Carrie

     His lips. They tormented me more than my father. The things I had felt in those few seconds always rattled my heart and made butterflies flutter in my stomach. But then I always remembered, his panic-stricken face after and the fact that he hated me, just like they all did.

     “I’m sorry” I said as I detangled myself from him and stood straighter, adjusting my tie in the process. He said nothing. He didn’t even acknowledge the fall or the awkward moment his arms had been wrapped around me. Maybe he did this often, letting his male personal assistants fall into his arms. It hit me then! A scandal, Don involved with his male assistant, a gay relationship. It would ruin a respectable family like his.

     The doors dinged when we got to the ground floor. I walked after him making sure to put a decent space between us. I’ll rather fall on my butt than into his hands again.

     A black sleek limousine was already waiting when we got out of the building, the other staff glaring daggers at me as we passed. I must have looked like filth in their eyes, dressed so shabbily close to their impeccable boss.

     I opened the door for him before getting in through the other door and sat opposite of him. He crossed his legs and stayed that way, unmoving, I had to look hard enough to even see the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

     He had grown muscular over the years and much taller too. He seemed to be at least 6ft with me barely reaching his shoulders. When we were younger, he was the same height with Drew even though he was the younger brother.

     Drew- the name I woke up shouting every night while drenched in sweat and running from my demons. How did he turn out? Did he work at the company too? I didn’t know how I was going to act if I eventually saw him. I didn’t want to know yet.

     I looked back at the man in front of me, our gaze meeting across the car. He held my eyes, searching, trapping, like he did every soul when we were younger.

     I tore my eyes away from the magnet that held me steadily to him, putting my focus on the buildings we passed, the people, the closed windows blocking out the noisy street. It was quiet here, peaceful almost but I knew otherwise.

     We pulled into the driveway and I was opening his door seconds later. He walked past me and into the dimly lit restaurant which was a huge contrast to the clear bright sky outside.

     He walked straight to the back. I could tell that he had been here many times before in the past.

     “Here Mr. Don” a waiter I hadn’t seen standing there told him. He guided us to the table were an elderly man was already seated. I didn’t recognize the man until I was sitting across from him.

     “Mr. Warren” Don said curtly in greeting but made no further move to say anymore. The man’s gaze fell to me, for a moment I thought I saw recognition in his eye but that was impossible.

     I recognized him though, one of my father’s closest friends. He had been at my birthday all those years ago and did nothing as the life was snuffed out of me.

     “The cargo is on the way” Warren said, pulling me out of my thoughts as I listened.

     “What do you intend to do with it? Surely you won’t discard it now that your father’s not around” he asked.

     Don was unmoving as what little light the room had danced on his face. “It will be destroyed, that was the plan” he answered, looking at Warren with a steady gaze, warning him to say otherwise. “My father does not run the business anymore, we do things my own way from now”.

     “But that brings in half the company’s income, do you intend for the family business to suffer?” the man asked, disbelief lacing his words.

     “I’m just doing what my father should have done years ago” he said, “And I’ll be waiting for anyone that wishes to stop me” Don said. Even I could hear the warning and challenge in his voice.

     “I’ll let you know when it arrives” Warren said, his voice now detached from the conversation.

     “I want to be there myself” Don said but the man replied nothing. They looked at each other for a while, a silent battle that I wasn’t part of going on.

     “Okay” Warren said finally giving in “Bring your little boy with you”.

     Don nodded once and stood up. I stood up and waited for him to walk past me before following, but not before giving the man still seated a bitter smile. In a couple weeks he will be toast too, Oh! The joy that will dwell in my heart.

     “Not one word you heard leaves your mouth for whatever reason” Don told me as we got back in the car to which I nodded.

    We drove but not towards the way we’d come. We kept going for a while, the scenery changing from tall rich buildings to smaller abandoned ones. What were we doing in this part of town? I didn’t want to be back here.

     Don’s gaze shifted to me when he saw my legs twitch in discomfort, but he said nothing. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lighter. The smoke obscured our faces from the other as he blew out the poison that would aid in my death.

     I said nothing and tried to make my breathing steady. He didn’t stop, not even when I entered a coughing fit. He only did when the car stopped, he stretched his hand out of his now open window and brought it back in before the car zoomed off again.

