Chapter 3
He had to take care of his sick mother and he was the only one she depended on. He couldn't leave her alone but he promised to come back here once he certified that she would be alright.
"Alright ma'am, I would be leaving now. Please call me the minute you need anything", he said.
Rita nodded as she watched him walk away. She was on the verge of calling him back but she stopped herself. She reasoned that he probably had a family, a wife and kids who would be waiting for him. Though she didn't notice any ring on his finger, she knew that most men didn't fancy wearing a ring especially when they were working.
She sighed yet again as she made her way into the building. She went upstairs, straight to her room. She wasn't in the mood to eat anything. All her appetite had gone the minute she argued with her mum. She decided to settle for a cup of coffee since her stomach began protesting.
Later on, as she prepared to sleep, in one brazen moment she imagined what would happen if she introduced Rodrigo as the man she wanted to marry. No doubt her parents would have a heart attack and she would get kicked off the board faster than she could say her name. Apparently, their name and reputation was much more important to them than her happiness. She cried silently, wishing that she could run away, run away from everything and everyone around her but she couldn't because she had a duty to her parents. She was the heir to the Anderson fortune and everything she does would be watched.
As the first drop of rain hit the roof, so did her tears. They came pouring down in torrents, too fast for her to stop. She slept fitfully that night wishing that when she woke up, she would have an answer to her predicament.
The next morning, she was rudely woken up by a loud knocking at the front door. She tied her robes securely as she made her way downstairs to check who it was. She wasn't expecting anyone only Rodrigo but he could have called before coming. As a precautionary measure, she took a kitchen knife as she slowly made her way to the door.
On getting there, she looked through the peephole and discovered that it was Rodrigo carrying a huge package. She smiled, opening the door to allow him in.
"Wow, good morning ma'am. I see you were prepared for any eventualities", he said upon seeing the knife.
"I'm sorry, I just wasn't sure who was at the door. Please come in", she said.
Rodrigo laughed, placing the package on a nearby table. Rita discovered that it contained various food and she was secretly glad at his thoughtfulness because at that moment, she was starved.
"Thanks for all these, you really didn't need to bother", she chuckled.
"It's nothing ma'am", he said, staring at her.
Rita looked away as her cheeks took on a rosy colour. She had a feeling that today was going to be an interesting one.
"So, tell me about yourself", Rita said, over breakfast.
Rodrigo smiled, sipping his latte. Rita was surprised at the amount of food he brought. There were various types and she had a hard time choosing which one to start with.
"There's nothing really much to say about me", Rodrigo said.
"But at least there's something right? I would love to hear it, I really don't know much about you except that you're my chaffeur which is not much to know is it?", Rita laughed.
"True ma'am".
"Oh stop with all the ma'am ish.. it makes me feel old. Rita is fine please", she said.
"Alright Rita", he said.
She loved the way her name rolled off his toungue, it sounded grand. At that moment, she was happy over her name.
"Okay. My name is Rodrigo Campbell as you already know, I'm thirty and an only child. My father passed on few years ago and so, I'm left with taking care of my sick mother", he said.
Rita felt bad for him. She didn't know that someone so humble had faced a lot in life, she was proud at his sense of responsibility in taking care of his mother. Not many would do that, it made her respect him all the more.
"Oh I'm sorry about your father's death. Please, i hope your mother is getting much better", Rita said.
"To be honest, not really. She has this recurring ailment that never seems to go away no matter the drugs we use", he said sadly.
Rita felt a pang in her chest. Right at that moment, she decided to find out who his mother was and place her on the company's health care system. After all, she was the President and she could do anything she so desired.
"I'm sorry, she'll be fine. Please if there's anything I can do to be of assistance, do let me know", she said.
"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it", Rodrigo said, giving her hands a gentle squeeze.
Rita was taken aback by this but she quickly covered up her surprise by squeezing his hands back. Rodrigo drew his hand back quickly, surprised at this show of careless abandon.
"It's okay, I'm not going to run yelling to daddy that you touched me", Rita laughed.
Rodrigo laughed too and for the first time ever, she noticed that he had a dimple.
Just then, her phone rang, distrupting the moment in the air. The caller ID showed that it was her mother calling, no doubt calling to remind her about the stupid dinner party with Edmundo.
"Please I need to take this", she said, walking towards the balcony.
Rodrigo nodded, watching her leave. He couldn't help it, he knew he was falling for her but he had to control himself. She was an untouchable, someone he could only dream of having. She was Lawrence Anderson's daughter and bethrothed to the Brabra family, he wasn't in their league and there was no use trying to win her heart.