He had gone through a bitter divorce and custody battle. His wife had their two daughters. He didn’t hear from them not even on Father’s Day, his birthday or Christmas. To them, it seemed as if he didn’t exist. At first, it hurt but then he learned to cope and he had one more year to pay child support.
His marriage had left a very bitter taste in his mouth and as a result he had sworn off relationships. He buried himself in his work. He had friends and a church family who cared about him. Life was pleasant for him. Some might say his life was mundane but for him it was how he wanted it–relationship free. And then she walked into his life and wham!
Amelia Johnson was hired to fill Susanna’s position. Susanna was on maternity leave. Amelia came from Alpha North Group Ltd with excellent qualifications and references from previous assignments. He remembered the first time he saw her as if it were yesterday. When they were introduced, he tried not to stare but her fresh beauty took his breath away. The unruly curls cascaded past her shoulders, some of the tendrils managed to escape the clasp that was holding it together and brushed against her face. She wore a white top and black skirt. She was petite and slender. He towered over her. When she looked up at him with those big brown eyes and smiled at him, he felt his heart melt. He knew he was in trouble then. Their handshake was brief but long after he had released her hand, he could still feel its warmth and softness.
During the 18 months she was with them he tried to keep his growing attraction hidden under the veneer of professionalism. No one had a clue that every morning he would look out of his office window overlooking the street below to watch her walking up the sidewalk. He was tied up in knots. He didn’t want to become emotionally attached again because of the pain he had experienced with his ex but the more he fought against his feelings for Amelia, the stronger they seemed to grow. It was a battle that he was losing. He had no idea of how she felt about him. She was as pleasant to him as she was with the rest of the staff. He could tell nothing from her interaction with him if there was something there on her part. And for all he knew, she might already be in a relationship. The thought stung but he had to be prepared for that possibility. How was he going to find out whether or not that she had a boyfriend?
He sat at his desk now in deep thought, wondering what to do. This was Amelia’s last week with the company. Susanna was back on Monday. He had to do something before Amelia went out of his life forever. The mere thought of never seeing her again agitated him so much that he jumped to his feet and paced about the room restlessly. He had prayed about the situation and he knew that the answer was to talk to Amelia. He swallowed hard and tried to suppress the rising fear that threatened to overwhelm him and deter him from doing what he knew he must do.
He went back to his desk and his hand trembled as he reached for the receiver. He hesitated for a brief moment before he dialled her extension. His heart was thudding heavily against his ribs. When she answered, he kept it short, “I need to see you.” He sank heavily into the chair after hanging up the phone and waited. His tortured gaze was on the door which will open any minute now and Amelia will walk in. There was no turning back now.
After she hung up the phone, Amelia stared at it for a moment. Mark wanted to see her. Why? She was nervous about being alone with him. What if she couldn’t hide her feelings for him? It was one thing to act professional around him when others were around but quite another when they were alone. Slowly, she pushed her chair back and got up, her legs feeling like jelly. She smoothed her trembling and sweaty palms over her skirt and headed for his office.
She knocked on the door and hear him say, “Come in.” Her heart was beating so fast and she couldn’t seem to control her breathing. I must remain calm, she told herself as she opened the door and went inside. He was standing behind his desk. Her eyes travelled over his tall figure as she closed the door behind her. She walked over to him and stopped in front of the desk. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her so that he wouldn’t notice that they were trembling. “You needed to see me,” she said.
He cleared his throat. “Yes. This is your last week with us.”
She lowered her eyes so that he wouldn’t see the sadness in them. “Yes, it is.” She had dreaded this moment. She liked working here and the people but most of all, she hated the thought of leaving him. He was the reason why she enjoyed coming in to work.
“I hope you have been happy here, Amelia. We were very fortunate to have you.”
She looked up. “Yes, I have been very happy here. Everyone has been so great.”
“We are sorry to lose you. You will be missed.”
“I am going to miss all of you.”
There was a pregnant pause during which they stared at each other, each not knowing what to say next or how to act. “Do you have a boyfriend?” He asked suddenly.
She blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected that. She shook her head at once. “No.”
He looked relieved. “Good to hear,” he said, coming around the desk to stand close to her. “Amelia, I’m divorced and have two daughters. I had sworn off relationships until I met you. You walked into my life and turned it upside down. For the longest time I tried to fight my feelings for you but it was no use.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Your feelings?”
“Yes. I love you, Amelia and I wanted to tell you that before you walk out of my life for good. Do you have any feelings for me?” He braced himself for her answer, his face pale.
She nodded, her heart was in her eyes. “Yes, Mark,” she cried. “I love you too. I tried so hard not to show it because it never dawned on me that you felt the same way.”
Mark took her in his arms and kissed her. “You and I did a really good job of hiding our feelings from each other ,” he said when he raised his head, his eyes tender as he gazed into her upturned face. “I’m just very thankful that your assignment here is ending this week. It was the possibility of never seeing your beautiful face again and encouragement from God that pushed me to declare mine.”
She smiled. “When I took this assignment, I never imagined that I would find love too.”
