Reaching 30: Chapter 1
[Author's Note: Sneak preview of the novel being written for NaNoWriMo.]
The postcard read “My dearest jewel, I miss you so much! I wished to be with you now! Love, Edward” Tossing the postcard to the dustbin, Calista continued her work. She didn’t care about Edward despite his declarations of undying love for her.
All she felt for him was a sense of irritation and annoyance. He was persistant and she wished that the earth would swallow him up at times. All the bouquets and flowers he sent almost every week were often given away to her female or male subordinates. The males wanted to pacify their girlfriends or wives. The females just wanted to feel romantic or make their husbands or boyfriends feel jealous.
Calista enjoyed her work and was happy to be an events planner manager. Being in this position wasn’t easy as she had to overcome prejudice from men who often gave her that “What-is-a-woman-here-for” look whenever she visited her clients with her male subordinates.
However, her efforts and results have paid off and her director was always satisfied with her work. Everyone in the office respected her as she often stood by them when they had problems with difficult clients.
Her phone rang just before lunch. It was Edward. He wanted to lunch with her. Rejection seemed impossible when her secretary pointed that he was just outside her door. Sighing, Calista resigned herself to an agonising lunch with him.
Just as they were leaving the office, Calista saw her regular client. “Mr Fu! What are you doing here?” Mr Fu beamed at her and introduced his friends saying that he was bringing them to see her. “What a surprise, do you want to have lunch first? We can always discuss it during lunch.”
“Will I be disrupting you and your…”
“No! No! He was just leaving.” Calista cut Mr Fu off before he could complete his sentence as it was simply drive Edward’s ego further, something she didn’t want. She left with Mr Fu and his friends happy for the intervention. Edward was left at the lift lobby. He scowled at her leaving back.
When she returned to her office, her secretary was worried for her. “Miss Teo, I doubt that Edward is happy. He looked evil just now when you left.”
“Lucy, I think he is harmless. I have tried to tell him in whatever ways I could to let him know I don’t like him but he still doesn’t get it. I think this ought to let him know that I don’t care to have lunch or anything with him at all.”
However, Lucy was worried because his face was scary at the lobby and she couldn’t convince her boss that he could be up to nothing good even with his nerdy appearance. She left the room reluctantly and hoped Calista would be safe.
Calista took note of Lucy’s words to heart. She didn’t want her colleagues to be worried about her when it was her problem. Edward was known to be persistent and today’s episode must have wounded his ego even more than the previous times.
She just couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t let go when she had informed him in various ways that she wasn’t remotely interested in him and had always rejected his advances. Sighing inwardly, she started on her planning for her new clients.
It was two weeks later when a woman stormed into her office demanding her to leave her husband alone. Calista was called a slut, bitch, snake and all other terms that the angry woman could think of. Shocked, Calista didn’t know how to react but she had no idea who the husband was.
“Who is your husband” she asked when the tirade died down due to the woman pausing for breath.
“You don’t know who he is?” the shriek was hurting the ears. “He is Owen Fu! The two of you have been meeting each other almost everyday and he hasn’t been home for the past two weeks!”
“Mrs Fu, your husband and I were only talking about work. I have a business dealing with him.”
“My foot! Work indeed!” Mrs Fu spat out the words as if they were vile. “The two of you have entered different hotels for 3 consecutive days and you telling me it’s work?”
“The hotels are for selecting the ballrooms.”
“Right! I don’t believe you, you little slut!” At that moment, the security guards arrived to pull the angry and jealous wife out of the office. “So, you need bodyguards now? I’ll have a piece of you!” Mrs Fu struggled to be freed so that she could slap Calista. However, she was no match for the guards. Soon, she was dragged away screaming and kicking her way out of the building.
Calista sat down at her desk in shock. She didn’t know that by meeting her clients after work would affect their families. She never had any problems with any of her clients until now.
“Miss Teo?” Lucy was at her door. Calista motioned for her to enter. Lucy closed the door behind her and sat in front of her. “Here’s your hot drink. I think you need it now.”
Calista took the hot milo from her and sipped it, grateful to have such an efficient secretary. “Lucy, I will need to cancel my appointments for today. I’m going to take the day off and leave today’s work to your capable hands.” Nodding, Lucy took note and left the room. Calista proceeded to pack and called Sonia for a drink.
Sonia arrived at the pub at the same time as Calista. She was the only one Calista would confide in first. They found a corner in the pub and ordered their drinks. Enjoying the atmosphere, they drank in silence until Calista recounted her scary encounter with a jealous wife.
Sonia listened with animated eyes. Finally, she said, “Well, from the looks of you, I can understand why she called you a slut. You still look beautiful while she could be frumpy looking. And going to a hotel with a man does look suspicious.”
“I know, but I was really talking to the hotel managers with my client. I just don’t understand why she didn’t go and ask them if she doesn’t believe her husband.”
“From her point of view, her husband is quite influential and could easily influence anyone to just ‘lie’ to her. She is getting older and feeling inadequate when dealing with her younger counterparts.”
“Sonia, you could be right. She was all wild-haired when she stormed into my office just now and the guards did have some difficulty trying to stop her from clawing at me. I think my face would have been the first to go.”
Sonia laughed but she was serious when she replied, “True but if it were any other woman who could escape the clutches of those guards, I think you would have been in more serious trouble.” Calista agreed.
As they left the pub, a dark figure was following them towards the taxi stand. Feeling chilly, Calista turned around but noticing nothing. Shrugging the ugly thoughts away, she boarded the taxi with Sonia.
Tags: Emotions, Family, Feelings, Friends, Love
