? Please explain?" She crossed her arms over her chest.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. What you are doing to yourself is wrong. To all of us Gina." She said calmly. "But..." She swallowed and slumped her shoulders with despondency. "You can have it your way." She blinked briskly sucking the threatening tears back. "But you can do with warning us next time you want to stomp all over our feelings like the strong unbreakable Gina you are."
"Vanda_"
"The board is waiting ma'am." She interrupted coldly before walking out.
***
Gwen Marshall didn't need her sister's bossing her around at the time. What she needed was to mourn in peace. Not shares! Not work! She didn't want anything at all. Nothing but cuddling up in her mother's favourite duvet and spending time with Calvin whenever he could afford to. He was sensitive enough compared to her glacial sister.
She stormed to the door and shoved it open. She strutted in furiously in time to find Gina about to settle behind her work desk. "Who do you think you are?"
Gina's stoically gazed at her sister awaiting her outburst.
"I don't want them! I don't need any of them! Keep the blast shares to yourself Gina because I don't want a damn thing to do with them! Do you understand me?!" She vented shoving her hands in the air in frustration at the impassive composed poise of the other woman. She continued. "I'm not like you. I'm not an emotionless stone Gina! I'm not a goddamn heartless bitch that couldn't even cry for her dead mother! I do not need you to teach me how to respond to pain and grief like a monster! It's not my style Gina Marshall! I won't be empty like you!"
Gina couldn't breath. Heaven she was trying but nothing happened. Her lips remained sealed to exhale the toxic carbon di oxide clogging at her trachea. Her nose wouldn't inhale either. Her lungs deflated painstakingly but she couldn't do anything about it. Her sister's words sliced through her heart like a double edged sword, complicating her blood circulation. It hurt so much that her entire body felt the impact. Her heels wobbled as they couldn't withstand the weight bombarding her knees, which threatened to buckle any moment soon. Gina dug her hands on the work desk's edge in a desperate attempt to support her hazy frame. A sickly feeling dominated her guts and she could feel the chocolate pancakes rioting up her throat. A lump formed there as agonising tears of betrayal pooled in her eyes. This is what had remained of her family. A sister that didn't mind shattering her already wounded heart.
Fine. She knew her way of dealing with pain was almost sick and horrifying but she hadn't always been so. The said sister knew that. She knew that if she didn't stay strong the cyclones of loss and grief would wreck more havoc than they already had. The pain navigated to anger. Raw fury that made her nose flare and she could finally breath but simultaneously her stomach's contents violently rushed up and she zoomed to the office bathroom to empty it all.
When she was finally done and all she could do was heave painfully, her sister's hand patted her back comfortingly the other one handed her a water bottle. She washed up and flashed before walking out ignoring the concerned look on her sister's face.
"I'm sorry G." Gwen muttered apologetically fidgeting with the necklace dangling on her neck.
Gina nodded stiffly. "You can leave."
"G_"
"I hate that you are right. I'm trying to control how you feel. I'm not mourning mom like I'm supposed to. That I'm a heartless bitch. A monster."
"Please_"
"Don't ever be sorry for being right. You are dismissed Gwen." She continued ignoring the pained look on the other woman's face. The did was done. All the hurtful words Gwen spewed drove the point home. She may have not meant a single thing she hurled Gina's way but the damage was done. And while Gina wasn't angry at the sister, she was disappointed and hurt. That's not how family treated each other especially if they were the very last pair.
Gwen pursed her lips together regretfully. Watching her sister in such pain felt like a stab to her own heart. The fact that she was responsible deteriorated it all. She heaved blinking back tears, they'd been doing that a lot lately and she was beginning to detest the feel of a stream of tears down her face. With one look at her sister's depressed stance, she pivoted and left.
Gina felt excruciatingly horrible. Not being able to tell whether it was because of Mona's permanent absence, her sister's razor-like words or even the depressive sickly feeling in her body frustrated her the more. She needed to handle business since the past month she'd been slacking and that meant she was lagging behind. Eddie had been his usual heroic self by ensuring that everything ran fluently without hiccups whatsoever.
A weak smile broke on her face. He seemed to be the only thing that brought harmony in her state of disarray. Her body, mind and spirits tore at each other contrasting what she should be reacting. Her mind demanded that she dissolved herself into the pits of work. Statistics, research, anything. Her spirit desired the opposite of it all needing her to curl up in her mother's bed where she'd found solace in the past three weeks. Her body.
It was the only thing that wanted what Gina wanted. Eddie. She could barely reminisce the gentle touch of his comforting hands lovingly administering the promise of eternal love. Neither could she feel the sensuous stroke of his warm tongue as it leisurely stroke her mouth and other places rendering her incomprehensively breathless. Gina wanted him to remind her body how to respond to his defined muscular one. She needed him to remind her just where she rightfully belonged. His arms.
"Everything okay my love?" His concerned voice filled the room igniting her senses with his intoxicating glorious presence. "You seem... distracted." He added gently closing the distance between them. He leaned on her desk his worried gaze unwavering as he brought his thumb up to stroke her chin.
Gina swallowed. Hard. How could she even claim to forget his colloused touch when an innocent one of his adoring concern melted her insides like ice to fire. How could she not recall just how much worship and undying adoration filled his eyes as he took her in ultimate surrender.
She slowly brought her shivering hand to cup his as he continued to stroke her chin.
"E...Eddie." came her breathless beck.
"Yes love." His response came immediately as he tilted his head to the side in apprehension at her breathlessness.
She squeezed his hand hoping that he'd catch onto her desperation. "I... I want to go home." She stuttered embarrassingly.
"Sure love. I'll take you right_"
"No!" Her rather loud interrupting exclamation slipped out before she could prevent it. She bit the corner of her lip in embarrassment.
"No?" Eddie furrowed his brows in confusion before quirking them askance.
She shook her head biting her lip her eyes trained on her fidgety hands rested on her laps underneath the desk. "I just... I want to_"
"You want to?..." by the teasing tone in his voice Gina could tell the man had understood her perfectly. "If you don't tell me how do I know." Gina could hear the humour dripping in every word he uttered. She could almost hear the amused smirk on his luscious lips. Strangely that aggravated her.
"I want you to make love to me! Is that so hard to see?! Or you just don't want_"
He kissed her. So hard for accusing him of not wanting her. How could anyone not want oxygen? Because that's exactly what she was to him. Precious beloved air.