Mira's heart raced, and her mouth was partially opened so that she kept breathing for she was too overwhelmed to let her nostrils do the work.
Her eyes held back tears she wished they didn't and her mind barely functioned at the moment. In her heels and wedding dress, she was running through the long passageway of the hotel where some guests were. She wasn't looking back and wasn't inclined to be stopped. This left people in awe as to why. Many looked back in the direction from which she came wondering why no one was stopping her.
She remained too deep in thought to realise she had become a centre of attraction, the expression on their faces was blurry as a result of the tears that built in her eyes.
Relentless, she kept moving and was lucky to have slipped into an elevator before it closed.
Alas, she was alone and placed her right hand over her mouth as the tears poured out, her other hand quickly moved to press hard against her chest for her heart was breaking.
In no time her body lowered. Her wedding dress had occupied the space in the elevator roughly and about the same height as her elbows. Her emotions — the suicide bomb in everyone had begun ticking fast. It was obvious she didn't mind being consumed by it and so she remained there, totally helpless and after a short while, she let out a scream.
——
Months earlier, there was no zeal like the one lingering in her entire being after getting a promotion.
The excitement, the expectation, the thrill, the feeling of being accountable and recognised for her hard work. She had excused herself to the ladies after getting the letter and shed tears of joy for it was long overdue.
Back at her place, some colleagues threw a congratulatory party and even got her a cake. It was her happiest month of the year and she tucked into bed all smiles and a bit of sadness waving somewhere inside her.
She sat up on the bed, reaching for her mobile phone on her bedside table. In no time she smiled as she browsed through her gallery.
"Old goat." She voiced softly while staring at a photo of an older man standing next to her with a big smile on his face.
His hair was grey and neatly cut to compliment his gentlemanly look. His suit looked expensive and his body fit well. Memory Lane became smooth and easy. Reminiscing about the moments she shared with the man made her heart unsettled. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, then exhaled.
"I swear you were asleep," Abby said, entering the room unnoticed. She looked taller in her dark heels and fine office wear but must have had a few rough minutes or an hour before arriving there for her hair said it all regardless of how hard she tried to look normal.
"I miss him," Mira said sadly.
Heaving a sigh, Abby walked over to sit beside her. Mira still held on to the photo on her phone.
"He was like a father to all of us," Abby told her, "we all miss him." She said,
"He could have held on. Just a little longer." Mira said, her eyes still fixed on her phone screen.
"He did. Not just for long enough. Besides, the pains were too much for him to bear." Abby said.
Mira grinned while sniffing, trying not to burst out.
"We were the closest. He'd call me 'daughter, why couldn't he tell me? Why did he have to wait until he had a few weeks to leave?" Mira questioned.
"He loved you the most. I am certain he didn't want to break your heart that way plus you know how stubborn he was. " Abby responded.
"Yeah, and this way is better?" Mira responded immediately.
"Perhaps he believed so," Abby told her.
"It all feels so different," Mira said.
"It will. For a while." Abby told her.
Rolling her eyes from left to right not wanting to believe Abby's words, Mira sighed and flung the duvet off her thighs as she got out of bed.
"Now what did I say to ruin your appetite for a good night's sleep?" Abby inquired.
"It's not you," Mira said while walking towards the window. She opened it and the coldness of the night settled on her skin causing goosebumps.
"I don't think that's an excellent idea. Aside from freezing to death, someone could climb in here through the window," Abby told her.
"Abby, this is the fourth floor."
Mira responded, walking away from the window.
"Trust me, it doesn't matter. Don't you watch movies? It happens all the time. People do these things. Spiderman does it." Abby said.
"This is no way to heal faster," Mira said, lifting a letter from her dressing table towards Abby.
There was brief silence.
"He meant well for you," Abby told her.
"A promotion?" As good as it sounds, as much as I am glad for it, I am sad. He was my mentor, the fuel that kept my engines running." Mira said, taking steps toward Abby confrontationally.
"That last line sounds way over. You shouldn't say that to someone else," Abby said abruptly with a disgusted look on her face. "but I get you. I do, I just need you to get him. He didn't do any of this to hurt you, on the contrary, he did all of it to help you keep trying." She added,
"Well, he isn't here to watch me do that. What's the point?" Mira said, looking away.
"The point is, he found you worthy. It could have been me or Jon or Isabelle or Jace." Abby said.
The question posed to her was, "Who is Jace?" in confusion.
"Jace— the hot one with the fine ass? Remember Jace? "Come on, the one who has sexiness in every word he says?" Abby responded.
"Abby, his name is Logan." Mira rubbed her fingertips on her forehead.
ally? I must have forgotten." Abby replied looking confused.
"Plus he is five years younger than you," Mira added.
"He is?" Abby inquired, looking jittery.
"What? What's that?" Mira inquired.
"What's what?" Abby asked.
"That look. I know that look. No… What? Is that the reason your hair looks like you escaped the end of the world? You f*cked him and here? In my house? "My party?" Mira asked.
"I must have been tipsy," Abby explained.
"I don't know. You seem fine to me." Mira said, folding her arms.
"I didn't f*ck him okay? He f*cked me." Abby got up.
"You are the older one so in my eyes, you are the man," Mira emphasized.
"Whatever. Okay? It was a forty-five-minute marathon." Abby said.
"Oh yeah? You had your eyes on the clock the whole time?" Mira inquired.
"It felt like it, I swear," Abby replied.
"You are unbelievable." Mira dimmed her eyes.
"And you, my sweetheart, need some sleep. You have a new job tomorrow. The personal assistant to the new boss? Mind-blowing. I heard he is fine…" Abby said,
"Well, I hope he isn't as cheap as Logan," Mira said, getting back into bed.
"I think they said he is Old Goat's only nephew or something," Abby said.
"Whatever he is, he can never be him," Mira said while sliding underneath the duvet.
Abby smiled while shaking her head and walking towards the door.
"Hey…" She voiced, with her hand on the doorknob. "You will be fine." She assured Mira who could only sigh in response.
"Goodnight," Abby said.
"Get home," Mira pleaded softly.
"Of course, I am heading home. What do you think?" Abby inquired.
"I don't know, perhaps getting back on the field for a second half and extra time?" Mira replied.
Abby chortled.
"I love you," she said.
"Love you too," Mira responded with a smile.