The peaceful weekend was over in a flash and it was back to work. Karen noticed instantly that Jasper was no where to be seen. It was almost like he had been erased from the memories of everyone, no body talked about him, no body mentioned him and his desk was cleared of all his possession, and just by ten am on Monday, someone else had replaced him.
Karen did wonder what had happened, and why he was working for Verena’s father, but she had no one to ask.
“You look glowy today,” Karen heard a voice say. She turned to see Sonia beside her, smiling and looking her up and down.
“Good morning Sonia.” Karen said with a smile.
“How was your weekend? Did something amazing happen?” She wiggled her brows suggestively
“Something like what?” Karen asked with a coy smile. “Just the usual weekend activities. Some relaxation, fun outings with friends, that’s all.”
Sonia nodded, a goofy smile on her face. “Yeah right. Introduce me to him soonest. I can’t wait to see the man who put that glow in your cheeks.”
“Man?” Karen asked and rubbed her thighs together. Memories of the weekend flooding her mind. There was a slight ache in her core, but it was just a delicious reminder of what had happened. “What man?”
Sonia rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I don’t…” Karen sighed Kai walking into the office. Speak of the devil and he shall indeed appear.
She smiled, resisting the urge to squeal in her seat.
“Mr Sylvester, good morning. I…”
He walked up to her, not returning her greetings or smile. “Do you have the report on the market survey?” Kai aske immediately, cutting her off.
Karen frowned, his reaction was strange. She had expected him to maybe greet her warmly especially given the most fantastic time they had together.
“Well?” He snapped. “Are you just going to stare at me?”
Karen gasped. She stared at him, wide eyed. There was no warmth in his eyes, none at all.
“I’m still working on it.” She said quietly.
“Why is it taking so damn long?”
“Maybe because it’s barely eleven am on a Monday morning?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “you have until twelve thirty to submit it to me. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
He walked away, barking orders to others. Sonia shuddered beside Karen. “That man is so cold I could freeze.” She said.
Karen nodded. “Yeah.” She said. She couldn’t understand what was happening.
“Anyway,” Sonia announced. “Make sure you introduce me to your man. Okay?”
Man huh? Karen wanted to laugh. Her man had just spoken to her like he didn’t gaze into her eyes and tell her how beautiful she was and how he was going to fuck her so damn good.
He wasn’t even her man yet.
Karen sighed and turned back to her work. “When he appears, I’ll let you know.”
“Okay.” Sonia said and walked away.
Karen opened up the report. It was a comprehensive report of the market survey carried out but her team. She had to compile it and condense it, taking out only the important information and sending it to Kai.
She silently hoped that when she was done and went to give it to him, he would regard her warmly.
She finished up the report by twelve and headed to his office to hand it over. On getting there, she saw him and Nicolas talking about something. Kai turned to her, his expression unreadable.
“Yes?” He said.
Karen frowned, confusion on her face. “The report?” She replied with the same tone, a spark of annoyance lighting inside her.
What exactly was his problem?
“Bring it here. Don’t stand in the doorway.”
Karen walked up to him and handed the papers over. He went through them, his eyes darting across the lines.
“I didn’t find the one for last week.” He said without raising his head from the papers.
“I wasn’t the manager in charge.” Karen replied calmly
“You may go.” He said without looking at her.
Karen glanced at Nicolas, he looked as confused as she did. She turned and walked away form the office.
***
It continued for the rest of the day.
Kai turned cold all of a sudden, barely speaking to he and only talking about work and more work. Karen was frustrated and angry, wondering what she had done wrong. As much as she tried to think about it, nothing came up that could explain his strange behavior.
He had grown so distant in a matter if hours that Karen didn’t even know if this was the Kai she knew.
“What’s wrong with him?” She Sked Nicolas once Kai was out of earshot .
“I’d be damned if I know.” Nicolas replied. “That’s just Kai for you.”
Karen felt heartbroken. She went through the work day, enduring his shouts and coldness till it was time to leave. All the good feelings she had from the weekend was gone, vaporized by his cold indifference.
After work, Karen went to a coffee shop. It was a newly opened place just down the street the office was located at.
