Debby York covered her face and sadly returned, “He fell down the stairs with his wheelchair when he went out to take out the garbage this morning, and his leg, which had hardly been on the upswing, is now broken again.”
“What?” Christine White exclaimed, “And how is Uncle now?”
“I don’t know, my mom just called me and said my dad is still in the hospital for surgery …”
“Then why are you staying, take a vacation and go over there.” Christine White nudged Debby York.
Debby York bit her lower lip, “But I have a lot of work that’s due this afternoon.”
“It’s okay, I’ll do it.” Christine White patted her chest and volunteered to take her job.
Debby York was touched, “Christine, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Uncle is important, so hurry up and check it out.”
“Okay, I’ll go now.” Debby York wiped a tear from her eye and printed out a leave of absence before leaving the main office.
Christine White looked at her back and let out a low sigh, “I hope Uncle is okay.”
After sighing, Christine White straightened her clothes, which had been messed up by Debby York’s crying, then fished through a portion of the papers on Debby York’s desk and got to work.
The work of both men accrued to Christine White alone, so by the afternoon she was inevitably working overtime.
When Baird Lane called her, she was still typing away at her computer.
“Hello?” Christine White clipped her cell phone to her ear and shouted into the distracted end of the line.
Baird Lane’s somewhat muffled voice came through, “Where are you?”
“I’m at the office.” Christine White replied.
Baird Lane wrinkled his nose, “Still at the office? You’re not off duty?”
“No, I’m working late, are you in the parking lot now?” Christine White asked casually.
Baird Lane hmmm’d.
Christine White looked at the time on the bottom right corner of the computer, her small face was filled with distress, “Baird, you go back first, don’t wait for me, I might be a long time.”
“About when?” Baird Lane asked.
Christine White was a little confused as to what he meant, “What are you referring to?”
Baird Lane’s forehead veins popped and he forced himself to be patient as he elaborated, “I’m asking you, roughly when do you have to be done with the overtime?”
“So that’s it.” Christine White wrinkled her nose in some embarrassment, “I’m not sure, it could be another two or three hours.”
“What’s taking so long?” Baird Lane narrowed his eyes.
She was a newcomer to the headquarters, and it was reasonable to assume that the workload was not too heavy and there would be no overtime until she was thoroughly acclimated to the company.
But she’s not only working overtime today, she’s working so long.
Did someone deliberately make things difficult for her?
Christine White didn’t know that Baird Lane was conspiring at the moment, she had just entered a wrong string of data and was now fretting and scratching her short hair back, “I’ve been subbing for someone else, Baird, I’m not talking to you, I’m going to get on with it, go home first ah.”
When she finished, she hung up the phone busily.
Baird Lane couldn’t help but purse his thin lips as he looked at the cell phone interface that had jumped back to the main menu.
This woman, she hung up on him. Is she that busy?
“President Lane, are we waiting for ma’am now?” Gates craned his head from the driver’s seat to look at Baird Lane.
Baird Lane rubbed his brow, “No wait, back to the cottage.”
“Yes.” Gates responded, turning his head back.
The car gradually started and soon disappeared into the parking lot.
When she returned to the villa, Aunt Lucy was still at the door to greet her, and when she saw Baird Lane get out of the car, a smile instantly lifted up on her face, “Sir, you’re back.”
Baird Lane nods and hands over the briefcase in his hand.
Aunt Lucy took it and looked behind him, and when she did not see Christine White’s figure, she asked out suspiciously, “Sir, where is the wife, didn’t the wife come back with you?”
“She’s at the office.” Baird Lane finished, then lifted his feet and headed for the villa.
Aunt Lucy followed him, looking at his back with some dissatisfaction, “Then why didn’t Mr. wait for Mrs. to come back together?”
Baird Lane raised an eyebrow and didn’t answer, only commanded, “Go make dinner.”
“Yes.” When he didn’t answer, Aunt Lucy couldn’t do anything about it, so she could only do as she was told.
An hour later, Aunt Lucy came out with her meal ready.
Baird Lane closed the book in his hand, “Pack the meal and I’ll take it with me.”
“Take away?” Aunt Lucy was slightly stunned, “Take where?”
“Company.” Baird Lane glanced at the watch on his wrist.
Aunt Lucy’s eyes lit up, “Do you mean, sir, that you’re going to send the wife over for dinner?”
“Uh-huh.” Baird Lane nods.
Aunt Lucy instantly smiled in surprise, “Okay, okay, I’ll go pack.”
With that, she darted back into the kitchen.
A short while later, Aunt Lucy came over with a large lunch box.
Baird Lane looked at it, took it and left.
When he arrived at the company’s downstairs, he didn’t get out of the car immediately, but took out his cell phone and called Christine White over again.
Christine White was still busy at the moment, when she heard her cell phone ring, she didn’t even look at the caller ID, she directly grabbed the phone and put it to her ear, “Who is it?”
“It’s me.” Baird Lane spoke.
Christine White blinked, “Baird?”
“Uh-huh.” Baird answered, “Is there anyone else in your office?”
“An office, huh?” Christine White looked up and around, though she didn’t understand why he was asking her that question.
Then she realized that somehow she was the only one left in the big office, and she hadn’t even felt a thing.
“Still there?” On the other end of the line, Baird Lane was delayed in hearing Christine White’s reply and couldn’t help but increase his volume a few notches.
Christine White’s eyes flickered back to life, and she rushed back, “Still there, the office is empty.”
“I know.” Baird Lane hung up the phone.
Christine White didn’t know what the hell he meant by making the call and didn’t think much of it as she put down her phone and continued to crackle and type.
A few minutes later, however, footsteps suddenly sounded behind them.
The footsteps were very crisp and rhythmic, and each step was like stepping on her heart, making her unconsciously stop typing and slowly twist her head.
The moment she saw the visitor, Christine White’s mouth opened incredulously, “Why you?”
Baird Lane came to a stop beside her, “Surprised?”
“Uh-huh.” Christine White nodded repeatedly, “I thought you went back to the cottage?”
“Bringing you food.” Baird Lane set down the lunchbox in his hand and patted it.
Christine White looked at the lunchbox and then at his bemused face, and for a moment she didn’t know what to say, her insides churning with emotion, “You … sent it to me specially?”
“Or what?” Baird Lane squinted at her and asked again, “I sit there?”
Christine White looked around and got up to gather Debby York’s place, “Here, you will sit.”
Baird Lane frowned a little in disgust, but ultimately said nothing and sat down, “How much more is left to do?”
Christine White pointed to the one-finger-high file in front of her, her mouth puckered enough to hang a bottle of oil.
Baird Lane pursed his thin lips, “There’s so much more?”
“Yeah.” Christine White grimaced bitterly.
Baird Lane sighed, “Eat first, I’ll help you later.”
“You helped me?” Christine White staggered.
Baird Lane ignored her and opened the lunchbox for himself and shoved a pair of chopsticks into her hand, “Eat.”
Christine White stared blankly at the chopsticks in her hand and subconsciously asked, “What about you?”
Baird Lane also picked up a pair of chopsticks.
Christine White then realized that he was actually planning to have dinner with her in his office.
Thinking about it, Christine White held her chopsticks in her mouth and slightly lowered her head down, and a light smile could not help but appear on her face.
Baird Lane saw it and reached out to lift her head up, “What’s that smile for?”