My office was quite a spacious one. The ancient golden clock is hanging and staring at me, he could hear it scream his name, begging to be released and thrown into the wild.
" How long has this been here?" Raymond asked the curvy dark lady.
"Before I was employed, sir, probably 20 years ago. Beautiful, innit?" she smiled, trying to stir up a conversation.
" Beautiful? Do you have a sight problem, honey? I ain't notice any beauty in this archaic building. Jeez!" He muttered, shaking his head in disgust. " People from the nineties could brag about this, certainly not our generation. For fuck sake, this is the twenty-first century. We were meant to evolve. Contact the engineer and yes, the architect. I can't have my honor dented by this image. " He snapped, walking out of the office.
Well, if there was something to notice about Raymond's recent character, that'd be pride. He exuded pride at its utmost.
He got into his car, and slammed the door, his heart racing as he pulled up from the parking garage. He wove through traffic like an expert.
After a tense drive through the streets, Raymond pulled up to his house and rushed up the stairs. He pressed the doorbell over and over again but got no reply.
" Can't these folks take their jobs seriously? " he muttered, his anger rising gradually as he kept pressing the doorbell.
The door creaked open, revealing the face of a beautiful lady.
" What took you so long? " He asked, pushing her aside and stepping into the sitting room. " What's that? " he sniffed the air around.
The nice smell of cake had already enveloped the atmosphere.
" I'm sorry for taking so long, sir. I was preparing your favorite cake. I needed to be careful, sir? " the lady replied, trembling in fear.
" Don't give an excuse for being late. You may now leave my presence," he commanded, as he collapsed on the soft sofa.
" As you wish, sir. "She backed out slowly and in the next minute, she was inside the kitchen.
Raymond's thought drifted and for a moment, he was in a foggy haze. He couldn't focus on anything, and his mind was blank. He tried snapping out of it but couldn't. Gradually he embraced the warm shoulders of sleep, his mind finally crawling up to peace as he drifted into slumber.
A sudden tap on his shoulder brought him back to reality. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus his eyes on who woke him. It was his father. Raymond could see his weak eyeballs on his wrinkled face.
" Back early, huh? "his father asked, taking a seat opposite him.
Raymond sat up straight, his mind muddled with sleep. He tries to get his thoughts in order.
" You still look exhausted? I got a call from the office. You didn't spend an hour in the office. What seems to be wrong? " a twinge of worry in his voice.
" Dad, why does the company look old? " Raymond coughed out.
" Pardon? " His dad replied, raising his brow.
" Everything is archaic. From old-fashioned technology to rusty old clocks and poor building materials. Raymond said, supporting his head with his hand.
"You don't seem very grateful," his father said, frustration evident in his voice. "I spent time and money searching for you. I didn't care how old-fashioned my company was, I was determined to find you. Every last penny was invested in this search, and here you are, acting like you don't even care."
"Father, I..." he began, but his father cut him off, raising a hand to silence him.
"This is the last time we're going to have this conversation," his father said, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'm not going to waste my time trying to make you understand if you're not willing to listen."
He felt a pang of guilt as he spoke. Had he been too harsh? I wondered if he had made a mistake.
"Dad, wait!" Raymond called out, but he kept walking, not looking back.
Raymond sat there, watching him walk away. Maybe he just needed some time to clear his head.
Raymond's thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of my phone.
"Hello?" He answered, his voice still a little shaky.
"I have good news," the voice on the other end said. "The engineer will be able to meet with you much sooner than expected."
"Send him the address to my house," Raymond said, then hung up the phone.
He felt a sense of relief wash over me. The engineer would be able to fix everything. He just had to be patient.
A few minutes later,he heard the sound of an engine pulling up outside my house. The engineer had arrived.
After a long discussion with her, They came to a decision. Raymond had to admit, she was incredibly intelligent and competent. Her movements were precise and graceful, like a dancer. Raymond stared at her, what sought of beauty does she possess? He knows not. Her beauty rivals none other than nature.
The next morning, He woke up and immediately felt a wave of guilt wash over him. He knew he had to apologize to his father. He made his way to his room and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Raymond heard his voice from inside. He took a deep breath and entered.
"Dad, I'm so sorry for the way I acted yesterday," he began. "I was stressed, and I took it out on you. I didn't mean to be so harsh."
His father looked at him , a serious expression on his face. "Thank you for apologizing," he said.
"I understand that you were feeling overwhelmed," he continued. "But I hope you understand that I was just trying to help. I know you're going through a lot right now, and I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
His words were comforting, and Raymond felt a sense of relief. "Thank you, Dad," he said, a small smile forming on his face.
"You're welcome, son," he said, patting me on the shoulder. "Now, how about we get some breakfast?"
I went outside to eat breakfast. As I ate, a thought struck me. I had been so caught up in everything that was happening, I had completely forgotten about Roselle. Her company had been far away from my mind. But now I realized I needed to get back to work.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, noticing I had stopped eating.
"I need to travel back to my previous town," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "There's a company there that I need to manage."
"Already?" he asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Yes," I replied, taking another bite of my food. "I'll be back later today."
"When are you leaving?" he asked.
"Right now," Raymond said, dropping his fork and running to his room to get ready. Within minutes, he was in the shower, washed and dressed.
As he rushed outside,he saw his driver waiting for me, ready to take me to the airport.He climbed into the car and we took off, weaving through traffic like a flash.
"So, where are we headed?" His driver asked, as we sped down the highway.
"The airport," Raymond said, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I need to catch a flight."
"I see," the driver said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "Everything alright?"
"Everything's fine," he replied, trying to sound convincing.
The ride to the airport was quick and smooth, the driver navigating the traffic with ease. I boarded my private jet and soon we were taking off, the tires running down the runway. The flight was tiresome, as we rode through the clouds. Suddenly the thought of Roselle's face after I sat on her father's seat struck in my mind. I could feel a renewed strength. She doesn't know what's coming for her. I shook my head, sipping the drink that was served.
" Prepare for the worst, roselle. " I muttered.