RICHARD
Richard had been on that treadmill for approximately fifteen minutes. He'd woken up earlier than he usually did, probably because he was kinda excited about Taylor's return.
He'd started by walking for five minutes, then run between intervals for three minutes. He'd been at it since he woke up.
Victoria stood beside him, with a bland expression registered on her face. He knew that expression. It reeked of disinterest and somewhere in the line of something else.
He couldn't find the word.
Clutching the grips tightly, he set his sights on his secretary's face. "Say what's on your mind, Victoria?"
Victoria pinned him with a look, then sighed as she glanced down at her wristwatch. "It's 7:7am and she's not here yet."
Richard knew that was the only reason Victoria was in a sour mood. He was beginning to think there was more to her aversion to Ava.
She overdid it most times, but he liked her work spirit so, he had to turn a blind eye most times. Like right now, she wore a plain yellow long sleeved shirt, tucked neatly into her ruched black skirt that had no ruffled lines.
Victoria was perfect that way. She always tied her hair in a tight bun that would always get Richard wondering if it never gave her headaches. But that's just Victoria for you.
Pressing a button, the treadmill slowed to a walking pace and he took the water bottle from the holder. "I'm sure she's on her way. She seem capable, so..." He uncapped the bottle and tipped his head to down a few sips.
"Really? You hate it when people don't keep to time, sir!" She said. She added the honorific as a way of reminding him. He might have probably forgotten his rules.
Tightening the lid on the bottle, he replaced it and gave a little smile. "She just started working here and I don't need her to be here by 7am everyday."
"You do today. She's supposed to be here earlier than 7 today." Her voice was now pitched and Richard had to try and ignore it.
She does it every time. Always forgetting and losing it with other employers on his behalf. He always ignored it but it would burst to the surface.
It wasn't bad sometimes, just like now, he couldn't tell if he should put her in her place.
"This is her first strike. She has two more to go. I should probably count that she was late for her interview too."
Richard pressed his lips together and was about to say something, something to shut Victoria up, but a loud bang had him pressing a button to stop the motor.
Victoria squeezed her face, grunting in annoyance as she stomped out in her really high heels.
Richard had to take a minute to catch his breath, before snagging the water bottle and marching off behind Victoria.
What's that clanging sound that never stops? He wouldn't stop wondering as he followed Victoria to the kitchen.
Subconsciously, he became aware of his sweaty body and the lemon cut off tank he wore over the grey sweat shorts that stopped somewhere above his knee.
"You're late. Again!" Victoria started, not trying to hide that she was upset.
He stepped into the kitchen, stopped by the doorway and let his eyes settle on the girl. He couldn't see her face, because Victoria was obstructing his view but he could see her hair which was tied into a ponytail. A neat ponytail this time.
Ava hadn't said anything and he wondered how long she'd been in the house. Probably, while Victoria was complaining.
Stepping in and standing beside Victoria, he saw her head was hung but sensing him, she had raised her head and looked over at him.
Richard noted two things. Actually, there were three things.
First, her eyes. They were red. Not so red, but red enough that he had noticed. She looked distressed.
Second, her outfit was much better than the previous one. This time, she wore a denim dungaree dress over a white polo. It made her look so young and God... He shouldn't be staring at her like that!
The last thing, a perfume. He could smell it. Just a faint hint but he could smell it. He was sure it wasn't Victoria's. It didn't smell pricey but it smelled of a beach and somewhat fruity.
There was a fourth, because right now, she looked so pale.
"What time did you get here?" Victoria continued. Determined not to let her down easy.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be late," she had said, avoiding Victoria's question, but held his gaze.
"That wasn't_"
"It's fine. She's here now..."
He could feel Victoria's side glance on his face, but he was determined not to return it. He saw her eyes dim and lowered it from his face.
Uncapping the bottle, he downed the rest of the water and dropped it on the island and pulled out a chair.
She frowned and turned to the counter, knowing that he wasn't going to let her work in peace.
"Ava, you should give Victoria here, an assurance of what you can do. Don't you think?" He was just teasing her, but turned to give his Victoria a mocking smile.
Victoria returned the fake smile and pulled out a chair beside him and sat too, dropping iPad on the surface.
"What assurance, sir?" Ava finally asked, her voice so small and soft.
Tapping his fingers on the smooth surface, "you could show her that you can make a really good meal, like the chicken teriyaki you made yesterday..." He paused and took in Victoria's look, "it was really lovely."
Without waiting for a response from either of them, "when's Taylor's flight? You ordered those shoes right? She loves her shoes."
While Taylor loved her shoes, Aria was something else. She loved the whole package, from head to toe.
Victoria knew then that he'd switched to work mode. She took the iPad and started swiping. Left, right, up and down. "Yes, I ordered three of Emiliano's and two Swed's. Her flight is in the next three hours, which is..." She made a tapping sound, probably searching the notes.
"Around 10. She should be home by 11am at the most."
Richard nodded and looked over at the girl who tried to ignore them and determined to focus on making breakfast.
