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Every single morning, I pull into the parking lot and see his car. He normally beats me here, but today his Audi is missing from the lot. This strikes me as odd, since I am always the first to know when he will not be in the office. I check my phone to see if I have missed a call or text from him…no messages. I grab my purse and prepare for the hike to my building. I walk into the lobby and give my normal greeting to the security guard…”Good Morning Jimmy!” He is an older man with silver hair and the sweetest smile. He says back to me “Good Morning Ma’am” just as he does every morning. I push the elevator button and wait to see the arrow illuminate. By the time the doors open, several others have joined me in the lobby and jump on board. We stop 7 times on the way to my final destination…the 18th floor. This is the EXECUTIVE level. I walk past the group of adminstraive assistants who have the hardest jobs in the building…keeping up with all the executives. As I approach my office, my assistant, Laura, meets me and says she has an urgent message. I unlock my door, wait for her to enter, and close the door behind her for privacy. “Matt was in a car accident this morning on the way to work, and he is in critical condition,” she said with a quiver in her voice. Tears fill my eyes and though I try, they cannot be contained. I reach for a tissue and blot away the ones that have escaped down my cheeks. The details continue, “He is at PC General in ICU and is in a coma.” I grab my keys and purse and run towards the elevator. “I have to go. I will call and check in later.” I can see Laura’s face as the elevator doors close, and the severity of the situation hits me. The drive to PC General is roughly 30 minutes from the office, and even though I’m running 80 mph on the 405, I feel like I’m barely moving. As news spreads about Matt’s accident, my phone begins lighting up like a fireworks show. Our boss calls me 3 times, but I do not answer so I can keep my focus on the road. As I drive, I think about how the relationship between Matt and I had grown so much over the past several months. I remember seeing him for the first time at the annual company retreat a year ago. He was standing next to our COO, Warren, when I walked in and he caught my eye immediately. The only way to describe him was sexy…6’2” tall, light brown curly hair, built like a god, engaging eyes and a smile that could melt hearts. He was new to the company and our boss was introducing him to the staff. He had a very shy demeanor, and looked a bit uncomfortable from all the attention. I was speaking with another colleague when I saw Warren headed my way with him. “Matthew, I would like for you to meet Emma, our EVP of Marketing.” Matt extended his hand to me and smiled, “So nice to meet you, Emma.” His voice was deep and smooth as silk. Warren’s introduction continued, “Matt is our new EVP of Finance, and I would like for him to shadow you for the next few weeks to get a grasp of things.” I turned to Warren and said, “Well I sure hope he can keep up with me!” They both laughed, and Warren warned ”You have a tough job ahead of you Matt. Emma is a pistol!” I nodded in agreement with Warren’s statement, and excused myself to get a glass of wine. The rest of the night, I watched every office tramp make Matt’s acquaintance. The next several weeks that followed were no exception. We would walk down the halls together in the office, and all the women would gawk at him. It became a joke between the two of us, and I rather enjoyed giving him hell about it. Due to the amount of time we were forced to spend together, we started sharing personal stories and I began really enjoying his company. Our business trips together became very frequent, as we were constantly being called to executive conferences. Even though we were there with others, we would always gravitate toward each other in between sessions. Finally about 3 months ago, Matt asked me to dinner. I thought it was a business dinner and didn’t think twice. He asked me to meet at his condo, and when I arrived, there he stood in jeans and a button down shirt. He invited me in and asked if I wanted a glass of wine. I assumed we were going out to dinner, but the aroma in the condo led me to believe otherwise. He took my coat, and led me to the bar that surrounded his kitchen. A timer went off, and he grabbed his oven mits and opened the door. He pulled out the most gorgeous rack of lamb, sat it on the stovetop, and began brushing it with glaze from a saucepan. “You hungry?” he asked. “Starving!, I replied. “I had no clue you were making dinner. I feel horrible that I didn’t bring anything.” Without hesitation he said, “Don’t think twice about it. I wanted to cook for you.” He plated 2 servings and walked them over to the candlelit table. He gazed at me and gave a me a nod to come over to the table. I walked over, and like the most noble gentleman, he pulled out my chair. I took a bite of the lamb and it melted in my mouth. “I had no clue you could cook! This is delicious!” He was thankful for the accolades and his confidence soared. He asked if he could talk to me about something extremely important. I said of course, and the most unbelievable words came from his mouth. “I’ve tried everything I can to keep this from happening, but my guard is down and you have to know…I have fallen for you. I know this is not considered a good thing by our HR department, but I can’t hold back any longer.” I couldn’t even speak. All of the things I had been feeling for Matt were strictly plutonic and work related until that moment. His words awoke feelings in me that I had been burying. I knew it was an issue to date a co-worker, so I never let it enter my mind. We talked in detail about how it would work and knew we had to tell Warren. The next morning, we called a meeting with him to discuss “us”. We were both extremely nervous, but knew if we wanted to be together, it had to be done. Matt asked me if he could be the one to tell Warren, and I obliged. “Warren, I have an issue working with Emma. You see, I have fallen madly in love with her and I want to be with her. I know it goes against HR policies, but I sincerely hope you see enough value in us both to find a way to make this work. If not, then effective today I give my resignation. This woman means that much to me.” I sat there unaware that he would phrase it this way, and was shocked by Warren’s reaction. “Matt and Emma, I appreciate you coming to me with this. HR policies are put in place for a reason. We ALL must abide by them. Having said that, I own this company, and the two of you are the glue that holds it together. I could see you falling for each other all along. I could have split you up, but chose not to. I will speak with HR and we will get something put into your files stating that I am aware of this relationship and have given approval for the policy to be lifted this time.” Matt stood up and shook Warren’s hand, and I ran around the desk to give him a huge hug! “Take care of her Matt! She is like a daughter to me.” Matt promised Warren he would take care of me and be an amazing partner. Since that day, we have been inseperable. Our lives have been amazing together, professionally and personally. It’s funny how all of these things flash before my eyes as I drive to the hospital. I pull into the parking lot and run inside. The lady at the information desk gives me directions to the ICU unit. I step off the elevator on the 3rd floor and ask a nurse for a status on Matt. “Are you family?”, she asks. “I am his girlfriend, please tell me how he is!” She grabs my hand and leads me to a private room. “Let me get the doctor to come in and speak with you.”, she said. I sit there waiting and watching the minutes tick by. The door opens again, and a petite lady in a white coat enters. “I understand that you are here for Mr. Walker. He is in critical condition. He suffered major head trauma in his accident and is in a coma. We have managed to stop all the bleeding, but he is not out of the woods yet. The swelling in his brain will need to reduce before we know the true extent of his injuries. We are uncertain when or if he will wake up. I will take you to his room so you can see him. Feel free to speak to him and let him know you are here. He will be able to hear you.” As we walk down the sterile hallway, my mind starts racing about what to say. She opens the door to his room. The man laying in the hospital bed is not the man that kissed me goodnight 12 hours ago. This man is so damaged and broken. His face is unrecognizable. He is swollen and covered in lacerations. I walk to his side and grab his hand. It is limp and there is no reaction to my squeeze. I lean into him and whisper, “Matthew Isaac Walker, I love you and I’m right here with you!” I pull a chair up next to the bed and sit with his hand to my lips. I don’t want to let him go. He could be like this forever, but I refuse to leave him. I absolutely refuse…
HAVE YOU EVER…
These question might cause you to think a little, but they are fun nonetheless!
