Substitute Mother
Chaptre 155. Run To You's
“You came to me. I'm being lazy”
As a subordinate, Nora could only nod even though her mind was screaming. Not wanting his boss to read an unpleasant face from him, the secretary preferred to resign. As soon as he reached his desk, he grabbed a cell phone, sending a text message to the lovers to cancel their anniversary dinner due to a job call.
The job call Nora is referring to here is Jeanno's corporate business partner's birthday event. The invitation clearly had the full name of his boss, not the name of Jeanno's company. It should be that man who came, not himself anymore!
Nora grunts. Putting the invitation down violently after reading the details of the arrangement of the event. It was not the first time he was told to represent his boss in a formal event. Since three or four months ago, approximately seven meetings that Nora attended. While Jeanno himself only attended three times, even then he came, shook hands, then went home. Totally definition ‘setor face’ only.
Before this, the boss was very excited if there was a meeting. Even Jeanno ordered him to look for a suit that would be compatible with Judith long ago. When the night there is a meeting, the handsome master will finish his work super fast so that he can go home early to prepare and pick up ‘wife’.
Nora's eyelids blinked, gnashing a few times. Realizing that Jeanno's change in attitude comes after Judith disappears from her life. The formal meeting was no longer attended.
Jeanno Alexander is back as reclusive as he was before Judith came.
**
“You don't actually need to drive me home, Owen”
The man next to her smiled, with his hand still in his jacket pocket. “It's okay. After all, the distance between your shop and the apartment was very close and in line with my home. So it is not at all troublesome”
Giving a nod while saying thank you, Judith who had been turned to walk up to the door of the building, stopped when Owen called her name. “Aleta”
The name that was called, inevitably made Judith turn her head. “Yes? what's up, Owen?”
“It... eum.. does no one mind if... we are close friends? Like I brought you my mother's cooking, chatted with you, or drove you home.
“Oh that, of course not” Judith smiled, did not feel strange to Owen's question. “We will be friends, I think what we do is reasonable between friends”
“Friends, yes?”
Judith chuckled, for some reason the puzzled look on Owen's face was adorable to her. Though the man's heart was slightly shaken due to the emphasis of the word ‘friend’ spoken by the pujaan.
“I go in first, huh? Good night, Owen. Say hello to Bibi”
To be honest, Owen still wanted to continue their conversation by asking some other questions. With a goal that is none other than that time with Judith more and more. But seeing the tired face of the girl, Owen became heartless. Judith's back disappeared behind the door.
“Goodnight, Aleta”
It seems that he has to be patient to get the heart of the beautiful.
**
Nora tapped her legs imperceptibly, occasionally frowning when she saw the time as if it were going so slowly. Fifteen minutes late from the hour it should have been, the event had not yet begun. Whether there's a technical fix or what, Nora doesn't care. He just wants to be!
Meeting the high ranks of bona fide companies certainly adds to its burden. Moreover, coming as a representative, making Nora must be as friendly and professional as possible. Answering a series of questions why not the boss who came.
“Mr Jeanno is sick. So he entrusted me to come here to represent the lord and his company”
*
I don't know how many times Nora said that sentence for each question. The last meeting he had was using the reason Jeanno was on vacation with Aera. The other meeting he had used the reason Jeanno was on a business trip. If the upcoming meeting he again has to attend, then Nora must rack her brain to prepare for another reason.
Actually Nora had met most of the guests who came, but the meeting was only a short while and after that was handled by Jeanno directly. For an event like this, Nora would have to prepare a small talk with answers that would make sense. Top-level conversations tend to be boring. Some talk about business, some brag about wealth, others vilify each other.
Two hours that Nora thinks she can use for a romantic dinner with her man. The girl exhaled faintly, choosing to withdraw from the three-way conversation on the grounds of thirst wanting to take a drink.
“Nona Nora, right?”
