Nixon Gray sat at his desk on the top floor of Gray Corporation, blocking out the hum of activity surrounding him as he focused intently on his work.
His anticipation grew with each passing minute as the clock ticked steadily. He glanced at the time again, mentally calculating how much longer he had before he could finally be done with his work for the....so he could finally see Shaelyn.
Due to their recent disagreements and her moving out, it had been far too long since they had shared a meal, and he was quite eager to catch up and spend some time with her.
"Just a few more reports to finalize," Nixon muttered to himself, tapping away at his keyboard, trying his best to speed up the process,
The numbers danced across the screen, but his mind wandered elsewhere, to Shaelyn's laughter, her smile, and her warm presence all of which he had missed, he could almost taste the delicious dinner Shaelyn would have ready for him,
Suddenly, there was a soft knock on his office door. His assistant, Derek, peeked in with a concerned expression. "Mr. Gray? Can I have a word?"
"Of course," he replied, trying to mask his impatience. "What's up?"
Derek stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "It's about Miss Downey. She's at the Gray villa."
Nixon's heart sank for a moment. Leyla's presence usually meant there was an emergency however he couldn't understand why he hadn't received a call from her,
"Oh no, she's with Shaelyn isn't she?" he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You know how those two are together."
"I thought you'd want to know," Derek said calmly. "But maybe it's best if you stay out of it this time? According to the report, they're working together on the preparations for your father's birthday."
He leaned back in his chair and considered his words carefully. Normally, he would have rushed home to mediate between Shaelyn and Leyla; their history was fraught with tension that often erupted into chaos most especially when they were in close quarters.
"You're right," Nixon finally conceded, with a wry smile. "If I show up now, I might just make things worse." He chuckled softly at the thought of Shaelyn's wrath, he admired her fiery spirit but also feared to provoke her,
And lately, he had been on the receiving end of her wrath, Shaelyn's return gave him hope that she was calm and willing to settle their misunderstandings, and he wouldn't want that to change,
"Exactly," Derek agreed with a nod. "Let them handle it for tonight; your dad deserves a peaceful celebration."
With that settled in his mind, Nixon returned to his work but couldn't shake off the feeling of unease entirely. He hoped that Leyla's presence wouldn't rile Shaelyn up and that she could keep her cool for the sake of their father's special day,
Nixon was concerned that Shaelyn might unleash her fury upon the frail Leylabut, but even that concern wasn't enough to make him willing to sacrifice the current peace he had with his wife.
As he typed away at another report, images of what might unfold at dinner flickered through his mind, Nixon briefly wondered for a moment if he could avoid returning home tonight.
~Gray's Villa~
With the guest list was finalized, Shaelyn turned her attention to the invitations. "I want these invitations to reflect the grandeur of the event," she declared.
Leyla suggested, "How about using gold foil lettering? It adds an elegant touch."
"That's perfect!" Shaelyn agreed enthusiastically. "And let's include RSVP instructions clearly so that everyone knows how to respond."
As they worked together on the design, Shaelyn added, "Should we mention any dress code or special themes for the evening?"
"Definitely," Leyla confirmed while typing up the details on her laptop. "This will set expectations right from the start."
With invitations ready to go, Shaelyn knew they needed an efficient way to manage responses. "I think setting up an online portal would be best," she proposed.
Leyla raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "An online portal? That sounds convenient!"
"Yes! The guests can confirm their attendance easily and indicate any special requests they might have," Shaelyn explained.
"That way we can keep track of everything in one place," Leyla added excitedly.
"Exactly!" Shaelyn smiled as she envisioned how smoothly everything would run with this system in place.
In no time at all, they had crafted a comprehensive plan for inviting guests and managing their responses effectively.
Their discussions and preparations took quite a while. As they took a break from the work and sat down for lunch, Shaelyn glanced at the clock, noting how the hours seemed to have slipped away.
"I can't believe we've been at this for so long," Shaelyn said, exhaustion in her voice.
Leyla looked up from her notes, a playful smile on her lips. "Time flies when you're having fun, right? Or maybe it's just me rambling on about details?"
Shaelyn chuckled softly. "You're good at observing and you don't let anything get past you. But honestly, I don't mind. It's nice to have someone who cares so much."
After lunch, they dove back into correcting the little details that stretched late into the night. Shaelyn couldn't help but stare curiously at Leyla as she worked diligently beside her.
It had just finally come to her attention that the lady before her was a patient who needed to see the doctor every week regularly, sometimes a critical situation made her hospital visit a stay,
"How do you manage to keep going like this?" Shaelyn asked admiration in her tone, as she observed her seemingly normal appearance,
Leyla paused and looked up, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess I just really want this to be perfect. Plus," she added with a smile, "I thrive under pressure!"
Shaelyn smiled in return, a fleeting thought crossed her mind about how impossible it was for Leyla's usually fragile body to endure such an intense day of work.