It was Sunday.  The day after Lyndon had been rescued.  The Blakely family were enjoying a leisurely brunch with Tessa’s parents; Bertha, Keri and Bentley in the breakfast room.    Lyndon was comfortably perched on his daddy’s lap enjoying a scrumptious omlettee. At the table Keri and Charlotte were trying to convince Bertha what a beautiful city New York was in hope of enticing her to visit.  Charlotte was whispering in Brad’s ear that he should medicate Bertha so she could attempt the transatlantic flight.  

Brad noted that for the first time his wife was not too concerned about the state of readiness their home was in, to receive Joseph von Biljoen.  Lyndon’s ordeal had derailed her normal obsession to have their home in tip top shape for her father’s visit.  Not that his butler and cook and the household cleaning team, did not do an exemplary job, but his wife was obsessive and preferred to micro manage things where it concerned her father.  

It thrilled Brad to see his wife smiling and having an enjoyable conversation with her father.  Brad was most impressed to hear his wife debating of all things economics with her father.   Her father was having difficulty in convincing her on his proposal on how to rescue the USA and Europe from the ailing debt crises.  Having majored in economics in university and passing with a distinction, Brad folded his arms across his chest and listened to the heated debate between father and daughter.

 ‘The US and the EU needs to implement austerity measures,’ Joseph argued impassionedly.

‘That’s only a temporary measure,’ Tessa countered.  ‘It patches the hole in a leaking boat but it will not stop it eventually sinking.’

‘Governments must reduce their spending.   There’s no two ways about it,’ Joseph was adamant.

Tessa shook her head unconvinced.  ‘All austerity does is depress the economy.  It causes governments to lose more money in tax revenue and ultimately increases unemployment at a time when the economy needs to be boosted by aggressive spending.’

Brad was so impressed with his wife.  She was spot on as far as he was concerned and he voiced his approval.  ‘I agree with my wife, Joseph,’ Brad dipped his hand under the table and laced it through Tessa’s.  Pride lit up her eyes at her husband’s surprising support.  She had thought he would be of the same view as her father.

‘Oh you would agree with your wife,’ Joseph pointed an accusing finger at Brad.

‘On the contrary,’ Brad stated unfazed by Joseph’s accusation.  Reducing the government’s spending on infrastructure and necessary services is short sighted.’ 

Tessa held her breath.  She had been a little more tactful with her father.  Trust her amazing husband to shoot straight from the hip. 

‘The solution is to grow the economy,’ Brad indicated.  ‘Relax certain polices that will be investor friendly; review globalization strategies and the producer price index to stimulate manufacturing within our borders and accelerate job creation,’ Brad offered a smug grin.

‘And what governments fail to employ,’ Tessa added, ‘is the simulation of business models to assess readiness in crises situations.’  She returned an accusing finger back at her father.  ‘That discipline would have kept buffer zones protected and today we would not have to be concerned about debt crises or the EU abandoning the Euro and each country falling back on their individual currencies.  Do you know what the cost implications are for each country to now reprint their own individual currencies all over again?’ Tessa raised an enquiring eyebrow at her father.

Joseph smiled at his daughter proudly.  She never ceased to amaze him.  In her teen years she had been such a rebel, he thought she’d drop out of university.  Instead she had finished top of her class with flying colours, the youngest in her class to graduate. 

‘Do you know my daughter aced her final exams in university?’ Joseph directed a proud dad’s look in Brad’s direction.

Tessa gasped audibly.  Her father had just randomly gone off the topic they were discussing, more like debating.  She stopped blushing when she turned thirteen, but her father had come close to making her blush just now exercising his daddy’s bragging rights.

‘You actually remember my final results?’ she questioned incredulously.

‘Oh I know the results for each of your years,’ he grinned proudly.

I’ll be damned! 

Tessa was gobsmacked.  She had always assumed her father had not paid any attention to her or her achievements.  In her first year when she had excelled, she’d hoped to get a pat on the back from her father but it never happened.  Every year she pushed the envelope aiming higher and higher desperately seeking affirmation from her parent, but for some reason never achieved it.  She hated failure.  From the beginning of her high school year she excelled continuously, even in her career as a corporate attorney but where her father was concerned she thought she was a failure.

