C10 Chapter 10

"The meeting won't take long," Colin gave Becky a kiss on the lips. "Call Mabel if you need anything. She will attend to you."

It was the end of the workweek on Friday. They were at Blake Tower. They both had gone for lunch earlier on. Becky had taken the rest of the day off, so she followed him to the office afterward.

"Okay," Becky smiled at him.

He gave her another quick kiss and quickly dashed out of the office. He was already late for the meeting by twenty-one minutes.

Becky brought out her laptop from its bag, deciding to make good use of the free time in her hands.

She was just powering up her computer when she heard Debbie's voice from the outer office talking to Colin's secretary, Mabel.

She listened with disdain as Mabel told Debbie that Colin was away for a meeting.

"I will wait for him," Debbie had said, and Colin's office door swung open.

She halted at the doorway, surprised that Becky was there.

"Becky," she called with a wry smile, "you are here?” ” “Hi Debbie," Becky greeted her, trying to look as neutral as possible.

"Mabel didn't tell me you are around." She shut the door and went to sit on the couch in the entertainment area of the office.

"Mabel said Colin is in a meeting," Debbie babbled on, as she dropped her designer bag on the coffee table in front of her. "I actually came to see my cousin," she tried to explain herself, seeing that Becky was not pleased to see her. "Her office is on the next street. I thought to pop in to say hi to Colin."

"Okay," Becky gave her a tight smile.

Debbie brought out her phone and started scrolling through her contact list. Becky turned back to her laptop.

"We should hang out together, sometime," Debbie said to bring Becky's attention back to herself.

Becky looked away from the computer screen to find Debbie staring at her anxiously.

"To get to know each other better," Debbie said again, fiddling with the broach on her blouse."As Colin's girls, you know." She shrugged, giggling.

Becky nodded awkwardly, saying, "yes we should."

Debbie's phone started ringing at that moment. Colin returned just as she started talking on the phone.

He sat on the edge of his desk in front of Becky.

"Hope you didn't miss me?" He squeezed Becky's hand.

"I tried not to," she giggled exaggeratedly for Debbie's sake. "The meeting was so fast."

"Yes, remember I said it won't be long. And they already started before I got there."

Debbie finished her phone call and stood up. "Hi Colin," she picked up her bag from the table. "I came to check up on Gabriella and decided to say hi to you on my way to her office."

"Thanks, dear," he said.

"Are you attending Amelia's wedding tomorrow?"

"No. I will be very busy tomorrow." He looked dreamily into Becky's eyes, making it obvious whom he would be busy with.

"I see." Debbie was feeling unwelcome already. “Let me be on my way,” she said to him and started walking to the door.

"Okay Debbie," he said to her back. “Take care of yourself.”

Debbie opened the door and left.

Becky couldn't help herself. She burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" Colin asked.

She told him the way Debbie was shocked to find her there and what she said about them being Colin's girls and that they should hang out together.

Colin burst into laughter too, rounding his desk. "Don't mind her," he said as he took his seat. "I don't know why she's so stubborn. I wonder why she wouldn't put her energy into something else.”

"Well, have you had a sincere talk with her to let her know how you feel about her?"

"I have." He picked up an envelope from the table and opened it. "On several occasions."

Each time they had such a discussion, she would always assure him she understood his feelings and even promised to stop chasing him. But within two or three weeks, everything would change again. She would start calling, sending messages, and visiting him at ungodly hours, as usual.

"Since she claimed we kissed," he smiled and shook her head. "She had not let me be."

"A kiss?" Becky looked curiously into his face, "you never said there was a kiss."

"Okay, okay," he raised his hand. "Emphasis on claims. I said she claimed."

"I see." She bit her lip, and her countenance changed immediately.

"Don't take it that way," he told her. "It was a long time ago. My sister, Nancy, was celebrating her thirteenth birthday then, and I was just fifteen while Debbie was fourteen."

Birthday celebrations were a big deal in the Blake household then and within their circle of super-rich friends. As always, his older cousins confiscated some bottles of alcohol and they felt they should allow Colin to drink since he had clocked fifteen. But it didn't go down well with Colin.

They had to carry him up to his room, so his parents and other parents around wouldn't know what was going on.

It was while he was in his room that Debbie went to meet him. She kissed him and he returned the kiss. But to this day, he remembers nothing about it.

Becky quickly returned her gaze to the computer. She didn't want him to know how nervous she was.

But he already saw it. He stood up and sat on the edge of his desk in front of her.

"What is it? Sweetheart," he took her hand. "Talk to me."

She said nothing; she kept pressing on the keypads randomly.

"What is on your mind?" He stroked her wrist.

She sighed, "I'm worried." She looked up at him and quickly took her gaze away.

"About what?" He asked, as if he didn't know already.

"Debbie is so confident about being your girl, even though you hardly pay her any attention." Her forehead furrowed with worry. "I'm sure she's doing all of this because she has the support of your mom." She sighed. "I doubt if your mom will accept me."