SHAWN’S POV
He woke up the next morning all smiling and bubbling with life. His time with Tiffany the previous night was a blissful experience. He was beginning to see her in a different light, and even though his perception about her being a brat had not changed, he was beginning to see her for the good in her.
He whistled as he knotted his tie in preparation for work. After he was done, he picked up his briefcase and Walked downstairs. A nice aroma was oozing out from the kitchen and he sighed in contentment and happiness as he took his seat on the dining table.
Tiffany walked out with a bowl containing salad, a beautiful smile etched on her face.
“Good morning,” she greeted, dropping the bowl on the table.
“Good morning. How was your sleep?” he asked, staring at her lovingly.
“It was nice. Thank you. How was your night’s rest?” she asked, taking her seat across from him.
“It was satisfying. Last night did magic to my being. I slept like I had no worries in the world.”
They both burst into laughter at how dramatic he sounded.
“So, when are you resuming school?”He asked, his tone serious.
“Tomorrow. I feel better and the bruises are all cleared.”
“Okay. Lucas will keep driving you to school and back.”
“Thank you.”
They ate in silence and soon he was done and ready to leave.
“Wait, I have something for you.” She got up and walked into the kitchen and returned almost immediately with a lunch bag. “I packed you lunch.” She said and handed him the bag.
He went mute momentarily as he took the bag from her. He was touched by her thoughtfulness to fix him lunch.
“Thank you so much. I appreciate this.” He leaned forward and pecked her affectionately on the forehead. “I will make sure I finish everything,” he said and stroked her hair.
“Go on. You will be late for work,” She said and pushed him slightly.
He bid her goodbye and walked out with a big smile plastered on his face.
He got to work and after settling in, dialed the intercom to call Leslie. “Yes, Leslie. Bring me Ethan’s report.”
“Okay, sir,” she replied over the phone.
A few minutes later, she walked in with a file. “Good morning, Sir. Here is the report you requested.”
“Thank you. Ummm…have you seen Rachel today?”
“She is not at work, Sir. She called in sick a few minutes ago.”
“Really?” he said, taken aback.
“Umm.. you can go back to your office now,” he said dismissively.
After she left, he picked up his phone and dialed Rachel’s number.
“Hey,” he called when she picked.
“Hey, Shawn.” She replied in a low tone.
“Are you okay? Leslie said you called in sick.”
“No, I’m not. I feel feverish and I’m having a severe migraine.”
“I’m sorry about that. Have you had medical attention?”
“I placed a call to my doctor. She will be coming soon.”
“I’m sorry. I will stop by after work to check up on you.”
“Okay. I will be expecting.”
“Good bye. I will be returning to work now.”
After the call ended, he kept his phone away and returned to work. Soon, it was lunch break and he took out the lunch bag to see what was inside. He was surprised to see varieties of food in it. There was grilled chicken, pasta, sausages, fruit salad and a pack of juice.
Smiling, he picked up his phone to call Tiffany.
“Shawn?” she called when she picked up.
“I just opened the lunch bag and I’m flabbergasted at its contents. You outdid yourself, I must say. Thank you for packing me lunch. I can’t wait to savor everything.”
She giggled and he could imagine what her face looked like. Her laughter brought warmth to his heart and he couldn’t help but smile.
“I have to go now. I will see you at the end of the day,” he said, and the call ended.
RACHEL’S POV
She was still asleep when her phone rang. She hissed in annoyance as she looked at the phone screen. Immediately, the frown on her face vanished when she realized it was Shawn.
“Hey,” he called when she picked up.
“Hey, Shawn.” She replied, trying as much as possible to make her voice sound low.
“Are you okay? Leslie said you called in sick.”
“No, I’m not. I feel feverish and I’m having a severe migraine.”
“I’m sorry about that. Have you had medical attention?”
“I placed a call to my doctor. She will be coming soon.”
“I’m sorry. I will stop by after work to check up on you.”
“Okay. I will be expecting.”
“Good bye. I will be returning to work now.”
After the call ended, she immediately jerked up from the bed. Shawn was coming to her house later in the day, and she can’t afford to let him see her place in such a mess. The room smelt badly of alcohol and cigarettes and there were clothings and shoes scattered everywhere.
She got up and picked up the ashtray and bottle of drink. She returned the drink to the bar and disposed of the cigarette ashes. She looked around and realizing she can’t clean the house by herself, so she placed a call to a cleaning Agency.
After booking an appointment in an hour’s time, she walked into the bathroom to freshen up. After she was done, she slipped into fresh clothes before walking downstairs to fix herself breakfast. After eating, she popped two pills of aspirin and stayed back in the sitting room to wait for the cleaning agents.
She was almost dozing off again when they arrived. She instructed them on what to do before walking outside to the pool with a bottle of drink.
She sat by the pool, sipping on her drink and enjoying the peace and quiet. The sounds of the cleaning agents working inside faded into the background as she let her mind wander.
She couldn’t help but think about Shawn. The fact that he was coming over made her heart swell in excitement and anticipation. They were going to be alone after a very long time and she couldn’t wait.
But at the same time, pain seared through her heart because she knew he would barely spend more than an hour with her before rushing home to his little wife. It still hurt that he was not yet hers, and for the few minutes he was going to spend at her place, she would make it worth it. Hell, she would do anything to make him stay longer.
And then a thought struck her. She could actually do something to make him stay longer than necessary at her place.
As she sat by the pool, the sun warming her skin, a mischievous smile tugged at her lips. She had a plan, and this time, she knew it would work.
Hours later, the cleaning agents were done and she went inside to inspect their work. Satisfied with the work, she tipped them even though she had paid the agency. After they left, she walked up to her room to rest while she waited for Shawn’s arrival.
She woke up from her little slumber and immediately walked into the bathroom to have a bath. She prepared her bath with different fragrance of bathing salts and soon, that bathroom was filled with a pleasant fragrance. She spent more time than necessary washing her skin. After she was done, she dried her body with a towel before walking back to the bedroom.
She applied lotion, and as she did, she delicately ran her fingers on her body in a sultry manner. After she was done, she walked to her closet and took out some new lingerie. She took it out from its pack, as she slipped on the red flimsy clothing that did a good job in exposing her body.
After she was done, she wrapped a grey robe around her body and took a seat on the couch in wait for Shawn. A few minutes later, a car honk informed her of his arrival. She rushed to her window and watched the gateman open the door for him as he drove in. Quickly, she rushed to lay on the bed knowing that he would be in her room soon.
A few minutes later, a Knock sounded on the door and she pretended not to know who it was.
“Who is it?” she asked, sounding weak and sick.
“Shawn,” came his nice baritone voice.
She smiled as she braced herself for what is about to go down. “Come in…”