Brad watched Tessa withdraw into herself.  He needed to get her out of it quickly, before she put the walls up.   ‘I’ve read my wife’s impressive achievements,’ Brad placed an arm around Tessa supportively.  The records are in GR’s files.  ‘So why don’t we take the boat out onto the lake?’ Brad proposed

‘Yes!’ Lyndon agreed enthusiastically.

‘That’s a marvellous idea,’ Charlotte smiled.

‘So can I ask Joseph to keep Lyndon tonight?’ Brad's voice was a soft whisper caressing Tessa’s ear.  Immediately she felt the arousal burn through her body.

‘What ... no!’ Tessa was embarrassed.  ‘Daddy is going to know why you want him babysitting.’

‘So?’  Brad grinned.  ‘I’m sure making love is not a foreign concept to Joseph.  Why, you are a by product of ...’

‘Brad!’ Tessa hissed.  ‘We are so not having this conversation now,’ she instructed.

‘Does this mean Lyndon is going to be in our bed tonight?’  Brad gave her a dejected look.

‘Shut up.’

‘You okay?’ Keri asked Tessa, seeing her all flustered.

‘Yeah, Brad’s just taking my father down to the lake to check out the boat.’

‘I am?’

He got his ankle kicked for daring to challenge his wife. 

‘I guess I am,’ he winced.

Joseph and Charlotte were still visiting with their daughter, son-in-law and grandson a week later.   They would have returned to New York but Lyndon insisted that his grandpa could not leave.  Brad’s hopes of making love to his wife were dashed, for every night, no matter which bed they put Lyndon off to sleep in, he would awake an hour later and come crawling in between his mummy and daddy. 

      A week ago after Brad took everybody on the boat, he’d thought his son would be exhausted enough to sleep through the night in his grandpa’s bed, but in the middle of their lovemaking, Tessa heard the repeated thumping on their bedroom door, scurried out and slipped on a nightshirt.  Brad quickly donned a pair of boxers and reuctantly opened the door to his son.  He unceremoniously plonked his son in the bed and went to take a cold shower and only returned some thirty minutes later.  Tessa avoided looking at her grumpy husband when he returned.  Lyndon was oblivious of his parent’s woes as he busied himself reading his mummy a story.  From that night on the entire week Brad and Tessa had been sharing their bed with their son.

On the plus side Lyndon was responding positively to the therapy.  His trauma counsellor was seeing him three times a week.  Sometimes Brad and Tessa sat in on the counselling.  Other times the counsellor requested them not to be in attendance.  She was quite satisfied with Lyndon’s progress whilst Brad suffered in silence.  Tessa seemed to be taking it in her stride.  She longed for intimacy with her husband, but her son’s needs came first. 

Occasionally she and Brad would steal kisses and caresses in her office, but it was taking its toll on Brad he wanted a release.  Lyndon refused to have his father out of sight for too long.  He even resorted to donning formal attire every morning and going to the office with mummy and daddy.  Brad made a big deal about grooming his son to take over the helm at GR.  A desk was brought into his humongous office for Lyndon.  A kiddie’s laptop was added.  Lyndon had access to games, geographical and mathematical programs.  He also had his own telephone where he was allowed to call his momma.  His parents were impressed with him.  Brad had explained to his son that he was not to disturb daddy if anybody was in his daddy’s office or if his daddy was on the phone.  When Brad was busy on his laptop or studying reports Lyndon would softly touch his daddy’s arm, requesting either a drink or to go to the bathroom.  Otherwise Brad hardly noticed his son was there.  His momma fetched him every day at lunchtime where they enjoyed a meal in the restaurant with the very friendly French chef, Francois Bertrand.  Sometimes Brad would join them, most times mother and son spent quality time together.

