The souvenir

***The Next Morning, 25th April, 8:00 Design Department***

'Sigh... What a day that was. I couldn't sleep last night because I thought about the hickey for too long. Last night I searcher on Internet for "How to hide hickey". They gave me a lots of solution and I tried it but not long lasting. So in the end I come to the office with a scarf around my neck. Him telling me no to cover it, my foot. I'm not even HIS GIRLFRIEND! I'm the kind of person who doesn't believed in the rumors from others; I believe what I saw from my own eyes. But it seems like the rumors that I heard that my boss is a playboy are true. So from now on I've to keep my guard up.'

As I'm mulling over this I hear a voice behind me.

Omkar : "Good morning!"

Anna : "G-good morning!"

Mr. Kaison's gaze stops at my scarf. And he raises his brows in displeasure.

'Is he serious! There're no way that I'm going to do what he told me. I think I've to give him my two cents.'

Anna : "OK listen, I know that you're my boss and I've to obey you order. But... I'm sorry! I can't walk around the office with that! First of all I'm your secretary, not your girlfriend that you do something like that. And second it's bound to start off some rumors. Maybe you don't care about your reputation but I care. "

Omkar : "Reputation... What are you talking about?"

Anna : "I don't know, you know about this or not! But there are some rumors about you being a playboy."

Omkar : "So... Do you believe in that rumors. (he ask in serious tone.)"

Anna : " I don't believed in the rumors from others; I believe what I saw from my own eyes."

Mr. Kaison lets out a sigh and says...

Omkar : "All right, just... come over here for a second."

And leads me towards the empty corridor. The empty corridor leads to a small courtyard.

Omkar's POV

'I don't know what happened to me yesterday that I did that to my secretary. But I'm happy that she didn't believe the rumors that Susan speared.'

Anna : "What is it that you call me for, Mr. Kaison ?"

Omkar: "You don't have to rush the things. You don't have anything urgent now, do you ?"

Anna : "Well no, but..."

Omkar : "Then there should be no problem, right? Besides, it's not like I'm gonna eat you up or something."

' She have keep her guard up and want to leave my side as soon as possible. Well I can't blame her. The way I behave yesterday any decent woman will do that. But right now I can't let her leave, there is something I've to give her.'

Omkar : "Ms. Cooper. There is something that I wanna give you."

Anna : "Give me?"

I took it from my pocket and hand her the thing.

Omkar : "This is yours, right?"

Anna : "It's my necklace."

I just hands it over to her, and I can tell by her expression that she is shock and the same time relieved. This necklace must be very important for her.

Anna : "Why do you have it?"

I stares at her with the undecipherable expression of mine. 'What kind of question is this?' Then she...

Anna : "Oh!"

Then I takes out a cigarette.

Omkar : "Can I ?"

Anna : "Please go ahead. If you want to kill yourself then go ahead."

Omkar : "....."

Anna : "What? Why are you looking at me like that about? You know smoking is injurious to health, it causes cancer. It's even write on the packet. But even thought it write on the packet, people smoke."

Omkar : "I know! But I don't smoke all the time. I only smoke to release my tension and I can only smoke here."

Anna : "OK! But how ever it's dangerous for your health. Not for only you but for everybody who smoke."

She really is health conscious, She don't like alcool, don't like cigarette. And as a humanity, she is the first one who concern about my health.

Omkar : "This is the first time someone told me to stop smoking."

Anna : "What do you mean by the first time ? Aren't there anyone... I mean your parents or the elders?"

Omkar : "I lost my parents in a car accident when I was 12 year old. And I don't smoke in front of the elders."

Anna : "Oh! I'm sorry."

Omkar : "Don't be. It's been a long time."

Anna : "By the way why didn't you give me my necklace on the first day?"

Feeling embarrassed, I look at her

Omkar : "I wanted to give it to you yesterday but I forgot."

Anna : "Oh! OK!"

'Looks like she don't believe me. But it's true, I thought I'll give it to the found and missing counter and by coincidence she happened to be my new secretary. I thought I'll return her in the end of the day but after what happen I totally forgot. And that's why I Bering her here first in the morning to return it to her.'

Omkar : "Well, if you don't believe me, then fine."

Anna : "..."

Omkar : "But you know... appearing at a party looking like that would..."

Anna : "What?"

Omkar : "No, nothing. Anyway, I gave it back to you."

Anna : "Thank you very much!"

Omkar : "Yeah, don't lose it again."

Anna : "Never!"

Omkar : "You look so happy! Was it worth that much to you ?"

Anna : Yes, it's very important to me.

Omkar : Was it from your boyfriend or something ?

