Chapter 24 Good News

Brenda entered her office, and tiredly dropped into her chair. She just got back from yet another meeting, and she was worn. Her luggage was packed, resting in a corner at the suite and ready to be moved.

She looked around her office at the aisle of files that still begged for her attention. She kept meaning to search through the office maybe she will see something that backed Dave s claim. Not that she doubt the truth of his allegations but the lawyer in her wouldn t allow her just accept the claim that her father was a fraud without evidence or a proof. She s searched a few places nothing yet. Though she still needed to do a top to bottom search, just maybe she will come across something; but she hadn t gotten to it yet.

In between attending series of meeting with prospects, which has not yielded anything really and staying at Dave s who s her self-appointed chauffeur, and has made it his duty to see she was well catered for; not that she was complaining. Maybe after the move she will dedicate time to search alone without her assistant s well-meaning but nosy interference.

A gentle tap on her door drew her from her musings. If she guessed right, Angelina was right there on the other side of the door. She had somewhat turned herself to a mother figure, and she appreciated but Gosh she can be overbearing sometimes. Especially at times like this one when she was tired out of her bone.

"Hey, Brenda, got a minute?" She entered without waiting for her response.

"Do I have a choice?" Brenda asked with tolerance.

"Not really" she smiled and wiggled her well arched brows. "A fine gentle man caller is waiting at the reception. He s the finest piece I ever seen in a long while, aside my Johnny of course." She giggled.

Brenda laughed in spite of herself.

"He s tall and handsome with them, broad shoulders that will give Clark Kent a run for his money." She gushed.

"Angelina, you watched too many movies. Please let me in" Brenda giggled.

"Can t help it when I see a fine young man. I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case you want to quickly powder your nose or something." She turned towards the door to open, but not before she looked over her shoulder to give her boss a wink.

One can never be bored with Angelina. Her vivaciousness is on another level. Brenda sat straight and quickly dab at her face with a handkerchief. That was all she could do before the door opened to admit Dave s Larger than life presence.

"I didn t know you have a Vivaca.A.Fox in your office." He said with amusement, as he walked towards Brenda s table. "I didn t meet the first time I came, and even after that"

"That s because the first time you came they ve all gone home for the day, and as for other times I always meet you at the parking lot, remember." She explained with a funny expression.

Dave smiled in tenderness at her. He worked hard to take his hands off her all these days. And he meant what he said. He needed her invitation before he will touch her. It was killing him, like now that she s looking at him with her mega watt smile. "Hey, how are you?" he asked instead, sitting across from her.

Hey, I m good." She smiled admiringly at him. Her smile got bigger when she remembered what Angelina said about him earlier.

"That s the smile… priceless. I should come here more often, if I would be treated to that," Indicating her beautiful smile.

"You do come here often, at least in the last two weeks. Only that you were too busy to come in and chat" A fact Brenda appreciated. Dave was there to pick her up every day despite his busy schedule. She had to get her own car soon. She made a mental note. "Thank you. What do I offer you since it s practically the first time you came in for a visit."

"Hmm, I m hungry for food quite right" at the mention hunger his eyes took a darker shade, caressing her face with his eyes. "And maybe I m hungry for something else too" he said his voice, soft and a tone lower.

The air-conditioned office grew slightly hotter for Brenda to sit still; she squirmed in her seat just a little, clearing her throat of something that suddenly lodged in her voice pipe. "Hmm okay, should we order for food then," she said ignoring his latter sentence.

Dave had a bad boy look on his face and a seductive smile on his lips. He enjoyed teasing Brenda, watching her squirm, literarily, like she did just now make his day. He promised not to touch her with his mouth or hands inappropriately but he didn t say he wasn t going to touch with his eyes or words. "I think we should get something to eat on our way out." He said seriously, all form of seduction vanished.

Brenda looked at him; sitting all serious across from her like he didn t just say those suggestive words to her. Had she imagined it? She questioned her sanity. "We are going out?"

"Yes that s what I just said." Dave smiled at her incoherence. He d like to think he did that to her.

Brenda checked her time; yeah it s 5: 45 pm. she didn t know it s that late, time to go pick her luggage at the hotel. "Yeah but I should get my things" she stammered at the hotel I mean.

"Yes we ll come to that, first we go to a nice restaurant, eat then go back to the hotel for your things." He explained gently like he was talking to a child, but the teasing never left his eyes.

"Okay, let me use the rest room first" she said standing up from her seat "And oh! I have been keeping Angelina waiting. She likes to see me leave before she does. I need to dismiss her for the day."

"Okay, take all the time you need I ll be right here waiting."

Something about those words makes her feel all soft inside. She darted a smile at him on her way to the door. Brenda opened the door to Angelina who almost fell into her arms from eavesdropping.