Brad smiled as he turned to watch his son.  Lyndon was busy with crayons.  His face was a mask of concentration, his tongue jutting out at the corner of his mouth.  Brad stood up and walked quietly to look over his son’s shoulder.  Lyndon was looking at a story book and drawing a rather good resemblance of two horses with their heads bent, munching on hay.  Lyndon seemed to have a flair for drawing.  His horses were the same colour as the bark on a healthy tree.  The hay was a rich golden brown.  However Lyndon’s horses seemed to have mastered the theory of relativity for they were rather comfortably not on terra firma.  Lyndon seemed to sense his daddy behind him, he looked up and smiled.  Brad lifted Lyndon into his arms.

‘That is a beautiful picture son.’

‘Thank you my daddy, but it is for momma.’

‘I am sure she is going to love it,’ Brad smiled supportively.  Brad had no need to be disappointed about this picture not being for him.  He had a picture of a car with Lyndon in the driving seat.  He had another with the three of them catching a fish at the lake.  Brad had another of him talking on his mobile at his desk.  There was another with the three of them in bed and Lyndon reading to his momma about Woody the Rain Forest Man. Brad had pinned all the pictures on one of the walls in his office, except the bedroom picture.  His son’s art was rather explicit Brad thought.  Tessa on the other hand was only too thrilled to mount up her son’s art.  There was a picture of Lyndon hiding behind his grandpa and his momma trying to catch him.  There was a picture of them in bed, with Brad reading to Lyndon.  Tessa had no qualms about putting them up.

Brad called Bentley into his office then addressed Lyndon.  ‘Son, I’m going to mummy’s office.  Please wait here with Bentley until I return.’

‘Yes my daddy,’ Lyndon smiled and continued with his drawings.  Bentley sat in the seat opposite to Lyndon.  He continued with the report he was reading, not wanting to appear intrusive.

Brad knocked on Tessa’s door she was on a call.  She seemed to be engaging with somebody about a document in front of her.  When she saw Brad standing at the door, she ended the call, saying she would get back to the caller.

‘What’s wrong?’ Tessa stood up, seeing the serious look on Brad’s face.

‘Oh nothing at all,’ Brad smiled, and walked into Tessa’s office. 

‘Do you have permission to be here?’ Tessa smiled.

 ‘Yes.  Bentley is in my office,’ Brad took his wife into his arms.  ‘If I don’t make love to you soon, I’m going to explode,’ Brad groaned against her throat.

‘You survived when we were separated,’ Tessa bit on her lower lip.

‘That was different,’ Brad’s voice was gruff, ‘and don’t remind me of that.’  Then he went to bed alone each night and battled the demons by himself.  Now he had to lie next to his wife, but could not touch her.   
‘I want you.’  Brad’s voice resembled one in excruciating torture. 
‘I’m sorry,’ Tessa’s lips brushed Brad’s.  Her fingers caressed at the nape of his neck ensuing a soft moan from Brad.  ‘We’ve tried everything,’ she whispered.

‘I have a suggestion,’ Brad announced somewhat hesitantly.

‘What, anything, I’m willing to listen,’ Tessa sighed.  She was coming to her wits end as well.

‘You must promise to keep an open mind,’ Brad ventured reluctantly.

Tessa raised an eyebrow.  Even before her husband could speak she was not liking his idea.  There was no way she was going to send her baby to New York, no way in hell.  Still the attorney in her wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.  She would humour him and hear him out.  That way he won’t accuse her of not keeping an open mind.

‘I’m listening,’ Tessa’s voice was strained.  Her body was as tight as a string on a bow.

‘Lyndon needs a companion,’ Brad spoke quietly.

‘What?’ Tessa blinked.  That was a curve ball all right.  "‘Companion" ... we have been trying to fall pregnant.’  

Well except for the last  three torturous weeks.                                     

‘Another kind of companion,’ Brad lifted Tessa into his arms, walked to her seat and sat down with her on his lap.

‘Huh?’  Tessa blinked again.  Her face displayed total confusion.

Brad smiled, his fingers splayed lovingly across her cheek.  ‘The four legged kind,’ Brad murmured.

‘Four ... ! Oh no Blakely,' Tessa stood up.  ‘I am not allowing any creatures in my house.  No thank you.’ 
She paced around in front of Brad.  ‘If it’s a choice between any creatures or no ... sex.  I’m choosing ... no sex,’ she swallowed and looked at her husband meaningfully.  

