“Thank you, Uncle Phil and Aunty Freya. Kindly mention me to Daniel,” Olivia appreciated them too.
“I will. I will bring him over to see you this weekend,” Freya promised her.
“That will be fine. Let him come with his piano keyboard, please.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Goodbye,” they responded and watched them drive off.
Meanwhile, Arthur drew his newly wedded wife, who was sitting on the passenger’s seat, to himself and gave her the kind of kiss he had wanted to give to her at the registry.
Thereafter, he declared, “You are my legally married wife and nothing can separate us. You are mine forever.”
“Yes. I am yours and you are mine forever. Congratulations to us.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I will take you to work before I go to mine. You can flaunt that we are officially husband and wife. Did you get me?”
“It is all right, Hubby. I got you.”
“That is good. You can give your colleagues a treat if you wish.”
“It is all right, Hubby. Then I will need to get some comestibles and drinks.”
“It is all right. Let’s go to the mall.”
They got to the mall and bought all that she needed for the treat. Thereafter, he took her to work and parked at the vestibule. He graciously walked to the passenger’s seat and opened the door for her.
“Thank you, dear,” she appreciated him before he returned to the car.
“Rachael, kindly come,” she called on her favorite janitor to assist her with the offloading of the comestibles while the other staff members looked on.
“Take them to my office, please,” she said to the janitor after she arrived.
“No problem, Mrs. Bailey,” the janitor responded.
“Have the key,” Nichole said.
She collected the keys from her and did as she was instructed. Thereafter, she walked to the driver’s seat where Arthur was waiting patiently and gave him a peck, not minding the eyes that could be looking at them, and she reminded him afterward, “You know I am yours now.”
“Yes, Wifey. Take good care of yourself. I will pick you up later.”
“It is all right. See you later.”
After her husband drove off, she walked happily to her office while her colleagues and friends admired her dress, which was different from her regular uniform.
“What are we celebrating, Mrs. Bailey?” one of them asked her.
“It is my marriage. I got married this morning,” she responded with glee.
Some giggled and jested, while some laughed with doubt.
“Is that a wishful thinking?”
“You are funny, Nichole. You joke with sensitive issues,” one of them looked into her eyes and pointed out.
She was too happy to notice them. Then, she joined the janitor who was still arranging the stuff on the table.
When she was done, Nichole appreciated her, “Have this for your trouble.”
The janitor, who knew that Nichole had her way of putting smiles on people’s faces, expressed her gratitude, “Thank you for this, Mrs. Bailey.”
“It is all right. Don’t be too far away. I may need you later,” she pleaded.
“I got it, Mrs. Bailey. I will be available whenever you need me.”
Meanwhile, Nichole needed to see her Medical Director, Dr. Marcus Caesar, and appreciate him for the privilege he gave to her the previous day.
“Good morning, Dr. Caesar,” she greeted him warmly when she walked into his office.
He welcomed her warmly and teased, “Wow! If health challenges made you look this beautiful, then it is a good one.”
The Medical Director was a tall, well-built man of fifty years old man. He was too handsome and should have been in the entertainment industry rather than the medical.
Meanwhile, Nichole was not expecting such a compliment from him after disorganizing his roaster the previous day. She was thankful all the same, “Thank you, Dr. Caesar. I feel flattered.”
“Take your seat. You don’t have to be,” he said and watched her sit down comfortably on the visitor’s seat.
“So, how are you today?”
“I’m well now. I’m delighted to see you.”
“I can see. And what are we celebrating?”
Nichole was hesitant but replied bashfully. “I got married this morning.”
Now, Dr. Caesar gave her a puzzled look and quizzed, “Married? In a dreamland, or what?”
Nichole laughed softly and explained, “We got married this morning on a very low-key. I will give my colleagues some treats later.”
“If you are serious, then, I am happy for you. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Dr. Caesar.”
“You are welcome. Meanwhile, Zoey did not show up yesterday. I had to get another nurse to stand in for you after I called her number several and did not get a response from her.”
“Oh! I must have disturbed your roaster yesterday. I came to express my gratitude for granting me permission to be absent.”
“It is okay. At least I got someone to do that.”
“Oh! That is nice of you,” she complimented him with a disturbed look.
The Superior looked at her worried face which he attributed to Zoey’s disappointment, and teased to cheer her up.
“If I may ask, who is this lucky man who is capable of taking the place of Mr. Williams Bailey?”
Nichole recalled herself and cheered up forthwith. Then, she returned the joke to Dr. Caesar, “I leave the person to your guess.”
“I’m not good at guessing. Tell me..”
“Don’t bother. You will soon find out. Meanwhile, I will send your treat right away,” she declared and attempted to get.
“I will be waiting. Congratulations once again.”
“Thank you, Doctor. I will be back.”
Before Nichole left Dr. Caesar’s office. The news about her alleged marriage had spread among the staff members. Some of them were astonished, while some vehemently refuted it.
“In her dream. Who would marry a cheap widow who threw herself at her brother-in-law?”
They laughed heartily, and another person added, “An aggressive seducer who turned to a nanny to hook a brother-in-law.”
She got to her office and met some of her colleagues, both friends and foes, clustered at the door. She smiled warmly at them and opened the door.
Then, they complimented her dressing one after the other. Afterward, one of them asked her, “Why do you look different today? What is the secret?”
“Yes. I should be because I got married today?”
“Ha!” They exclaimed in unison when she confirmed what they thought was a rumor.
Subsequently, they cheered merrily over the good news, “Wow! That is good.”
“Why were we not invited?” another staff member asked her with concern.
Meanwhile, Nichole responded with a smile, “Never mind. We will do that during our dinner party.”
Now, one of the haters, Lorene Walker, a single mother of fifty-five years. Who was interested in Arthur, gave her a hostile look and asked her, “I hope you have not married an ugly duckling, who is close to his grave, Nichole?”
The other haters laughed mockingly while Nichole gave a perfunctory remark, “An Ugly duckling? He is a human too and is meant to marry.”