01

A vanished glance was directed at the square analog clock at the opposite end of his desk. It was time to leave, and she had spent most of her morning gathering all the reassurance she would need on the first day back since giving birth. Eliza got up quickly and went to the nearby mirror hanging on the wall.

She was afraid of what she might see, but she had to look to make sure it was enough for watchful eyes. Gaunt features were always present, making the angular cheekbones more cutting, but a simple layer of foundation temporarily masked the shallow surface of the cocoa. A full set of lips was still desaturated by fatigue and the desire of his body to recover everything that he recently lost. After a quick return to her purse, a tinted lip balm did its duty by painting over the obvious deficiency.

Under a portrait carved in the reflection, she looked exactly the same, or at least she convinced herself that it was so. Running a hand over her wavy hair, she made sure that her eyes were not as bloodshot as when she had taken one last look at her reflection. Still, it was hard to tell when her normally rounded eyes were more comfortable in an inclined state. Eliza could barely remember the drive to the building– not to mention the time she had gone to bed.

Stepping back to see herself more, Eliza pushed her chest and used her fingers to tuck more of her blouse into the waist of her pencil skirt. She nodded approvingly, but then insecurely pulled the thin cloth again. Being embarrassed was not something she had felt for some time, but her current reflection made her opinions about herself much more delicate.

After another glance at the clock, she snatched a leather wallet and some Manila folders from her desk. It was time to show himself to the world again. So, just as she was placing the tips of her fingers on the knob of her frosted doors, Eliza’s eyes were closed– engaging in a silent call with herself to keep it together.

Before she could strut down the hall, she was interrupted as soon as she opened her doors, « Hello, Mrs. Kelly. »

Looking at the surprised teenager, Eliza pulled herself together and nodded back. It wasn’t a shock that the young intern with the big eyes was taken aback by her less plump appearance.

« What would you like for lunch today ? »a soft and shy voice inquired, finally looking up from Eliza’s slightly fitted blouse that strategically hid the physical sequelae of the child’s birth.

Eliza forced a more cheerful appearance, « Don’t worry about that today. I already have my own supplies. Thank you, Vanessa. »

« Yes, ma’am, » the intern fainted, while the person she was supposed to take care of was already walking down the hall with determination.

Reaching the double doors had been easy, but it was while crossing them that Eliza found the real obstacle. Nothing should have changed. Everything should go as it should, despite the latest ongoing event.

She pressed the button and saw the gentlemen at the table talking among themselves. Of course–and as she expected– when she entered the room, voices came down and drifted in low whispers. Eliza traditionally took her place at the end of the long table and fixed her eyes on the files that she was beginning to unroll in front of her.

She had nothing to say, even if the ten-man room and her boss wanted to. It was none of their business that she gave birth this weekend, and she wasn’t going to feel obligated to talk about it Monday morning.

« Hello everyone, » the CEO and founder, Ms. Blackwell, began. However, his tone was more dead than usual. Eliza could detect why, after finally lifting her head to find an icy blue gaze directed at her.

Dangerously arched black eyebrows were interrupted in question. The angular jaw and the pointed chin suited the features of such a tiny look. The natural thinness of Blackwell’s red-painted lips was pinched and hidden appropriately when she had to hold her tongue. The fine hair, colored in an artificial black, was pulled back in a precise coil further accentuating the artificial emaciation that served as a thesis for the rest of the frame of his body.

Blackwell continued, his eyes fixed on his uncomfortable employee in the conference room, « The purpose of this morning’s meeting is to update all Board members with Bluestar Technology’s current and future investments… courtesy of our finance department. »

A slight relief overwhelmed Eliza, because she immediately concluded that she would not have to pay much attention to the summary lecture. Most of the information that was going to be presented to the Board of Directors concerned all the research and the figures that she had provided to Blackwell before last weekend. Eliza was not a direct member of Bluestar’s financial department, but all the information sifted through her before ending up on Blackwell’s desk.

Even if she wanted to keep her eyes on the projected screen to make sure that Blackwell had not reduced valuable information, Eliza could not prevent the monotonous from fading into the background. She could not concentrate ; she could not hear herself thinking, knowing that his eyes would not withdraw from her. He was at the bottom of the table and she knew he would want to talk, but she still wasn’t ready. Eliza was focused on her files, never tolerating the idea of minding her personal affairs at work.

There was a reason Andrew’s seat was on the other side of the table. Over time, the farthest seat was the place where he felt most comfortable. She found it irritating that he could barely look at her before, but now she was the only subject for him in the room.

As soon as the meeting was over, she left the glances and the whispers and slipped into the corridor. She had new research to prepare, and the reports were sure to be long and in abundance–all suitable distractions.

As soon as the door closed, she pressed her back against the cold surface and finally released the air she was holding captive. Everything went much easier than she would have predicted. However, now that she was back and in new condition, she could only watch the clock and wait for an email that could send her to Blackwell’s suite.

Before Eliza could even sit down at her desk, the door to her office opened wide. Frightened, she turned around to find a man with a flush face unkindly closing the door behind him.

« What are you doing ? You can’t come into my office like that, » Eliza protested, shocked.

Andrew was already threatening to burn traces in his carpet, as he walked around his door. He ran his hand through a freshly faded haircut of shiny black strands, while pushing a fist on his hip. Eliza was surprised that he was so overwhelmed by what she knew that he had burst in.

« Leave my office now, » she demanded with a point at his door.

The dark brown eyes narrowed into thin slits of paper, and he drew air from his nose, fulminating « Did you have the baby ?! »

« Lower your voice. We are in a professional environment, Mr. Louis, » Eliza reminded him anxiously with fluttering eyes.

He rushed to her desk and she immediately pulled him out of her line of sight.

« Leave, » she threatened again.

« How could you not tell me that you had it ?! »he exclaimed, slamming his hands on the cherry-finished wooden top.

He knew there was a baby ; he had known all this time that Eliza was going to have a baby. The moment she entered the meeting room, Andrew was immediately bruised by the fact that Eliza had had her baby.

« Would it have mattered ? »she shot back, suddenly facing him with fiery eyes.

« Yes ! »he came back with an ultimate annoyance.

Her breaths were fervent, and she hadn’t realized that she was more than prepared to face him now, « No. No, it wouldn’t have. In fact, Mr. Louis, this is the most that you have ever spoken to me in the last eight and a half months. So why would I let you know I was having the baby ? »

He clenched his teeth and seethed : « Where is it ? »