A Wife for the Billionaire
Chapter 80: SOFIA

Chapter 80: SOFIA

It’s been five minutes already since Richard was told that I was waiting for him.

"Give her the phone" he had said to Vera.

I had refused, insisting that our discussion had to be on a one and one basis. A face to face interaction. He had instructed Vera to get me whatever I needed, water , coffee or even wine.

It was absurd that he would make such an offer, especially after yesterday. But it confirmed my suspicions, the company really needed a Bogue front page news.

I had turned down the offer of course, even the offer to sit. I paced, not trusting the quiet and solitude, sitting would offer.

I couldn’t cry, especially not in front of Vera and I fear if I sit down, or stand at ease, Cole’s words might catch up to me or the magnitude of what I’m to do.

So, I paced, letting my mind wander without touching the parts that I didn’t want to think about. It was ten minutes before 3pm and Alicia and her daughters most times came back by 4pm.

And I would hate for them to go railing Charlie for my whereabouts. The guy feared Alicia and there’s a chance he would spill.

"Where did he say he was at again when you called?" I asked Vera, yet again.

She was filing her nails, the red manicure was gone. Without even looking at me,she said,

"He merely said that he was five minutes away, just as I told you five seconds ago"

"Five minutes," I repeated, "whereas it’s been more than that already"

"Girl chill, you are giving me a headache with all that walking about. If the message was that important, why don’t you relay it and I will surely see to it that he receives it. But if you insist on waiting, then here’s an advice, these days my boss is no longer a stickler for time. He comes in when he wants and leaves when it pleases him, anyway I guess that’s one of numerous advantages of being the boss" she finished, inspecting her index.

I paid her no heed, even though her words sorta aided in my anxiety.

The elevator dinged and my eyes went straight to it. A woman with russet hair and two men in grey and black suits exited the elevator. No sign of Richard.

From the far side of the hall, came Harry and Cole, chatting away like bros, which was odd seeing that Cole wasn’t the chatty type.

I muttered shit under my breath and turned hastily. Vera followed the line of my sight and made a sound like a low whistle as she saw them.

With a look that said,

"Watch what I’m about to do?"

Vera raised her hand to call them. Ignoring all sense, I rushed to her, knocking down her hand and blocking her from them. But it was all for naught, as I heard Harry call,

"Sofia!"

"She’s here," nosy-ass Vera supplied.

Letting her go after flashing her a look

that prompted,"This is far from over", I

turned to face Harry and Cole.

Harry had on khaki pants and a cream colored shirt. He looked simple like a regular employee, but his bearing as he walked towards me, his right arm crossed over a scowling Cole’s shoulder.

I forced a smile and waved,

"Hello Harry, you are looking well"

"Girl, what’s with the formality, aren’t we friends? Come here, let’s greet as friends do"

Disentangling himself from Cole, who refused to meet my gaze, Harry hugged me. He smelled like dew and a hint of cinnamon.

"I take that your conversation with the boss yielded fruit since I’m still here and

you are here as well" he said, after our

hug.

I gave him a look that hinted at discretion while allowing his eyes to follow mine to the blue eyed boy who stood beside him.

"Oh yes, where are my manners, Sofia, this is Cole." Then to Cole, he introduced, "Cole, Sofia"

As I made to tell him that we already knew each other, he remembered,

"That’s right, you know each other, wasn’t he the gent who found you in the hallway and instantly lost the nature call"

"Yes, he is. Kind fella, he is." I gulped nervously.

Cole glared at me, before saying,

"Harry, I will be waiting for you by the

elevator," then without looking at me, he added, the sarcasm loud in his tone, "pleasure to run into you again, Sofia"

I reached out to call him, but he was already striding down the hall towards the elevator.

"Girl, what did you do to him because I know that boy is too kind to hurt a fly?"

Before I could answer, he added,

"Wait a minute, did you read him and he didn’t like it?"

"Shit, I won’t blame the boy if it was that, cause I hate that voodoo nonsense" Vera supplied from behind us.

I had forgotten that she was within earshot and her nosy-ass still hated me.

"Only if you don’t like what she read." Harry said, "Dear Sofia, read me and I loved the things she discovered, that’s mostly what brought about our friendship"

"Don’t care that shit is wrong, a complete invasion of one’s privacy and personal life" Vera replied, holding up her fingers to inspect her work.

"But that’s not why the fella is pissed," she continued, "he fell for ’dear Sofia’ and it seems she doesn’t requite the feeling"

"That’s messed up," Harry quipped.

"Tell me about it and worse the girl is yet to tell him that she doesn’t like his ass. Loverboy there, sent her a text and she’s yet to reply" Vera returned.

"I’m still here, you know" I said, irritated that they had forced my mind to

thoughts I had been avoiding.

"Sorry girl" Harry said, making a gesture of shushing Vera. "But you know you can’t do something like that, playing with a guy’s feelings no matter how kind is not something anyone should do_"

"And you think I don’t know that?!" I yelled, cutting him off.

I hadn’t intended to, but his words were like fuel to the guilt burning in my chest.

Cole had looked at me, his expression softening for a second before his scowl deepened.

In a softer measured tone, I tried,

"It’s not that simple, I like him" at their puzzled faces hinting at disbelief, I added, "I really do, but it’s not that simple, I’m trying to actually do him a favor by not leading him on cause a girl like me doesn’t deserve a guy like him"

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, and without waiting for me to answer, he went on, placing his hands on my shoulders, his eyes boring into mine,

"Listen girl, I don’t really know you, but I have quite an astute instinct and it’s telling me that you are not bad, so please stop beating yourself up as if you are and go make that guy happy"

I had smiled at him, momentarily relieved until Vera had to spoil it,

"Harry, your instincts as astute as they are, doesn’t mean they are infallible. You could be wrong about this one, my own instincts tell me, she’s not only bad but rotten"

"Girl, your instincts are as ficklesome

those clouds" Harry noted, pointing to the spring clouds that held the tendency of rain.

"Besides," he continued, "you are judging her by the things she read about you which are true, you will have to tell me about it all later"

Then to me, he said,

"I mean it, you are not bad. That I’m standing here after yesterday’s events is proof enough, so please give yourself some credit, anyway you still haven’t told me why you are here?"

If my morale to do what I meant to do had been fluctuating before, they stilled with Harry’s words. He believed his job was secure and I was going to make sure it stays that way... no matter the cost.

"I’m here to see your boss, we have an unfinished business" was all I could

manage at the moment.

It was hard to lie in the face of someone who believed I was good.

"We are been scanty with our information, noted"

"No, it’s not like that" I quickly offered.

"Relax girl, I’m merely pulling your legs. Whatever business you have with the boss, is none of my business, but I will be lying if I say that I’m not intrigued"

Genuinely relieved, I smiled as he gave me a playful punch on the arm before turning towards Cole.

I caught the boy in question in a rare moment, he was staring at me the same way he had been yesterday, all dreamy and reverencing.

As our eyes collided, he flushed crimson

before averting his eyes. I made to yell and apologized when the elevator dinged.

Guess who decided to show up after almost fifteen minutes after he claimed to be five minutes away... Richard pissing Wellington.