Chapter 12
Chris opened the door with his card and walked through to his family's suite. I hesitated outside the room before going in.
I only just met these people and now I'm crashing their family lunch.
I walked into their large suite and when I say large I mean large and beautiful.
The room had a full facing window, with the view of the lake and a terrace that lead out on the garden, with large silk curtains. A fire places with a 12inch flat scream TV that had some kind of kid show on. I looked down to see the children sitting on the floor looking up at the TV. There was large sofas in a squared laid out where everyone was sitting talking to each other.
Everything looked perfect, Granddad had this place well designed, and it was modern without looking too much so with some classic things here and there. I loved it. It all looked so homely.
Everyone who was sitting now turned to see Chris coming in. I don't think they saw me because I was standing right be hide him, so I just held back for a bit giving them a moment to great him.
“Chris! We were about to send out a search party” his mother came up to kiss him on the cheek. I looked around and took in everybody there, trying to remember their names. There was Gemma and Karl the married couple with the four children, who were all sitting on the floor watching the TV.
What were their names?
I remember the girl was Paige; she was lovely and so pretty and then there was the boys Simon, David and ... Connor. That's it! I remember Chris talking about them in the office once or twice. And then his brother Ben and his Mum.
He loved his family. Anyone could see that. I loved it that he loved them so much. This is how a family is meant to be.
I loved him even more, now I've seen him with his family. Who wouldn't love to be part of a family that stuck together and loved each other like this?
I suddenly became very jealous of him. I would never be loved, as much as he is. Loved by all his friends and family… and I.
God, what's wrong with me? Get a grip, Leah!
Everyone was smiling until they notice I was there and their faces all dropped, they looked shocked to see me there.
“Oh, sorry I didn't see you their ... hmm”
“Leah” I said smiling at her, waving my hand to everyone but then suddenly feeling stupid and quickly putting it back down.
“Leah's going to join us for lunch if that's ok” Chris said walking over to his nephews picking up the two twins in one large hug.
“Of course it is, come in Leah” Chris' Mum, Sarah said
“Here come, sit next to me. It’ll be the best sit in the house” Ben said winking at me. We all laughed and I went to sit down.
“She's been here for a minute and you're already flirting with the poor girl” Gemma said jokingly to her brother who just poked his tug at her.
Chris came and sat on the arm of the sofa next to me. He was so close I could smell his scent. Or was that his aftershave? Whatever it is, he smells so good. I could feel my face getting hot and hoped no one notice but everyone was staring at me.
“So what's to eat I'm starving”
“We order some sandwiches and crisps to be brought up for us and the kids. Don't worry Chris we all know how much you like your food, we ordered enough to feed an army” Sarah said 'god forbidden their not being enough food or Chris would eat us' Ben said which made everyone laugh but me and Chris. I because I didn't get it and Chris looked a bit hurt. He looked down at my questioning face and said.
“I used to be fat” he said with a straight face. I made a silent 'oh' face and looked back to the others smiling.
“It wasn't that he was fat, it was the fact that he was greedy and still his. Still can't see how you're not fat anymore with the amount you eat bro”
“It's all that working out I do. You should try it sometime build some muscles on the so called arms of yours” Chris said. I turned and looked at Bens arms. What was he talking about? Ben's arms were all muscle. Not as much as his brothers but still big.
“I could still take you on” he said getting up and facing Chris.
“Wanna bet?”
“Yer”
“Fine your loss brother, you and I tomorrow on the golf field. Karl you in?” Chris and Ben both looked over at Karl who was sitting there with baby Connor in his arms. He looked at Gemma next to him and she just smiled and said “you don't need by permission, you're a big boy”
“Ok I'm in but let's make this bet more interesting. Losers had to do a four fit made by the winner. Deal?”
“'Deal” the both said shaking hands.
There was a knock at the door and five waiters with trolleys came in with stacks of food on.
A family picnic inside. They put them all on the table in the middle of the sofar and on the floor. Everyone was so relaxed and laid back with each other. It was so easy to relax with everyone here.
There were trays of tea sandwiches, cakes, crisps, cocktail sausages and some more.
“Oh Leah you must think us animals eating off the floor, like this. Let's move it to the tables”
Chris' Mum panicked
“No, no don't be silly. I love it. I always eat like this at home” I said putting a sandwich in my mouth.
