CHAPTER TWELVE; LOVING ROSES

"There's all kinds of reasons that you fall in love with one person rather than another: Timing is important. Proximity is important. Mystery is important."   - Helen Fisher.    

        The silence that comes with one’s deed cannot be told, it feels like grave yard  but this was a pleasurable stillness as they both sat down in their space stealing short glances at themselves while they wait for closing hours. Aurora wondered what this means and the next move and she knew they had to talk about it, but he seemed so busy so she decided to keep it till the end of the day.  Aurora got up not wanting to spend her whole time glancing at Neville; so she decided to go assist her friends. As she stood up to leave, Neville on the other hand didn’t want her to leave. 

‘Please don’t go’, he said.

At that moment Aurora heart skipped a beat, the words hit her but she knew she wasn’t leaving him in such terms that he meant; she just didn’t want to spend her time staring at him, she knew she still had to come back for the report her team members were to turn in today at the end of work.

‘You don’t have to worry, I am not leaving you, I just don’t want to spend my entire day starring at you, when I could be of help at the café’ she said 

‘I won’t mind’ he injected

‘Plus I am expecting a turn in today from my team, technically I have to come back to work extra hours’, she continued smiling. At that exact moment, Neville dragged her towards himself, which ended her on his lap.

‘Must you go’, he cried out, but she knew she had to, at least to get someone neutral to talk to.

‘Yeah, I have to and you know I have to, I could be a source of distraction to you’, she replied.

Neville didn’t want Aurora out of his sight but she was saying facts, so he placed his head on her, cleanched his eyes and was savouring every seconds with her, before he finally let her go. Aurora could sense his hesitating and her heart did a somersault, all she felt were butterflies, He peaked her on her head and released her.

‘I am not really a public person, I can’t stop you from telling your friends what’s happening betwwen us but can you have boundaries for it’, he requested

‘Okay I understand your fears and I will’, she responded while leaving the office.

As she stepped into their secretary space, the secretary asked if they were done and could respond to work, which she confirmed and asked her to take work activities as it came.

    She got downstairs saw Sydney had a lot on her hands, so she opted out to assist her. When Sydney sighted her she was grateful she did come at the right time, and she showed it. Aurora served, took orders and ensured the café was less chaotic as she met it. As she was working Sydney noticed she served with so much joy, less of any gloomy feeling, she could easily tell something was up by the way Aurora smiled at the customers, her tone of communication. Before she left she was raged, so for her to come back less tense and all, she knew something was up. She continued her job and was secretly praying for the rate of the incoming customers to slow down to the minimum. Few hours later, they were done and her shift was over, walking over to Aurora with a big smile on her face, she said;

‘Let’s go to Dell’s office’

On their way there, Sydney couldn’t stop smiling and Aurora could sense her excitement from a universe away.

‘Why are you so excited’, she asked as she couldn’t hold it no more.

‘Because you are going to spill the beans’, she responded with a beaming smile.

Aurora laughed as she understood what she meant but she knew, it has to be a discrete version to respect Neville’s opinion. As they got to dell’s office, he was rounding off his day’s work,when Sydney just started explaining what went in the café; how Aurora smiled all through and had a totally different aura than she normally gave out. This interest Dell, as he closed whatever he was doing to get the full gist of this.

‘You left here mad, but you came back happier than usual’, Dell said

‘Madam, can you please tell us what exactly went down’, Sydney added.

Aurora couldn’t believe the audacity of this guys, demanding she spilled, but she knew she needed someone she could share what happened with. She laughed while they were pushing her to talk.

‘Okay fine fne, I’ll talk before you guys have my head on a plate’, Aurora responded

Aurora gave a discrete narration of what happened, why he acted the way he had, how he felt towards her, and the whole office co-workers things. She left the intimate part just because she knew he wouldn’t want that out in the public. As they listened to Aurora, they were both in shock and all. They didn’t seem to hide their bewilderment, they didn’t believe their boss could be that thoughtful, and what exactly had made her to act such way to Aurora.

