Between 2 Hearts – Episode 28

       Naomi stepped into the canteen, and suddenly, all eyes were on her. She felt a wave of nervousness wash over her as she scanned the room. What caught her attention, however, was the number of dark-skinned ladies present. There were many of them, and they all seemed to be staring at her.

Some of the ladies greeted her warmly, while others simply stared. A few men couldn’t help but drool over her beauty, their eyes lingering on her features. Naomi’s discomfort grew as she made her way to the menu board.

As she scanned the options, her eyes widened in surprise. The prices were steep, and she wondered how she could afford any of the dishes.

 “Gosh, how can I afford this?” she muttered to herself.

Just then, a waitress approached her. “Is there something you want to order, miss?”

 “Um, not yet. Let me get my purse,” she said, using it as an excuse to step away.

She quickly made her way to the lift, eager to escape the attention. As she reached the lift, the doors slid open, and she bumped into someone, causing them to drop some files.

“Am sorry,” she apologized, as she bent down to help the person pick up the files.

The person smiled warmly at her as they both stood up, and then they went their separate ways. Naomi took a deep breath and stepped into the lift, feeling a bit more relieved to be leaving the canteen behind.

  Naomi settled into her office chair, letting out a deep sigh as she sat down.

 “Getting just a spring roll costs so much,” she said, still surprised, and her stomach growled in protest.

To distract herself from the hunger, she began to busy herself with work. Just as she was getting into the zone, a knock on the door interrupted her. Olivia entered, holding a lunch paper bag.

“This came in for you, Ms. Naomi,” Olivia said, placing the bag on the table in front of her.

 “For me?”

 “Yes, a delivery guy said it’s for you.”

“But I didn’t order any food,” she said, sighing. Olivia smiled. “Anyway, thanks. I guess it’s from my sister,” she said, and Olivia nodded before walking away.

She was curious  and she opened the bag to reveal a delicious-looking lunch. She wondered if it was Mia who had sent it and where she could get the money to buy food like this.

She picked up her phone and dialed Mia’s number. After a few rings, Mia answered.

“Did you order lunch for me?” they both asked in unison.

 “Oh, you got lunch too?”

 “Yes, I saw the food in the canteen was quite expensive, and I couldn’t afford it. Not too long after, I received a lunch package from my secretary, so I thought it was you who sent it.”Mia explained.

“No, the same thing happened to me as well.”

“That’s strange. Do you have any idea who it might be?” Mia asked.

 “No, I guess it’s a treat from one of the staff.”

 “I guess so too. Right now, I’m so hungry, and I want to dig in.”

 “Alright, talk to you later.” She giggled.

With that, they hung up, and Naomi stared at the food for a moment, said a little prayer, and began eating.

   At Mia’s company, the staff meeting was in full swing. The manager introduced Mia to everyone as the new supervisor in the sales department. Some of the staff members welcomed her with warm smiles, while others ignored her. Mia didn’t let it bother her and took her seat as the meeting continued.

“I want to let you all know that the CEO’s son will be resuming soon to take over the company.” The manager said.

The staff members erupted into happy smiles, all except Mia, who remained calm. 

 “Sir, how soon is it?”One of the female staff members asked,

 “I don’t know, it might be today, tomorrow, or even a month’s time. So, let’s just prepare for his return.”

With that, the meeting was dismissed, and the staff members began to file out, murmuring happily to each other. Mia walked alongside her secretary to her office, her expression neutral.

Meanwhile, at Naomi’s company, she was busy working at her desk when a knock came in. The general manager entered, and Naomi quickly stood up to greet him.

“Thank you,” he said, and Naomi offered him a seat. He sat down, his demeanor friendly. “I can see you’re already catching up,” he said.

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s nice. Keep it up.” He smiled.

 “Thank you, sir.” She respond politely.

 “You’re welcome. Anyway, I have some files to give you to work on. The CEO will be resuming the company next week, and he’ll need those files.”

“Okay, sir.” She nodded, taking note.

 “Once you’re done, you can come to my office to get them or send your secretary over.”

 “Okay, sir.”

With that, the general manager stood up and left, leaving Naomi to focus on her work.

********

     Nathan sat at the dinner table with his family, his calm demeanor noticeable to those around him.

 “Son, is everything okay?” His mother asked.

“Yes, Mom.”

 “You don’t look like you’re okay, or are you thinking about her?” Anna teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

 “Thinking about who?” Josh asked curiously.

 “He knows who.”

Their father intervened, his voice calm. “Son.”

“It’s nothing, Dad. Don’t listen to what Anna is saying.”

The table fell silent for a moment, before Nathan spoke up again.

 “Dad, I’ve decided to work in the company.”

  “Really?”His father asked

 “Yes.”

His mother’s face broke into a happy smile. “That’s nice.”

 “So, what suddenly changed your mind?” Josh asked 

 “I was mainly going to ask that.”Anna jumped in, her voice teasing.

 “None of your business.” He continued eating, his expression neutral.

 “There’s something you’re not telling us. If I recall, you’re rounding up your master’s degree in a week, and you’ve never had this thought of working in Dad’s company.” Anna tease 

 “I think he made the right decision. Just let your brother be, and let’s focus on your dad’s campaign, which is in a week.”Their mother intervened, her voice calm.

 “Sure, we’ve got you, Dad. The awaiting next governor.” Anna said.

 “Exactly.” Nathan said.

The table erupted into cheers and applause as they continued eating, the atmosphere lively and celebratory.

  Later in the day, Naomi and Mia met at the bus stop, and as they boarded the bus, it drove off, carrying them to their respective destinations.

When Naomi arrived home, she looked exhausted, collapsing onto a chair in the living room. Mr. Daniels emerged from his room, his movements weak.

“You are back,” he said, his voice gentle.

 “Yeah.”

 “How was your first day at work?”

“It was great, and there was much work to do.”

“Oh, don’t worry. With time, you’ll get used to it.”

 “Yeah.”Naomi nodded, standing up. “Let me freshen up and prepare dinner.”

“There’s no need for that. Aunty Kate already prepared dinner. All you have to do is go in and freshen up, and then come back and eat.”

“Oh, that’s so nice of her. I’ll thank her tomorrow before I leave for work.”

With a smile, she headed to her room to freshen up, feeling a sense of relief and appreciation for the warm welcome home.

TBC