advertising-for-love by Rakhibul hasan (fb2 epub reader .TXT) 📖

have seen. Why do you hide them behind those glasses?” he had said it before he could stop himself.

“They are sensitive to light. They hurt if I don’t have my glasses on.” she replied ignoring his compliment.

He knew that she was making up the excuse for she had been sitting in the light without her glasses when he entered but still, Grant got up and switched the lights off. “In that case we will talk in the dark.” he remarked.

Then he tried to make his way back to his seat in the dark, only to yell, as his right foot hit the leg of the coffee table. “Hell!” he gave out a small curse.

Tizzy made her way to the switch and soon light flooded the room again. She looked a moment in his direction, then asked “Are you ok?”

Grant nodded and walked slowly back to his seat. Tizzy stood another few moments by the switch, then dimmed the light and came back to her chair.

“I can’t have you dropping tea on yourself as well.” with that she took off her glasses. Even in the subdued lighting he could tell that she had been crying Her eyes glistened with the after effects of her tears. If he had been more in control of their situation and their relationship he would have been over consoling her. But Tizzy had once again built up the wall that only her nightmares seem to bring down. He decided to stay where he was. The dimmer had added

softness to her features and he watched them as he took a sip of his tea.

“Tizzy, I have to be honest with you, I wasn’t just passing by.” Grant acknowledged after his sip.

“I know Grant” Tizzy said, a smile escaping her lips “You can’t pass through here. There is nowhere to go.”

Grant was glad he had owned up. He was also glad that she was smiling about it. The sign was an encouraging one.

“I actually wanted to speak to you.” he was still mesmerized by her eyes. He noticed she took every opportunity to look away; the dogs were her most frequent excuse.

“I was thinking the same thing before you came.” she said

“In that case its ladies first. What did you want to talk to me about?” he asked

Now that the moment was here, she did not know how to begin. How was she to explain her relationship with Peter and how was she going to pressure him into finding a replacement for her sooner than later.

“How long do you think it will take before you aad..vertise my position Grrant?”

She stuttered

This was not what Grant wanted to hear. The question upset Grant and this time he knew why. He was in love with her, but Tizzy did not return that feeling. She just wanted to leave. He was going to ask her not to make any rash decisions. He wanted to tell her that he had worked things out so that she would never have to attend a meeting. That he was setting up a new department with her heading it and it would be totally based on the internet. Where, unless there was a problem, she would never have to meet the clients. That he would do anything not to lose her. After the question she had put to him, these were not the things he could tell her. Her question meant that she could not wait to get away. Did that mean that she was going to move into Peter’s home? Tizzy I wish you would sit still long enough for me to be able to read your eyes, he thought. What do you truly feel?

“Are you so very unhappy at work?” he asked in a sober tone.

“Unhappy! Never Grant, I love, er my work too much for that. I just thought that now that I have decided to leave the sooner I do that the better.” Tizzy said

“So you are moving in with Peter?” Grant moved to the point

“Move in with Peter? Grant I knew that the rumours had started about my relationship with him, but how can people assume a thing like that? How could you even think I would do that?” Tizzy felt insulted. Despite all her guarded actions the time had once again come where people misjudged her actions. First her precious mother had done that, now her beloved Grant. No, she thought ‘My decision to move out was the right one’

Grant peered into her eyes. There was hurt in them now. Hurt, was one thing he never wanted to see in those eyes or be the cause of it.

“Don’t Tizzy, don’t look at me that way. I did not mean to hurt or insult you in any way. I met Branson this morning. He said he had asked you to move in with him. I just thought that your need to get away from work had something to do with that offer.” Grant had to clear his name. He could not bear to have her think badly of him.

“Peter told you that himself?” she asked

“Yes. Are you? He replied and questioned at the same time

“Did he say I was?” Tizzy asked

“He said he had asked you, I presumed you had not yet given your answer.” Grant was watching closely.

“If he said it, and you believed it, I guess I must be.” Tizzy said in a matter of fact tone

“Tizzy, I want to believe differently. Peter is a nice enough person. In fact, I got along quite well with him, but leaving the work you love, and he is so much older..” Grant said

“I am not leaving because of Peter. That decision was mine alone. Peter has not asked me to move into his home. Even if he did, I would not be doing that. I have my own place. I am happy here.” Tizzy cleared the situation up.

