"Are you going to answer that?" Nancy found Melissa staring at her ringing phone when she got to the office.
"It's no one important." Melissa sat up putting the phone back in her bag.
"If you say so, but that person is rather persistent. That phone has been ringing severally, you should answer if you don't want that person to form a search party to for you." Nancy stated eyeing her bag as the phone rang again.
"It's no one." Melissa insisted putting the phone on silent.
"Back to business. A client is remodeling their house and they asked for you, to be their designer." Nancy stated handing her a folder with the clientele's information.
"Why would they ask for me, I thought you and Jenifer were handling this?" She asked skimming through the documents.
"We were but not anymore, they specifically asked for you. The meeting is in half an hour, but no worries the company van will take you to the meeting place. Everything you need to know about the client is in the folder, go brake a leg gal." She slightly tapped the table then went to her desk.
"You should have given me more time to study this first." Melissa complained as she packed and cleared her desk.
She used the short time in the vehicle on the way to the hotel to study the important requirements in the folder. The client was changing the whole house both the interior and the landscape. She had to make a proposal that will marry the two. The client was a young newlywed gifted the house by their grandparents.
"Godfather." She ran into Mr. Steven accompanied by Mr. Crack. Her father's former accountant who now worked for the Stevens.
"Hello, Melissa." Mr. Steven greeted her.
"How have you been? When did you get back to the city? Last I heard you live in the province with your aunt." Mr. Crack asked.
"I come back weeks ago."
"We are running late for our meeting, you should come home for lunch sometime, your godmother would love that." Mr. Steven urged Mr. Crack to leave. He didn't want any conversation between them.
Melissa sat at the table, sipping tea as she waited for her client. Mr. Crack's behavior just now befuddled her. She had called the number she got from her father's former secretary but never got an answer. Melissa even called at the Steels company, but his secretary informed her that he didn't have time to meet with her. Meeting him now he acted as though he had no idea of her calls, or maybe he was acting disingenuous.
He took care of all the finances in her father's company. Having worked for him for years, he had all the financial records. She had to find a way to meet him privately away from the Stevens. Getting to him would help her investigation a great deal.
Her client showed up fifteen minutes late, giving her time to formulate her work plan which they agreed to. They were both young in their 20s, planning to shake things a bit in the old house. Maintaining the original plan but modernizing it at the same time. They made some changes and once satisfied they set a date to meet at the location to start working.
Leaving the hotel she expected the company van to pick her up but found Adam waiting at the entrance. She had not asked him to pick her up nor had she informed him of her location since her phone was turned off.
After embarrassing herself in the morning she hoped not to run into Mark for some days. She was acting like an insecure wife and all she was, was a hired wife to be.
Busy with her work she didn't realize when the vehicle took a turn from her work street until they stopped in front of a tall building.
"This is not my workplace." She told Adam who pointed out the window at the big sign, with a smile on his face. "Johnson's group, why did you bring me here?"
"Mr. Johnson asked me to bring you here, he is waiting in his office." Adams got off the car and opened the back door for Melissa.
This was the second time walking into the building. Standing in front of the skyscraper she remembered the first time she came to this place with her father. He had come to submit a tender proposal. Mr. White needed a transport company to associate with.
Working with the Johnson's would put her father's company name in the market. Back then the Johnson company was not as big as it was now and her father was just starting his transport company.
The eight year old Melissa always clung to her dad, following him to work and all the social events he attended never leaving his side. That day while her father was talking to the receptionist, she looked around and through the glass windows she saw a boy playing in one of the offices. Letting go of her father's hand, she walked to the window and watched him keenly. He had the most expensive toys she wished to play with. About to go in and say hello to him, her dad stopped her reprimanding her for wandering off.
"Ms. White, sorry for keeping you waiting. I'm Mr. Johnson's secretary, please come with me." The young lady before her introducing herself as Mark's secretary, brought her back to her senses. She was a gorgeous petite young lady.
"Hello! Thank you." Melissa responded politely wondering why Mark had asked for her.
"This way ma'am." Smiling, the secretary led Melissa into the building.
They walked past the reception to the CEO's private elevator as all the employees on that floor looked at her. Probably wondering who she was to be received by the CEO's secretary and use his private elevator.
All the eyes on her made Melissa feel self-conscious making her clutch her handbag tightly as the elevator doors closed.
She was dressed in her usual simple gray office suit, looking ordinary. But at that moment she wished she had made her hair or changed her clothes before coming to this high end office as everyone kept staring at her from head to toe.
Nevertheless, she held a chin high smiling at the secretary beside her as the elevator went up.
Up to the eighteenth floor. With the heels clicking against the white tiled floor, Melissa walked closely behind the young lady. The floor had two offices and the secretary's desk. Walking past the desk, the walked to the office that occupied the largest space.
With the window blind down and the door closed, no one could know what was going on inside Mark's office.
As the secretary opened the office door, Melissa stood behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Mark holding Sasha's arm as she tried to get close to him. Going for his tie with a seductive smile on her face.