Challenge Accepted
Mandy
“And what do you want again, Chris?” I asked, my face inevitably not hiding the displeasure of his presence.
“Just coming to check on you,” he responded and clicked his tongue while smiling brightly.
“And why would you be doing that?” I raised my eyebrows, navigating my eyes to him, while I awaited his cheeky responses.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“Ermm.,” He shuttered, rubbing the back of his head still smiling, my eyes were on him, disputing the intrusive thought in my head as I waved my hands and dismissed him.
I yawned the moment he shut the door, and navigated my eyes back to my laptop, getting back to work mode. I continued tapping the keys on my laptop while stretching my neck at a few intervals, as my body felt uncomfortable.
“Come in,” I said slowly, and immediately I heard the knock on my door. The person walked in, causing me to tilt my head up, recognizing it was my agonizing secretary.
“What is it this time, Chris?” My gaze was back to my screen, and I looked at him waiting for what he had to say, when he dropped more files on my desk that needed my signature.
“I’ll call you when I’m done with them,” I said only, but I could still see his presence in my office.
“Pardon?” I mouthed…
“You look stressed. Are you okay?” He started with those annoying concerns of his, and I was pissed that I stood up abruptly and marched in front of him when my head started to hurt and my body suddenly felt heavy. I heard someone calling my name from a distance, but my eyes had already become heavy…
Chris
I quickly caught her, before she could slum to the floor.
“Mandy! Mandy!” I called her name and shook her body carefully while checking her temperature. But none of it seems to be waking her up at all. Fear gripped me at the realization of that and probably that this might be serious. I wanted to scream for help, but instead, I called for an ambulance and then laid her carefully on her couch.
I looked at her body, pacing around her office, different thoughts running through my head as to what had happened to her. I had called Maliah already and she was on her way here. Even if she had asked me not to worry much about it, I couldn’t help myself but to worry so much about it.
When I heard the sound of the ambulance vehicle, I quickly carried her body in bridal style and headed straight to the elevator. I ignored the glances, whispering and side talks going on around me as I walked to the elevator.
I knew the whole place was going to be in disorder. It’s the CEO who’s in my hands and I wonder what ideas their head might be giving to them. Immediately the elevator opened, and a few people rushed to my aid, and took her from me rushing her to the ambulance.
“I’m going with you all,” I said immediately as they started to lock up, but before I could give them time to decide, I hailed a cab and asked the driver to follow their vehicle.
* Fast forward_
We arrived at the hospital and they admitted her immediately. I was impatiently in the waiting room, a few times sitting and stomping my feet and other times pacing around, even if I knew it’d been a few minutes only. But how could I be blamed, when I am not just worried about her?
My phone rang, interrupting me from my thoughts. I checked the caller ID and it was from Maliah. I immediately picked up and said “Hello”.
“Hey, where are you? I came to the office and the whole place was disorganized, but I heard you left with Mandy. What’s going on? She rushed her sentence without taking any pause to catch her breath.
“Mandy’s fine. We arrived at the hospital a few minutes ago, and she’s been admitted already, so I’m just here waiting to hear from the doctors,” I responded immediately…
“I’ll be with you shortly,” she said and I hugged up hurriedly immediately after I saw the doctor come out of her ward.
“How is she a doctor?” I rushed to ask even before he had dismissed the nurses with him.
” You must be her husband right?” He asked immediately and he turned in my direction, and without second thoughts I nodded my head.
“She’s okay, thankfully it’s just stress and nothing serious happened to her and the baby,” he revealed and immediately my whole body calmed down.
“Is she awake?” I asked with a sense of happiness after hearing the news.
“No, she needs a lot of rest, so probably get something for her to eat before she’s up,”. He said politely and started to walk away when I called him back.
“Doctor please could you not tell her or anyone I know about the baby? I want to plan a little surprise for her,” I said calmly, and he smiled in understanding before leaving.
I walked to her ward and peeped through her door, staring at her to see her sleeping peacefully. I smiled and walked back to sitting thinking about my conversation with the doctor.
A few minutes after Maliah’s arrival, I left the hospital to go get something for her to eat.
Mandy
I looked around me wondering where I was and why the whole place smelt familiar. The beeping sounds of the machine behind me, made me shut my eyes tightly. I looked down at my hands, and I saw a drip attached to them when the realization hit me.
“The hospital?” I thought to myself and groaned lightly trying to adjust my eyes to the light.
“Hey, you’re awake!” Maliah said happily, staring at me while organizing my pillows.
“What’s going on, Malia?” I asked dryly, but she immediately handed me a glass of water from the table behind her.
“Thank you,” I said and helped myself up from the bed.
“You fainted because of stress. And the doctor recommended you have a lot of rest, for yourself and the baby,” she said and I looked around me searching for someone.
“Chris? He was in my office? Where is he? Does he know about the baby?” I rushed my words, while Maliah used her hands to demonstrate for me to calm down.
“He brought you here? And he knows nothing?” She smiled at me and I rested my head back in relief.
“Oh, I see you’re up already,” the doctor said immediately as he walked in and I smiled at him.
“Good thing I asked your husband to get you meals. I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” he said and checked on me, while I looked shocked.
“Husband?” Maliah asked the nagging question I had.
“Yes, The young man that brought her here,” he was still saying when the door opened and Chris walked in.
“I’ll leave you all then,” the doctor said and left immediately.
“I guess this is my cue too, since your husband is here already,” Maliah added, taking my grip off her hands and leaving the ward giggling.
“I guess it’s just the two of us,” he mumbled
“Yeah, I guess you’re my husband,” I said with an eye roll while we both chuckled, as I watched him bring out the meals he bought.
” But I can be, you know. Your husband?”. He said with raised eyebrows.
“Someone is delusional,” I responded, turning my eyes away from him.
” Nah. Probably someone knows he could get what he wants,” he responded boldly and I immediately sat up on the bed.
“Oh really now, you think you can?” I asked him now, with ego while staring deep into his eyes, hoping to intimidate him.
“I know I can,” he responded to my surprise, making me chuckle.
“Then prove it,” I said and brought my face closer to him, waiting for him to make a dumb move like kiss me, but what he said next left me dumbstruck.
“Go out with me for 60 days,” he said, staring at my lips, and quickly back to my eyes.
“What?” I said and pulled away, looking at him like he had gone mad.
“Yes. Go out with me. Willing for 60 days,” he repeated.
“And what’s your gain in that? How’s that going to be a way to have me,” I asked him, a bit pissed now.
“I’ll make you fall in love with me,” he added now, and I busted out into a burst of hysterical laughter.
“Oh, you’re not joking,” I said the moment I realized the calm look his face held.
“For 60 days. Do you plan to make me fall for you? My secretary?” I said and he smiled with a light nod.
“No way forget it,” I said and tried to push him away from my sight.
“Why? Are you scared that it might actually work? Is Miss CEO actually going to chicken out from a simple challenge, because of Love?” He spouts out, now sitting beside me, and tracing his hands around my hands while giving me that dubious smile of his.
“I knew he was using reverse psychology on me. And it would be better if I rejected this insanity. But I was never one to back down from any challenges, and why should I start now,” I thought to myself.
“Challenge accepted,” I said and the moment I spoke those words, I felt a shiver run down my spine and I began to have second thoughts…
“Oh Mandy, what exactly have you gotten yourself into,”
Things took another turn. Now who’s excited about the next episode?