Tizzy, Grant thought, ‘all you are saying is that you will not move into his home. What I want to

hear is that you will have nothing to do with him’. But to her he said

“So we come back to my earlier question. That means, you are not happy at work. Is that correct?” Grant had taken a full circle and he was back to the start with not a question answered the way he wanted. She did not reply.

“Tizzy I will be honest with you, I don’t want you to leave. I had already made plans for the future to ensure you never have to attending presentations and meeting. You will only have to deal with me and maybe Roger. I was setting up a separate division that would be based on orders over the Internet...” Grant got no further

“Oh Grant! We really do think alike. Come with me.” with that she led the way to the studio upstairs. On the way up, she smiled to herself at the irony of things. Grant was ensuring that she would only have to deal with him, and it was him, that she was running from, her feelings for him that she was escaping.

Once upstairs, Grant saw her little production unit. It was fully equipped, down to the draw pins and pencils. Everything was ready. She only had to advertise and wait for the business. The sight should have made him happy but instead he felt utter disappointment. Tizzy would not change her mind now, she had planned and organised too much. She had even designed her business card. TM it read.

“How long have you been planning this?” he had not meant to sound as if he was accusing her, but his tone implied that.

“Grant, you don’t t..think I was doing this behind your back? This room has always been like

this, it’s my workshop, and it’s where I usually b..brought my work. But in this past week, the

idea took concrete form. I only showed it to you so that you don’t think later that I stole your

idea.”

Tizzy was hoping Grant would be happy for her. It seemed he wasn’t. He must think, she was

going to take his business with her.

“Grant, I won’t be competing with T & G Mallaby. Nor am I going to try and take any of your

clients” she rushed the words.

“I thought you would want to look after the Branson file at least.” again Grant could not hold back the sarcasm.

“Never, ..P..Peter asks too many questions. I don’t want direct contact with any of my clients.” she joked.

Grant found himself smiling back.

“So you are definitely leaving. In that case, I will put the ad in this weekend’s paper.” he said hoping to find some sort of reaction in her eyes.

Instead she walked up to the desk and returned with her business card “Then, can I give you my very first business card. Who knows you might bring me luck?”

As he took it from her hand, his fingers gently brushed hers. They stood looking at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Both hearts beat wildly but neither was able to hear the others. Grant moved forward. The spell was broken. Tizzy turned and walked to the wall to switch off the light. Grant looked at her standing with her back to him and then he began descending the steps.

At the bottom, he turned and watched as Tizzy maneuvered the last of the steps. He did not go back into the lounge. Instead he stood by the front door. If Tizzy had already decided to go, there was no point in staying on.

“I am sorry to see you go but I do wish you every success. I won’t be seeing you tomorrow at work. I am flying to Melbourne. I have a presentation there. I’ll see you when I return”.

“ T..Thanks Grant, I am sorry to let you down. This was the worst moment to do this to you.” she began

“Don’t feel guilty Tizzy, you should feel proud of yourself. It’s a bold venture. Though, why I am happy for you is beyond me. One day you are going to end up being competition. I can already see that.” He tried to joke, but his eyes were serious as they met hers.

“Hardly a rival, G..grant. I only want a small business, just big enough to keep me busy. But it will be mine and that is important to me right now.” She said

‘Say the word and a lot more can be yours’ Grant thought. Instead he moved backward to let her open the door. At that very moment she moved forward and the next moment they had collided. Each tried to steady the other. This time the spell refused to be broken. And when it did, Grant had lowered his lips. After her initial hesitation, Tizzy found herself kissing him back. Was this another dream? Because if it wasn’t, then, had the other night been real as well?

“G..Grant!” Tizzy took his name.

“Tizzy, I can’t let you go out of my life after this” he whispered.

Then suddenly, Tizzy saw Trisha’s face> She also remembered that he was her boss, and their wonderful kiss would one day be remembered as a mistake. She had to stop now.

Pushing him away, Tizzy stared with tear filled eyes. “Please leave Grant. Just as this street leads to nothing, any relationship between us is going to go nowhere.”

Grant looked at her. He saw fear, he saw pain, and he saw distrust. She had kissed him back, had clung to him. What happened to that moment? But it was the look of distrust that froze his hands to his side.

“Please go Grant, can’t you