It was like Brad  had no say in the matter of her house, even though he had purchased the Surrey home with money from his own blood, sweat and tears, before he even met Tessa von Biljoen.

‘You’re over reacting,’ Brad stood up and pinned her in his arms.

‘What ... kind of creature are you talking about?  Mice?’ she shivered.  ‘Worms?’  She had a pained expression on her face.

‘Worms have limbs and more than four.’

‘Put me out of my misery.  What the hell are you talking about?’  She tried unsuccessfully to get out of his arms.

‘I’m talking about a puppy,’ Brad murmured against her ear.

‘"Puppy?"  But they have bad toilet manners,’ she pushed Brad away.  ‘They will make my house smell and they bark incessantly.’ 
Brad tried to speak but she rallied on like crazy. 

‘They will be noisy and Lyndon is going to want it in his bed.  No!  No thank you Blakely.  No deal.’

‘Tessa.’

‘What?’

‘We can get a pedigreed one.  We can have him house trained.  If it’s a very young puppy, it will be easier to train him.’

‘But they smell.  They will run around my house and cause a riot and they will have bugs on them.’

Brad laughed, ‘which planet are you from?’

‘The one where there are no four legged creatures,’ she rubbed her arms feeling repulsed.

‘We can bathe the dog,’ Brad smiled.  ‘There are pet products to prevent and treat parasites.  I think it’s perfect for Lyndon,’ Brad captured Tessa in his arms again.

‘You do?’

‘Yes.  We will make him responsible.  He will choose his own puppy.  He will be responsible to feed and care for it.’

‘You think we will get our privacy back?’ she leaned into him, draping her arms around his neck.

‘I think so.’

‘But I don’t want it in Lyndon’s bed.’

‘Darling think about it.  If Lyndon knows he has to be protective over his puppy.  He ain’t going to be creeping into mummy’s bed.’

‘You mean daddy’s bed.  It’s daddy he wants twenty four seven.’

‘I think it’s worth a shot,’ Brad declared.

‘I’m not thrilled about it,’ Tessa rested her forehead on Brad’s.

‘I am,’ Brad smiled.  ‘I can get my wife back all to myself.’

‘What if it does not work?’

‘Then we buy him a lion,’ Brad announced.

‘Brad!’

‘Just kidding,’ Brad laughed, raising his hands in the air in mock surrender.  ‘I feel my plan is fail proof.’

Tessa believed her husband.  He could be rather convincing.  But a dog!  She never was into animals.  Yet for her son’s sake she was willing to give it a shot.

‘Okay,’ she reluctantly agreed.

‘That’s my girl,’ Brad lifted his wife into his arms and excitedly twirled around with her.  Tessa held tightly onto his shoulders, she laughed softly, seeing the happiness in her husband’s eyes.   She tipped  her head and kissed him.
Brad lowered Tessa to the floor, linking his hand to hers, they walked back to his office.

‘My daddy, you’re back.’

‘Thank you Bentley,’ Brad accepted the flying Lyndon into his arms.

‘Hello momma.  Is it lunch time?’  Lyndon loved taking lunch in the restaurant with Francois Bertrand.

‘No sweetheart,’ Tessa smiled.  She walked to Brad’s refrigerator and took three cans of fruit juices out.  She handed one to Brad and the other to Lyndon.  Brad walked with his son to the sofa.

‘Son, mummy and daddy think you have been a very good boy and you deserve to be rewarded,’ Brad smiled.

‘Thank you my daddy,’ he hugged his father.  ‘What am I getting?’ He flicked the tab off his drink.

‘Mummy and daddy are very happy to get you a puppy,’ Brad announced.

‘Really momma?’ Lyndon was ecstatic.

Tessa smiled.  She really could not bring herself to answer.  She was not convinced or as enthusiastic as Brad, but if it meant them regaining their privacy she was prepared to try it out.  Tessa saw Brad signalling with his eyes.   She quickly nodded.

‘A puppy, oh yay,’ Lyndon jumped off his daddy and pranced about like a headless chicken.  ‘When can I get him my daddy?  What colour is he?  What’s his name?’

