HER ONE AND ONLY

CHAPTER 35

Her eye lids slowly fluttered open and her eyes adjusted to the faint rays that seeped into the room through the gaps between the maroon curtains, and just like the previous day, she found the side where Alexander had occupied last night left empty.

She got up ,rubbed her face and rested her back onto the headboard. As she sat there in the silence of her room, the events from last night hit her with force. The way he had come inside her room, the way he had slipped into her bed and hugged her, the way his fire like touch burnt her skin, the way he had whispered toe curling promises into her ears and... the way he rubbed himself on her. Rose gulped at the thought of making love to him, and her cheeks started heating up while her heart started following an unusually fast paced rhythm of its own.

She did a mistake by covering up a serious matter from Alexander, and she had seen yesterday how much her actions had hurt him. She would see to it that in future, she would try doing no such thing that would hurt him. She couldn't apologize to him yesterday, but she would do it today...but where was he? Moreover, it was a Sunday. So he wouldn't have gone to work.

Rose quickly got down from the bed and made her way to the restroom. She washed her face, brushed her teeth, combed her hair and tied it up into a ponytail.

When she opened the door of her room, she found Martha closing the door of Alexander's office with an empty tray in her hand. Martha shut the door and looked up at her from the far end of the corridor. The kind lady smiled at Rose and greeted her while Martha made her way towards her.

"Good morning Ms.Rose."

Rose smiled back at her and greeted her back.

"Good morning Ms. Martha. How are you doing this morning?"

Martha smiled at this without answering anything. It was not everyday that someone asked how her morning was or how her day went. Her boss never spoke anything much other than greeting her whenever she gave him his tea and served him his meals. She always worked with sincerity and would get paid well for the work she did. But there was one thing that Martha always craved for, and that was care. And this care was given to her by Rose. Rose had always made it a point to ask the maids how their day went and she would talk to them and would help them with whatever little she could do.

"Am good Ms.Rose. How did you sleep?"

"I slept well, thank you. I have told you before, Martha. Please call me Rose."

"Is Alex inside his office?" she asked.

"Yes Rose. He's on a call."

Rose looked at the door, then back at Martha and nodded her head.

"Can I tell you something Rose?" Martha asked when she caught a longing expression on Rose's face.

"Sure." Rose said, and smiled encouragingly at her.

"Mr.Alexander seems to be very different these days. If I'll have to say specifically, then i would say that he has been different since you came. He has changed. He's not cold and withdrawn anymore. He looks calm, collected and peacefull now. I don't really know who you are in his life because Mr. Alexander never lets out even a small information about his life to others. But all I can say is, you Miss, have changed his life and mean a lot to him. I can see it in his eyes . He cares for you deeply and I can see that a huge burden has been lifted away from his shoulder after you arrived here." She said and waited for sometime to see if Rose would say anything back. But when she saw Rose smile back at her, she continued.

" Be with him always Rose. He needs you."

She whispered the last part and rested her palm on Rose's hand and gently squeezed them. Rose kept looking at her not really able to say anything. This lady in front of her cared for Alexander like her son and wanted the best for him.