CH 102
Wil
He stood in Calvin’s office waiting for him to get off the phone; he was already on a business call, because the person he was talking to was on the East Coast. It might be 9am here, but it was many hours ahead over there. He couldn’t believe that Calvin had yet again managed to tick Marilyn off, without even going near her.
Although he did understand that it was the twins that had contacted Calvin, the screenshots that he’d gotten of their conversation had shown him that. So Marilyn herself understood this, but the question was how long it had gone on was still on his mind, he was betting all weekend, and likely until she’d found out this morning.
He wasn’t so much as mad at Calvin right that minute, just annoyed really. It was also his birthday today and yet here he was having to deal with a new unhappy situation between Marilyn and Calvin, not what he
wanted to do today, of all days.
“Yes Wil,” Calvin stated when he got off the phone.
Wil held out his phone to the man, he already had the pictures Marilyn had sent him up there. He saw Calvin read her response to what she’d just found out about him and the twins. “Hmm, to be expected I think.” He just nodded.
“That’s all you have to say on the matter?” Wil muttered.
“You’ve got Marilyn’s actual mobile number I see.” Calvin raised an eyebrow at him.
“Yes, and I’m not giving it to you, she told me not to, so don’t ask or try and get it from me.” Wil stated, of
course, Calvin would release that at that moment.
“I didn’t start that conversation, Wil, and you were the one that told me not to ignore any of them. I followed your advice. I also couldn’t contact her to tell her they were messaging me now, could I?”
He had Wil on that one, seems the man had already thought things through. “She’s unhappy,” Wil reiterated.
“Look, I didn’t hide that conversation from her. Vsent my schedule as per normal, yesterday at 0830. I also didn’t ask the boys to delete the conversation. So she wouldn’t see it. That should show her that I know she’ll see it at some point. Not hiding it from her,” Calvin stated.
Wil sighed now as he looked at Calvin because he’d not done that, and he could have. “She’s opted to confiscate the phone from the boys for a week over this. So don’t expect to hear anything from them in that
time.”
“Alright.” Calvin nodded.
Wil sat himself in the chair across from Calvin and just stared at him for a long moment. “What was the conversation with the boys about?” he asked. “I only got two pictures of the start of the conversation, not the entire thing.” He needed the details to know how to manage this, try and gauge Marilyn’s reaction properly.
She’d stated she was annoyed, but not elaborated on that.
He saw Calvin smiling now. “They just told me about the things they were doing. Day to day, Marilyn bought a new house, Wil. Calvin sighed heavily “Prepping I think to disappear once more.”
“Well, this won’t help you to gain her trust,” Wil muttered. “I also really don’t need this today of all days, Calvin
WIL
O
1/4
<CH 102
“I know it’s your birthday, and I wasn’t aiming to cause you any trouble, Wil,” Calvin told him.
“You should have told me over the weekend about this.”
“Mm,” I didn’t really see it as a big deal Wil. The boys wanted to talk to me as their dad. They should be allowed to, shouldn’t they?” Calvin countered.
“Under normal circumstances, yes.” Wil agreed with him. “But your circumstances aren’t exactly normal now,
are they Calvin. And with that restraining order you should curb this in them and yourself.”
“Why, the restraining order did not include the children and I did exactly what you advised me to do. Not to
ignore them if they reached out to me.”
Again, Wil could only nod. “I did tell her I’d advised you to do that and that, technically you didn’t breach anything. She, however, is still annoyed, and I don’t know her well enough to know what she’ll do with that
annoyance.”
“I understand.” Calvin nodded himself. “I guess we just have to wait and see what she does. Maybe knowing I am the boy’s father, and they started the contact, she’ll do nothing at all, where I’m concerned.”
“Probably right but Calvin, she could punish the boys. Not just take the phone away. They could be grounded or worse get…” he trailed off, they were from the generation where one got smacked or belted to keep them on the straight path.
“I don’t think Marilyn will physically punish the boys.” Calvin murmured, though now there was a frown on his face because Wil knew that Calvin didn’t actually know if she would smack the boys or not.
Marrin’s childhood had not been so nice at all, and no one knew if she would respond in the same manner that she herself had been treated as a child. There was a lot of darkness in her past and not even Wil knew how much of her past she remembered. Would it influence the way in which she disciplined her own children? He sighed to himself and let it go. Marrin had been a pretty gentle soul and from all he’d seen of Marilyn she just up and walked away from conflict where it was possible, she he thought didn’t want to stand and fight
for the most part.