     Realization hit me. He had been smoking on purpose, he didn’t want me to see what had transpired between him and whatever had been outside the window waiting for him. what I failed to understand was why he didn’t just order me to stay in the office to save himself the trouble.

     In a few minutes we were back to the familiar side of town and in no time the company building came into view. I let my gaze wander to appreciate its beauty which would be sent toppling down in a matter of weeks.

     Don was holding nothing when he got out of the car, I would have to come back and check the car later for anything I might need as evidence.

    Red hair greeted us when we got to the office.

     “Oh! Baby, I’ve been waiting” She said as she flung herself on Don who stood there like a statue, his arms glued to his sides, not hugging her back.

     “You shouldn’t have” he said and put a lot of space between them “Go home”. He walked around her and entered his office, making a point to slam the door shut.

     Five seconds was what it took for the red head to breakdown in tears, breaking the awkward silence that had befallen us all. She didn’t deserve to be treated like this, but this was expected of Don. He hadn’t changed from the hateful, angry kid that I used to know.

     I walked slowly towards her, not knowing how to approach. She made the decision for me and threw herself around me. I didn’t notice how taller I was until she was hugging me, I hugged her back, stroking her back to provide comfort. She sniffed, tiny drops of her tears sipping into my shirt.

     “I don’t know what I did to him to make him hate me so” she said in between sobs. I hugged her tighter, wondering the relationship they had. Girlfriend?

      “He always tries to push me away, but I want to help him, take the pain from him” she said and stood on her feet, drying her tears with a perfumed handkerchief. Take the pain away from yourself first I wanted to tell her.

     “He has never been the same since…” she stopped, catching herself from revealing something she shouldn’t but I wanted to know what happened. I had a lot of questions.

     “I’m sorry for bothering you” she said, and I smiled to let her know that it was okay.

     “Let me get you cab” I said.

     She looked longingly at Don’s closed door before nodding. I escorted her to the ground floor and got her a taxi, but I didn’t go up after that. The car we’d left in was right there, so I decided to have a look.

     I slipped a pin from my hair and worked on the keys making sure to stay clear of the CCTV camera that was installed in the parking lot. The door finally clicked open, there was still a stench of smoke lingering in the air but that wasn’t my problem.

     I reached for under his seat, but nothing was there, I searched the entire car, every corner that I could think of but saw nothing. I closed the door and locked the car before making my way back up.

     There was a guy standing in front of my desk when I arrived, he turned to me as he heard my footsteps “These files need to be signed by the boss” he said, dumping them on my table.

     “Okay” I said. I waited for him to leave but he stood there still “What?” I asked.

     “I and the boys will be going to the café opposite here for lunch. They asked me to invite you” he said, looking at anywhere but at me.

     “Sure. I’ll be down once I’m done with this”, I told him and gestured to the files he just dropped for me.

     “Cool” he said before finally leaving but not before casting me one last glance. I gathered the files and was about to knock on Don’s door when I heard his voice, so angry and demanding. I opened the door.

     The flower vase on his table was now flying across the room when I stepped in. I paid it no mind and dropped the files on his table “These need your signature, I’ll be back to collect them before lunch” I said and left, feeling his piercing eyes on my back even as I closed the door.

     I called the cleaner up to take care of the mess before returning to read every single file I could lay my hand on. I didn’t know particularly what I was looking for, but I searched anyway until my alarm went off. I went back to Don’s office and retrieved the files, he didn’t look at me once as his head was bent over a document he was studying.

     I left it on my desk before making my way to the ground floor so I could join others for lunch. You never know how much information you can get over lunch tables and a bottle of wine.

     “You came” the guy I saw from earlier said once he saw me “The name’s Frank” he shook my hand.

     “Car” I told him.

     His eyes shone with confusion “As in car?”

     I nodded with a smile and he continued “That’s a nice name you’ve got there” he said

     I laughed them, calling off his bluff “Thank you very much kind sir” I said, and he laughed.

     “The others are waiting” he said as we walked to the café. I spotted them even before Frank did. Huddled in two boots and already shouting out orders. They were regulars.

     We walked over to where they were seated, five of them. “Guys this is Car, Car this is guys” Frank said.

     We all laughed at his introduction and I sat down beside Frank as a bunch of hellos were exchanged. Only one man kept quiet through it all.

     I met his gaze, watching him as he watched me, recognition beginning to show in his eyes before he uttered the words that drained the blood from my body.

     “I know you”.