Architecturally not love...I think

Chapter 6 Valentine's Day

I hung the bright red heart on the ceiling and I got down from the ladder. I folded the ladder and walked to the garage and placed it in there. I walked into the living room and wiped the counter tops because there was paint chips sprinkled on it. Nick walked in and looked at the decorations. "Well this is a change in scenery." He said. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Well that's a lot of food."

"I'm uh cooking a special dinner for all of us."

"Just you?"

"No, Mrs. Smith is helping me."

"Oh alright." "I guess I'll pick out a nice wine." 

"Oh that'd be so sweet of you." I said half sarcastically. He walked away. I heard the door open. 

"Claire, oh thank Jesus." She hauled the groceries onto the counter top and I started taking things out of the bag. 

"I'm going to try and make everything I possibly can." I heard the door open and someone's heels were hitting the wood floor. "Ms. Smith, oh my god hi." She took off her shawl and walked towards us. 

"Oh you lovely ladies, hello." She put her purse on the table. 

"What are we whipping up?"

"A special Valentine's dinner." 

"Oh lovely." Nick walked back into the room.

"Come on Cassie, time to head to the office." 

"Do you and Claire have this?" I asked Ms. Smith.

"Oh darling yes." I walked to the door and grabbed my coat and purse. He walked up behind me and we got out of the house. He clicked a button on his key and the doors flung open. He had wing doors. I got in and grabbed the handle and pulled. He got in and pressed the start button. We drove for ten minutes when he started talking. 

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"The dinner, this job."

"Because I've always liked assisting and helping someone." 

"Why?"

"Um, well I learned I like assisting people when my dad lost his job and kind of neglected the family." 

"Your mom had to get herself a job?"

"Yeah, and I'd always have to help around the house, it was kind of the only thing I knew to do when I was kid and growing up." He took a turn and a big bright metallic building  was there. 

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm?" He asked.

"How does an immigrant build such an empire like this?" I asked. 

"By pursuing what I love most..." He said like he already knew the answer.

"And how does one pursue such things." 

"By being competitive and not caring what critics say about your work." 

"I've seen some of your work, it's good." 

"Yeah I like to go for some kind of comfort in some edginess, have this geometric futuristic vibe." 

"I see it." I nodded. He parked in his designated parking spot and I pulled the door handle. It opened and I almost hit my head trying to get out. I nudged the door and the door shut slowly. I walked over to him. We walked to the entrance and the cold factory fumes hit me. Woah. He walked across the front desk and all the women stared at him. I followed him onto the elevator. Someone else walked in with us. 

"Shannon, how're you doing?"

"Um, good, thank you for asking Mr. Adkins."

"That's good, good." She got off when the doors opened and he clicked the button to the highest floor. We stood in the silence again. Until we finally reached the top floor. He got out and he pointed at a desk, "My assistant didn't show up, she's on leave for the day, her sister is pregnant so you're filling up her spot." I nodded.

"Should I send a congratulations card."

"That's an American thing, yes?"

"Uh yeah." 

"Fine do it, Liberty downstairs could deliver it." I nodded and walked around the desk and sat down. I set down my purse and sighed in relief. I go to the formats and click on a two-fold sheet. I was writing the card and I heard someone walk in. A lady in an all red pant-suit walked into his office and didn't even notice me. 

"Uh-um." I said. She shut the door and pulled down the blinds on all the windows. I was going to get up but a couple of seconds later I heard yelling. She opened the door angrily and was yelling, "so what now are you just going to ignore what we had?"

"It was one night." He said calmly.

"Ugh, whatever." She stomped to the elevators. 

"What was that?"

"An old ex." 

"You want to sign the card?"

"Yeah bring it into my office." He said watching the elevator. He walked in and I grabbed the card from the printer and folded it. I got up and walked into his office. His office was themed the same way that his house was. Black, gray, and dark browns. There was a huge book shelf and a bunch of accent pieces like a piece of wood and some silver geometric. He had a table and two dark gray loveseats across each other. I walked past the couches and towards his desk that was centered of all the windows. I set the card on his desk. He grabbed it and took out a pen. 

"Can you grab the brown tube from that bin there." He dismissively pointed to a bin at the end of the bookshelf. I walked over and held my skirt and grabbed the brown tube. The bin had a lot of tubes in it that we're all different colors.  I walked over to him and he pointed to a round table in the corner of the room staring at the skyline. I popped open the tube and rolled out the paper and put the little rocks he had to stop the paper rolling back together. I leaned back and he came up behind me and handed the card to me. I grabbed it and was heading to the door. 

"Remember, give it to Liberty." He said and I exited. I hit the intercom. "Liberty, can you please come to Nic-Mr.Adkins's office."