Chapter21

Rodrigo stood at a corner, watching the scene unfold. He moved towards Rita surreptitiously, vowing within himself to protect her if worse comes to worst. "He's my chaffeur and my personal guard Edmundo. What do you mean by that question?", Rita said. She was beyond caring. She didn't care if she appeared rude. Edmundo had no right to come into her office and talk thrash. "Why does it seem that everytime I come in here, he's always in your office. Which begs the question, what is he doing here?",he repeated. Rita ignored his question, facing Rodrigo. She saw the look of anger in his eyes at the way Edmundo addressed her. She gave him a small smile, silently reassuring him that everything was going to fine. "Please, you can go now. Pick me up at the close of work, thank you", she said. Rodrigo hesitated, moving towards her. He stopped in his tracks, deciding against it. He didn't want to give away their relationship to him and have her ending in trouble. "Yes ma'am", he said, taking his leave. When he left, Rita sat back on her chair, facing Edmundo who seemed to find this whole situation funny. "Now, what do you want?", she asked. "I came to see you", he said. "Good, now you've seen me. You can go now", Rita said, tapping her feet on the ground. "Not quite yet", he said walking towards her. Rita shrunk back in her seat, not quite trusting him not to do anything rash. "You see, I have an event I'm to attend in Madrid this weekend", he said, stroking her hair. "So, what has that got to do with me?",she asked. "You'll be going with me", he said, finally. Rita couldn't believe this was happening to her. She couldn't travel with Edmundo when she was so close to nabbing the thief who had been stealing from her company coupled with the fact that she was yet to discover who was behind that attack in Los Angeles. Rodrigo couldn't do it all alone, he needed her and there was no way she would leave him alone. "I'm sorry, I can't go. I have so many things to do here that requires my attention", she said as politely as she could. "There would be no excuses Rita. You must go with me, it's a must", he said, walking back to his seat. "Why don't you tell your many concubines to accompany you", Rita screamed. "Don't test my patience woman. You're coming with me and there's no argument about that", he said. "And can you force me?",she said. "I don't need to force you, I know just how to make you go", he said, stroking his beard. "Which is?". "Your father", he smiled sadistically. "You wouldn't", Rita said, horrified. "Oh I will and I can, there's no stopping me. Remember who I am, Edmundo Brabra son of the nation's Senator", he said. Rita stayed quiet for a while. Edmundo knew her weakness and it was her father, one word from him to her father would make her change her mind. He knew it and that's why he didn't hesitate to use it against her. She always knew him to be so heartless and callous but never like this, this was beyond wicked. "How long would you be staying?", Rita asked. "A week", he said. "Fine... I'll go", she said sadly. "Good choice although you didn't have much of a choice", he said, rising to his feet. "Get out of my office", Rita said with all the hate she could muster. "Oh darling, I'm already on my way. I'll pick you up on Friday, we'll use my jet. And oh, tell that chaffeur of yours that he won't be needed", he said before walking out of her office. Rita slumped on her seat as the first drop of tears fell from her eyes. She didn't understand why her life seemed to be going this way. Why her parents seemed to pay a deaf ear to her pleas against marrying Edmundo. As it stood, there was no way she could prevail over them. They were bent on her getting married to him and there was no stopping them. "Ma'am, your chaffeur wants to see you. Shall I send him up?", Yasmin said, through the intercom. Rita knew that Rodrigo sensed that she'll be in a bad mood hence his wanting to see her. She couldn't see him now, couldn't see the handsome face she had come to love. She'll be going away with Edmundo for a week and she didn't want Rodrigo's face to be the last thing she saw before leaving. It was best he stayed away from her until the time she came back, it was for the best. "No, don't send him in. Please, kindly inform him that I wouldn't be needing his services until further notice. He hasn't been relieved of his duties, just on a little suspension that's all", she said. "Okay ma'am, I'll relay your message to him", Yasmin said. Rita sobbed harder, pulling out a tissue from her side drawer. Her eyes were red rimmed as she stared our of the window. A little bird fluttered past and for one brief moment, Rita wished she could be free like the bird. ********************** At the close of work that day, Rita walked briskly towards her car. She was going to drive herself home since she had relived Rodrigo of his duties. On getting to her car, she discovered that he was already outside waiting for her even when she had made it clear that he wouldn't be working anymore for the time being. "Rita", he said. "Rodrigo", she said, quietly. He moved towards her with the intention of holding her but she held up her hand, stopping him in his tracks. A look of pain crossed his eyes and Rita almost broke her resolve there and then. Even though she didn't want to see him until she left, she couldn't help but feel touched at his insistence by coming here