Love’n’Lust

MORNING.

7: 2 6 am.

Belle pulled the duvet over her shoulder, hugging it as she slept on. She decided to stretch a little before going back to sleep. Spreading her arms out and yawning, she saw the time on the electronic clock on the wall, she had not noticed that yesterday.

Widening her eyes in realization, she saw that it was already seven twenty seven in the morning.

“No no no no no.” She said getting out of bed angstful about her situation. She was late again and she knew it.

Hurrying to the bathroom at first, she paused realizing that she didn’t have anything to wear to work even if she showered quickly.

“Ben?!” She ran out the room and saw him sipping coffee and reading something on the laptop in front of him. He was sitting at the dining table and he was dressed in his usual apparel, having everything on him but his suit jacket which hung on another of the dining chairs.

He looked up from what he was reading when she called out his name. He thought something had happened so he asked;

“Are you okay? What’s the matter?”

“I’m late Ben, I am late again and it’s your fault. Why didn’t you wake me up?!”

“You looked like you needed more time to rest so I let you sleep on?”

“What?! Why would you do that? And how did you even get ready while I was sleeping? Why and how didn’t I hear you?”

“Belle,” he called her, now seeing she was freaking out.

“I’m late Ben, I am late, later than the last time, I promised Mrs Johnson that this wouldn’t happen again, I shouldn’t have agreed to staying here last night, if I was at home, Brie would surely have woken me up and I won’t have overslept.”

“Belle,” He called again, getting her to actually calm down for the first time since he saw her this morning.”You don’t have to worry, I spoke to your boss, no one will chastise you for being late, okay?”

“What?”

“I spoke to your boss, you can relax, take your time in preparing for work and when you are done, you can let me know so I’ll drop you off.”

“Wait…. what?” She asked again.”You talked to Mrs Johnson?”

“No, the editor in chief. Randy has brought some clothes for you, you can’t decide which to wear for the day. I left them in the wardrobe.” He told her, leaving her standing still.

“How did You do that?” She asked knowing how difficult it was to contact the editor in chief of the Crisp-tv media house.

“I made a quick phone call,” he smiled after seeing the look on her face. She seemed not to know who she was standing in front of.

****

Belle was quiet through out the drive to her workplace. When Ben stopped the car at the entrance where he picked her up yesterday, he kissed her shortly.

“Take care of yourself.” He told her before she got down from the car. Belle smiled lightly as the car drove off.

Immediately she turned to start her way towards the building, she heard her name from the one person she didn’t want to hear it from.

“Belle?” It was Nathan.

“Good morning sir.” She greeted based in courtesy.

“Yeah, good morning. Are you just coming now?” He asked, taking a look at his wristwatch.

“Uhmm… I… I uhm..” Belle didn’t know what to tell him so she stammered with her words. Ben assured her that she wouldn’t have to deal with any of these and that no one at the office would question her reason for coming now…. unless Nathan was just coming now too and didn’t know not to ask why she was late.

She was right, Nathan was just coming at the same time with her but he had a good reason unlike her. He had gone to the branch office yesterday and that was why she didn’t see him yesterday.

“Nevermind,” she heard him say.”I could just put in a word to Laura on your behalf.” He said, willing to help her out and not knowing there was no need for that as Ben had already taken care of that but Belle wasn’t going to let him know about that so she just smiled to let him believe he was helping her by offering to talk to Mrs Johnson.

She followed him into the building and was alone in the elevator in the awkward silence. Finally, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

“I’ll talk to her.” Nathan said, reassuring her that she wouldn’t be getting in trouble as he was there to help ( so he thought).

Placing a knock on the door that lead to Laura Johnson’s office, Nathan waited with Belle behind him. Mrs Johnson opened the door and cast a look on him before diverting the look to Belle.

“Nathan, how was your trip to the branch?” Belle heard Mrs Johnson ask, her usual friendly smile on her face.

“It was successful.” Nathan replied her.

“Oh okay.”

“Uhm, Belle here is late and it’s my fault…..” Nathan was ready to lie but Laura Johnson had already received a call from their superior, asking her to lease Belle off.

“Oh Belle? It’s fine, I knew she was going to come in late today, she mentioned her reason to me yesterday.” Mrs Johnson told Nathan.

“Oh she did?” Nathan asked because Belle did let him know that Mrs Johnson already knew she was going to be late today.

“Yeah, she did.” Mrs Johnson lied again.

“Okay then.” Nathan said and left for his office after leaving a smile with Belle who only sighed.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

After Nathan left, Mrs Johnson went back into the office leaving the door open for Belle to also come in.

“I’m very sorry I’m late, Mrs Johnson.” Belle apologized because she knew her boss was just lying when she told Nathan that she was pre-informed by Belle about her lateness.