GRACE
I was done with work before 4am, hence I was able to rush home and catch a short nap before day broke to take Laurel to school. Jody was on bed with her when I got in, so I crashed on the couch, feeling totally exhausted from hours of typing without getting any sleep. Our editor in chief worked with us through the night, thus, none of us could steal naps as we usually did whenever she went home on time as supposed.I remember director Lance calling me up to his office once to ask me to sleep. Come to think of it, he was great to me a lot of times and if I was a normal woman without so much fear or an ugly past or so much responsibility, maybe I might have given him a chance. The 7am alarm on my phone woke me up. I scrambled to my feet, aroused Laurie and started preparing her for school. But what I really wanted to do was crash and sleep like someone in a coma.Jody was already preparing for work as well. Some of her clothesCONNOR.Marcus and I had driven straight to Laurel’s school after he got the information.I only wanted to watch her from a distance. See how she fared in class and interacted with her fellow friends. But I couldn’t bring myself to go too close.Aside from the fact that she had no idea who I really was, the media people were constantly monitoring everything I did, and they were surely going to pounce on any clue they got about her. I knew how much that was going to affect her regular life.I would never let my need to get close disrupt her life. However, I couldn’t stay away. It was really unfortunate that I was completely unaware of her existence for six years. I wasn’t there when she took her first breath or first step or first words.It was definitely something I would regret for the rest of my life, but I also had to live in the present. There was a lot of time to amend, to watch her sing rhymes, clap wit
GRACE.“Oh my god, Gracie,” NK muttered covering her face with her both hands after I finished narrating to her and Jody what was going on. To NK mostly, because Jody knew pretty much already. They were the only people I could bare my souls to this way. I knew they had my back, and cared genuinely about my happiness.NK and I sat on the long couch, while Jody leaning forward on the love couch. Laurel was napping peacefully on the bed.“I’m so… I don’t know what to say,” NK exhaled loudly and held my hands in hers, squeezing them gently. “How do you feel about this?” she asked gazing with genuinely worried eyes at me.“Yes, Gracie, what do you plan to do, cuz like you said, he’s not looking like he’s going to back down just cuz you tell him to.” Jody chipped in, hugging herself repeatedly. She still appeared much shaken with what happened with Laurel.I dr
GRACE.Christopher Miles got to my door step at exactly few minutes to nine the next morning in his usual, disorganized look. He was wearing an over-sized winter coat over a shrunken shirt. It rained early this morning, so I was sure everywhere would be as forlorn as my mood.I asked him to come in, but he declined, explaining he was going to stay out to arrange his camera as he left home in too much of a hurry.“Grace?” he called from outside. “You know the interview is taking place in his home office and not at his main company right?”Oh, I had no idea. What the hell is Connor Shelby planning anyway? The entitled bastard! I scoffed.“Sure Chris, let’s go,” I said, emerging from my house and shutting my door.We used Precious since Chris didn’t have a car. I hoped she would be able to take us as far as Shelby Mansion which was at the heart of London. We drove in silence, as Chri
CONNORHer hair was tied up in a ponytail. I wondered if anyone had ever told her she was prettier with her hair down. My hands itched to set them free.Portia came into my office with a glass of water, handed it over to the jumpy Grace who stared at the glass like she didn’t know what to do with it, until she realized I was watching her and she proceeded to gulp the glass’ content at a go.She wiped the back of her hand against her soft, vulnerable-looking lips in a manner that made me crave to suckle them, before handing the glass over to Portia, mouthing a “thank you” to the secretary as she turned and left.“Are you ready?” she asked once more and placed the recorder on the table with a long white sheet of paper and note pad on her laps.I was ready, as long as she would let us talk.She was trying quite hard to act distant, her way of pushing me farther off from her.&ldqu
GRACE.“What?!” I was almost yelling, but I couldn’t stop myself. How could he think of doing that to me? The recorder was still running, making me unable to say anything more implicating, so I beseeched and pleaded with my eyes. Don’t do this to me, Connor Shelby, I beg of you!I wanted to shriek at him so badly but was scared I could aggravate the situation. And all he did was stare at me with an amused expression and a smile at the corner of his lips.“What d-do you mean she’s here, Mr. Shelby?” I tried not to stutter, raising my hands and clasping them together in supplication.“I swear, I’ll do anything, just don’t give me away like this, pleeeease” I mouthed to him without making a sound.“Sure?” he mouthed back at me with laughing eyes and I nodded vigorously.“I mean,” he spoke up now, something the recorder can catch. H
GRACEThree days had sped by before I knew it, with a nervous feeling simmering underneath my stomach.Was I giving in too easily? I wondered as I continued breezing in and out of my daily routines of going to work and taking Laurel to school. But then, Connor Shelby looked like a man who knew how to have his way every time.One thing that bothered me most though, was what I was going to tell Laurel about who Connor was. Of course I didn’t plan to tell her who he ‘really’ was now, but she had never seen me with any male being serious at all.So I explained to her that we were going to see the man who brought her back from school the other day, while I got her and myself ready that Saturday evening.“Are we going to thank him?” she asked with an innocent confusion on her face. I had never enjoyed lying to my child but I realized I had to for now, just to protect her.“Something like that, baby,” I said, brushing her pretty bangs.“Is h
Connor was waiting outside when we drove into his mansion. He opened the car door for us, I didn’t see it coming but Laurel was so happy to see him. She literally ran into his arms squealing with so much excitement.I alighted from the car, feeling awkward in my dress, waiting for Connor to notice me. He seemed completely taken by Laurel as they both spoke in silent whispers and giggles, totally lost in their own world.It frightened me a little. Asides from NK and Jody, Laurel had never softened to someone so easily this way. Blood was indeed thicker than water. I didn’t want her to have her heart broken like her mummy, I didn’t want her to feel so attached but at the end of the day watch him leave.“Even Laurie noticed that you look different today?” Connor commented, snapping me out of my thoughts. He was standing before me and I didn’t even know how he managed to get so close to me unawares.“What do you m
CONNOR. I had reserved a place as soon as she left my office the other day. It was a seven star hotel erected close to the sea, so one can be eating dinner while watching Dolphins play around from a close distance.I was hoping Grace would like it. I realized I didn’t really know much about her favourite stuffs but I was ready to know, and tonight, we would be starting afresh like new lovers. She dazzled in her beautiful silver gown that revealed an exquisite, hour-glass figure which she had been hiding behind those unflattering lose pants and office wears. And her hair took on a more serious shine, sitting up on her head in a bun with tendrils cascading down her well-sculptured forehead.I wish she would be this way all the time, even though all I could think of was loosing that bun and letting it fall with her in my arms.We stepped off the car and were led to the VVIP section by the manager of the hotel