Page 26 of Twenty-Three Years of Longing

Before I could even pull my laptop out of the bag, there was a knock on the door. Was it Orion? Had he forgotten to tell me something that couldn’t wait until after work? I mean, Kathy did say it appeared as though he was making up excuses to see me.

I got up and walked to the door. Sure enough, when I opened it, Orion was standing there. I hate it when you’re right, Kathy. “Orion, I thought we already discussed this. You weren’t coming in today.”

“I hadn’t planned on it, but I had no choice,” he said.

“Of course you did. You could’ve texted or called me with whatever you forgot to say,” I said, crossing my arms.

“I did call. And you didn’t answer. Want to guess why?”

Not really. Oh my God, was I that lost thinking about him that I didn’t hear my phone?

“I didn’t hear my phone ring,” I said.

“But I did.” His hand came out from behind his back, and he held up my purse. “I was calling to tell you that you left your purse on the seat when you got out so suddenly. But surprise, your phone was inside. I figured you were going to need it at some point today.”

I reached out and took it from him. “Thank you. You’re right. I do need my phone, just in case Joey needs to reach me.”

“Or if you needed to reach me,” he said, in a tone that seemed out of place. Almost like he was frustrated.

My forgetting my purse was an accident. He surely didn’t think I’d done that on purpose, did he?

“Of course. But I’m sure there are teachers who would’ve been kind enough to let me use theirs if I needed to reach you urgently,” I replied.

Hopefully, that removed any doubt he may have.

“I guess I better get going now unless you need me for anything.”

What I need, I can’t have. I might be wrong. Had I totally misjudged Tabiqian men? It’s how I remembered them growing up. But I saw something different in him. Orion might have a tough aura, but I had gotten to see a much softer side of him. A side that drew me closer to him. I wanted to blurt out an excuse to have him stay, and I knew it would be very easy to do so. Just looking in his eyes, I could tell he wouldn’t refuse my request. But I couldn’t follow what my heart was pleading with me to do. It wasn’t fair to either of us to start something that we couldn’t finish. And stopping would be more painful than never having. Shaking my head, I replied, “I have everything I need now. Thanks again for bringing it to me.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned and left my office.

I closed the door and sat back down. His manly scent still lingered in the air. This wasn’t about Kathy. And it wasn’t about Orion. I was attracted to him, and there was no point in lying to myself about it anymore. Hopefully, I could hide it from everyone else. The last thing I needed was to be part of the rumor mill because I couldn’t control my hormones.

When I thought about returning to Tabiq, I was filled with concerns. Never did I see this as one of the issues I might face. But out of them all, at least this one I could control.

CHAPTER 9

Orion

“You look like you had a long day. Is everything alright?” I asked Raya as she got in my SUV.

“My day was good. It’s this mysterious meeting that has me concerned. I have never been one who likes surprises. Are you ready to tell me what’s going on? Why does Reesa want to see us both in her office?” she asked.

“I’m not one for surprises either. So, I understand how you feel. But I can tell you now. Just know that what I am about to say must be kept private until after a formal announcement has been made,” I said.

“You don’t have to worry about me gossiping. I don’t talk to anyone here. Well, besides you, Alex and Ziva. And I am not about to tell them anything confidential,” she stated firmly.

“I believe you. And when I tell you this, you will understand why it has been kept quiet.”

“You definitely have piqued my curiosity,” she said.

“Reesa has requested the media in her office today. She will be announcing that there is now a Vice President of Tabiq.” I could tell she wasn’t expecting that type of news.

“That is not small news. I mean, a Vice President is second in charge. If anything happened to Reesa, they would take over running the county. I see why she has kept this so quiet.” I could see she was in deep thought before she continued asking, “Why is she having me there? I don’t understand what I have to do with such an important announcement.”

Here it goes.

This was the first time I was going to share this information with anyone. Not my brother, or my best friend Kody. I chose it to be Raya. Why? I wasn’t sure, but it felt right.

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