Last year, Matthew's cousin, Henry Smith, and his wife, Melissa Thompson, welcomed twins - both girls - into their family. Although Matthew had showered the twins with gifts since their birth, he struggled to handle their crying and had to call his mother to help when he was asked to babysit them once.
"Maybe I should set you up on dates, Matthew. You need to meet new people and socialize."
Matthew shook his head.
"Mom, please don't."
Mrs. Schneider asked, "Why not? Do you have someone special?"
Matthew remained silent.
Mrs. Schneider exclaimed, "You do have someone! Oh, we must meet her. Is it your secretary, Laura Jones?"
"Mom, Laura is just a secretary and a friend," he said in a measured tone. "Don't drag her into this conversation."
His father scoffed, while his mother clucked her tongue. "Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes. "I see the way you look at her bum!"
Matthew sighed inwardly, unsure of how to respond. "I don't have any feelings for Laura like that," he said, his voice firm.
His father continued eating his food, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. Laura was his secretary, but she was also one of his most trusted friends. He had to admit that sometimes his eyes lingered on her petite figure, but he couldn't allow his mother to dictate his love life.
Matthew got up to use the restroom, his thoughts immediately turned to Laura Jones. With a sense of urgency, he quickly tapped the number 1 on his phone.
Meanwhile, Laura was feeling lonely as she unlocked her apartment door. Winter nights had always been tough for her since her parents died in a tragic plane crash. She had no siblings or relatives to share the holidays with. "If only my parents were still alive," she thought as she ruffled her hair.
Darkness greeted her as she entered her apartment. "Same old, same old," she muttered to herself. "Having friends is one thing, but having someone waiting for you at home is a different story." Laura had never realized how dull solitary living could be until now.
Laura resides in a small apartment which is just the right size for a single woman living alone. The apartment features three rooms - a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. Laura began living independently when she commenced her studies in Texas, while her parents continued to reside in their hometown of Nashville. Unfortunately, Laura's parents were involved in a tragic plane crash on their way to a conference in Canada before her graduation. Since then, she has been living alone, without any other family or siblings.
Upon graduating from college, Laura promptly applied for a secretarial position at Schneider Enterprises, which was a fiercely competitive endeavor. Many of the applicants had impressive educational backgrounds. Being the secretary to CEO Schneider was a monumental responsibility. The company provided competitive compensation, but each cent spent carried an equal weight of responsibility.
Despite having been employed by the company for about seven months, Laura still wonders why Matthew selected her over more qualified applicants. She admits to not being the brightest among the contenders, and her educational background pales in comparison to others. When Laura had asked the CEO about it once, she was given a curt response, "do you doubt my decision, Ms. Jones?"
As Laura pondered the upcoming Christmas holiday, she contemplated the possibility of erecting a Christmas tree or something else festive in her apartment. It was only September, but she had already begun to notice the neighborhood adorned with Christmas lights, and the radio was blaring fa la las and ho ho hos.
After hanging up her coat and turning on the lights, Laura was heading to the kitchen when her phone beeped, indicating an incoming call. She answered the phone without checking the caller ID, as she only had a few people in her contact list.
"Hello?" Laura said, unsure of the caller's identity.
"Hey," a baritone voice replied, "I know you're home, life saver, but could you please drive to where I am right now?"
Laura knew that only one person referred to her by that nickname, her boss. The reference to her as a life saver caused her cheeks to flush with warmth, and she felt somewhat cherished and appreciated.
Laura stifled a chuckle at the thought of her boss once again being in a difficult situation and tasking her with finding a way to help him out. She couldn't help but wonder how he managed without her.
On one occasion, Matthew had attended a buffet dinner and almost consumed a dish that contained peanut-based oil. Luckily, Laura arrived just in time to prevent her boss from ingesting a potentially deadly ingredient. Ever since that incident, Matthew has referred to Laura as his life saver. Laura had become a confidante and treasured friend to her boss.
Despite people seeing Matthew as elusive and manipulative due to the nature of his work, behind his cold façade lay a caring individual.
"How's your family dinner, Mr. Schneider?" Laura asked teasingly.
Matthew responded with a grunt, "Oh, you got me, Laura Jones. I swear if you do not come to where I am in the next fifteen minutes, I'll bombard you with paperwork. Please come right away and pretend that you need me for an important business matter."
Laura hesitated, "It's already evening, Mr. Schneider. If I were to tell your parents that you're needed for a business matter, they might not believe the evident lie. Moreover, you're in the middle of a family dinner, and I don't want to barge in and disturb you."
Matthew grunted again, "You still call me Mr Schneider?. I told you to call me Matthew whenever office hours are done."
Laura decided to close her mouth instead of responding.
"I don't want to be informal with you, sir," she finally said.
"But we're friends, are we not?" Matthew replied.
The word "friends" sent a little warmth to Laura's heart.
"Please do me a favor and go to this location. It'll save me from my mother's anger," Matthew Schneider pleaded with Laura. She couldn't help but stifle a laugh. Matthew was America's most eligible bachelor, yet he was also a mama's boy who couldn't handle her constant nagging about getting married and starting a family.