Weekends are for Loving

Muttering with every step, he hurried up the stairway and stopped to wipe his face and catch his breath in the 4th floor hallway. Yanking out his phone, he called reception. ‘Jessica, do not say my name. Is Mr. Bing in the reception? Okay, usher him to my office. I'll be there in five minutes.’ He paused and caught his breath again as he cut the connection and gave her some seconds to carry out his orders, then he inched the front door open slowly, taking deep breaths as the air-conditioning cooled his heated skin. Their office had a generating set and inverters that worked whenever the building plant failed to kick in. On days like this, he appreciated the extra cost.

He stepped in, shrugged off his jacket and stood with his arms spread out in front of the a/c. He was executing a slow turn, eyes closed, with a blissful look on his face when he heard a stifled laugh. His eyes flew open and he saw a young lady standing at the water dispenser observing him with a wide grin. He frowned and dropped his hands and tried to cover his embarrassment with authority. ‘Do you know it’s rude to stare?’

Her smile disappeared. He had to say she had the cutest frown he had ever seen on a woman. ‘That only applies when the object under observation isn’t making a spectacle of himself.’ She took a sip from the girly looking water canister she had been filling, all the while maintaining eye contact with him. He considered engaging her, but at that moment her gaze shifted somewhere past his shoulder and from the way her face became more relaxed he could tell that someone else had entered the reception.

‘Good morning sir,’ Jessica thrilled in her high pitched squeaky voice.

‘Hi mouse.’ he raised his hand for a casual hi-five. ‘How do I look?’

Jessica adjusted his collar and smiled, ‘Okay. He’s waiting for you.'

‘Thanks. See ya.’ He favoured her with a smile that he ensured was gone by the time his gaze fell on the other young lady, still sipping from her canister. ‘You too Miss…’

‘Tobore.’

‘Tobore, nice name, and just because it’s free doesn’t mean you have to drink it all up.’ He admonished pointing at the dispenser as he closed the door.

Tobor seethed at the barb but he had timed it nicely, and was gone before she could swallow the water in her mouth to respond. She turned to Jessica. ‘And he is?’

‘My cousin. The company might be family owned, but make no mistake; if you don’t pull your weight they will fire you without mercy.’

‘What’s his name?’

‘Mr. Stephen Doghor, Head of Design.’ Jessica offered helpfully.