"I… I dismissed the rest of the staff… and wanted to ask if you need anything" she supplied sheepishly.

"Really," she asked arms akimbo, at the doorway. Brenda barred her teeth at her nosy assistant. At least she had the presence of mind to look embarrassed. "Thank you Angelina, I don t need anything and you can leave now, I will be safe with Mr. Campbell."

"I know you will." She responded. Back to her usual self. "Okay, see you tomorrow Boss"

"She s so impossible" Brenda muttered, closing the door with a little force. She headed to the ladies room.

***

"So how s it going?" He was seated across from Brenda at one of the most prestigious restaurant in town; thinking Brenda deserved only the best. Right now he would like nothing more than to help her pick things up at the firm.

"Well, not as easy as I thought it would be to revive the firm" Brenda narrated, taking a sip of her water.

Dave listened genuinely to her. "You know I have some strings I can pull. That s one privilege to enjoy in my line of work. You get to meet the high profiled.

Brenda was tempted; she was able to see a number of celebrities lodged at the hotel in the weeks she was there. Only her humane side stopped her from approaching some of them, and she didn t know how it would have sat with Dave for her to accost some of their guest. She didn t want to put him in trouble with his elusive boss. "Awn, thanks Dave but I think I got this."

Dave smiled raising his hands in surrender, and admiring her independence. "Okay"

Just then Dave phone beeped. The caller ID showed Mr. Peter Jacobs, the Youth party president. The primary results were out. He d assured Dave he didn t really have that many competitions at the primary election, advising him to focus on the big sharks- inter party election, those age lasting parties, In Peter Jacobs words. Dave wasn t expecting any other news, because as far as he was concerned he was as good as chosen to be the party representative. "Please, I need to take this." He pleaded with his eyes.

"Sure" Brenda concentrated on her food. She didn t mean to eavesdrop, and not that she was worried that Dave might have a wife or girlfriend waiting for him somewhere, but it wouldn t hurt to know who it was he attached such importance to. His conversation didn t sound like lovers chitchat. So she visibly relaxed, truly enjoying her food. He seemed to be receiving good news.

"Sorry about that" he said excitedly.

"Everything alright?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Never better, I guess we will be celebrating after all. He didn t say anything other than that to Brenda. It has not been made official but very soon it will be all over the news and the real campaign will begin. And he would not be able to hide his real self for much longer. For now he wanted to enjoy their companionship.

"Great, so what are toasting to? She raised her glass of wine. She didn t want to press for any information. If he wanted to he would tell her in his own time.

"To progress" Dave flashed his beautiful set of teeth in genuine happiness. Something he s been doing often these days in Brenda s company.

"To progress" she repeated. "Congratulations"

Thank you.

I think I should inform Ella about the news and Ceci…" Dave remembered he was not on talking terms with his Aunt and that kind of put a damper on his mood. He d avoided her since the day she told her the big secrete. And he still not sure he has forgiven. It s not her part in the fraud, she wouldn t have known about Lewis intentions. But the fact that she kept all these from him for years.

Brenda observed his sudden mood change. "What s the problem?" she requested concerned.

"I just remembered I m not talking with my Aunt and I ll really like to tell her the good news"

"Then go talk to her. It s obviously eating you up not talking to her."Brenda suggested.

Dave gave her a sad smile. "I don t know, if I have it in my to forgive her. I felt betrayed."

"Sorry to say this but really life is too short to hold grudges. And she didn t commit a crime, she only withheld a truth she knew you were better off not knowing."

"She should have allowed me be the judge of that" he said curtly.

It was Brenda s turn to raise her hands in surrender. "Okay do as you please. But it would be nice to consider." She said to calm his agitation. "And you still have another person to share your news with… Ella" Brenda said to raise his mood.

"Yeah you are right; we have a party to plan," his excitement returning. "What I ll do without my sister?"

"You guys are really close."

"Yes, we didn t have a choice. We only got each other."

"How sweet" she said with compassion.

"Speaking of which did you get back to her? She asked me to tell you she tried your number a dozen times."

"Yeah, I dare not ignore her messages. I don t want to risk her volatile temper"

"Yeah right," she giggled.

***

Finally the news he was waiting for had arrived. He s representing his party in the coming election. And he s still waiting for news of other parties candidates. Lewis liked to know who his competitors are. It wouldn t hurt to know who he was up against, only that the news was yet to reach him. News he hadn t heard again, was about his daughter. He had to do something about his daughter. She wasn t talking to him and that s driving him nuts. Thankfully he told Greg to keep an eye on her. Greg hasn t given him any report about Dave or Brenda. Maybe he should visit her office un-announced. Then she'll have no choice other than listen to him.