‘So he has an heart’, Sydney chipped in.

‘I never saw that coming’, she added.

‘Neither did I’, Dell responded, expressing his shock.

Aurora understood their plague, as she felt that same way when she heard him speak.

‘Maybe, he is trying to hide that part of him from the world’, Aurora said. 

But thinking about it, why would he want to seem so thick headed when he knew he wasn’t that. They all sat in silence, trying to understand what was wrong with their boss. 

‘Was that all that happened?’Sydney chipped in to break the silence.

‘He didn’t try any sexual move?’ she added beaming.

‘No he didn’t’, Aurora lied, which made her nervous, because she didn’t want to lie to the only friends she had around, but one’s opinion needs to be respected also.

‘What a slow lad, wasn’t expecting him to be this slow’, Sydney added, which made them to burst into laughter. 

‘But I am truly happy, he finally got someone to show him, he’s got a heart’, Dell said

‘Right from the first day you guys met, you seemed to have effect on him’ he added and Sydney nodded in support. Aurora not wanting the topic to cycle around her, she tried to change the topic which she did successful.

   While they were still having their bounding moment, Aurora got a call from her team lead, indicating the report was ready and was handed over to her secretary. She knew this was her cue to leave, because she now had stuffs to do, which will keep late into the night.

‘’Guys, I need to go, I have a lot of paper work waiting for me now’ Aurora said.

‘ It’s really sad that you come to help out and we can’t reciprocate the gesture’, Sydney said sadly.

‘It doesn’t matter, I don’t come so you could come help me' Aurora said. She knew they couldn’t help with her task but she was happy they were thoughtful.

Aurora walked into the office and saw that Neville had collected the files and was going through them already. 

‘It’s quite impressive what you’ve got going here’, he said

‘But I thought you can finish this paperwork today all by yourself', he added. 

‘ I think that’s more reason why I should begin as soon as possible, so I can cover up as much as I can', Aurora said.

‘’Then get your chair let’s begin', he exclamated. 

What is he trying to do, Aurora thought. She was expecting him to close up for the day, as closing time was fast approaching. Was he planning on staying back to assist her with her task? For clarity sake, she had to ask him.

‘Are you planning on staying back to help me ? She asked.

‘If I have to drop you off, yes I need to’ he replied. Drop me off, he had never offered her a ride, and this seems strange but what is she thinking, Neville was strange.

She got her chairs and position herself beside him. They both took different reports and read to pick loophole as well as review to see how the new policy was going. They continued late into the night, as everyone closed for the day, they still continued. Whenever Neville didn’t understand a certain report he always sent it off to Aurora, he didn’t want to be the one to spoil her efforts. After some while they were done and Aurora was grateful he helped because she knew the job wouldn’t have been this fast, if he didn’t assist. She tidied up the entire work, wrote a note on what the secretary should do with the files when she comes in the next day, which she dropped at her table on her way out.

 Neville told her earlier he would be dropping, so she didn’t need a cab or her brother picking her. As she got into his car, she thanked the heaven’s that she choose not to drive today. They turned on the radio as the window was down, basking in the fresh air coming in, having a casual conversation on their different views of life.

‘ Are you up for the date we talked about doing our casual business date?’ he asked. 

A date Aurora had been looking forward to, before he became all grumpy. 

‘ Yeah, I wouldn’t mind', she said trying to hide her excitement.

‘ We can do that tomorrow then’, he said

‘ Seeing you worked extra hours, you will need extra rest period, so we can both take off, have a lot of rest and then met up for a date’, he added.

Aurora didn’t mind, she needed the rest, plus she gets to go explore the town after which got her.

‘ Who am I to say No to the CEO’ she laughed.

Neville got to her place, dropped her and told her, he will text her the time and location before bidding her goodbye and drove off.