“Oh really. I can't imagine your family eating like this at home”
“Oh no, I meant my home. I don't really see my family” I said quickly
“Oh really whys that?”
“Mum!” Chris said groaned at his Mother.
“What?”
“Stop asking her so many questions she's trying to eat” Chris tried to save me. I didn't mind talking about my family, really I didn't and I didn't think Chris' his Mum was being rude, just interested but I just smiled and continued to eat my sandwich.
“So Leah or is it Lea?” Gemma asked
“Mm I don't really mind. It's only really Chris that calls me Lea everyone else calls me Leah” I said. For some reason Gemma let out a big smile that took up her whole face.
“Is that so” she said smiling up at Chris, who just rolled his eyes at her. “So Lea what's it like working for are Christian here?”
“It has its ups and downs. Always depending if I do things wrong or not” everyone laughed with me.
“You don't do things wrong Lea, stop putting yourself down. You're a great worker” Chris said winking at me which made me blush.
“What about the time when I first met you?” I reminded him “You were pretty angry with me that end. I thought you were going to fire me first thing”
Everyone laughed and wanted to hear the story but Chris just stared at me blankly.
He didn't remember.
What would make me think you would have remembered that?
“Tell us what happened”
“Ya come on tell us”
Everyone said moving closer.
Suddenly I had a flashback of the day we met. It was so clear in my mind.
I was sitting at my desk on the computer looking up all the emails I had to send, when I notice someone I had never seen before coming towards me.
He was the best looking man I had ever seen. With pitch black hair and tanned skin, he looked like a model. He was a big man, tall with broad shoulders and big strong arms. He walked in confidence and power.
I jumped back into reality and saw that the man wasn't walking towards me but to Mr Howard's office.
No one goes in there. I know I haven't been working here for long but that was the first thing they told me, that no one goes into his office unless Mr Howard was back in town.
I jumped up from my desk and hopped over to him.
'Excuse me, can I help you?' I ask him and he kept on walking in front of me to the office.
'No' the man said
'Excuse me but do you have an appointment?'
'I don't need an appointment' the man said again.
At this point his hand was on the door knob about to open the door, so I did the first thing that popped into by head.
I jumped in front of him so my back was at the door and my head was facing his chest. God he was tall. We were inches away from each other but I took a breath in and said.
'Look I don't know who you think you are but the only person that can go in there is Mr Howard and I've worked far too hard to lose my job and go back to waiting tables. Do you understand? So go back over there, sit down and I'll phone the Director to come and see you as Mr Howard is not here, OK'
The guy looked back at me with his mouth hanging open. He looked shocked. I was shocked, I just shouted at a man that was twice my size, with big arms. My chest kept coming up and down as my breath got court in my throat. He started to smile down at me, which made him look even more beautiful than before.
'Ok' he said in a soft voice.
I breathed out and started walking back over to the desk. I turned around to see the man following over with me. He sees me looking over at him and smiled. 'Here you can sit here' I said showing him the waiting sofa.
I called the Director whose name was Martin and told him a man was here to see Mr Howard but could he come over. Martin was there in less than five minutes but they seemed like the longest five minutes of my life. Every time I looked up I could see the man looking at me which just made me blush even more.
I heard someone walking over and I turned around to see Martin coming along. I smiled over at him and then looked over at the man who was sitting down still looking at me. Martin looked over at him and his face dropped and he started walking slowly over to us. He looked shocked.
'Mr Howard! What are you doing here Sir? We thought you were coming next week Sir'
Mr...Howard...
I looked back over at the man that I knew now to be Christian Howard, my boss or soon to be past boss.
He got up at shook Martins hand a said 'I knew Martin its all my fault, change of plans' the two men kept talking but I was in far too much shock to understand what I had just done to be listening.
'Now if I could just get into my office... what's your name?'
'... It's...mmm Leah Sir'
'I'm going to call you Lea. Bring me a coffee'
I told everyone the story… minimising all the parts about falling in love with him.
“Oh dear! That's not the best way to first meet the boss' Chris' Mum said
“No, it wasn't but then the day got even worst, I brought him in tea when he asked for coffee. I couldn't work out how to use the phones, so I lost him important messages. I lost a new companies file”
“What all in one day?” Ben asked next to me.
“Yep” I replied.
“Well that was just an unlucky day. I wasn't angry with you just stressed over work” Chris said.
We all talked about work and what Chris was like for ages.
We talked, joked, laughed all through the lunch.