Secretary Andrew Receives a Text

Andrew received a text, "Let us go shopping"

"Uhm. me? us? why me? kinda random, Mrs. Lopez."

"I have always wanted to go shopping with my son."

Andrew stared dumbfounded at Mrs. Lopez's reply. He had to re-visit their whole conversation just to ensure that their whole conversation wasn't a mistake. He peaked at the busy bullpen of their office floor. It was still the middle of the workday, and the team was still bustling. He glanced through window of Allen's office and saw the man stealing a glance at Andrew, though he suddenly pretended not to. Luiz chuckled behind Allen. Andrew gave him the middle finger.

He let out a heavy sigh as he glanced at his phone. To be honest, he didn't want to be alone with Mrs. Lopez. Especially now that Andrew wasn't sure where he stood in all of this, and he was in some kind of weird limbo with Allen.

He swiped his phone and sent a response.

"Want to bring your two other sons? Or u too shy?"

"Do they like shopping?"

"Allen was very happy when we went shopping for Secretary Andrew's suits. He has a thing for dark formal wear, dunno maybe it's a fetish."

A few moments passed and Andrew didn't receive a reply. At the back of Andrew's mind, he wondered if Mrs. Lopez was disappointed in him. He tried to put it out, but it was further brought into the light when Mrs. Lopez sent an email to Secretary Andrew asking for Allen's schedule.

Dear Secretary Andrew

This was the first line of her email which he couldn't stop staring at. Would Mrs. Lopez prefer Secretary Andrew over Alfonso?

Andrew pulled out Allen's daily schedule for the afternoon. Every hour was already blocked, though he already knew this. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. This wasn't the time to feel this way. He cheered himself up with a shot of delicious gin and did what Secretary Andrew did best: kick ass.

After rescheduling all of Allen's meeting for the day, he immediately told Mrs. Lopez of her son's free afternoon. Andrew's phone immediately pinged.

"We are bringing the boys along!"

"When?"

"Now."

"Mrs. Lopez?" Sonna's purposely loud voice echoed throughout the floor, and everybody scrambled to greet her, except Andrew. Instead, he jolted from his seat, crouched down under his deck, and slotted himself between his pedestals. He was invisible.

"I never knew being small would be benefit me," he mumbled.

Snippets of the conversation reached his ear, but the team's valiant effort to buy time was useless as Mrs. Lopez's voice got clearer and sharper. Until finally she was directly in front of Andrew's desk.

"Oh," she said, surprised. "Where is Secretary Andrew? He had just sent a reply to me a few moments ago. This is my first time visiting my son's office. I had wanted to see this legendary secretary that everyone's been gossiping about."

Andrew was supposed to be pleased, but he didn't know why he felt empty instead.

"Mother?" Andrew heard Luiz's surprised voice. "What are you doing here? Are you not supposed to be at home?"

"Luiz, pack up your belongings we are going shopping with Alfonso."

"Shopping? Why? Did you ask for Alfonso's permission or is this one of your I've turned a new leaf so I'm being spontaneous antics?"

After a beat, Allen's voice came. "We can't just go shopping in the middle of the day," he said. "We are jampacked with meetings this afternoon. You should have inquired with Secretary Andrew beforehand. You know how busy it is here. Now, its best you go home. We can go on the weekend. Toodles."

"As Alfonso would say, take a load of this email conversation."

A long pause. Andrew's back had started to ache a little.

"Since when have you been emailing with Secretary Andrew?" Luiz asked. "Also, that is impossible, how is our afternoon clear suddenly?"

"Secretary Andrew," Allen grumbled. "Yeah, he can do that. I don't know how, though. I still have not figured it out."

Andrew's hand swiped his phone from atop desk and texted Allen.

She wants to spend time with you.

Allen's phone pinged. After a beat, Allen sighed again.

"Alright, alright, let's get this over with. Let's go. We can meet Alfonso in the mall."

"You know son when Alfonso isn't here. You start to talk like him."

"I could say the same to you," Allen grumbled.

Their voices became smaller and smaller until they had disappeared. A pair of legs on doll shoes appeared in front of Andrew. She bent down and Claire smirked at Andrew, amused.

"They're gone," said Claire. "Just send me what we need to do for this afternoon before you go."

Andrew rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, Claire."

"Have fun shopping with your in-laws," she replied with a chuckle. Her eyes glittered at the potential gossip.