MORE THAN A SECRETARY

He should have known this was going to happen, he thought, as he sat on the plane going home to Arizona a week after his fight with Katrina, he still couldn’t get her words out of his head, she has been in love with him for a long time? Was that why she agreed to their affair? Did she think she could make him marry her? Was that her goal from the beginning? He just couldn’t get his head around Katrina coming up with such ideas, she messed up by catching feelings and she was gonna deal with the consequences, the only reason he was still thinking about her was because he hadn’t been ready to end what they had, that’s the only reason, nothing more, once he gets back to New York he was going to put her at arm’s length, thank God he already decided to get two more assistants and so far they are both doing well, yes they were both lacking and he had to remind them a hell lot of things but still, it gives Katrina her own time since she doesn’t have to come in for work all the time, but her pay still reminds the same, he planned on increasing it too.

“You did that for yourself not her,”

The voice in his head scolded and he didn’t disagree, yes he did for himself too, he needed to distance himself from her and he was going to call it quits with her but have been pushing it each time until she had said it herself, he hadn’t wanted them to end their affair in a bad way but what she had said ruined any chance of that, he just hope it won’t ruin their working relationship too, she promised that she won’t quit on him and he was holding onto that.

“Where is your girlfriend?”

Was the first question his mom asked when he entered the house and he resisted the urge to scream.

“Mom, I don’t have a girlfriend, I told you before,”

“Oh really? Then where is Katrina? Your assistant?”

“She is in New York mom, she doesn’t have to be here since it’s a family event,”

He replied, he wasn’t ready to talk about Katrina with his mom right now, he knew they were going to bug him for her that’s why he had wanted her to come with him but the crazy woman had chosen that time to tell him she was done.

“But she always comes with you for family events, I mean she came for Lilac’s wedding too even for Leah’s other kids,”

“Mom, Katrina is my assistant, not my girlfriend, besides she has other things to do, I won’t stay long because I have to return to New York I have work to do, can you at least let me enter the house? I don’t even know why Leah choose to be here when she can always stay in her house,”

He said bypassing his mom to head to his room but she blocked his entrance.

“Leah is not here you crazy son of a Bitch,”

“You are my mom,”

He replied.

“Yes, unfortunately,”

His mom answered.

“Mom!”

“What? Leah is not here, they are holding the ceremony at their place I thought you knew that,”

“I didn’t, if only I knew I won’t have come home at all, can I pass now?”

He asked regretting not confirming from Leah at least he would have avoided this, not like his sisters won’t ask him but it was easier to tell them off than his mom, the lady was too stubborn for her own good.

“What did you do Mr?”

She questioned eyeing him.

“What do you mean what did I do?”

“Why is Katrina not with you? Did you mess it up?”

“Mom, can we not ta…”

“Honey let him at least rest before you bombard him with questions,”

His dad said coming in to save his ass.

“Thanks, Dad,”

Lucas said, as his mom made way for him.

“You are supporting him? He is not getting any younger and is ruining his chance at happiness,”

“How mom? I am perfectly happy right now,”

“No, you are not,”

“Mom, I will be upstairs,”

He decided ignoring her will be better, he went up to his room, bad idea because as soon as he stepped in, he was hit with memories of his time here with Katrina, those times when she snuck in here, the things they did, this was his room, if he left to another room that will send another round of talking, which he wasn’t up for, so he pushed those memories away and dropped his bag, he took his bath and laid on his bed, he wanted to at least rest but it was pointless, he couldn’t sleep with the memories of everything that happened in the room hunting him.

He came back downstairs a few hours later, he didn’t want to but he was hungry and needed to eat, the ceremony wasn’t until tomorrow and he was leaving the day after, he could bear it until then, he will make sure not to come back to Arizona until his family forgets about Katrina, he was never bring her or any of his assistants close to his family again, he made a mistake of letting her familiarize with his family.

“You decided to come down after all? I thought you will hide there forever?”

His mom nagged when he got to the kitchen, the woman was a pest.

“Why will I hide?”

He asked as the chef served him food, he looked around but his dad wasn’t there to save him this time.

“Why? Are you looking for your father? He already left, he is meeting with his friends so it’s just you and me, so now you better spill,”

“Spill what mom? I am just here to eat nothing more, if you don’t want me to I can leave and eat at Leah’s place,”

He threatened, he knew his mom would not want him to do that but to his surprise, she burst out laughing.

“What’s funny mom?”

“You my dear,”

“How?”

“I already called Leah and told her Katrina isn’t with you and you are not on her green book right now, Lilac’s too,”

“What? Why are y’all so sure I did something to her? She is my worker and I decided not to bring her with me so what’s bad in that?”

“Everything son, are you really blind? Can’t you see the girly love you? And I am sure you love her too, you are just too stubborn and hard-headed.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about mom,”

“Eat your food, and I hope you don’t make the mistake of losing her because she is really good for you,”

She said and left, he decided it would be best for him not to give what she said much thought, his mom was known for always being able to guilt-trip him into doing things her way but it wasn’t going to work this time, no, she had said the same thing about Loren but she turned out to be a cheat and a thief.

“But Katrina is non of those,”

The little voice in his head whispered, he shook it off too, he wasn’t having the conversation with anyone or himself, no he made the mistake before, repeating it will be plain stupid.

“Are you done? Can we leave now? I told Leah I won’t stay long,”

His mom said coming back into the dining room bearing a bag.

“Wait, you have been staying with her?”

“No, I just go there and come back home, you know your dad won’t let me sleep somewhere else, he won’t sleep,”

She replied.

“Let’s go,”

He said and stood up to follow her, he wanted to rest before meeting his sister and the new baby but his mom won’t even take no for an answer so he didn’t bother to ask.

“Katrina still works for you?”

His mom ask when they were in the car.

“Yes Mom, why won’t she?”

“Well, I thought you guys fought,”

“We did not mom,”

He lied, he just wanted to be let off the hook.

“But why didn’t she come around, and she is not taking my calls either,”

“Mom, why don’t you call me instead if you have things to say to me, Katrina is nothing but a worker to me, she is just my secretary, so if it not work-related then it’s shouldn’t be her you are calling,”

“Don’t say it like that, that girl loves you and she deserves to be loved, she has been a constant in your life, why are you saying she is just a worker? Even your sisters and your dad like her,”

“I don’t love her, I don’t see why you keep talking about that mom, can we not talk about her please?”Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“If that’s what you want, I just hope she doesn’t quit and then you end up regretting after you lose her,”

“I am not going to regret anything mom,”

He replied, focusing on driving, he wasn’t going to regret anything, if he move ahead and do what Katrina wants, what his mom wants, he was sure he would regret it later, it was best to live while not knowing what would have happened than let it happen, the only risk he was ever willing to take would be business-related.

“Okay, if you say so, I am not going to talk about this again.”

“Thank you,”

He said with relief but that didn’t end his problem because when he got to Leah’s place both she and Lilac told him off and even throughout his stay in Arizona they didn’t give him breathing space, it got to a point that he had to call Katrina just so they could talk to her and hear her reasons for not coming with him, thankfully she played along even though he hadn’t told her anything, she told them she was on leave from work and was away to visit her parents that’s why she couldn’t make it and they bought her story without any doubt, and we’re happy when she said she will come to visit soon. the woman had a hold on his family, he couldn’t deny that, but he plan on loosing whatever hold it was because whatever both his family and she were hoping for, it wasn’t going to happen, his secretary she will always remain, nothing more…