‘There are some ground rules first,’ Brad lifted Lyndon and plonked him on his table.  Tessa watched the smile disappear from Lyndon’s face.   She sat down on the chair opposite Brad’s desk.

‘First you must take full responsibility for your puppy,’ Brad stated.

‘Yes,’ Lyndon nodded enthusiastically, and sipped thirstily from his can of juice.

‘He will be your pet,’ Brad affirmed.  ‘So you must feed him every morning and afternoon.’  The head nodded vigorously again.  ‘You must walk him in the garden every afternoon.’  Brad got the third nod. 

‘You may have to clean up after your puppy.  He may not remember where his toilet is.’ 
Lyndon wrinkled his face.  This time Brad did not get a nod.

‘He does not use our toilets under any circumstances,’ Tessa instructed.

‘Can I keep him in my room?’

Brad looked at Tessa.  A pained look crossed her face before she nodded. 
‘Only if you sleep in your own room,’ Brad studied Lyndon’s face for his reaction.

‘Thank you my daddy,’ Lyndon threw his hands in the air, for his daddy to pick him up.

‘Do we have a deal?’ Brad hoisted his son into his arms.

‘Yes,’ Lyndon agreed unhesitatingly.  Brad looked at Tessa.  She did not look very enthusiastic.  Brad was elated.

‘You must prove to mummy, you are responsible enough to have a pet son.’

‘I will momma,’ he looked over his shoulder at his momma.  ‘I will feed him, and walk him, and yak---also clean after him.’

Tessa laughed.  She stood up and walked to her husband and son.  Perhaps Brad had found the therapy Lyndon needed.  She would be delighted if it worked.  Not only for their own pleasure, for their son’s emotional restoration as well.

‘I’m happy for you darling,’ Tessa kissed Lyndon’s cheek.

‘Can I call Stacy and tell her momma?

‘Sure.’

Since Stacy had returned from hospital.  She was staying with the Blakely’s, so was her mum.  Tessa had hired an assistant for Stacy.  Not because she was very busy, but more to give Stacy time to rest and recover whilst the new assistant became familiar with Lyndon’s routine.  However Stacy did not seem to care much about resting.  Whenever Lyndon was around, she fussed over him like a mother hen.  She became extremely protective over Lyndon ever since his kidnapping.  Tessa and Brad were more secure now.  Every member of the Blakely family now enjoyed a security squad of four men, twenty four hours a day.   Brad was much more at ease since he upped the security over his family.

‘Sir,’ Bentley knocked on Brad’s door.

‘Bentley, I’m getting a puppy, because I am a good boy.’

‘That’s a good idea.  Why didn’t I think of that?’ Bentley grinned. 
The smile disappeared of Bentley’s face when he saw Tessa glaring at him.

‘Er ... sir.  I’m being inundated with calls by the staff.  They want to meet Mrs. Blakely and Lyndon.’

‘What?’  Tessa laughed.  ‘Whatever for?’

‘Well,’ Bentley lowered his voice a bit.  ‘Ever since the ... incident, the staff shared your suffering and then your joy.  Now they want a glimpse of the two of you.’ 

Tessa looked away.  She did not want to ever relive that episode of her life.  Never, ever, ever, again. 

She supposed she could relate to their staff’s enthusiasm to see the Blakely’s.    Only the top floor personnel saw them every day.  The rest of the hundred odd employees hardly ever got the opportunity to see their employers.

‘You were in all their prayers,’ Bentley’s soft voice reached Tessa.  ‘My inbox crashed from all the well wishers from all over the world.'

Tessa looked at Brad.  She allowed him to make the decision.

‘Okay,’ Brad stood up.   ‘I think we can close business for one day here;  have a staff family day.  You up to it darling?’ Brad pressed his palms to Tessa’s shoulders.

‘Yes,’ she smiled.  She lowered her head and pressed her lips to Brad’s palm on her shoulder.
  ‘How will the staff in the other regions feel if the UK office gets a Family Day off and the others don’t?’