The one called tried to smile kindly, even though his heart seemed to be jumping. Nora was also good at making up excuses for Jeanno's absence. But for something else, he did not prepare.
“Nora only, Mr. Arman”
Arman Mahendera, looking left-right, swept his gaze into the spacious Ballroom in search of the figure he was looking for. “Bosmu, not coming?”
“Master is sick”
Arman gave a nod. The man held out a glass of champagne at the nervous Nora and avoided her eyes. “Lately I have rarely seen your boss with his wife. Are they... alright?”
The thirst that was originally Nora's reason for ‘kabur’, is now approaching it many times over. Makes his throat dry. He vowed not to prepare anything about the questions concerning ‘istri’ Jeanno.
“It.. yes, they are fine”
“Hmm” Arman sipping his champagne. “Very unfortunate, whereas previously the master and mistress Alexander always seen in meetings like this. Many people liked their arrival. Perfect mate, huh?”
“In fact I would like to invite Mrs Alexander to lunch. Not just the two of us, but my wife and Jeanno. But it seems they are busy, so it is difficult to take the time to fulfill my invitation”
Nora cleared her throat, of course she knew who Arman was. What happened between Arman and Judith in the past, then the fight until the cold war between Jeanno and Arman. Nora knows everything.
“Mr Arman can contact Mr. Jeanno personally for that matter. I came here just to represent him. I am not authorized to answer any other questions regarding my employer's personal life. Excuse me, tuan”
Putting the champagne glass back in place, Nora gave a respectful nod to Arman before it passed somewhere. ‘Kabur’ which became a shortcut Nora, actually invited the suspicion of his interlocutor. He had been watching Nora since. The woman seemed comfortable and confident while chatting with the interlocutor before, but when she approached and touched on Jeanno and his wife's problems, Nora changed completely. Being nervous, as if wanting to quickly walk away from this situation.
Arman's lips lifted, forming a grin. He was curious, really curious about what happened to Jeanno Alexander.
**
As it had become routine, the man lay not on his bedroom bed. But on a smaller bed that until a few months ago was slept by his late wife's twin sister. Yes, since learning that he could sleep peacefully in Judith's room, Jeanno began to spend the night there. Lying down to pick up the dream accompanied by the scent of the body left, to greet the sun with fresh the next day.
Jeanno did not dare to declare the meaning of the void that he felt now. The calmness he got when he inhaled the scent of Judith's body, he meant just a cradle. Too stupid, too insensitive to interpret the perceived degup. Even as his mind twisted the memory of Judith's presence in every corner of his house full of fond memories.
Nora sent him a message about half an hour ago, saying that he had finished attending the event that went smoothly. Jeanno only replies with emoticons thumb up. He put that flat object on the nightstand. I don't know why cell phones seem not as attractive as they used to be, when there was someone who reminded him to eat and rest.
Jeanno grabbed the blanket, inhaling deeply as if to record the scent for her to keep. Does he miss? I don't know, because then again, Jeanno was too stupid to realize.
When the scent was no longer enough to dispel unwarranted fret, Jeanno racked his brain. Looking for ways how he can treat the annoying baldness. The next second he grabbed the phone, setting it to private contact, before dialing a number that he hoped was still the same as last time.
One ring followed by the next.
“Hallo”
The voice across sounded hoarse, the possibility of a figure there was already asleep and forced to wake up when his phone rang.
“Hallo? Who is this with?”
Jeanno did not answer anything, just the sigh he sent to the opponent there.
“Listen, it's night. You don't have a clock, do you? whoever you are, don't prank me or I pray you have a nightmare”
Next came a long tone indicating the connection had been severed unilaterally by Judith. Jeanno chuckled, even though his behavior just now was the same as a schoolboy who was kasmaran, but his mind felt satisfied and filled when he heard the voice that was crossed. With a light breath, the man pulled the blanket over to get close.
And sure enough Judith prayed, Jeanno had a nightmare that night.
**
