Number 22 (4)

"What can I do for you, Miss?" Jorge repeated by emphasizing each word. Gone was that sexy smile he had had on his face throughout that beautiful weekend. He still felt the same but just not quite right. She could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but something was definitely off.

She loosened her arms and legs but still held onto him, flabbergasted.

"I – I -" she opened her mouth several times like a fish gasping for air outside of its water environment.

Exactly how was she supposed to answer that question? She had envisioned many scenarios, including wild make-out sessions in the office but never one where she was asked what she wanted. At that moment, Racheal felt a little foolish, but she had to see him. She still remained in her position wrapped around him, and he made no move to step away from her.

Jorge still stood 'frozen', and Ryan sprang into action and forcibly but skillfully pulled Rachael from him. It was as if he had done this several times in the past. That was when she came back to her senses, but by then, she was almost by the door. She observed the now cold look on Jorge's face. 'He had never been like that. What has happened to him for him to change that much?' she asked herself, but then she screamed at the top of her shrill voice,

"It's me, Jorge! … Jor-rrrr-ge!!! Don't you remember me? Your girlfriend? You can't do this to me! Jor-rrrr-ge!!!"

"Miss, you cannot do this here. This is an office space, and you cannot be acting this way!" Ryan told her firmly and, afterwards, 'guided' her out of Jorge's office and closed the door firmly behind her.

He re-opened the door and pushed her suitcase out after her.

It happened so fast that by the time Rachael realised, she was back out of the office and in front of the secretaries present. She wanted to dig a hole and hide herself in it out of embarrassment. Rachael was so infuriated! She screamed hysterically. No one had ever treated her that way before! She was number twenty-two, for Pete's sake!

Rachael stomped her feet but had not realised that she had screamed the words in her head out loud. The secretary who had 'ushered' her in earlier, approached her with a pitying look on her face.

"Miss, it is not my place to give you advice, but-"

Rachael, whose face was very red then, held up her hand and interrupted, "Good that you know it is not your place!"

But the secretary continued as if she had not heard from her, "I would treat you like a client or a business partner if you were one, but as you are my rival, I think that I can speak to you as an equal."

The word rival pipped Racheal's attention, and she now gave her full attention to her.

The secretary smiled at her,

"My dear, you said that you are number twenty-two. Some of us here have numbers, too, but you do not see us throwing tantrums to see him. Do you?"

Rachael's eyes widened. She had thought that the number twenty-two was just a pet name, but she was really a number. What the heck?

The secretary continued as if she had not seen the changing emotions on the girl's face. "I am number thirty-six, and that girl, you see that the back is number twenty-three. That 'wonderful' weekend was enjoyed by all of us …

As if on cue, "You mean the way he moved his long fingers over my body?" the girl, who was identified as number twenty-three, drawled as she licked her index finger provocatively. Her eyes glazed over as if she was in her own dreamland. Number thirty-six threw a smile at her friend and winked. "I know, right? Those fingers of his are just magical!"

"I wish I had experienced that myself, but sadly, I never got a number…" another sighed. Rachael's face kept getting priceless by the minute, but the girls just laughed openly at her.

Number thirty-six continued, "… but we understand our boundaries, and you should understand this very well. I mean, twenty-two was so a long time ago. The last I heard; the number was up to the sixties now.

Also, as of today, he is off the market; you better check the news and gossip channels on your way out! This is me doing you a favour before you create any more havoc!"

Racheal stumbled on her feet even though there were no obstacles in front of her. She felt a lone tear roll down her cheeks as she slowly dragged her feet and bag out of the office. The pitying looks, gimmicks, and light laughter of the secretaries followed her out back to the elevator.

Inside Jorge's office, he was also fuming but for a different reason.

"Is she, not the one that we have a contract discussion with tomorrow?" he coldly asked Ryan.

"Ah-yes,"

"So, she is the acquaintance that I know? Right?" Ryan scratched his head and nodded.

The contract to be signed had some unfavourable terms for them, the Trimshaw Industries, but Ryan had assured him that it would be a favour he was doing for an 'acquaintance.' Jorge never liked to mix business with pleasure, and that was why he had exes as secretaries with no problems whatsoever but this…

"If she is the reason that I have to spend my Saturday here, then cancel the meeting and tell them that we have terminated any relationship between us. The contract signing will not come off. Since there is no commitment yet, there will be no penalty, but as a gesture of goodwill, they can send us their bill for the flight, and we will cover it."

"Understood!" came the brisk response from Ryan. Jorge then undressed as he gave the instructions. Discarding the clothes, he changed into new ones from an adjacent room that had complete sets of office clothes. He felt disgusted as he dropped the ones he was wearing.

Jorge was especially angry because no woman had ever entered his office! He had a meeting room where he met and had all his meetings with his clients, investors, and other visitors. To date, only Ryan and his best friend, who called himself, Mauricio, were the only ones who had ventured into his office.

Jorge strode out of the office in repulse because the strong perfume that Rachael had on was now all over the office; even though she had left for a few minutes, it was strong as if she was still there.

"Clean out the office thoroughly before I come back! And throw those away!" he indicated towards the clothes on the floor.

Jorge threw the instructions over his shoulder and headed home to see his new family.

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