Chapter 3
“It is so good to see you Elna. The office is not the same without you.”
The older woman smiled. “It’s good to see you. So you have to tell me what is going on at work.”
Davina shook her head. “I am not going to talk shop with you. Your replacement is doing well, even pushed down Boris on the board when he wanted to sideline the expansion project. I would have never thought that he was a rancher until last week.”
Elna sat up in her hospital bed. She was still hooked up to an I.V. and on several monitors, but she was out of ICU and doing much better. Davina had brought her lunch, knowing that she was going to be in misery over the bland hospital food. When she saw her sandwich from Jerry’s, she perked right up.
“Thank you Davina. I haven’t been able to find someone to make a few bucks and bring me something. You would think there would be more with an entrepreneurial spirit.”
She took a bite and closed her eyes. “This is the best. I haven’t had sugar, fat or salt in days and now I can die in peace. I am really starting to think that they are either trying to get you out of here with the food or simply give you no reason to live.”
Davina sat back, pushing her hair to the side before she sat back on it. “I see you are finding ways to stay busy.”
“If complaining was a hobby, I would be good. So what is this about Boris and halting the project?” Elna had enough real food in her to go on with the conversation, having devoured half of her roast beef sandwich in minutes.
“He was trying to pass a motion to be voted on, that since you were in hospital, they would stop the Houston project.”
Elna got angry. It was hard not to see how mad she was. Boris was the bane of her existent most days, but she couldn’t get rid of him. She missed the days before the company had went public, when she could make whatever decision she wanted on a whim and there was no one there to say anything about it. Now it felt like she had to ask permission to make changed in her own company. It was just too much to be born and she liked to hear that Marcel stopped him in his tracks.
“I knew Marcel would be the right one for the job. He was always the best negotiator. My eldest son is the main reason our profit percentage is so high. Marcel always gets the best prices. He is a great negotiator. But how is he doing with the rest of it? Did he come in with cowboy hat and boots on?”
Davina laughed, “No, he is wearing a suit. All nice and tidy, cleans up quite nice.”
Elna noticed the changed in the young woman’s expression and the way she looked away and got pink-cheeked with the mere mention of him. “I see.”
Davina didn’t give her any more to go off of, refusing to play her games. “I’m just saying, you don’t have to worry, your son definitely looks the part.”
“He is single you know.”
“And your son. And my boss.”
“Yes, well love has a way of easing complications.”
Davina sat up and checked what was going into her IV. “What are you doing Davina?”
“Just seeing what it is they got you on that has you talking so crazy.”
“Only fluids. I’m just saying, if you are so inclined, you have my blessing.”
***
The seed had been planted by the wise woman and when Davina went back to work later that afternoon after her visit with her, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It had been Elna’s purpose and she had done a good job of finishing what Marcel had started. Now that she knew he was single, there was no way to look at him the same way.
“Hey, Davina?”
She looked up, not hearing him walk up to her doorway. He was looking at her in such a way when she finally met his gaze, that it stopped her for a moment. “Yes?”
“How was mom?”
Her mind went to their conversation and the woman’s blessing. “She is good. Looks like she is ready to get out of there and cause trouble.”
Marcel grinned. “Yeah, she was on me not even a half an hour after surgery. That is when I knew that she was going to be okay.”
Davina could tell that he cared and that he was worried about her. It was sweet that he cared so much and she liked that he was so open with his feelings, his face so readable.
“So did you have those keys?”
She looked at him questioningly, not knowing what he was talking about. “Oh right, the keys. Sorry, I guess I am still out of it. Did you want me to take you down there?”
“I don’t want to keep you. I am sure you have something better to do.”
“No, I don’t actually.”
“Good, yes I would love for you to show me around. I will make you dinner if you do.”
“Sounds like a date.” Her words came back to her and she turned red almost immediately, “I mean, sounds good. Of course it is not a date.”
Marcel just looked at her, waiting for her to change her mind again. He liked the idea of a date and there was no one else that he wanted to spend his evening with, so to him, it didn’t matter what it was named. “Well whatever it is, I thank you for being so welcoming. I feel a little out of place here.”
“Don’t. You are doing great. The first day is over and I am sure it is going to get better from here.”
“How did you get so positive?”
Davina shrugged. ”There isn’t much of an alternative, so I do what I can.”
Marcel walked off and looked back once into her small office. There was something about that woman that he couldn’t put his finger on, it wasn’t tangible, but it was there nonetheless. When he called his mom to make sure that she didn’t need anything before he went to the condo, she asked about Davina and if she was going to go with him. Marcel could see her guise, but it was one time that he didn’t mind his meddling mom. There was something about Davina that made him think that maybe it was time to move on. Elna was right, it was time.
“Well Marcel, just keep an open mind when you are in the city. You might find something there that you hadn’t been able to find in Conroe.”
He knew that she meant Davina for some reason, but he didn’t push the conversation. He didn’t want to get her hopes up, especially if it was all for naught. Davina may not even feel the same way. Marcel was quite a bit older and he worked outside, sweating for a living. As soon as Elna was better, he would be back on the ranch full time and where would that leave the two of them. He couldn’t see her wanting to live out in the country.