“I don’t have time for this talk, mom. I’m at work.” Darryl argued with his mom over the phone. He had an important meeting in a few minutes and his mother wouldn’t let him be. His mother had been on his neck to get married, and he was not ready to leave his playboy lifestyle.
“I’ll talk to you later. Take care of yourself or get a wife to care for you.” Mrs Peter queried, her voice over the receiver. She had been begging Darryl to get married because he was not getting younger. He also needed to have his own heir, but Darryl wouldn’t listen to her.
Darryl had refused to attend his mother’s functions because he was tired of hearing the same talk over and over again. “You should get married.” “Tania is a good girl.” “You should marry Tania.”
Tania was the last person he would agree to get married to. He doesn’t see a future with her. He was not even ready to settle down and even if, by chance, he was ready, he would never settle for Tania.
He had already made it clear to her that whatever they had shared was not serious. Willingly, Tania agreed to be his friend with benefits. That is the best label for his relationship with Tania. He had been with Tania for months now. And he had other women like Tania. He was a player for a reason.
*Mr Peter, it is time for the meeting sir.” The voice of his acting secretary took him out of his thoughts. His former secretary was pregnant, and she was on maternity leave. He is in search of a new secretary, so the acting secretary can return to his position in the accounting department.
“I will join them soon.” Darryl rose from his office armchair, his hands straightened his suit and tie before leaving his office for the meeting. The heavy door of the boardroom creaked open, and Darryl stepped into the room. A hush fell over the room like a dropped curtain.
Papers rustled to a halt, conversations dissolved mid-sentence, and all eyes turned towards him.
The meeting was about the new company he just purchased. He wasn’t interested in the meeting, but he must be in attendance.
The air crackled with a sudden tension, a sign of respect that both acknowledged his authority and hinted at a hint of apprehension. Despite the weight of their gazes, Darryl betrayed no emotion. His face remained an unreadable mask as he strode purposefully to his seat at the head of the polished table.
He slumped slightly in his chair, exuding an air of quiet boredom as the presentations droned on. Words and figures blurred together, the monotonous drone of voices washing over him. He longed for the familiar comfort of his own office.
“The newly employed are starting next week”. This sentence caught Darryl’s attention. He was not paying attention to the discussion until he heard about the new employees.
“Can I get a secretary from the newly employed staff?” Darryl interrupted the project manager, who was engrossed in the explanation he was giving.
” Why don’t we recruit a new secretary for you, sir?” The project manager asked Darryl.
“Why go through the stress?” Darryl raised his chin up as he questioned the project manager. “You said they are experienced staff, right? They should know how to handle the secretary role well.
“Ok sir. I will work on it.” The project manager assured Darryl. The boardroom was quiet as Darryl and the project manager exchanged conversation.
“You should send me their profile. I want to choose my secretary myself.”
After his request, he lost focus on the ongoing meeting. Finally, the interminable meeting reached its merciful conclusion. Darryl rose with a practiced smile, offering a curt dismissal to the assembled board members. Their polite goodbyes followed him down the hallway, each one a tick closer to his desired escape.
Reaching his office door, he punched in the access code with a sigh of relief. Pushing open the door, he was met with an unexpected sight. Dawson, his oldest friend and business partner, sat perched on the edge of one of the plush leather armchairs.
“Dawson?” he questioned, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice. “What brings you here?”
Surprise flickered across Darryl’s face, momentarily breaking his carefully constructed facade. Despite the surprise, a smile tugged at the corner of Darryl’s lips as he moved towards his desk, ready for whatever news his friend might bring.
“Why am I in my best friend’s office?” he inquired, the question dripping with playful sarcasm. “Can’t I visit my friend anymore?”
Darryl, caught slightly off guard, straightened in his chair. “I wasn’t expecting you,” he admitted with a sheepish grin. “You know this office is yours, rather than mine.” He reciprocated the joke.
Dawson’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Is the deal done?” he asked, punctuating the question with a conspiratorial wink.
A broad smile stretched across Darryl’s face. “Yes! It is now a sealed deal,” he declared triumphantly. “She starts Monday.”
“I can only imagine the look on her face,” Dawson chuckled, clearly relishing the upcoming scene.
Darryl let out a hearty laugh. “She thinks she’s the only one with surprises up her sleeve. Little does she know that I’m the king of surprises.”
A wave of admiration washed over Dawson. “Damn, Darryl,” he said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “You planned this perfectly. It worked as planned.”
“This is just the tip of the iceberg, I’m just getting started with my plans for her.” Darryl replied enigmatically. “Just enjoy the show, Dawson.”
“Don’t take it too far, Darryl. I know you want to have fun, but your fun is extreme”, Dawson warned his friend, admitting the joke.
“It won’t be extreme. Calm your nerves, Dawson. I have everything under control, and I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.” Assurance laced in Darryl’s voice as he comforted Dawson.
“I trust you.” Dawson confessed. The two friends shared a look, their laughter echoing through the office as they reveled in their secret plan.