49

Macy overslept.
She could have sworn that she had set her alarm as always for five o’clock.
She did her exercises and morning run for an hour and then came back to take breakfast and get ready and May would pick her up at exactly twenty minutes past seven.
They would be at the studio thirty minutes to twenty minutes to time.
But this day, she didn’t even go for her morning run.
She woke up and she realized that it was brighter in the room than it usually was when she woke up.
She sat up in bed and tried to remember the events of last night and what day today was.
It was….
Wait…
Richard and Mel…
Where are they? She wondered.
Then it clicked.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I’m late.. The director is going to chew me alive,” Macy thought as she shot out of bed.
It was at that moment when she was throwing clothes here and there from her closet looking for something to wear did the bedroom door open.
“Auntie, you are awake? Good morning?” Mel greeted as she picked the clothed Macy had thrown on the floor.
“Auntie stop being dirty. Good girls don’t throw their clothes on the floor,” Mel said and that made Macy pause and look at her.
“You talk like a fifty year old grandma.
Good morning baby.
Don’t worry. I will arrange them when I’m less busy,” Macy said as she picked a lose jeans trouser pants and a crop top that would barely cover her torso.
She wanted something light.
Since Mel was almost taken twice in her presence, she had taken to wearing flexible clothes just in case.
“Auntie, don’t worry. Come, let’s eat break fast,” and Mel said as she attempted to pull Macy’s arm.
“I can’t sweetie, I am already late for work,” Macy said trying to coax the other girl.
“Uncle said that auntie had ov… oer… wait here,” Mel said as she ran to the door.
“Uncle, what was it that you said auntie had done to herself?” Mel shouted.
“Overworked,” Asher answered from the other room.
“Yes, auntie, uncle says that you gave overworked yourself and you need to rest,” Mel talked as Macy left what she was doing.
She walked towards the door and peeped outside.
There, at the dining table, were Asher and Richard.
Richard looked like the worker because he was in the big pajamas Macy had given him and in an apron while Asher looked like the boss for he was in a squeaky clean suit.
“Young Master? What are you doing here at… at…” Macy looked at the wall clock, “at eight thirty in the morning?” Macy asked clearly surprised.
“Hello and good morning sister in law?
Oh, I am here to give you a day off and it’s good that I came because I saw my brother as a husband.
He had never done this for me even when I git sick as a child.
He hates me so much,” Asher said and Macy gawked at him.
“You are late for work and you are running your mouth here.
How would you feel if I took off this year’s bonus from your account?
You are slacking off,” and Richard said in that voice Macy had come to like.
“Brother, I came here for official duties. I came to guve sis,” Richard gave him a look that said he’s dead if he finished what he was about to say, “I came to give Ms Smith a day off,” Asher lamented but took his briefcase anyway and looked at Macy.
“You have today off. Rest or do what Rich woves like you do when at home. See you around sis in law,” he shouted as he grabbed a sandwich from the stack on the table and munched on it as he walked out.
“So mean. You can’t even give me breakfast even after I ran your errands.
Ungrateful,” I Ajser lamented as he walked and ate with his mouth full of food making the mumbling almost inaudible.
Macy found her voice when Asher was almost at the door, “young master?” I asked She called and he stopped with his and on the door handle and looked at her.
“Did you drink a lot last night?” I asked Macy asked.
“Brother told me never to drink during working days. And every day is a working day because he doesn’t even give me a weekend off.
He even promised me a three months ago holiday and then called me back barely a month later,” Asher lamented and Macy was still gawking at him.
She hadn’t moved from the door where she stood with Mel holding the leg of her pajama and standing with her as they both looked at the crazy uncle.
“Then don’t smoke weed so early in the morning,” Macy added and smiled at him.
“What’s weed auntie?” Mel asked.
“Something only bad people like uncle smoke.
It isn’t for good girls like us,” Macy said as she picked Mel up.
Ahser looked at them and felt like crying, “so, the family of three had decided to abandon single me.
Poor me. Poor single me. I need me a woman,” he lamented and opened the door and walked out slowly as he dramatically sang Usher’s song I Need a Girl.
After he walked out, there was an awkward silence as the two adults didn’t know where to begin after Asher’s shenanigans.
“I… errrm,… freshen up you two.
Breakfast is ready,” and Richard said as he cleared his throat.
He looked at anywhere but Macy because his brother had just called her sister in law.
Before she woke up, Richard had just been confinding at Asher about how he is confused about how he feels for Macy.
He was telling him about the incident last night when she took care of him after he ate spicy food.
Asher said it simply, “brother, you are in love.”
That was enough for Asher to change how he addressed Macy.
But Richard didn’t agree with Ash. He had promised himself to take his time if at all he will ever fall in love again.
It hadn’t even been two years since he and Cassandra broke up.
He couldn’t be in love.
He was confused and that was why he couldn’t look Macy in the eyes because he didn’t know what she would read there.
“Hey, sweetie, let’s brush our teeth,” Macy said.
She didn’t even want to look at Richard because she really respected the man and after what Ahser said, she kind of felt embarrassed.
“Oh, but wait, I don’t have a child’s toothbrush or toothpaste.
I never thought you might visit me unexpectedly,” Macy said.
“No worries auntie. Uncle had brought everything for us,” Mel said as she hit out of Macy’s hold and ran towards the bathroom.
She came out with a clear cubed box that showed a variety of the things inside.
Mel poured everything on the bed and started showing Macy.
” Look auntie. A toothbrush for me, she lifted a pink child’s toothbrush, my toothpaste, she lifted an expensive looking tube of tooth paste that had cartoonist drawings, for you, for daddy.
There is also bathing soap, shampoo and my hair ribbons.
I want you to tie my hair up because we are going out today,” Mel showed adshe returned the things to the bathroom and Macy asked her to arrange them according to where each was supposed to be.
As Mel was busy doing what she had been asked, Macy walked towards Richard in the dining area.
“Is young master serious? I can take today off?” I asked Macy asked and she received Richard’s signature ‘mmm’ as an answer.
“Okay. You have plans today?” She asked again.
He made her too much jittery and she wanted him to go and leave her with Mel.
“No. I will do what you guys want to,” Richard said leaving Macy wordless.
“Sir…” Macy began.
“Call me Richard,” he said.
“Okay, Rich…. I… ummm… Richard, aren’t you the president of the Armstrong Group?
Aren’t you needed in the office?
You need to go to work,” Macy tried but Richard disputed even after she could finish.
“I have people working for me and I’m rarely needed there,” he said but it wasn’t true.
He knew that if he missed a single day of work, he would have tonnes and tonnes of work waiting for him the following day or if it was important, he would have his secretary or personal assistant deliver it at home.
“Oh, okay,” left either nothing else to say, that was all Macy could say as she walked towards the bathroom to help Mel freshen up for breakfast.
Macy was both excited and nervous.
What would she do for a whole day with Richard?
With Mel, it was easy.
They would have a million and one things to do.
But with Richard….
Macy sighed as she took a bath.
She readied herself for whatever would be.