Though at the same time, he’d seen that headstrong part of both Marrin and Marilyn when they’d both opted to stand their ground against Calvin. So she could fight if she wanted to, and likely only did so if she thought it was utterly necessary. Was, it seemed level–headed enough to just walk away from a fight and no. get involved until that crunch moment came, and she had to do it.
He stood “Try not to think about it, you’re right. I don’t see her punishing the boys, both sides of her appear to have that gentle nature about her. She only arks up when confronting you yourself.” Wil stated with a half–smile. Calvin was in for a fight when they got into it. This new person wasn’t going to take any of his crap or domineering ways, he didn’t think. That was going to come as a complete shock to Calvin. “I’m out of the office for lunch with Anabell, just to remind you, it’ll be a long lunch,” Wil stated. Calvin nodded and smiled at him. I’m aware, enjoy your birthday lunch.” He chuckled.
Wil even knew why he chuckled, because, for the past 7 years, if his and Anabell’s birthdays that fell on a working day, had become a long lunch for both of them. Which meant that both of them wouldn’t return to the office at all.
They worked a half day only on their birthday. A luxury that both of them could afford to do because of how wealthy they were. Wil didn’t think that anyone should have to work on their birthday. That instead of a
< CH 102
company picnic day; if a company did that anymore. They should just give their employees a paid day off for their birthday instead of the company picnic day. It would cost the company the same and each employee would simply get to spend their birthday as they wanted to.
Something like that would, he thought, show the employees they were valued and that the company knew when their birthday was. It was what he would instate if Calvin would let him. The man, however; had stared right at him when he’d brought it up and stated, “Do you know how many people work for C.R. Technology?” And then he’d shaken his head and walked away. He’d not realised it was pretty much the same thing as giving them an extra day off at New Year’s. Instead of returning to work on the second of January, they all
came back on the third.
Will headed to the restaurant that Anabell had booked for their lunch date for his birthday and walked into it only to come to a halt at seeing his entire family there, all of hers and many of their friends, and even a few of the lawyers from the office that he hung out with at times. Calvin himself was there with everyone else as
well.
Anabell was right there at the front, smiling at him and everyone called out ‘happy birthday, Wil. He could only smile and shake his head, “Devious woman.” He chuckled and pulled her into him for a kiss.
“You love it,” she murmured, and he did. She never failed to surprise him, even all these years later. It had surprised him completely because it wasn’t even a number to be celebrated. It also shocked him a little to see she’d invited Calvin. She’d been avoiding that man for months, still annoyed about what he’d done to
Marilyn.
She’d also been standing right next to Calvin when he’d walked into this very room. Like she’d always done when he wasn’t there, and she was waiting for him. When Calvin had arrived first, maybe things were going to be better between them after this.
“Calvin was helpful enough to book the entire restaurant for me.” she smiled up at him.
He wanted to ask why she’d done this, but she’d tell him when she was ready and he knew it. There were many well–wishes, and they all sat down to eat, Calvin right there at their table even, again showing him Anabell must be ready to forgive him. He left it alone, liked that she was once again getting along with Calvin, he wanted that. It would mean they could all start going out to dinner once more and that would come in handy later on, when and if he could get Marilyn to join them.
Anabell insisted that he open his presents while in the restaurant, and she was he could see excited about something. He opened Calvin’s gift second last and in that box was a set of car keys for an Alfa Romeo. He Tooked at Calvin and the man just smiled at him. “You need a new car, been driving that BMW forever. It’s also out the front for you to drive home, you walked right by it to come in here.” Calvin chuckled.
“Alright, thank you, a little bit too much but accepted.” He nodded. Calvin wasn’t one to just give cars as gifts. Anabell smiled at him and held out a small white box with a golden ribbon wrapped around it, “It’s small but…. I think this will be the best gift I’ve ever given you.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Marrying me was the best gift you could have given me,” he told her honestly and saw her smile but pointed to the box.
He lifted the lid and stared at the pair of booties inside it, and it took him a full ten seconds to comprehend what they meant. His eyes moved to Anabell. “R… Really?” he kind of stammered. They weren’t trying to get pregnant as far as he knew.
< CH 102
+5 Points)
“Yes, we’re pregnant.” She smiled at him. “I found out last Friday.” He could not only see the happiness in her expression but heard it in her voice as well. She wanted this, he realised. It was something he’d always told her was her decision completely hers, because it was her body, that they’d have children when she was ready. She was 14 years younger than he was, so he wasn’t going to pressure her into having a family solely because of his age. He pulled her into him and kissed her deeply. “A perfect gift.” He told her “Still second to you agreeing to marry me.” He smiled lovingly at her.