"Ava?" He called her and noticed how she tensed before turning to face him. "Don't bother making breakfast. Taylor will be here in few hours, so till then."
"You won't have breakfast?" Victoria asked and Ava just stared at him in utter silence as though he might have said something he shouldn't have.
Nodding, he pushed up from the chair and pushed it back in place. "Yes. I'll eat with my daughter but_" he looked over Ava who still gazed at him, "you can make me coffee."
She still gazed at him and he had to ask, "you can make a decent coffee right?"
She blinked and he could tell she was thinking about it. "Yes. Yes, I can." She finally decided and looked down at her hands.
Richard nodded. "Black. A cube of sugar. No milk." He instructed and started making an exit.
Victoria stood and pushed back the chair like he did and followed him out. "You can still eat with your daughter. You don't have to skip breakfast."
He chuckled, "I know. I just want to. It's not an issue so, I'll just go with the caffeine."
"You should leave already for the office, since I won't be there today."
"I'll do that."
"You should also go with Henry to the airport to pick her up." He told her over his shoulder. and started ascending the stairs, while Victoria stood at the foot.
"Yes sir. I'll do that."
Without a reply, he marched to his room and made a quick trip to the bathroom. He needed a hot shower and maybe, retire to his study to get some work done till Taylor's back.
Stripping in the bathroom, he stowed them in a cabinet for laundry later, then pushed a button and waited for the hot rainfall on his back.
He wasn't ready for the downpour, because he winced and groaned. He stood a moment under the fall, he needed his skin to accept the scorching rainfall. Running his fingers through his hair, he massaged and slicked them back, before he blindly reached for a bar of soap.
He remembered right then that Taylor had bought the bars before she left for Merynn. He hated using bar soaps but he found himself loving the scent.
Running it down his length and around, his mind went back to Ava's sad eyes and pale look. She wasn't that way before, but she looked different and it bothered him, even when it shouldn't.
Lathering his skin, he shut his eyes tightly against the downpour and shampooed his hair before stepping out of the shower.
Towelling himself dry, he wore a bathrobe and decided on what to wear in the closet. He finally decided on a fitted denim jean trousers and a milk coloured knitted turtle pullover.
Sliding his feet into a leather clogs, he went into his study which he always locked, for security purposes. The door uses a security code as his front door.
He still had to get his coffee, so he headed across the room to get to the door and march to the kitchen.
He was surprised to see that Ava hadn't got it brewing, she just stood there and gazed at the coffee maker and the coffee bag.
So, the redhead can't make coffee.
He gave a little smile and approached the island. Her eyes were wide with worry. It was obvious she was running through a million excuses in her head, or that she was already fucked.
"I'm so sorry about the delay. I should've been honest but I didn't want to upset your secretary any more than I already did." She said in a rush, though her voice was steady, there was enough anxiety in her voice to give her away.
"So..." He said as he stood directly in front of her, "Ava can't make coffee but can make good teriyaki chicken. I don't know if I should be impressed or concerned." His mouth pressed together as though he was thinking of a way to mete out on her.
Without skipping the expression on his face, Ava's eyes widened. In that moment, he was more curious than anything else.
Chuckling, he rounded the corner and took the coffee bag. "You don't drink coffee?"
She took a few steps back, to give him room. "Yes, and I never got to learn how to brew a cup."
Nodding thoughtfully, "you should learn now. I'll teach you because it's more important to me that you learn how to."
She watched Richard in silence as he added water to the reservoir. Then he prepped the filter which had a cone shaped filter basket, and started pouring the hot water over it.
They waited in silent till it had brewed and ready the way he wanted it. Pouring into a cup, he took a hearty sip before turning to face Ava, who still gazed wordlessly at him.
"Hope you learned that. It's not really hard, but a bit tactical."
"I can try again."
He shook his head, "don't worry about it. I might not need a second cup."
She smiled at him because she knew he was only being nice.
He noticed immediately how her eyes shadowed and she started to put away the coffee maker and the bag.
"Are you alright?" He asked. It wasn't his business in any way, but he couldn't help it.
She looked up sharply at him and hesitated, then shook her head. She looked away and carried the coffee maker, back to the counter. It was clear, she was putting a wall between them.
It bothered Richard more than anything, when it shouldn't even be his problem. He should be the one keeping the distance between them. He was her employer for goodness' sake.
"Are you sure?" Still he persisted.
He noticed she swallowed, fidgeted a bit then looked squarely at him. "I don't understand why you're being nice to me."
Oh! Wow!
"Shouldn't I be? Should I be mean to you?" He cajoled.
She thought about it then smiled shyly at him, "no, you shouldn't. I just don't..."
"It's fine. I'll be out of your hair till my daughter gets here. I'm sure you can get things ready by then."
He started to walk towards the doorway, sipping his coffee as he went.
As he settled down behind his work desk in the study, he thought about what she had said.
He couldn't understand it too.
Why was he being nice to her? He needed the answer too.