Chapter 3: A make over

Kathleen woke up to the smell of pancake and that brought her out of bed. She had slept well last night, more than she has done for so long. Still married to her husband, she will be awake worrying about when he will come home, or thinking about why her marriage was disintegrating and what she could do about it.

But last night was free of any such worry.

She left the room, her feet encased in a soft bedroom slippers that Joe lent her last night. It wasn't the only thing he had lent her. She was wearing his old shirt, and it smell so much like him, and something else.

She raised her shoulder to her nose to take a snif of the shirt. She was trying to identify his perfume, but it wasn't farmiliar. Drew was a fan of dior, but this doesn't ring a bell.

Thought of her husband reminded Kathleen what she has to do today, but she wasn't in any hurry. He can't wait, after all she waited for him all these years.

She smiled when she walked into the kitchen and found Joe in apron making pancakes. She leaned against the door frame and watched him for a while.

She hadn't seen him for so long and couldn't resist watching him. His was good looking even from the back. His tight firm bun was enuciated by the blue jeans he had on, and his muscular arms revealed by the white sleeveless singlet.

Joe felt someone watching him, and turned with a smile on his face, his sparkling white teeth contrasting nicely against his chocolate skin. "You are awake," he stated, his brown eyes softening at the sight of the blonde.

Kathleen nodded and made her way further into the kitchen. She came and stood beside Joe, her head reaching his shoulders. She peeped into the fry pan, and her mouth watered. "Blue berry pancake," she reached out to pinch a piece from already made batch.

"I know," Joe answers smiling.

"So you still remebers," Kathleen looks up at him as she eats the rest of her pancake.

"Ten years is a short time to forget anything about you."

Kathleen blushed and looked away. I am hungry, she walks away to seat down.

"I am almost done. You can get coffee or juice from the fridge."

"Coffee, definitely," Kathleen makes her way to the coffee machine. She looked up to ask for cup, but smiled instead when Joe presented it to her. "Sugar and cream is in the cupboard above you," Joe pointed with his hand holding the spatula he was using to fry the pancake.

Silence rained in the room as they each did their own thing. After making her coffee, Kathleen made her way back to the seat. Few seconds of her sitting down, Joe placed a ceramic plate with two batch of pancake and mapple syrup dripping from it.

"Thank you," Kathleen smiled at Joe and dug in.

Joe brough his plate and sat opposite the blonde. "Your father called," he said as he dug into his pancake. Kathleen choked, coughing lightly.

"What did he want?"

Joe gave her a look, telling her with his eyes that she should know the only reason her father will ever call him.

Duke Baldwin doesn't interact with the help, unless it is about his precious and only offspring.

"I take it he knows I left Drew," Kathleen muttered in not so happy tone. She wasn't looking forward to the chat she was going to have with her father. He had warned her about marrying Drew that he can't be trusted, but she was drunk in love and wasn't ready to listen to anyone.

"Did you really leave him?" Joe tried to disguise his tone not to reveal how much he was interested in the blonde's answer.

Kathleen nodded. "He asked for a divorce," she muttered flatly, like she didn't care, but Joe knows her well enough to know was hurting. The more she hides, the harder she hurts.

Joe reached out to console her, but stopped midway before his hand could touch hers. They have grown so close that he somtimes forgets that the blonde is his employer and he is just her servant. "I am here for you," he said instead, looking directly at Kathleen to covey his sincerity.

"Thank you," Kathleen reached across to touch his hand on the table. She had seen him stop midway of touching her, and wanted to prove to him that she doesn't mind him touching her.

"So what do you want to do next?"

Kathleen took a bite of her pancake before saying "I want a make over," with a mischievous look in her eyes. Joe shakes his head. "What are you planing?"

"Nothing," Kathleen mutters with an exaggerated innocence.

Joe shakes his head, but inside he was happy that the blonde wasn't down because of her divorce.

"We go after breakfast."

Kathleen nodded.

After breakfast Joe drove Kathleen to the saloon where she had her makeover. It was one of the best saloons in the city. Her wavy blonde hair was straightened and trimmed into a bulb hair cut.

When she emerged Joe couldn't help gakwing at the transformation. "Close your mouth or you will catch a fly," Kathleen teased as she passed Joe, a smug smile on face. She knows that she looks good. It felt good to be herself once again. She hid herself for Drew because she has never wanted him to feel intimidated by her wealth. Men always feel insecure when their women makes more money than them. That was the reason for this whole charade.

Next stop was her regular boutique, Kathleen wanted something powerful to wear to her divorce signing.

The shop welcomed her like their VIP customer, which she is. They immediately directed her where there power suit for the ladies was. Kathleen ended with a red suit. She came out looking like a world class executive in her red suit, with the outer coat hanging off her shoulders.

"Mr Alfred will meet us at Ingenuity," Joe said when Kathleen joined him in the car. Ingenuity is the advertising company where Drew works, and Alfred is Baldwin's family lawyer.

Kathleen had instructed him to call the lawyer and ask him to meet them.

When they arrived in front of the fifty office complex that houses ingenuity, Joe parked and then came around to open the door for Kathleen. Wait for me in the car, she instructed before Joe could ask if he could accompany her.

"Hello, Ms Baldwin," a cultured voice greeted behind Kathleen. They both turned to see a grey haired man in a black suit, carrying a black leather brief case. The man was gorgeous and trim for a man his age.

"Hello, Mr Alfred. Thank you for meeting me here."

"Shall we?"

Kathleen turned to Joe. "I won't be long," and then she walked inside the complex with her lawyer.

Her look gnarred a lot stares in her direction. People were wondering who she was. They took the lift to the tenth floor where Drew's office was located.

The same reaction she got downstairs was given to her as she made her way towards Drew's office. She met his assistant who looked at her without any recognition, and when she said who she was, she saw the shock in the younger woman's eyes.

"M..Mr Sinclair is waiting for you in his conference room."

Kathleen along with her lawyer followed the young brunette.

Drew was getting irriated as the hour flew bye without his wife showing up. He sat up straight when the conference room door opened to announce their arrival.