07

Emmy carefully placed the strap of the large bag on Eliza’s worn shoulders. After the hostile meeting with her brother, the rest of the week and the weekend had been trying for both women. Eliza went into a mild depression, and Emmy sympathized with her considering that the father was already out of the question ; the only thing Eliza needed to worry about was her and her baby’s well-being.

« Are you going to be okay ? »Emmy questioned as Eliza grabbed her purse from the elegant kitchen counter.

Eliza raised her head to the anxious brown eyes and shrugged her shoulders.

« It’s okay. Just take care of yourself while you’re away, » Emmy smiled weakly.

Eliza nodded and slowly dragged towards the door. Emmy looked down and smiled at the pair of comfortable flats on the new mom’s feet, but quickly wiped away her joy when Eliza suddenly turned around in a panic.

Eliza put her hand on her chest, but before she could ask, Emmy giggled, « Don’t worry. You left him enough food. »

« Okay, » Eliza sighed before shaking the button and rushing out.

The Bluestar elevator stopped at the thirty-fifth floor, and Eliza was unaware of the separation doors until a few passengers flocked around her. Rushing outside, she ran down the hallway but stopped mid-stride and sighed before making a detour to the bathroom.

Finally, she was at her desk. She had not met any immediate obligations in the morning and it was normal for the pressure to start when she intervened every day at 7 a.m. Now it was 11 :30, and she was starting to think that she would actually have a full morning of peace.

About ten minutes later, she heard a knock on her door and she took her time to get up and answer it.

« Good morning, Mr. Daniels, » she greeted, hiding her surprise badly.

« Good morning, Miss Kelly. Did you have a moment for a brief conversation ? »he smiles.

His expression dropped, « By the way ? »

« Oh… really anything. I’m having a slow day, and I thought I’d stop, » he shrugged nervously.

« Oh, uh… of course, » she whispered, opening the door wide for him.

« How was your weekend ? »Troy asked, walking around his office– one hand in his pocket.

She sat down at her desk as if she were sitting in space for the first time, « Good… yours, Mr. Daniels ? »

« Great. Lazy, but great, » he chuckled, observing a panoramic photo on his wall.

Silence pervaded the room, and Troy turned quickly to find Eliza’s anticipatory eyes on him.

« Sorry. I was just taking a furtive look. I like photography, and I really asked to talk to you so that I could take a look at this piece, » he joked.

However, when she didn’t laugh, he quickly made efforts to recover from his misinterpreted joke, « I… I was just kidding. Actually, I came to ask you a question. »

« Yes ? »she grumbled.

He frowned and sighed, « Are you very busy right now ? »

She shook her head, « No. Not really. »

« Oh well. I was wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me and a few other guys ? »he asked, pointing his thumb towards the door.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had gone out to lunch with a group at work. Her initial instinct was to refuse the request, but then she was hungry.

There was an unmistakable look of satisfaction on Troy’s face as he and Eliza descended inside the Bluestar building.

« How is the baby ? »he snuck into ten floors before they reached the bottom.

Eliza admired him with surprise, but forced a response, « Good. »

« Boy or girl ? »He asked cautiously.

« Girl, » she sighed with relief as the doors opened.

Still, her composure dissipated the moment she noticed the distant brown eyes looking at her with an accompanying smile on their face. She did not know how her feet carried her to the other three men, but she followed Troy. Andrew was glad Troy was able to get her out, but it was the anxiety on her face that kept the uncontrollable smile on his. Eliza was eager to get back inside the building, especially since Andrew was remarkably calm in the noisy group that was walking to a nearby restaurant.

« I’ve already made a reservation for five people, » Troy chuckled before looking down at Eliza.

She showed her teeth, smiling awkwardly. Troy pouted as he asked if she was okay, and Eliza lied as she nodded before grabbing onto her purse more firmly.

Sitting at the round table in the restaurant turned out to be even worse. Andrew made sure to get in front of her, while Troy pulled a chair for Eliza next to him.

After the men had rehearsed what they wanted to order from the cheerful waitress, Eliza weakly asked for a salad from behind her menu from the young woman who had to bend over to hear her. As soon as the girl left, Eliza was disturbed by the men who were caring for the girl. Their whispers with sly smiles must have been due to the beauty of the waitress. Troy, however, was too busy enjoying the small dessert menu he pulled from the middle of the table.

Troy shook his head and bent down to quietly confess to Eliza : « I have a terrible weakness for fudge. »

She noticed the sincere smile on his face as he continued to flip through the miniature menu. He turned back to her and his eyes narrowed because of the wide, closed-mouthed smile that he sent back to her. Troy was always a little strange compared to their peers. We could always find him pointing to something small or unrelated to the topic at hand, normally making those who were close to him laugh.

« So Eliza… you had the baby, » she heard Andrew start out of the blue.

With fright, she looked up at him and looked at the other anticipatory eyes– including the joyful look of Troy. She nodded and cleared her throat.

« Boy or girl ? »a colleague next to Andrew asked.

Andrew’s smile faded as he waited to hear the answer, but Eliza was saved as soon as the same man sighed as if he were suddenly exhausted : « It doesn’t matter. Anyway, it’s hell when they are born for the first time. »

« That’s right. You have a one-year-old, John, » Troy remarked excitedly.

« And let me tell you. I thought being a father would be easier. Do you know how many times my wife threatened my life ? Once she admitted that my breathing near her was a problem. Do you know how they say that babies look like fathers when they are born ? Shit. I needed an air raid shelter from Carol the first few months. She hated me, » John laughed. « 3AM, feed the baby, 4AM murder my husband in his sleep. »