C24 Chapter 24

I was still hovering on a memory when his voice shook me out of my thoughts.

I turned to him, and then I realized my face was wet with tears, I used the back of my hand to clean up my face, and I arranged my dress and I squared my shoulders and then I smiled.

But, I was too late, he had seen it all. I was embarrassed.

“Mandy, what's wrong?." He asked me.

“No.. nothing's wrong sir."

He breathed heavily and sat on my desk.

"Mandy. “ He said, his voice as soothing as the sound of soft music on a rainy day.

" You can tell me anything, I swear I'm here to listen and I can do anything to see to it that you're smiling again, but you have to tell me what's wrong. “

" Why do you care about me?. “

" Because you're my friend. “

" Nobody has ever cared for me and when they do it's... “

" Heyy, heyy, I understand, I've gotten my own fair share of fake love. “

" I'm sorry, but I'm not worth your friendship. “

" C'mon, get up, please. “

" Where are we going?. “

" Anywhere you want to go. “

" We're leaving work?. “

" Yes. “

" No, we can't leave work. “

" I'm the boss, remember?. “

" Ohh, okay. “

Our drive was as quiet as that of I and Ará.

" Where's do you want me to take you?. “

" I don't... I don't know, I don't have anywhere in mind. “

" I'm new to this place, everything has changed since I was here last, I don't have a location in mind. “

I said to her and she stared at me with dead eyes before a small laugh broke out of her like a chick would burst out of an egg but her eyes was still dead nonetheless.

" Let's go to your house. “ She said.

When I turned up at my house, I climbed down from the car and I went to the other side to hold the door open for her.

" Thank you, wow, your house preaches wealth. “

" Thanks. “

" Have you always lived in such houses?. “

" No, this one is smaller than the others. “

I rang the door bell and Rosetta opened the door.

“Good afternoon."

“Hi, Rosé, please, can you help me call Karl."

“Sure, good afternoon miss." Rosetta said to Mandy whose eyes had adopted a little colour from seeing her friend.

“Good afternoon." Mandy replied giving Rosetta a small hug.

I was pleased to see the both of them.

We walked past the living room, upstairs towards the keeping room.

“Please feel at home, I have wine, would you like that?."

“Yes, please." I took one bottle of Le pin And I poured it into two glasses and I handed one over to her.

I watched her lips kiss the glass and she sipped the wine.

I told myself that she was here to talk... although she was looking too alluring.

“So, is now a good time to tell me what happened."

“Actually it's very easy, if I say it, you'll understand everything."

I nodded my head, acknowledging that I wanted to hear what she had to say.

" Adrian is Geoffrey's friend, at least they were the last time I saw them. “

" Wait, Geoffrey, your ex husband?. “

" Yes, they were best of friends, he's as wicked as the devil himself. “

" Fuck. “ I cursed and the room fell silent.

The silence was broken by Karl.

" Mr Darwin, you sent for me. “

" Oh, yeah. “ I said and I remembered that I had told Rosé to call Karl.

" Mandeline, what would you like to have? Karl here's one of the finest chefs in town, I'm surprised he came so fast,”

“I was in the neighborhood when Rosetta called, sir. “

“Do you like have a menu I can choose from." Mandy asked like a shy school girl.

“Mandy, be creative, pick anything you would like to have for lunch at home."

“Spaghetti."

“That's alright, I'm going to make the best spaghetti you have ever tasted."

“Don't flatter yourself Karl." I told him and his laugher echoed with him down the stairs.

“Creative huh?." She said teasingly and I laughed.

“I'm creative myself and I promote creativity."

“Your walls can attest to it, you had doozed all coirs that ever walked this earth on them." She said and I went on another round of laughter, completely forgetting that I was here to soothe her and not her me.

“Mandeline, do you know how funny you are?."

“Oh, I'm not funny, not in the slightest way."

“Then, how do you manage to make me laugh so hard."

I watched her head turn to face me, her lips had started to form one of those her melancholic smiles.

“You're just so polite, Adrian."

“You bring out the good in me."

“How old are you?."

“Twenty Three."

“You're quite younger than I was guessing."

“Is that a bad thing?." All innocence.

She tilted her head back and she bursted out with laughter that sounded like shushing waves, it reminded me of when I was still a child.

“No, it's not a bad thing, I'm twenty one."

“I know that."

“How much do you know about me?." She asked me.

“I know what you wrote in your file, and on your resume, I know what you told me, I know that you're smart and you're vibrant and with your smile you could make a dead man come alive and I know that in your heart holds the greatest desire to love and in that same desire is buried a yearning to show to your other half the songs to your soul and you wish good for everyone and I know you're funny and that you're a unique woman, any man would die to sit in yoir presence to just talk with you. I hope I didn't say much but that's my honest opinion."

“You know me more than I know myself." She said holding her glass more firmer in place.