Brad smiled.  His wife was ever the champion for all their staff all over the world.  ‘Darling, perhaps I have been short sighted, but I suspect if you agree to doing this here, we may have to visit every other regional office and do the exact same thing.’ 
Tessa looked at her husband.  That would be a lot of travelling.  They had offices in New York; Chicago; Vancouver; Sydney and Hong Kong.  That could be a month of nonstop travel, but then again they had hardly done any demanding travelling in the last year.

‘I suppose we could do it,’ Tessa smiled again.

‘You’re sure Tessa?  That would be a lot of travelling.’

‘It won’t exceed a month right?  We can do it,’ she nodded.

Brad looked at Bentley.  ‘Okay set up the one here at the earliest opportunity.  Then give me a week to wrap us things with the Russians and the RBD buyout, then schedule the regional visits.’  Brad spoke.

‘I’d like Keri to accompany us abroad,’ Tessa stated.  Bentley’s eyes lit up.  Tessa saw it before he schooled it.  When Brad looked at Bentley, he was all composed again.

‘Call all the regional heads.  Let them come back to us with a date when it’s convenient for them to close shop for a day.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘I’d like to get the function done here as soon as possible, so I can focus on closing the RBD buyout.’

‘How about the day after tomorrow?’ Bentley looked from Tessa to Brad.

‘I’ll have Keri clear my diary,’ Tessa offered.

‘Suits me fine,’ Brad nodded.  ‘Send out the communiqué worldwide today.’

‘You will be there right?’ Tessa clasped Brad’s hand.

‘If you need me,’ Brad grinned.  ‘Although I imagine you will be the star attraction.’

‘I need you,’ she smiled into his eyes.

‘Just shout,’ I will be hovering not too far from you,’ Brad cupped his wife around her waist.

‘Momma is it lunch time now?’

Tessa laughed, ‘even if it is not my angel, I shall take you to the restaurant.  You must be starving.’

‘I’ll join you,’ Brad smiled.

‘Francois makes yummy pudding my daddy.’

‘Why am I not surprised that you love lunch time so much,’ Brad grinned.

‘Okay give me a minute,’ Tessa informed Lyndon and Brad, as she left Brad’s office.

As Tessa walked out, she saw Bentley leaning back on his chair, flipping a pencil about absentmindedly.  She walked up to him.  Bentley straightened up quickly.

‘Have you mentioned our overseas trip yet to Keri?’

‘Not yet.  I was trying to plan where to start,’ Bentley dropped his pencil on the table.

‘We start in Sydney,’ Tessa instructed.  ‘Then to Hong Kong.  I’d like to come back to London for a day or two, then we do the Americas.  I want New York to be the last and the longest stop,’ Tessa smiled.  ‘Check with Brad how many days he will allow us to stay in New York.’

‘Yes ma’am,’ Bentley had been nodding all the time.  The minute she mentioned New York to be the longest, his enthusiasm seemed to deflate.  Perhaps he thought Keri would be hooking up with old flames.

‘Bentley, I’m going to fill Keri in on the trip, but the itinerary itself I want you to allow Keri to shadow you.’

‘Yes ma’am.'

‘Keri is professional and very competent,’ Tessa smiled, but I’ve never met a P.A. as super efficient as you Bentley.’ 

He shifted in his chair and his shoulders rose sky high. 

‘I want you to groom Keri and impart all the skills she requires to get to your level.’

‘Yes ma’am.’

‘Good.  I’ll take Keri into my office now.’  Tessa looked at her wristwatch.  She had better make it quick, before her son starts calling her from his desk phone.

‘Hey Keri.  You want to come into my office?’

‘Sure thing Mrs. Blakely.’  Keri had taken to addressing her formally around the office, seeing Bentley addressed her that way.  When they were alone, Keri would resort to first names basis.

‘Yes Tessa,’ Keri sat down with a notepad.

‘Oh you won’t need that,’ Tessa shook her head.

‘I won’t?’

‘Bentley is going to fill you in on all the nuts and bolts, but in about a week, we going to every regional office of GR.’

‘What!  OMG, are you serious?’

Keri had never toured outside of the States.  Her first overseas trip had been the one Tessa had paid for to come to London.

‘I’m serious all right.  Sit down with Bentley, he’s drafting our itinerary.’

