Page 4 of Words Unspoken

“Ann is gone home for the day. She has had a bit of a family emergency and is likely to be away for a while,” Michael lied again. He did so very convincingly for a man who rarely ever did lie. “I was wondering if you could call the temp agency and ask them to send someone over tonight.”

“Tonight Mr. Ramesly?” she asked, surprised.

“Yes. Actually, please tell them to send three people,” Michael revised his order. “Do you happen to know Deegal is extension number?”

“Three-three-two.” She grabbed her address roster and looked for the temp agency. “I will get that done right away, Mr. Ramesly.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Duvell. I appreciate it.” Michael returned to his office and called Deegal. It was nearly the end of the day and unfair to ask the legal department to keep working but it was necessary. He needed to ensure that things were finished before his surgery. Of course, he did not tell Deegal this. He simply quietly insisted that Deegal and his team come to the nearby boardroom. He was the head of the company and they complied.

Michael looked at his journal. With a few strokes he noted the time.

Ann has quit.

I am drowning.

He closed the book and shelved it. Grabbing all the necessary files, he headed to the conference room.

∞

Michael Ramesly was an idiot. A brilliant lawyer and businessman but an idiot nonetheless. Ann slid into the booth and kicked off her heels. She pulled the clip out of her hair and massaged her head. The waiter came and she ordered a strawberry daiquiri to start. Ten minutes later, Elle slid into the booth. Elle is dark foreign beauty was a foil for Ann is fair blondness. They had become friends shortly before Elle became engaged to Noah, Michael is brother. Now Elle and Noah were married with twin boys.

It was the birth of Elle is babies that had really started the regret and thinking into motion for Ann. She had dedicated most of her life to Ramesly pharmaceuticals and one Ramesly in particular. Michael was tall, lean, had black hair that was starting to grey at the temples. He was quiet but had a sense of humor. She had loved him since she was seventeen and saw him speak at a conference she was crashing. Ann was supposed to be working as part of the wait staff for the conference across the hall. Ten years older than her, Michael had been poised and elegant in his speech about the company. It was a meeting of shareholders and he had simply been wonderful. Afterward, she had managed to think up what she thought was a very good question and approached him. Michael had been patient and kind. She cringed now to think of it. Ann knew nothing about business or big pharma. Her question had been silly. Michael had not treated it as such though and for the first time in her life she felt worthy of someone’s attention. That was when she decided she was going to figure out a way to make him hers.

Three weeks later and with extensive research, Ann found out that Ramesly pharma was hiring a secretary for one of the legal staff. It was Michael. She borrowed a suit from one of her former teachers, brushed up her resume, polished her interview answers and charged forward like the teenager that she was, knowing that she just had to get the job. The interview had not gone well. It was conducted by an old lady, going into retirement, and deciding on her replacement. It was obvious Ann had no experience. As she was walking down the hall, dejected from the episode, she ran into Michael. Bolstering up her courage, she greeted him by name. He had been startled to see her but actually remembered who she was and that was all that Ann needed as encouragement to say how much she wanted the available job. She ran her pitch until she was out of breath and then waited on tenterhooks until he is finally simply said she was hired. The previous secretary had protested but Michael had quietly stated that while a secretary could be taught the necessary skills to do the required job, ambition and loyalty could not be taught. Ann seemed to have both. After that, Ann had done everything she could to prove that she was the secretary that he needed.

Ann had done a good job after she mastered the basics. She also tried to flirt, showed a little too much leg and finally had asked him out. Michael had replied by gently telling her about the harassment policy. She had slunk away and been a very proficient secretary after that. She would make him proud of her by being the best secretary that company had ever seen. Ann felt like she had accomplished that.

Over the years they had become friends. He escorted her to company events, allowing her to be his plus one. She had gotten to dress up, socialize and even dance with him. It had been like Cinderella. However, just like Cinderella, the ball ended, and the next day was back to work. She had been professional. It was hard sometimes because every year she fell more in love with him. His touch could sooth or thrill depending on the moment. His rare smile made her melt.

It was hopeless. She was not sure he was not asexual and had no sex drive at all. He kept his private life incredibly private. Ann had tried to make him jealous by dating others, yet he had not reacted. She sighed heavily. Today it was all over. Today she started to take back her life and hopefully have the family she had always wanted. Only it would not be with Michael.

“It went that bad?” Elle asked. She signaled the waiter and ordered a lime margarita.

“He is clueless,” Ann flushed. “I said something really stupid.”

“What?” Elle asked gently.

“He asked if there was anything he could do, and I asked him if he could give me babies. You should have seen the look of shock on his face.”

“What did he say?” Elle leaned in.

“Nothing,” Ann shrugged miserably. “He said nothing.”

“Did you tell him how you feel?”

“He has to be an idiot not to know,” Ann gulped down some of her slushy goodness. “There has been a rumor going around the company for years that we have been having an affair. He has never even kissed me. He is the perfect gentleman.”

“You say that like it is a curse,” Elle thanked the waiter for her drink and Ann ordered another before the waiter could get away. “Maybe you should slow down.”

“I wish, just once, that company didn’t have glass offices everywhere. I wish he would have just ripped off my clothes like in one of those steamy trashy romance novels. Fifty shades of Ramesly corporate,” Ann sighed and stirred her drink with a straw. “I cannot believe I have wasted twenty years! I am forty. What if I have no good eggs left? What if I cannot get pregnant? What if there are complications because I have left it so long? What if I never want to have anyone is babies but Michael’s?”

“Those are a lot of questions, and I don’t think you need to answer them all tonight,” Elle grabbed a menu. “Why don’t we order something before you manage to try to get yourself stinking drunk?”

Geanie slid into the booth. “Sorry I am late. I was very sorry to find out that you had a personal family emergency Ann.”

“What?” Ann looked at her in confusion.

“That is what Mr. Ramesly said. That you left early and would not likely be in for a few days because you had a family emergency,” Geanie tried to flag down a waiter but was unsuccessful.