Chapter Five

When her office intercom buzzed, it yanked her away from her thoughts.

She picked up the phone on her desk, and her boss's voice bumped into her ear so loud that she pulled the phone from her ears for a second.

“Sidney, can you please come into my office.” He said.

“Okay, sir.” She said and dropped the receiver.

She crossed the room to pick up her jacket and went out of her office. When she got to her boss’ office, she met the person she least expected. Brad.

What had gone wrong? She wondered.

She had wondered why Brad was in their company, and why she was summoned when he was there.

“Um… there you are Sidney, meet Mr. Humphrey, and Bradley this is Sidney Morgan.” Williams introduced.

The innocent look on Brad’s face made her smile. She understood Brad didn’t want her boss to know that they knew each other, and she was so grateful.

“Brad’s father is my childhood friend and Brad is here to take up my place for a month when I’m away,” he said and stood up. "As you know, he also gave us a contract on the wine production project of his new company, so I want you to work closely together,"

"I know this came as a sudden change, but I’ll be traveling for a business trip so Sidney please bear with him. Brad is a nice person” Williams concluded.

“Yes sir,” Sidney said

“He would be starting tomorrow, and since both of you will be working together, I wanted to introduce you to each other.”

“Alright sir, I will do my best while you are away,” Sidney said.

Grabbing her jacket, she rushed out of the door. “Damn!”, she whispered and rushed out.

She was sure the one-month work with Brad would be hell…damn, she hated to use that word.

When she got to her office, she hanged her jacket, dropped into a chair at her desk, she was sweating despite the air-conditioned room. 

There was only one thing that was making her furious, and the reason was going to be a great deal to her life.

Brad began to rearrange the files on the table that Williams left in his large office to his taste, as he loved his files to be arranged in alphabetical order, though he couldn’t concentrate, his mind raced back to Sidney every few minutes, he remembered how they had met.

He couldn’t believe that he was falling in love, despite all his father had made him believe about women, and he had taken time to build a fence between him and women.

At first, when his father had told him that Williams needed him to take his place while he was away, he had argued with his father. He agreed later because he wanted to know more about wine, because of the company he had just purchased, and he knew Williams's sons were all over the country, doing their own thing, so Williams had no one to turn to. And also, he wouldn’t want to offend the old man who had always love him as his son.

He knew that for the one month he was going to work there, he would like it as he loved his life.

A few minutes later, he had finished the arrangement and was ready for Williams to take him around for introduction.

Removing his jacket, he went outside to the boardroom to inform Williams of his intentions.  

After introductions were made to all the staff, Williams left the office for his home to prepare for the trip.

Brad sized the opportunity to go into Sidney’s office.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Brad said as he walked into her office. Sidney's heart skipped a beat, she was right the other day while she was sleeping. He’d had called her sweetheart, again and it wasn’t her imagination.

“Hi,” Sidney replied.

Brad sat on one of the chairs at her desk and hitched the chair closer to the table.

“You never told me you work here”

“You never asked.”

“Okay, dinner?” he asked.

“Nope, I’ve got things to do” she lied, she knew what dinner meant with Brad alone. A glance at the empty coffee table reminded her that she hadn’t even offered him a cup of coffee.

“You must think I’ve got the manners of a carpetbagger. I didn’t ask you if you were thirsty.”

Brad shook his head as he stretched to his feet “No Problem”

Sidney chuckled, she stood up as well and followed him to the door.

“Thanks for the offer,” she said in time before he disappeared.

She sighed and stood against the door. She had lied.

“God forgives me” she muttered.

A knock on the door made her spun around to stare straight into the clear blue eyes of a framed picture of Jesus. Help me, she thought. Help me face Brad.

When she opened the door, it was Val, she had thought Brad came back.

“Oh Val, you scared me,” she said as she walked back to her chair.

“Oh yes, I did. I thought Mr. Humphrey asked you out to dinner,” she said and walked closer to the table, “Why did you refuse?”

Sidney stood, frustrated and confused.

“You were eavesdropping?” she asked as she widened her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter, what mattered was why you refuse. Look, you are wasting your precious time if you think Rob is coming back for you. And if you are waiting, dream on girl”

“I’m not waiting, I have a lot of works to do, that’s all.” She said.

“Sid, whenever he asks you to go out to dinner with him, accept. Please.” Val said and walked out.

Sidney knew she was angry with her, but who gave her the right to barge into her privacy, she was only a friend. But then, she was only doing what a good friend should do.

She picked up her bag on the table, she wasn’t sure what the next few weeks hold for her, but she knew it was going to be hell.

“Damn”, she muttered. She remembered how much she hated to use that word….Hell. But that was what it will be……hell.