‘So don’t you need me to hold the fort in your absence?  If Bentley is going, should I not stay?’

‘Brad’s fort moves with him wherever in the world he is,’ Tessa laughed softly.

‘Right.  Yes, I observed that,’ Keri spoke.  ‘Can I make a confession?’

‘What?’ Tessa raised an eyebrow, her mind in overdrive.

‘Bentley kind of intimidates me,’ she spoke nervously.   ‘He seems to have four pairs of hands and eyes in the back of his head.  He pulls out a client file and starts scanning it,’ Keri clicked her fingers in the air, ‘and the next thing the same client is calling him on the phone.’

Tessa laughed again.  ‘It’s taken him more than five years to attain the expertise he has.  You will get there Keri.  Don’t make the mistake of measuring yourself looking at Bentley.  Allow yourself the time to become skilled.  GR is a whole different ballgame compared to Kern and Byron, but I have every faith in you.’

‘Oh thank you Tessa.’

‘Listen, I must shoot,’ Tessa stood up.  ‘My family wants lunch.’

‘Mr. Blakely is such an amazing man.  I’m so happy for you Tessa.’

‘I know that’s why I married him,’ Tessa grinned over her shoulder as she opened her door.  ‘Oops,’ she banged into her husband’s broad shoulders.

‘Darling we’re going to faint from withdrawal symptoms,’ Brad cast an accusing stare in Lyndon’s direction.

‘Oh sorry my angel,’ Tessa picked Lyndon up into her arms. ‘See you,’ Tessa waved at Keri.

‘Keri,’ Bentley stood up and cleared his throat.

‘Yes?’ Keri responded nervously, wondering if she’d done something wrong.

‘Mrs. Blakely informed you of our overseas trip?’

‘Yes, but she said you would fill me in.’

‘Yes,’ Bentley looked at his watch, playing for time.  ‘I have something urgent to prepare now,’ he lied.   ‘How about after work, we go grab some coffee somewhere away from GR?’

‘Oh okay,’ Keri replied, thinking the boss’s P.A. was an extremely busy man.    What Keri did not know as yet was, when the boss was not working, Bentley was free.  If the boss worked sixteen hours a day, then so did Bentley.

‘Would you like to go home and change into something more comfortable?’ Bentley offered.  He had found her the perfect apartment.  Just as he had guessed, she had selected the ideal one, not too far from GR’s office.

‘No, I guess this should be okay for our working coffee,’ Keri wrinkled her nose.

I’d much prefer to call it a date. 

‘That will be all right then,’ Bentley nodded.  ‘We shall leave at five.’

Bentley had chosen an exclusive cafe near Keri’s apartment.  He had not needed to use his boss’s name.  His own name seemed to be opening doors for him, benefits of being associated to Bradley Blakely.  Off course he would be paying with his own credit card as far as he was concerned, this was their first date, even if Keri thought this was a “working coffee.”

So, you’ve settled in nicely,’ Bentley asked, after assisting Keri into her chair.

‘Yes, thank you.  It is an amazing apartment.  I have a perfect view of the London Eye, and there are so many wonderful restaurants, book stores and cafes around me,’ she smiled.

Bentley stared at Keri admiringly.  He smiled, when she cleared her throat.  ‘Right---I am pleased you found something close to the office.  Sometimes, we keep long hours.’

‘Yes.’

It seemed, out of the office Bentley did not talk much.  In the office he was constantly giving Keri running commentary on every aspect of the business and demanded she keep notes on everything he imparted to her.

‘So you’re enjoying the job then?’ 
Riveting conversation!  As if my desk is not a mere metre away from hers.

‘Oh yes.  Tes ... Mrs. Blakely and Mr. Blakely are such wonderful human beings, and she has not changed one iota since I worked for her in New York.  She is the same caring, compassionate, friendly and supportive person.  Mrs. Blakely’s wealth has not affected her at all.  She is a truly remarkable person.’

‘I agree,’ Bentley smiled again, gazing at Keri.

Keri looked away nervously, wishing their coffee would come.  ‘So you’ve not brought the files for us to work from then?’  She asked conversationally.

            -end chapter eighteen-