Anna : "WHAT? No!"

Omkar : "Then why do you care so much about this locket."

Anna : "Because It was belong to my mother."

Omkar : "Was?"

Anna : "Yes! My mother dead after my birth. Before she died, she gave this to my father as her souvenir. And When I was 18 years old, my father gave this to me as their blessing. So I've never separate it to me. The locket necklace is the only thing that I have as my mother souvenir. It's very precious to me. "

Omkar : "Oh! I'm sorry."

Anna : "It's all right! And thank you very much for give it back to me."

Omkar : "You're welcome!"

'I'm glad that I return her locket back. And I'm happy to see her happy.'

I don't know when I smiled myself seeing her smile. And she is surprise, seeing me smiling.

Omkar : "Why do you look so surprised?"

Anna : "Because I've never seen you smile like that."

Omkar : "I'm humain too, you know?"

Anna : "Um... I'm sorry. It was rude of me to think..."

Omkar : "Does it surprise you that I crack up?"

Anna : "Um... Well... I...."

'It's really funny to see her like this. She's confuse and at the same time frustrate.'

She was thinking, how she is going to give me a proper answer. I raise my arm to reach for her shoulder. And just as I'm about to touch her...

Anonymous : "Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting."

Omkar : "Wh--!"

Anna : "Oh!"

My body jerks up, when I saw the man coming from the shadow. It's none other than one of my best friend and colleague Henri. And when he was approaching to us ; I look at Anna, she didn't move a bit; she stay where she was.

Omkar : "How long were you watching us for?"

Henri : "Oh just a bit before you two were about to get it going."

Omkar : "Heh. That's what you think...?"

Henri : "Oh? So were you going to start making out then?"

Anna : "OK! Now I'm start to believe in the rumors."

Omkar : "Please don't listen to him Ms. Cooper. And you... No, we weren't doing that either!"

Henri : "Are you sure? I mean the two of you, in a secretive place like this. It can only mean one thing, right?"

'OK! I'm not going to blame him even thought what rubbish thing he is saying. But if there anyone else they will think the same think as him. And the way Ms. Cooper looking at him, I'm sure, she doesn't like him.'

And when Henri notice the way she looking at him, he straightens himself up and smiles at her.

Henri : "Hello. I'm Henri Shaven, the Sales strategy Department manager."

Anna : "Hi, I'm Anna Cooper, And I'm not glad to meet you."

Henri : "Oh! That's new! You really are something else. You are the first one to saying something like that to me. I'm really glad to meet you in person."

Henri said as he take her hand in his hand. And she let him shake her hand without hesitation. And it's been a moment that Henri staring at her while keeping her hand in his hand. It's get my nerve!

Omkar : "Hey, stop messing with us."

She withdraw her hand as she notice I get irritated.

Henri : "Ok, All right."

Henri shrugs his shoulders. Raising his arms, Henri pulls away from her to say he won't touch me.

Henri : "Excuse me for casually touching a lady I've just met. I forgot that people don't engage in much physical contact.... except for lovers and people you have affection for, right?"

Saying so, Henri gives me and Ms. Cooper a meaningful smile. And Ms. Cooper find his comments funny, so she giggle. It's make me annoyed at her for laughing. And when she notice that I'm annoyed for her laughing on his comments, she says...

Anna : "What? You also did the same thing as him. At the party didn't you?"

After hearing her, Henri looked at me with a surprise expression. Before he could ask any question, I cut him out and ask...

Omkar : "What is it that you want ?"

Henri : "Hmph, you seem to start boiling when it comes to Ms. Cooper."

Omkar : …

I glares at him 'Is he serious. Why is he talking nonsense before her'.

Omkar : "Listen, I just wanted to see what your favorite lady looked like."

Anna : "Favorite?"

Henri : "Yeah! There's rumors everywhere, about the photoshoot meeting yesterday... That the cameraman tried to hit on you, but then he rushed in to save you right?"

Anna : "Oh, That! Well what's the rumors says are true except the one he rushed in to save me!"

Henri : "What do you mean?"

Anna : "What I mean to say that he rushed in to save the cameraman from me. If not, right now the cameraman will be in the hospital."

Henri : "Wow! OK! I didn't expect that!"

Omkar : "Hey, enough of this."

Henri : "All right, all right, I'll stay out of your way. Ms. Cooper, let's talk without Mr. party pooper around next time, eh?"

Anna : "Oh, uh, sure! Why not!"

'You must be kidding with me right. There's no away that I'm going to let that happen. Over my dead body!'

Henri : "OH, Yeah! I came here to call you for the meeting. It's almost the time!"

Omkar : "OK, let's go!"