She ordered an iced Americano and some scones and sat close to the window.
She drank her coffee, her mind miles and miles away. In her head she was analyzing everything she had said and done during the weekend. Was she too clingy, not clingy enough? Did she talk too much? Did she tire him out too much?
Nothing she thought off came up positive. She had just been herself, so what was the problem exactly?
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “This is exhausting to think about.” She drank some more of the coffee and took a bite of the scone.
“Hello,” A voice said beside her.
Karen turned to see a handsome Guy smiling at her. Thrown off guard a bit, she blinked up at him.
“Hello too ” She replied.
“My name is Travis. May I pay for your drink?”
Karen stared at the newely finished coffee in her hand. “It’s done already ”
“My apologies. Let me buy you a new one?”
Karen thought about it for a while. “Sure” she said with a smile. “I’ll let you do that.”
He left and returned with a new cup of Americano and some more scones. He sat beside her, regarding her with kind brown eyes.
“I’m Karen.” She extended her hand for a handshake. “A pleasure to meet you, Travis.”
He shook her hand and returned her smile. “Is everything okay? I noticed you seemed a bit bothered.”
Karen sighed. “Work is really getting to me. Mondays and all that.”
“Ah,” He nodded slowly. “The rush and the high from the weekend wearing off. I know how that feels.”
Karen drank of the coffee, nodding in agreement. “You work around here?”
“Yes. Just down the street. I work at the….”
“What are you doing sitting here?”
Karen turned to see Kai. She hadn’t noticed when he had walked into the coffee shop and stood beside poor Travis. Travis, shocked, whipped his head to see Kai. Kai had a vicious look on his face
“I asked you a question.” He snapped. “Doesn’t your mouth work?”
“I-I’m.. who are you?”
“I think the question here is who are you? Talking to my girlfriend?”
Karen felt her heart flutter as he called her his girlfriend. But the flutter quickly died as she realized he was doing it out of possessiveness and not care.
He turned to Karen with an apologetic smile. “Darling,” He walked to her and kissed her cheek. “I’m so sorry I kept you waiting. Did you wait long?”
Karen stared at him, her brows furrowed in confusion.
“She’s your….” Travis started to say. Kai turned and shot him a look so cold it had him scrambling to his feet.
“You should leave.”
“Bye!” Travis shouted and raced out of the coffee shop. Kai watched him leave, ammusement on his face. Karen knocked his hand off her shoulders.
“What was that for?!”
“You hadn’t learned your lesson yet ” Kai said simply.
Karen scoffed, not caring that they were in a public place. “What makes you think you can control me? Or the people I talk to? What did he do to you that made you act like a barbarian and…”
He grabbed her hand a d dragged her out of the coffee shop. She struggled against him, digging her heel in the ground and hitting his hand.
“Let me go!”
He ignored her protest and yanked on her arm so harshly she felt her joint pop. He dragged her out to where he parked his car and slammed her against it.
“You need to learn your place, Karen” he hissed, glaring at her.
“You need to get some damn manners!” Karen shouted at him. “I was actually having a good time, away from your oppressive aura and you just had to show up and ruin it!”
He sighed softly. “Loo. What I’m trying to say is, you need to be a bit more careful out here.” He said in a calmer tone. “I’m not trying to control you, I’m only trying to protect you.”
His mood had done a 360. For a moment his eyes looked calm and gentle. Karen exhaled. She decided to play with him, just as he did with her.
“Why?” She teased. “Are you scared of me having another baby for someone else?”
His eyes darkened. “You just had to go there.”He hissed. “Karen you just had to fucking go there! What the fuck does that mean?!”
She shrugged, unfazed by his anger.
“When I do catch the man who was responsible for that, I promise you, I’ll gut him and feed you his intestines.”
Karen smiled. He was the father. Was he going to gut himself when he found out he was responsible for the baby? In that case she didn’t want his intestines.
“Give me his eyes instead. I would preserve them in resin instead of eating them. They’re very beautiful..”
He looked at her like she had grown a second head. Without another word he turned and left.
He had forgotten his car.